It May be a Little Quiet Around These Parts
Hey wow, this LOL bunny is actually slightly relevant.
Yo Folks. I hope this post finds you all happy, healthy and well. The small number of you who have been reading my blog for a while will know that my output has greatly increased since mid last year. That is basically because after I graduated from uni, I put that spare time into writing. However, now I have foolishly enrolled myself back for more study pain. This blog is definitely going to continue. Tis just with full time work, part time study, sport, martial arts, hanging with the lady etc etc ec and now uni, time will be a little tighter.
I hope you will keep swinging by and reading what I do manage to post. I really do appreciate every single time someone reads what I have to say. I am thinking that I should still be able to hit you guys with a trailer and at least one other post per week going forward.
Peace to you all.
Trailer for your Weekend: Jack the Giant Slayer
Jack the Giant Slayer looks utterly idiotic. The kind of idiotic that could be incredible fun at the cinema if it is executed with a semblance of charm. The effects look pretty spectacular, whilst a cast featuring Ewan McGregor and Nicholas Hoult, has promise. Who knows which way this will go, but fingers crossed it turns out to be worth our time. This one is slightly different to the one I saw in the theatre the other day. That one didn’t have the hideous voiceover at the end and the horrid song at the start, but ah well.
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Marina Abramovic: The Artist is Present
Marina Abramovic: The Artist is Present (2012) is a documentary about one of the world’s pre-eminent performance artists. If that sounds truly boring, never fear, because the film is much more than that.
When I saw the film, I was expecting something pretty dry, despite the film getting uniformly positive reviews everywhere I read. The delightful thing about the film is that yes it is about performance art, but it is also about so much more. It is about the notion of legacy, boundaries, the psychology of art, physical limits, the monetisation of creativity and best of all, it is one of the most awesomely strange love stories I have seen for quite some time. The reflections on her working and personal relationship with her longtime partner Ulay are some of the most intriguing parts of the film. We are talking about a relationship that culminated in an artwork that saw them walking toward one another from opposite ends of the Great Wall of China, an act that so changed them that it was the end of their relationship. There’s was a real love, ultimately combustible, but incredibly reflective. It is not often that you get to see the parties involved reflect on something that has burnt out in such a way and it is riveting stuff.
At the centre of everything wonderful the film is about is Marina Abramovic, an engaging and complicated artist. She is clearly a rather large deal in the contemporary art world, but you cannot help get the sense that she has a bit of a chip on her shoulder that this acknowledgement eluded her for so long. As well as chronicling her past, the film also shows the preparation and performance of Marina’s latest and most ambitious piece. At MOMA in New York, all day, every day for 3 months, Marina will sit in a chair and allow members of the public to sit and look at her from close up, their eyes meeting – a piece entitle ‘The Artist is Present’. It is an incredible feat of commitment, passion and physical strength, as you witness the toll that this has on her body. The most stunning aspect of the performance are the rabid crowds who come to see her perform and to sit in her presence. It is incredible to see the array of people who are moved to tears by the performance and there is something undeniably profound about what takes place. It was also incredible to see the level of preparation that goes into her piece. Detractors would scoff that anyone could just sit in a chair in an art gallery and that does not make it art. But not everyone (and perhaps no one else) could do the 6 months of preparation required to perfect such a piece and ensure that it has such an incredible effect on so many people. The entire performance is an incredible journey by Marina, there are definitely times that you feel she has bitten off more than she can chew, and it is great to see such an incredibly high quality artist deal with that fear. She refers to the performance as “her cross” and beautifully articulates the artistry and skill involved, stating “the hardest thing to do is close to nothing.”
Definitely not what I was expecting, Marina Abramovic: The Artist is Present, is well worth checking out. Give it a shot even if the premise sounds about as enticing on nails on a chalkboard, I’d be willing to guarantee that the film surprises you in some way. Rare is the film that sees you actually engaging with an artwork, but I think that is one of the many things that this film achieves.
Verdict: Pint of Kilkenny
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A Few Best Men
Last year’s Australian comedy A Few Best Men (2011) was notable in that it featured a rare onscreen role for Olivia Newton John. It also featured Rebel Wilson at the start of her real breakout year in the States. Unfortunately though, the film is not particularly notable for any other reason.
The Lads
David (Xavier Samuel) meets Mia (Laura Brent) on a beach in Tuvalu. The two fall passionately in love almost immediately, so before they part, David proposes. The film picks up with David and his three best mates flying in from London to Australia for the wedding. Who would guess it, hijinks ensue. Unfortunately though, I just found the hijinks to be criminally unfunny. The first few jokes fall remarkably flat. Not just, well that was a little unamusing flat, but embarrassing for all involved flat. Further to that, there is no real investigation of whether or not these holiday lovebirds are actually suited to a life together. Indeed, the love story of what should be a ‘romantic comedy’ is essentially a subplot and the ‘I do’ part of proceedings goes off with barely a hitch, which removes any suspense in that regard. Instead, it is just a cavalcade of the lads getting into more and more madcap trouble. All of which is straight from The Hangover (2009) or a hundred other films, most of which has been done better in at least a few of those films. Though the standard, incredibly flat falling and awkward best man speech is actually one of the film’s better moments.
The performance from Laura Brent, pictured here with Olivia Newton John, is the best thing about the film.
There are a couple of saving graces for the film coming from a couple of really good performances. Unfortunately though, neither of these characters occupies nearly enough screen time. First of all there is Rebel Wilson, as Mia’s ‘Black Sheep’ younger sister. Wilson is doing her laconic thing here, but she does it well and with obvious devotion to her craft, which I think is evident in all of her roles. The second performance that stood out is Laura Brent’s Mia. It is a little inexplicable that she sees so little time onscreen, given that this is her wedding we are talking about. But whenever she is onscreen, she really lights proceedings up with a charm and genuineness that seems to be sorely lacking from the rest of the film. The male performers are uniformly bland, with the exception of Kris Marshall, here playing the same role he plays in basically all his films, but doing his rambunctious thing pretty nicely. The film is well put together as well, with the direction from Stephan Elliot being assured and the stunning scenery of The Blue Mountains west of Sydney a big star. But all of this cannot overcome the weak script that plagues the film.
It is unfortunate that despite some nice performances there is very little to recommend A Few Best Men. Lacking in charm and being burdened with a deeply unfunny script are two pretty large obstacles for a comedy to overcome. Unfortunately, rather forgettable all in all.
Verdict: Schooner of Carlton Draught
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Jack Reacher
Jack Reacher (2012), which from now on will be referred to as Werner Herzog as Villain, is the adaptation of the sixth book in Lee Child’s wildly successful series of thriller novels. I feel much the same way about Werner Herzog as Villain as Homer Simpson does about the film Man Getting hit by Football in one of my favourite ever Simpsons episodes. Other films may have more heart, action and better scripts than Werner Herzog as Villain, but Werner Herzog as Villain has Werner Herzog as villain.
Unfortunately, having Werner Herzog as villain was not quite enough to save Werner as Villain for me. Nope, not even the most inspired piece of casting I can recall saves this film from its flaws. Things start relatively promisingly too, with a brutal opening featuring an indiscriminate sniper attack. Also, Richard Jenkins shows up and I do love me some Richard Jenkins. But before too long the really shitty script begins to make itself known and takes things over. Tom Cruise shows up too, bringing very little with him to be honest. He is meant to be a total badass, but he just couldn’t pull it off. He just has this really smarmy presence, which is weird because I thought that Reacher was meant to be more of a salt of the earth, ‘everyman’ type of guy (that was definitely the impression I got from the only Reacher novel I read). The only couple of good moments were included in the trailer, leaving essentially the only reason to watch the movie the fact that Werner Herzog is the villain. The film is just so bloody long too. Seriously, a film like this really only needs to be 90 minutes or so, but this just keeps stretching out far over the 2 hour mark.
Herzog, bein creepy
Just to be clear though, the fact that this Werner Herzog as Villain has Werner Herzog playing the bad guy is as incredible in practice as it is in theory. His Herzogian voice just makes for such an iconic character and he brings something decidedly disconcerting to the role. Herzog has a cracking villain face as well and his character works well. Because if anyone can play a character who ate his own fingers and make it seem believable, it is Werner Herzog (we’re talking about a man who once ate his own frickin shoe). Herzog genuinely brings an intensity to proceedings that is sorely lacking from the rest of the film. If only Tom Cruise in the titular role brought anywhere near that level of presence. Indeed, the only other actor who is on Herzog’s level in this film is the charismatic young Aussie Jai Courtney as his main henchman. This is the first role I have seen Courtney in, but let’s just say I was very impressed, and it gives me a lot of hope for his upcoming turn as John McClane’s son in A Good Day to Die Hard (2013).
Courtney and Cruise about to throw down
If you are a huge Werner Herzog fan like me, Werner Herzog as Villain is probably worth your while. Even then, just wait for it on Blu-ray and in all seriousness you could just fast forward through any scenes not featuring Herzog and you would not miss much. For everyone else though, don’t even bother at all. The woeful script and general averageness of the rest of it does not really make it worth the effort.
Verdict: Schooner of Carlton Draught
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The Searchers
John Ford’s The Searchers (1956) has an almost unparalleled reputation, hailed as the greatest Western of all time and receiving Sight and Sound accolades. Personally, I simultaneously like the film, but also struggle to see why it enjoys such enduring acclaim.
The first shot of the film is an iconic and fantastic one. Initially showing a woman’s silhouette in a doorway, then moving out to show one of the arid vistas that John Ford’s Western’s were so associated with. The plot sees Ethan, played by John Wayne, returning to his extended family after a long time away at war. Soon after, the dreaded Comanche launch a ‘murder raid’ on the family farm, after luring Ethan and some of the other men away from the homestead. Ethan and the others realise that two of the young women have been spared and captured by the Comanche. So they ride out after them. I think the narrative is why the film does not work 100% for me. For starters, I do not entirely feel that Ethan and his comrades are that enthused by the chase. They seem to just be going through the motions. Aside from Ethan’s racism, it is hard to see why they persist in hunting for the Comanche year after year (Ethan does not seem to express that much affection for the girls who have been taken). I guess I just do not see the emotional connection to the girl that they are so intent on reclaiming. The other issue I have is that the film struggles to convey the passage of time through the film. The hunt takes place over the best part of a decade, but it does not feel anywhere near that long.
I do quite like this film. It is one of John Wayne’s better performances and a number of the peripheral characters undertake really quite interesting journeys throughout. But unfortunately it is somewhat inevitable that a review of an all time classic that I just do not quite get to the same degree as the consensus will slant a little negative. So apologies for that. I just do not enjoy it as much as a number of other Westerns – Shane (1953), Stagecoach (1939) and One Eyed Jacks (1961) all spring to mind. I think that whilst the real core of those films is made quite plain by the filmmakers, with The Searchers, you really have to dig for it. I think that the most interesting aspect of the film is the character of Ethan. His return from war, then his almost immediate leaving to go out on another ‘war’ of sorts, suggests that he is damaged goods. A man that cannot live without the thrill and focus that a war to fight brings. He needs violence and the ability to inflict violence to get by. This is not just evidenced by his endless pursuit of the Comanche, but also in his interactions with his peers.
The film is quite dark, pulling no punches in setting up the story. Indeed this dark vein never really leaves the film (nor is it really lightened by comedic relief at all, despite some pretty poor comedic relief characters trying their best) – see the moment that Ethan shoots out the eyes of a slain Comanche so that, according to Comanche belief, he will wander purgatory for all of eternity. I have heard differing views concerning the depiction of Native Americans in the film. Personally, I did not think it was at all forward thinking. For much of it, they are two dimensional, wicked villains, with no examination of the motivations of their actions. The Comanche are portrayed as simple minded and backward and overall I just found it all a little degrading. I think the film does improve in the second half. Rather than overplaying the grizzled old man persona to excess, here Wayne seems to loosen up a little and some of that delightfully typical John Wayne humour starts to shine through. And there are some highpoints to the narrative throughout this second half as well, both in terms of emotion and action.
The bottom line is that you should definitely try and see The Searchers, because many a wiser film student than I considers it an all time classic. And I really enjoy it, albeit to a level that does not match its considerable reputation. But if you are willing to dig into the nuance and depth of John Wayne’s character, there is a bit to be found here.
Verdict: Stubby of Reschs
Progress: 74/1001
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Trailer for your Weekend: Fast & Furious 6
Apologies for the relatively quiet week. The day job (they’re the worst aren’t they) has been hectic this week, including a trip on one day’s notice.
Anyways, let’s talk movies. The Fast and the Furious series has always been just about as daft as they come. I think I’ve seen three or so of them, and not particularly loved any of them. A lot of this is due to Paul Walker and Vin Diesel, who are utterly woeful actors. They are made to look even worse when they have to share the screen with The Rock. I think the former pro-wrestler has a lot of promise as an actor and is really quite watchable. So I may give this sixth entry into the series a go. Maybe. It does kind of look like the daftest film ever made. Is anyone actually a big fan of these films?
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Worth Watching January 2013
Here we go with my monthly round-up of films not featured in depth elsewhere on the blog. This feature will change and become smaller over the coming months as I am starting to write long reviews of more and more films that I see. However, I am sure I will never have the time nor desire to write in detail about every film I see, so expect it to stick around in some form.
Worth Watching:
- The Raid: Redemption (2011), Gareth Evans – This is definitely one of the better action films of recent years. Deliciously violent and stylish. I wouldn’t say it is particularly innovative, but it just executes all of the elements in an action film really bloody well. The fight scenes are really slickly shot, with a dynamic camera showing absolutely everything. One of the coolest films of 2012.
- Wreck it Ralph (2012), Rich Moore – This was probably the best animated film of last year. A really fun computer game world has been invented, with the engaging characters to back it up. Sarah Silverman voices the main female character who is a wonderfully empowered female role model, the kind of which is all too rare. The relationship between her and Ralph forms the core of the film, which explores some really weighty themes whilst striking a balance between not being too dark and not too frivolous.
- Black Water (2007), Andrew Traucki & David Nerlich – This is a very tense, sharp Australian creature feature rocking a killer crocodile. It is nicely shot and well paced. A cleverly utilised soundtrack helps with the latter. You don’t get too bored in between the action high points. An interesting dynamic between the three characters stuck up a tree adds greatly to the narrative which is slight. Some of what happens is quite confronting whilst the last third features some nice twists, without being too over the top about it all.
- Life of Pi (2012), Ang Lee – An interesting film full of ideas. Which in some ways the much maligned framing device is key to teasing out. I liked the notion of religious pluralism that is examined early on. The supporting of the notion of human exceptionalism in my reading of the film I was not so fond of though. The big late reveal I did not like initially but it grew on me as time passed. It is a clever film that leaves multiple readings of the film acceptable to the viewer such as this one. And of course as everyone has said, the film does look amazing.
- Les Miserables (2012), Tom Hooper – I thought my mind would wander endlessly in a 2 hour 40 minute musical. But this film engaged and captivated me throughout. I think everyone is really good in this, even the much trashed upon Russel Crowe. I think the only real weak link was Eddy Redmayne who doesn’t have any gravitas or singing voice. The young floppy haired bloke is absolutely incredible though. Blessed with one of the best character narrative arcs in all of literature, this is pretty impressive stuff. The close-up heavy style does occasionally make it look too much like the characters are singing into the mirror at home. But that is a minor quibble against a pretty excellent flick.
- Django Unchained (2012), Quentin Tarantino – Hmmm. You have to see it because it is the new Tarantino flick and he really is one of our most original directors. But I think that his habit of taking the viewer out of the world of the film does not work too well here. It’s violent of course, but it feels like violence for violence’s sake rather than Tarantino’s usually stylish bloodletting. I just felt it got silly towards the end. Both Dicaprio’s and Samuel L. Jackson’s characters are pretty daft. But the performances of Waltz, Washington and especially Foxx are worth seeing the film for. As is much of the rather fine first half. The film is far, far too long though.
- Hitchcock – I loved so much of the first half of this film – Hitch’s search for a new project, settling on Psycho, the way the real life case was weaved in. But this last aspect, as well as the rest of the film fell off strongly. Alma and Hitch made films for over 50 years, one of the great love stories. But the second half of this is just aspersion after aspersion especially against Hitch. It is great to see Alma Reville finally get a small amount of the vast attention her career deserves. Hopkins and Mirren are really fantastic in this.
Not Worth Watching:
- 50/50 (2011), Jonathan Levine – This is one where I cannot really see the hype. I thought it was pretty poor. I didn’t find it at all funny, rather crass, sexist and unintelligent. Even worse for the subject matter, I thought there was very little heart in the film or examination of psyche. Whilst it is great to see Anjelica Huston onscreen again, the usually excellent Joseph Gordon-Levitt is strangely flat here. There are a couple of nice, tender moments toward the end, but for me it was too little too late. A shallow experience, a tale of two jerks rather than two best mates helping each other through a terrible time.
- Snow White and the Huntsman (2012), Rupert Sanders – This aims for pretty epic and succeeds in being pretty average. The increasingly engaging and charismatic Chris Hemsworth is just about the only bright spot actually and his Huntsman is the most interesting character. This is a meditation on beauty, what it means in society and what some will do to maintain it. But it is an utterly unaffecting film. The usually excellent Theron is not at her best here in a scenery chewing turn whilst Kristen Stewart does not convince at all as Snow White.
- The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012), Peter Jackson – My least favourite film of 2012. Kind of says it all really. If 48 FPS is the future of cinema as Peter Jackson claims, I’m not going to watch too many films in the future. The visuals distance the audience so much so that there is no way into this world for the audience. The script is woeful, especially the attempted lighter moments. Horrid expository dialogue, woeful effects. Someone needs to learn to say no to Jackson, because despite all his positives as a director, his excesses need reining in.
If you only have time to watch one The Raid: Redemption
Avoid at all costs The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
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AACTA Awards Review
Some of the grinning winners from The Sapphires
So I thought I would recap the outcome of the AACTA awards that were held on Wednesday night and that I previewed last week. The full list of winners in the feature categories is listed below (winners in bold were ones I elected ‘would win’ in my preview, those underlined were once I said ‘should win’):
Best Supporting Actress – Jessica Mauboy in The Sapphires
Best Supporting Actor – Anthony Starr in Wish You Were Here
Best Lead Actress – Deborah Mailman in The Sapphires
Best Lead Actor – Chris O’Dowd in The Sapphires
Best Costume Design – Tess Schofield for The Sapphires
Best Production Design – Melinda Doring for The Sapphires
Best Original Music Score – Matteo Zingales and Jono Ma for Not Suitable for Children
Best Sound – Andrew Plain, Bry Jones, Pete Smith, Ben Osmo & John Simpson for The Sapphires
Best Editing – Dany Cooper ASE for The Sapphires
Best Cinematography – Warwick Thornton for The Sapphires
Best Adapted Screenplay – Keith Thompson and Tony Briggs for The Sapphires
Best Original Screenplay – Kieran Darcy-Smith and Felicity Price for Wish You Were Here
Best Direction – Wayne Blair for The Sapphires
Best Film – The Sapphires
I did pretty well actually, with 11 of my 14 ‘will wins’ picking up the award. Mainly by picking The Sapphires a fair bit on what turned out to be a dominant night for the film. I was expecting them to take out the most awards, but was surprised at the level of dominance that the film enjoyed. I am a little gobsmacked that Burning Man received absolutely nothing and I know fans of Lore (which I haven’t seen) were a similarly surprised that it did not receive any awards. But I can’t have too many complaints, The Sapphires was a really enjoyable and upbeat film and with one or two exceptions (which I will refrain from mentioning), I think that the film was deserving of everything that came its way. Would just have been nice to see a little more variety.
Here’s hoping that the AACTAs can continue to gain traction within the Australian marketplace and get lots more people to see the films that are nominated and take out the gongs.
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The Film Brief Podcast: 2012 in Review
You may or may not know that I co-host The Film Brief podcast, which is Jon from The Film Brief’s baby. After a hiatus while Jon moved towns and got himself settled, the pod is having a bit of a relaunch. So I thought I would start plugging the shows on this site, just to keep the podcast in your minds and hopefully get some more folk listening.
We kicked off this new chapter with two podcasts celebrating the year 2012 in film. First off we did a bottom 5 of the year which should be alraedy up on iTunes. And then we took it up a notch with our top 10 of the year, which should be up by the time you read this. There was plenty of agreement, and a fair bit of good natured but passionate disagreement too. Head over to iTunes, where you can subscribe to the podcast here.
One of the films that Jon and I disagreed on.
Let us know your thoughts on the show in the comments section because we would love to hear absolutely any feedback you have. The new format will be a fortnightly pod featuring one new release and one classic, so feel free to suggest some titles.
We also disagreed on this film. I think you know where I stand on it.
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