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In some ways, people will already have seen The Curious Case of Benjamin Button before the film even begins rolling. We have a protagonist misunderstood for his differences which, along with a diverse ensemble of characters, help shape his life, and a struggle with love for "the one that got away." Sound familiar? Sounds a bit like 1994's Forrest Gump to me.It comes as little surprise, since screenwriter Eric Roth penned both scripts. But his efforts with Button yield more satisfying results. Why?
Having David Fincher direct certainly doesn't hurt. But this time around, Roth re-worked previously-written material, in this instance a lesser-known short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The original Benjamin Button wasn't so much a story as it was a labor, a disappointingly sardonic look at a truly interesting concept - being born old and growing younger with the passage of time.
Here, the recycled elements of Gump have helped create an adaptation that surpasses its original inspiration. Every character is vital to the protagonist's life, resulting in a story that becomes less a chore than a joy to soak up. The film affords each star its shining moment, (even Cate Blanchett!) and makes the story's three-hour run time breeze right by.
Perhaps the biggest reason for that is one of the film's strongest aspects (and the first we notice), its artistic merit. Benjamin Button is one of the most visually stunning movies you'll ever see. We all know going in of the monumental task it faced in presenting the wonders of aging (or is it timelessness?), and they've succeeded resoundingly in that respect. But even more impressive is the scene construction; each one as vivid and beautiful as the last. You're not just watching for three hours, but experiencing this story.
Few scenes achieve the same visual quality as the opener, the night of Benjamin's (Brad Pitt) birth in 1918. Born on the night World War I ends, Benjamin's aforementioned condition sees him promptly abandoned by his father (his mother dies in childbirth) and left with nursing home attendant Queenie (Taraji P. Henson). His early life sees a myriad of different encounters - from a ship captain who gives him his first real job to a resident of the nursing home whose sole purpose seems to be for comic relief, discussing the seven times he's been struck by lightning.
But despite their varying degrees of apparent significance, the characters each provide a vital aspect of the story: the lessons they give to Benjamin inspired by their experiences with him. As Pitt ages (or, rather, grows younger - either way it's astounding to watch), the messages grow more profound, and every character contributes at some level.
It might be Elizabeth Abott (Tilda Swinton), who gives Benjamin his first kiss and, 30-odd years later, reminds him that anything is possible in life; it might also be his father Tom (Jason Flemyng), whose actions teach Benjamin that any and all anger must be let go and forgotten at some point. What hits hard is the casual nature in which the majority of these lessons are delivered - almost as mild banter between friends, since Benjamin never reveals his true age and condition.
Except to his childhood friend Daisy (Cate Blanchett). Her relationship with Benjamin is sort of like Jenny's with Gump; you want it to happen, but it doesn't seem likely. And then it happens.
But for all the build-up, their relationship ends up becoming a bit of a downer. Blanchett and Pitt excel throughout the movie except, strangely, in their scenes together. At its core, the movie is a love story, yet the romantic elements end up being the weakest of any in the movie. Poor? Certainly not - and things definitely improve as the movie goes on. But you'd expect them to feel a bit more natural.
At some point in the 1960's - just after the Beatles play Ed Sullivan and just before the horrendous fashion trends we see emerging in the latter part of the decade - Benjamin and Daisy hit equilibrium. She's gotten old enough and he's gotten young enough for them to be at the same level, and things appear perfect for them. And even with the apparent lack of chemistry between the two, Pitt and Blanchett still manage to convey that element of the sublime, that point at which we feel anything is possible.
That's basically the essence of the movie, though. In an awards season filled with historical representations (Milk, Frost/Nixon) or thinking-man's movies (Doubt, The Dark Knight), this movie is the escape we so desperately need. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button may have a simple lesson, but it is far from a simple film. It's a magical journey - a true triumph in a year that gave us so many duds. It's beautiful, it's uplifting and - pardon the pun - it's timeless.
3.5 stars out of 4
What is it about American Beauty that so effectively launches the film to greatness?
Is it the stunning performances? The resounding successes of both a first-time writer and director? Or is it a rare melding of drama and comedy that is successful enough to make us laugh, cringe and cry in the same film? The answer? All of the above and none of the above.
Those qualities certainly don't hurt, but arguably the greatest asset of American Beauty is the fact that the situations it presents are so familiar to us all. Not necessarily in the sense of developing attractions to our teenage children's best friends, but in the omnipresence of internal discord - the underlying Yeatsian philosophy of things falling apart.
Its protagonist, Lester Burnham (Kevin Spacey), is someone we all know at some level. He works for a magazine and lives in a nice house in a typical suburban community with his wife and daughter. Nine times out of 10, this would be considered a happy life, but here, as Lester's quick to alert us, it's all a facade. He's hit a dead-end in his career, his wife Carolyn (Annette Bening) no longer truly loves him and his daughter Jane (Thora Birch) has grown to resent his very presence.
"In a way, I'm dead already," he says during the film's introduction, shortly before proceeding to masturbate during a shower. Desperate times, indeed, but things aren't much better for anyone else around him. His wife's real-estate career is also floundering. His ex-Marine new next-door neighbor (Chris Cooper) worries for his son's (Wes Bentley) well-being.
These sorts of things happen all the time around us, often without our knowing, often masked by a similar facade to that of the Burnhams. American Beauty takes them all together and makes them not just apparent to us, but indeed our focal point - rendering them all the more powerful. And give director Sam Mendes credit; he corrals an A-list cast perfectly so that their personae don't overwhelm each other, but instead all stay believable in their own right. (Not bad for a guy who'd only directed London theater before this.)
That's the first act.
In the second, the Burnham family takes a turn for the better. Carolyn raises her spirits by beginning an affair with one of her biggest real estate rivals (Peter Gallagher). Jane starts seeing the Marine's son. Out of darkness comes light, one might say.
And no one gets more light than Lester. After developing an unhealthy obsession with Jane's friend Angela (Mena Suvari), his whole life is transformed. He not only quits his job, but also threatens to blackmail his former bosses. He buys a vintage Pontiac Firebird. He starts working out regularly and, almost contradictorily, smoking weed again for the first time since college.
The family crisis still remains, but rather than a source of strain, it becomes a source of utter hilarity as Spacey plunges Lester into new depths of hilarity and ridicule. Lester's fantasies with Angela become more and more vivid, and his masturbation transitions to the bedroom, but Spacey's charisma through it all is astounding - enough to carry the whole movie on its back.
It's not just the effects that shock us, but the causes as well. As Lester transitions from pushover to rebel, we experience one of two phenomena: we either start to see ourselves in him or we start to wish we could. For those of us lucky enough to have developed his new level of vitality, the movie is a parallel to our own lives; for those of us who haven't, it's a kick-start.
This gives the movie a real sense of gusto, but also makes its conclusion all the more shocking. By the end, we don't just watch these characters; we feel them. American Beauty is truly excellent - a movie that finds triumph in tumult, one that covers the entire range of the emotional spectrum in doing so. Don't just watch this one; cherish it.
4 stars out of 4
A funny thing occurred to me while watching Mel Brooks' 1974 acknowledged comedy classic Blazing Saddles, right around the scene where Sheriff Bart (Cleavon Little), still trying to find his way around the town of Rock Ridge, attempts to greet an elderly woman in town. (Her response: "piss off, n***er") At some point, it'll strike you that all of Brooks' films - whether good, bad or somewhere in the middle - contain the same brand of effected, almost forced, humor.
In Young Frankenstein, it might be Igor's command to Frankenstein to (quite literally) "walk this way." In Robin Hood: Men in Tights, just pick a joke: whether Ahchoo's hip-hop sequence or Maid Marian's Everlast chastity belt. Hell, he even makes reference to Blazing Saddles at one point! Brooks uses these sorts of routines so much that they ultimately belittle his comedic gravitas.
But what we realize with Brooks is that, with all of his jokes being made in a similar manner, it's really not the humor by which his films must be judged; it's the individual storylines and, more importantly, how successfully he weaves the humor into them.
And by that notion, Blazing Saddles really isn't a great film. Sure, you'll get your chuckles; I certainly got mine. And, yes, its handling of racial prejudices so shortly after the civil rights movement is a great source of comedy, probably one of the reasons it's viewed as a classic.
When you look at it a bit closer, though, there's not much of a story. Rather, it's a series of smaller events that build upon eachother and ultimately lead to, well...nothing. The conclusion really doesn't follow the events of the rest of the movie. Its sheer randomness is akin to watching an episode of "Family Guy." Or the middle third of The Shining.
It starts with conniving Attorney General Hedley Lamarr (Harvey Korman) attempting to buy the town of Rock Ridge to destroy it and use the land for a railroad. The citizens, outraged, demand that their governor (Mel Brooks) send them a sheriff to maintain order and prevent their town's destruction. The sheriff is Bart (Cleavon Little), an African-American whom the 1874 Old West town predictably takes its time to warm up to. Hence, "piss off, n***er!"
The conflict is between Lamarr and Bart, and honestly can hardly be called a conflict at all. It's basically a series of cheap pranks, if you think about it: Lamarr tries to pull a fast one on Bart; Bart responds and turns the situation in his favor. Over, and over, and over.
Yes, you'll get your giggles, whether from Gene Wilder's "Waco Kid" (who "killed more men than Cecil B. DeMille!") or Madeline Kahn's Lili Von Shtüpp, a German chanteuse oddly reminiscent of Cloris Leachman's Frau Blücher. But the laughs never really amount to much because they're never quite given a solid context to fit into. As a result, the movie feels a bit stale before you've even reached the halfway point.
Don't get me wrong; I can see why Blazing Saddles is so well-loved. For its time, it's great; it has its place in history as a sort of building block toward the raunchy modern comedy of today. But in the end, it can't be judged as anything more than that.
2 stars out of 4
Most people might debate over what exactly is the greatest aspect of a film like The Day the Earth Stood Still. It could be the solid acting performances of Patricia Neal and Michael Rennie. It could be the fear-inspiring qualities of the robot Gort. Or it could be the collective sentiments that the movie evoked upon its initial release to the world, which was at the time mired in Cold War angst and xenophobia.
But no, the greatest trait of this cinematic gem is the fact that it is as utterly mesmerizing a film in 2008 as it was 57 years ago, in 1951. Sure, its context may have changed but its overall campaign for peace and understanding resonates as loud as ever. It's a message the human race still has yet to learn, and one that hits even harder upon that realization.
We could all use the sort of rude awakening Klaatu (Rennie) and Gort (Lock Martin - truly more machine than man) bring to Earth. Imagine all of the electricity on the planet going out, for a half hour. It would be even more catastrophic in today's technology-driven world than it was then.
But at the same time, Rennie brings an odd sort of comforting presence to Klaatu. He's an alien bringing a warning of destruction to the planet, yet he makes you feel so at ease through it all. He takes young Bobby Benson (Billy Gray) sightseeing throughout DC and solves seemingly unsolvable equations for the eccentric Professor Barnhardt (Sam Jaffe), and is equally convincing in each facet of his Earth persona, Mr. Carpenter.
What's more, his performance brings out the best in his co-stars, making them more believable and, thus, the film more likable. All things considered, Patricia Neal on her own is rather uninspiring as Helen Benson, but she has a certain chemistry with Rennie that allows you to overlook it all.
Given the upcoming remake, it might be easy to overlook the artistic side of things. How can a film from the 50s possibly compete with 21st-century blockbuster? In much the same way that the 1933 version of King Kong trumps Peter Jackson's recent remake: the effects are there to augment the film, not to drive it. By not assaulting our senses with cheese, director Robert Wise lets us truly appreciate his special effects for the time period from whence they came - whether the spaceship travelling to Earth or Gort's creepy eye-beams that melt anything he chooses.
I could go on, but I'd likely be here for weeks listing all of the positives. Put simply, The Day the Earth Stood Still is a sci-fi classic and an indisputably great piece of filmmaking - as relevant today as it was half a century ago. But don't take my word for it. Rent this, and let the movie do the talking...
4 stars out of 4
Split-personality characters rarely come as mysterious as Viggo Mortensen's in A History of Violence.
On one side, he's Tom Stall - married with two kids, the mild-mannered owner of a diner in small-town Indiana. People in his town know him because, well, everyone knows everyone. Until, that is, he kills a couple of criminals one night in his diner in self-defense. Then people know him for being a hero.
And it's then that his other side comes out. The news of his actions travels fast, and before long, Tom's being stalked by a creepy mobster from Philadelphia (Ed Harris) who believes him to be one of his crew and, in fact, called Joey Cusack. Another mobster. A violent one. A killer.
It's a credit to director David Cronenberg that A History of Violence doesn't reveal anything too soon. But unfortunately what ends up being the film's biggest downfall is that there are some things it doesn't reveal at all. So in the end, the Cronenberg-Viggo pairing IS, once again, a success. Just not as big as the duo's next excursion, Eastern Promises.
However, the movie's good enough for the most part to keep us interested in spite of these shortcomings. In addition to the mystery behind Stall/Cusask (which one is he?), the movie's true gusto as a thriller comes from the manner in which Tom's conflict comes to affect his family. We're left not just worrying for his safety and outcome, but for theirs as well. We see it strike his wife, Edie (Maria Bello), whose paranoia turns to fear and again into anger over her husband's predicament. But it comes through strongest in his son, Jack (Ashton Holmes), who transforms from a mild-mannered high school loser to a vicious fighter as the movie progresses.
Unfortunately, the plot holes prove too many to overcome, particularly toward the end of things. There are also some miscasting issues, namely Bello - who should really just retire from cinema altogether. But if Bello's performance is of her typical, unsympathetic self, then there is another miscasting in A History of Violence that is truly deplorable - William Hurt as another Philly mobster, unconvincing and overhammed, apparently, enough to receive an Academy Award nod.
All in all, not bad. Cronenberg and Co. have whipped up a crafty, satisfying thriller that should wind up entertaining all. But if we consider his pairings with Mortensen as we would a sex life (not entirely inappropriate, considering their next film), A History of Violence is kind of like that all-important "first time" - something to talk about, something to remember, but ultimately not as good as what's to come.
3 stars out of 4
On September 11, 1971 - an interesting date, if you think about it - London experienced one of the single biggest robberies in its history. It saw nearly £3 million in cash and goods stolen from a Lloyds Bank branch at the corner of Baker Street and Marlyebone Road in a heist that (appropriately) became known as the Baker Street robbery. Of the thieves or the aftermath little of substance is known, but the two have become widely speculated urban legends ever since.
Which brings us to 2008, and the Hollywood retelling of these events, The Bank Job. The producers took full advantage of the fact that so little is known about the robbery, turning the movie essentially into a 1970s British version of Ocean's Eleven. But instead of being overwhelmed by celebrity (ultimately the downfall of the Ocean's franchise), we end up being enthralled by what's important - the story and its presentation on screen.
Jason Statham shines as head robber Terry Leather in a rare role that doesn't waste his charisma. For every decent film Statham makes, he usually follows up with two or three abysmal ones. (So following The Bank Job...well, let's worry about that when it happens...) Here, he excels as the leader of the group, exuding a certain air of confidence even in the most precarious of situation. It's his handling of things above all that keeps our eyes glued to the screen.
It's hard to tell where reality stops and imagination begins in The Bank Job, but here's the general idea of things: an old fling of Leather's named Martine (Saffron Burrows) presents him the opportunity for the robbery. Terry's had his share of mischief, but this job represents a chance for he and his friends to take the next step and make out big. They take it.
But, as has become incredibly predictable in these sort of films, the crew gets more than they bargained for. Tension from all directions mounts, from the love triangle of Terry, Martine and Terry's wife Wendy (Keeley Hawes) to the continuing struggle against aptly named political activist Michael X (Peter de Jersey). Add in police corruption and a veteran London porn king, and you get a movie whose plot you can never really figure out until the end. Not a bad quality to have in a movie, though, is it?
The biggest success of the film is the crew, with each character as endearing and believable as the next. The lone exception is Burrows, whose importance to the film is undermined by a dry, unsympathetic performance. But then, she's not really part of the team anyway. Oops, did I just give something away?
Oh well, it's a minor detail in a movie with thousands. For all it's Hollywood-ing, The Bank Job is as good a heist movie as there's been in at least 20 years, if not ever. So kick back, grab your popcorn, and get ready to be entertained.
3 stars out of 4
Captivating, heart-wrenching stories aren't often found among video gamers, and even less so in documentaries about video gamers. But apparently Seth Gordon missed that memo. In his documentary The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters, he pulls one off - presenting the saga of one Steve Wiebe and Billy Mitchell.
Mitchell's the old master, holding high-score records in five classic arcade games and even gracing his own trading card. (You think I'm joking, but watch the movie; by the end, such a statement doesn't seem remotely far-fetched.) For years, his score of 874,300 points in Donkey Kong was a world record.
Until, that is, Wiebe came along, submitting a videotaped score of more than one million points to video game records keeper Twin Galaxies. But because of the many rules and technicalities in competitive gaming, his score is scrutinized and eventually dismissed altogether. Determined to prove his legitimacy, Wiebe crosses the country to popular east-coast arcades to establish himself.
What follows is an escalation of Mitchell and Wiebe's competition into what video game referee Walter Day calls "one of the great rivalries of all time." (You really can't make this stuff up.)
There's Mitchell - the New York Yankees of the two - and his ascent from teenage gaming prodigy to one of the world's most popular gamers. He's one of those perpetually lucky people who seems to win at everything, from gaming to the running of the popular Rickey's World Famous Restaurant chain. Then there's Wiebe, who's more like the Red Sox were for all those years before breaking their "curse." A middle school science teacher, Wiebe's life is chock full of ups and downs (mostly downs, from his high school baseball career being cut short to his firing from Boeing).
But we also see Gordon pull off a rare trick. He gives us something that transcends being a mere "documentary" and merits judgement as a true "movie." The film runs the emotional gamut, giving us comedy with heartbreak and happiness alongside anger. In short, it informs us, but it also entertains us in a way that eludes far too many modern movies - by completely enveloping its viewers.
We see Wiebe emerge as the dominant persona, and watch our emotional highs and lows mirror his own. As he sheds a tear over the unfortunate ending of his quest, we nearly do the same. We also see Mitchell become less and less likable as the story unfolds, at first inspiring feelings of uneasiness which gradually progresses into anger and resentment.
Launch into arguments about what this movie's appeal says about our society if you wish. I did. But then, allow yourself to sit down and watch it with an open mind. With any luck, by the time the credits roll, it will have opened your eyes as well.
3 stars out of 4
Contrary to what some of you may believe, I did, in fact, survive my fall semester at SU and am now bored out of my effing mind less than 12 hours into my break. Consequently, Ahh, Cinema...will hereby be re-enacted for the duration of my winter break, to keep me sane and my writing sharp. Look for my first review in almost four months a bit later tonight.
Cheers,
-Dan
