Review Revue: The Post-Thanksgiving Game of Catch-up!

I'm going to go ahead and say it... I'm a lousy blogger. So... here are mini-reviews of the last five movies I saw.

But, before the reviews... any suggestions on catching up on films the last few months? I fell massively behind and every attempt to catch up has been exhausting. I just feel like I can't do it.
Help this lousy excuse for a blogger, blogarinos!!

THE PRESTIGE.
Christopher Nolan's elegantly produced, clumsily plotted film aboutrival magicians is a bit of a disappointment. While the cast does finework, especially Christian Bale as always acting harder than he needs,Nolan keeps the film's excitement at the level of an actual magictrick. More than a momentary "how'd they do that" would have preventedthis historical fantasy from just being a so-so film. Furthermore, itsurely exposes the typically clever Nolan as maybe not being as sharpas those who give him credit. A much smarter filmmaker wouldn't havetelegraphed the film's big twist, yet Christopher Nolan does frommiles away. The only question lingering in my mind after the film was-- when does the next Batman film come out?
Grade: C-

BORAT.
Perhaps the broadest comedic indictment of American culture in ages, Sacha Baron Cohen's quasi-doc/road movie actually looks at America throughforeign eyes. What Borat sees is an interesting mix of politeness and intolerance, where the unsuspecting players often use their own words to hang themselves. Still Cohen's Andy Kaufman-like gift for playing the straight-faced prankster is what shines through the discomfort and humiliation. He has an uncanny ability to keep character and allow people to reveal themselves on camera. One of the most pointed comedic outbreaks is a bit of physical comedy in the vein of Peter Sellers, where Borat clumsily slips in an antique shop known for its Confederate goods. His ensuing numerous pratfalls are genius, and the gag works at face value while having many, many layers. When was the last time you saw a comedy this smart?
Grade: A-

STRANGER THAN FICTION.
Will Ferrell is a character in Emma Thompson's as-yet-uncompleted novel. A true delight, STRANGER THAN FICTION mixes comedy, drama, tragedy, whimsy and romance in a fashion that seems rare these days. With perhaps one cast member too many, director Mark Forrester stumbles towards the finish line, but in its graceful ending moments STRANGER THAN FICTION shines like the best of work of James L. Brooks.
Grade: A-

THE CURSE OF THE GOLDEN FLOWER.
aka The Curse of the Chrysanthemums.
Truly the year's most gorgeous-looking film. Zhang Yimou's period family drama/historical martial arts epic takes a bit to find itsproper footing. Once the cards are all laid down, though, the fun begins. Boasting terrific lead performances from Chow Yung Fat and Gong Li, CURSE ends with all the plot elements coming together in adevastating family meeting and epic battle that would make Peter Jackson jealous. The film is both a minor triumph and slight disappointment because of the two plot threads being juggled in an uneven manner.
Grade: B

CASINO ROYALE.
Bond is back. And, better than ever. That's right -- I'm laying itdown right now: Casino Royale is the best Bond film. In order to truly appreciate the toned down, lo-tech Bond that Daniel Craig inhabits, you need to have familiarity with the franchise because many of the revisionist touches would have been cringe-inducing camp in the wrong hands. Instead, CASINO ROYALE is the BATMAN BEGINS of James Bond films-- stripped down, leaner, meaner and slightly more plausible than its predecessors (which isn't hard considering the previous installment featured a villain with diamonds in his face). It meanders a bit towards its end, but the exhausting spectacle of the film's fantastic chases and ludicrous card games needed a bit of a break before a final, extravagent set piece in Venice. Emotional resonnance by the fantastic Craig makes this Bond the most human to in habit the role, even when he is saddled with some really bad dialogue. Also impressive is how the film deals deftly with the current context in which a British secret agent would be needed; again, in order to fully appreciate this watch how clumsily the Brosnan Bond films handle the post-Cold War secret agent. Personally, I can't wait for the next one!
Grade: B

RIP, Robert Altman.

hello friends, readers, well-wishers.

Today, American cinema lost a true maverick, an independent voice -- Mr. Robert Altman.

Instead of my own words to explain this extraordinary artist, I will paraphrase those I once had the privelege of hearing from actress Frances McDormand at a screening of Fargo several years ago.

Somebody had asked, "What was it like working with Robert Altman?"

McDormand sighed fondly before answering the question. "You see, Bob smokes a lot of grass." Laughter met her statement before she extrapolated more eloquently on its meaning. "Bob knows everything that could possibly happen. Every conceivable way things could happen. He has it worked out in his head the hundred different ways the scene could go. He knows what to expect." There in lies the genius of the filmmaker responsible for M*A*S*H*, NASHVILLE, POPEYE, SHORT CUTS, THE PLAYER, THE LONG GOOD BYE, GOSFORD PARK and A PRAIRIE HOME COMPANION.
Robert Altman, you will be missed.

A Genre Re-Born

A stunning cycle of films played at select American cinemas this year that not only revitalized the presence of their genre on screens, but also served as three examples of the finest that their genre has to offer. Let it be said that for all of the disappointment and overall lack of films of substance that 2006 has proved to be the year of the concert film. Non-fiction features have experienced their height of popularity in the past six years, but there has been little emphasis on live concert documentation. However, that all changed with the release of Dave Chappelle's Block Party, Neil Young: Heart of Gold and The Beastie Boys' Awesome; I Fuckin' Shot That (and to a lesser extent Al Gore's enormously successful An Inconvenient Truth). Astonishingly, too, each film--including Gore's--helps to form a vastly optimistic and hopeful view of America.

The most prominent release was Dave Chappelle's Block Party, the Michel Gondry directed document of comedian Dave Chappelle's day-long Bed-Stuy hip-hop concert. Opening in Chappelle's Ohio hometown, we get a glimpse of the down-to-earth star as he converses with his neighbors. Infectious to the tenth degree, the film is a most heartfelt gesture on the part of the Comedy Central star's effort to give back something positive to the community. Gondry, thanks to cinematographer Ellen Kuras(whose name will appear later), is able to capture this true labor of love, a portrait of the modern revitalized Brooklyn and contemporary hip-hop. This is perhaps the first movie to celebrate hip hop as an art form, a truly inspired, joyous (and at times rebellious) creation that is not merely an escape from poverty as demonstrated in several Hollywood films (see 8 Mile or Get Rich Or Die Tryin'). Boasting performances from Kanye West, Jill Scott, The Roots, Dead Prez and the reunited Fugees, it is easily the most celebratory portrait of the truly American subculture on film. Now, what makes Block Party truly exceptional is Gondry's wandering eye which catches the beauty of Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn (especially in a nearby house known as The Angel House), but also Mr. Chappelle at his most candid. Tenderness and emotion are typically not virtues of the concert film, but Dave Chappelle's Salvation Army piano rendition of "Round Midnight" proves that in the hands of a capable filmmaker, even the concert film can have true cinematic moments of emotional resonance.

But, the better example of extending this tenderness throughout the course of a film is the gorgeous Neil Young: Heart of Gold, by the masterful Jonathan Demme. His Talking Heads' film Stop Making Sense has long been seen as the benchmark of the concert film, but he may have topped himself with his film of Neil Young's Nashville-based concert. Framing the narrative with the knowledge of Young's impending brain surgery, the film is immediately tinged as a sort of eulogy, even though Young is debuting new songs and looking forward. Not unlike Robert Altman's so-so A Prairie Home Companion, Heart of Gold is an artist looking back, celebrating the death of Americana and his own eventual passing. Unlike Altman, though, Young has more than a glint of sadness in his eye. "Old man, look at my life. I'm a lot like you were." Never before have Young's haggard words been so haunting (see also his performance of "Heart of Gold" that contains a brief shot of Young framed with his wife that is simply breathtaking). But, the man who once asked, "is it better to burn out than fade away?" is answering his own question -- and siding more with the latter. Wistful, and even oddly talkative, Young seems ready for whatever is ahead of him. Demme's beautiful-looking film, thanks to Ellen Kuras once again, is a true American elegy...even if it is for a Canadian singer-songwriter.

Perhaps the most cinematic of the three films, though, is the one shot on the crappiest video. The Beastie Boys' 2004 homecoming concert at Madison Square Garden was captured on 50 Hi-8 video cameras by 50 fans from all over the arena. Taking Sergei Eisenstein's claim that "editing was the essence of cinema" to heart, the film Awesome; I Fuckin' Shot That! is a faithful reconstruction of the show (I should know, I was there). Thanks to the ease of video editing, the task of constructing a 90-minute film from a 150-minute concert from 50 different cameras is much easier. Infusing the editing with the same sense of humor in the Boys' music, making for a film that pushes the very boundaries of the concert film. No longer is the static framing and flawless editing of Jonathan Demme the epitome, but now just another stylistic choice. Instead, in the Beastie Boys' hands, the concert film becomes a democratic experience, from all angles can we see what went down -- and not just on the stage. Detours into the crowd where they dance, drink and take bathroom breaks sit alongside the performances. Eisenstein wouldn't just be proud, he'd be jealous.

Concert films are not a dead genre anymore, thanks to Block Party, Heart of Gold, and Awesome; I Fuckin' Shot That. Even if these films were not box office smashes, they still represent a vital part of forming a portrait of America. Music is a universal language(and, yes, your the level of enjoyment still hinges on your level of appreciation for the music in the films presented here). Concerts, and their filmed counterparts, bring together a wide range of people in myriads of ways. There is simply no denying that. If pop-culture reflects our current state, then, these concert films are also part of that mirror. What do they show us exactly? In Dave Chappelle's words, "it's a celebration, bitches!"

Trade Screenings

Bonjour Blogarinos,

It feels great to be back in the blogosphere-o-diarama-rama! Thank you to all who welcomed me back with open arms and open links (thank you, GreenCine!). Coincidentally, or not, Roger Ebert had his first review since undergoing emergency surgery back in June published today. It is great to see Roger back at the helm. He has surely been missed!

But, today, I won't bore you with any reviews or predictable points of view. Perhaps, I can offer some insight into one area of the theatrical distribution process. How to secure a movie screens is perhaps the most intriguing part of the job I do. On paper, you would think it is as easy as saying "Hey! Do you guys want to show the new Jet Li movie?" But, it is not...

Due to legislation in more than 20 states, a studio is required to screen a movie before its release to exhibitors. The practice is known as "trade screening."

Before trade screenings were mandatory, many studios simply told exhibitors what they were releasing, and from there exhibitors would make an offer for the film. This is known as "blind bidding" for a film. In the 1970s, The National Association of Theatre Owners had gotten legislation passed that outlawed blind bidding in 23 states. Exhibitors in those states have the right to view a film before they see fit to show it in their theatre. Part of my job is to book these screenings, typically a few weeks prior to publicity and press screenings.

Contrary to what you might think, trade screenings offer little benefits to studios. It cannot track a film's "buzz" or playability. Recently, one film of ours played very well with exhibitors, but did not do great business at the box office. Trade screenings exist solely for the benefit of the exhibitor and, therefore, the filmgoing public.

If you would like to know more about this particular practice, please feel free to ask...

THE DEPARTED.

"A History of Violence" is what they could have called THE DEPARTED, if the name had not been taken already. And just like David Cronenberg's masterpiece, Martin Scorsese's new film is an insanely fun and twisted ride. But, unlike Cronenberg's movie, Scorsese's picture fails to resonate as one of the auteur's greatest works.

Opening amidst the intense period of violence in the 1970s in Boston's predominantly Irish innercities and zipping through the INFERNAL AFFAIRS' beyond-brilliant set-up (mob grooms undercover cop, cops groom undercover goodfella), missing is Scorsese's usual sense of urgency. He saves it for later. The 20-minute opening, before a title card, should be exhausting and head-spinning, but it does improve upon the original film by using the same Hollywood stars to play younger ages as to not confuse us. Finally, though, the title drops and the music explodes: The Dropkick Murphy's signature Boston-Irish-punk sound giving us "I'm Shipping Up To Boston." Things finally get frenetic.

Now that all the set-up has been handled a little too delicately, Scorsese and company get on with the intense cat-and-mouse potboiler. Deveating very little from Andrew Lau's original film, THE DEPARTED simply Americanizes the original film; gone are the overly dramatic stings that accompany most standard Asian action pictures, here we get The Stones' "Gimme Shelter" as a sort of theme (which strikes me as arather weak choice for Scorsese). William Monahan's Mamet-esque screenplay displays games of verbal gymnastics that this fabulous cast is up for; each player is excelling at delivering this harsh, fuck-laden dialogue. Monahan is constantly elevating the B-movie leanings to greater heights with aspirations and allusions to Joyce, Shakespeare and Freud. However, his most authentic moments come from casual mentions of Irishness; this is the film that STATE OF GRACE wanted to be. The Italian-Catholic Scorsese is clearly on a similar wavelength as the Irish, making two of America's finest depictions of the two largest Irish diasporas in America (GANGS andTHE DEPARTED).

As for the cast, they are all in excellent form. Leonardo DiCaprio gets the more introspective, tortured character. He does very fine work here that we come to expectfrom him now, but compared to Tony Leung he is weak. Matt Damon, however, plays one of the most evilcharacters of recent memory; his manipulation and deceit allow himto be despicable without being entirely unlikable. He does not one-up Andy Lau so much as match his icy antagonist. With glee he saddles back into his Boston brogue; here, he is Bad Will Hunting.

Then, there's Jack. I don't even have to say his full name and you know who I'm talking about --Jack Nicholson. Nicholson is easily the most watchable actor of thelast 30 years, and again he is working on his evil mode that he elevated to a new artform in THE WITCHES OF EASTWICK and BATMAN. The Boston Jack prevents him from playing himself intially, but once Nicholson gets situated he plays "Jack" yet again, veering at times into a cartoonish category. Thankfully, THE DEPARTED shows him as an evil monster before he lets loose. In many ways, it's an extended riff on William Hurt's Philly-Irish gangster from A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE; a paranoid, violent, drunk who gets to have the best lines (notice how similar Jack and Hurt's Oscar clips will be...hint: Jack's playing drunk, too). It's not a career best performance, but watching Jack chew scenery is always a pleasure.

Two unsung heroes steal the picture whenever they are on-screen: Alec Baldwin and Mark Wahlberg. The former is an artist at deliveringthe rapid-fire obscenity-laced dialogue, while the latter deserves the Best Supporting Oscar statue. Wahlberg's intense cop is at first charicature, but eventually gives way to an honest, hardworking Boston detective. His arch is eeriely similar to that of Kang-ho Song's character in MEMORIES OF MURDER -- and similarly, the two men's antics resonate. (oh yeah! and, Wahlberg gets to use his real voice, too!) Lastly, I cannot not write a word about Vera Farmiga who is given theweight of being the only female of the film. She does strong work here with a little role, and deserves a chance to play outside of an American genre film.

While the performances and script satisfy, the only one who leaves you wanting more is Scorsese himself. It seems as though the RAGING BULL-auteur has abandoned his normally expressive movie geek camera and settled strictly for making standard grade fair. It is a backhanded compliment, as he does unbelievably tight and solid work, but there are no flourishes of visual style that he peppers his films with. An aborted attempt to approximate a Wong Kar-Wai slow motion chase through a neon-lighted street is reduced to a single shot here. Perhaps in the pursuit of Oscar, Scorsese has forgotten why is often considered America's greatest living director. THE DEPARTED is by no means a step back, but perhaps a step forward that is a more a step-to-the-side that will give way to more expressive pictures from the New York filmmaker.

While fans of INFERNAL AFFAIRS will have exactly ONE surprise waiting for them with this film, there is still so much left to recommend. It is a superior film in many respects; Scorsese makes fireworks out of the original's lackluster climax. While not entirely satisfying as a Scorsese picture, the film still stands head-and-shoulders above most Hollywood films. THE DEPARTED could have been a masterpiece, but instead it settles for greatness.

"Hey! Wha' Happen'?!" -- The Return of the Curse of YOU KNOW, FOR FILM.

Bonjour Blogarinos!

It's been quite some time since I last updated the old web-log. Much has changed, mainly my address and employment. The Upper East Side of Manhattan was traded for the quiet streets of the Brooklyn neighborhood of Greenwood Heights (aka SOUTH Slope). As for my new office of employment, in interest of full disclosure, I must come clean and admit to being a studio's hired goon now. Focus Features' wonderful Theatrical Distribution team acquired yours truly back in June. It has been a wonderful, eye-opening experience. I could not be part of a better, more passionate and film-savvy group of people. I didn't just join a team, but a family.

And, I have been torn on how to deal with this on the blog (how could I write objectively about film if I work within the industry?), but I will just try to avoid writing about Focus releases. However, if I can offer any objective insight into the distribution process, that will be handled here as well. After all, this is... you know, for film.

A Later Stand: X-MEN 3 at Kip's Bay.

No review revues just yet... I have M:I:III, The Proposition, Friends with Money and X-Men 3 reviews on the way.

Here is an appetizer for my remaining reader(s).

I'm somewhere in between slight disappointment and slight indifference with X3, but then again I never thought X2 could be followed up without Brian Singer at the helm. However, without reviewing the film, I will say my theater-going experience superceeded the film in every way. For the NYers past and present, the UA14, Loews 34th St and essentially every other big house was sold out for their 7-10pm showings -- with the exception of Kip's Bay. I've always been a fan of the theater; it's large, I've never seen too crowded or insane like the 42nd St theaters. I should back pedal a bit and state I have never been there on opening night nor for a big summer movie like X3. Any who... my friends and I get there around 10pm for a 10:30 show and there was confusion as to a meeting point. Let's just move the story along and say we eventually found each other upstairs after about 10 minutes of wondering where my roommate John Freewell went. We enter the theater and it's pretty crowded but not packed yet; there were five of us, so finding seating proved to be tough. We noticed that the last row of the "orchestra" level (farthest from the screen) was empty. We sit down. I turn around to examine the near-capacity theater now. Right behind me is Elizabeth Berkley. Yes, Jesse Spano of Saved By The Bell fame... and Showgirls infamy... and Roger Dodger obscurity. While my friends debated whether or not it was actually her, we could overhear here talking on her cell phone where she spoke of Conan O'Brien's show and all of her friends who were either on it or going to be on it. Then, the movie starts... (Sidebar: Applause for Superman, Pirates, My Super Ex, and Ghost Rider trailers...crickets during the uber-awful Clerks 2 trailer) Throughout the film these rowdy teenagers in thr front row shout out shit at the screen -- and not like "oooh shiiiit!" stuff but like "He's a soldier!" Every now and again, they'd get up and walk around the theater (visible bottle of alcohol in hand), one time in front of the projection. Employees of the theater came in and did nothing. Then, at the very end of the film when Magneto gets hit with "the cure" (no Robert Smith was harmed in the making of this film) one of the kids shouts "HE'S A LIAR!!!" But not to the screen -- to someone else. People near them started losing it as the movie's moving along towards its conclusion. It looked like one of the guys in the group jumped into the row behind them and started shit, but I'm pretty sure it was the group of friends fucking around. Elizabeth Berkley high tails it out of the movie before the end credits hit. Everyone exits the theater at movie's end. Standing in the upstairs lobby, talking about the whole bizzare experience, all of the sudden we notice Kips Bay employees run towards our theater. Three of the kids are walking out, very visibly angry and one completely shirtless. The word "fuck" and many variations of it were shouted very loudly as well as the phrase "Don't touch me!" As the rowdy teens are being escorted down the stairs out of the theater, one swings on the other and a fight breaks loose on the stairs. This continues in the lobby, mind you a full movie theater is exiting while this is going on. Eventually, the movie theater employees got the teens out. The fight never stopped. It just moved outside...and grew. About three separate little fights broke out in front of the crowd and movie theater, eventually turning into one large fight that the police eventually came and broke up.

Go ahead. Ask me about X-Men 3: The Last Stand. I'll remember this story better than the movie.

CRITERION COLLECTION new look unveiled

Wassup Rockers?!

I discovered yesterday that the good folks at CRITERION (who make a superior product that I don't have to plug, but I do) have introduced their new look to the general public.


Also, they have officially announced the DVD-debut of Noah Baumbach's first-feature KICKING AND SCREAMING (the ambersand belongs to Will Ferrell) for August. You heard it here second hand!

While there was really no need for any kind of overhaul to the CRITERION image, it looks like they have done a quality job preserving the integrity of their image. Also peep their foray into the MySpace game.

Rock on, Criterion!