Before embarking on the marathon of the Independent Film Festival of Boston, I caught up with two additional movies: HUNGER, which I watched on IFC ON DEMAND, and STATE OF PLAY, which I caught at the Regal Fenway 13.
HUNGER marks the directorial debut of artist Steve McQueen (no relation to the iconic American actor) and deals with Irish Republican Army detainees who are incarcerated at Long Kesh prison in Northern Ireland. The film doesn't deal directly with the political and social history of the times in the way that IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER or SOME MOTHER'S SON may have, but it still is a thought-provoking and fascinating quasi-experimental movie. The first and last sections contain barely any dialogue but the images are powerful and disturbing. The centerpiece is simply a conversation between prisoner Bobby Sands (strongly captured by Michael Fassbinder) and a priest (Liam Cunningham) who debate the efficacies of a hunger strike. McQueen and his cinematographer Sean Bobbitt work magic, creating memorable tableaux.
STATE OF PLAY is an Americanized version of a six-part 2003 BBC drama that involved the intersection of Fleet Street with the hallways of governmental power. It took several credited screenwriters, including Tony Gilroy, Matthew Michael Carnahan, and Billy Ray, to streamline the story and turn it into something U.S. audiences might find palatable. Of course, the finished film seems to be a bit too "smart" for the typical moviegoer, who is not flocking to the multiplexes to see this fine movie. Russell Crowe -- who I am convinced can play just about any character well -- stars as Cal McAffrey, a beat journalist who gets dragged into a breaking story because of his personal connection with the key figure, Congressman Stephen Collins (Ben Affleck), his old college roommate. He has to share the investigation of the story with blogger Della Frye (Rachel McAdams) and it leads to a conspiracy that is a bit complicated. I was glad I had watched the original miniseries as I had an idea of what was going on. My biggest problem with this movie was the miscasting of Ben Affleck, who is a decade too young for the role; he's supposed to be a contemporary of both Crowe and Robin Wright Penn, who plays his wife, but Affleck lacks the gravitas to be believable. And while I understood why the writers changed Della Frye from a straightforward reporter to a blogger -- since the themes of print versus electronic media were heightened in this version -- I felt it did a disservice to the character. Helen Mirren was on hand to add a dash of spice as the newspaper editor and Jason Bateman did a terrific job as a smarmy public relations guy caught up in the web of lies. While the American version isn't on par with the British miniseries (which is available on DVD), it still was worth seeing.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Independent Film Festival of Boston
As I mentioned in an earlier post, I decided to dip my toe back into movie-going by attending the IFFB (as opposed to the BIFF which for some reason was scheduled simultaneously.) Because I have been sort of on sabbatical and I haven't really been writing reviews regularly, I decided not to attend the festival as a press person and just to buy tickets for the movies I wanted to see. Most of the films that I saw were screened at the Somerville Theater in Davis Square. One was at the Brattle in Harvard Square and one was at the Institute of Contemporary Art.
I will eventually be posting reviews of the films on the website (when I get the time). I just thought I'd give a quick run down and reaction.
Overall, the festival struck me as pretty good. The films I saw were of mixed quality.
Opening night was THE BROTHERS BLOOM, Rian Johnson's follow-up to his admired debut BRICK. Working with a cast that included Academy Award winners Rachel Weisz, Adrian Brody and Maximillian Schell, Oscar nominee Rinko Kikuchi and Mark Ruffalo, Johnson spun a stylized tale of con men and their female mark. While it was inventive, I felt it shared some of the same flaws that his first film did: the execution was novel and intriguing, but it couldn't be sustained over the life of the film. Scheduled for release in May 2009.
Next up was a double feature of 500 DAYS OF SUMMER and IN THE LOOP. The former is an astringent take on the romantic comedy genre, detailing the year-plus relationship between a greeting card writer (Joseph Gordon-Leavitt) and his co-worker, who happens to be named Summer (Zooey Deschanel). The leads are appealing and the film has grown on me as time has passed. It is scheduled to open in limited release in July 2009. The latter has already opened to rave reviews in England and as it happens is also scheduled to open in July 2009 in limited release as well. Humor is an individual thing and while I didn't exactly find this movie the laugh-riot that some of the British critics did, I enjoyed the film. It's a satire that hits more targets than misses and encompasses both the inner workings of both the British and American governments. Peter Capaldi leads the cast that also includes Tom Hollander, James Gandolfini, David Rasche, Mimi Kennedy, Anna Chlumsky, Gina McKee and Chris Addison.
Next I had a triple feature: THE BURNING PLAIN, WE LIVE IN PUBLIC and BRONSON.
THE BURNING PLAIN was probably the best of the films that I saw at IFFB. It marks the directorial debut of Guillermo Arriaga, the screenwriter of such features as AMORES PERROS, BABEL and THE THREE BURIALS OF MELQUIADES ESTRADA. As with those films, Arriaga focuses on three separate stories that eventually overlap. Although some of the tale is predictable, the no-nonsense directing and superb cast, including Oscar winners Charlize Theron and Kim Bassinger, along with Joaquim de Almeida, Jose Maria Yazpik, JD Pardo and Jennifer Lawrence make this film highly worthwhile and unforgettable. The film has already opened in the United Kingdom and will debut in the United States in October.
WE LIVE IN PUBLIC is Ondi Timoner's second documentary to win the top prize at Sundance -- an unprecedented feat. Her first was the terrific DiG! which was built around the rivalry of the charismatic but troubled musicians Anton Newcombe, the front man for Brian Jonestown Massacre, and Courtney Taylor-Taylor, the front man for the Dandy Warhols. Taylor-Taylor makes a cameo appearance in this new documentary that profiles "the greatest Internet pioneer you've never heard of" -- Josh Harris. In the last twenty years, Harris was something of a visionary, creating the first Internet television station (Pseudo.com) long before streaming videos, created an underground experiment called "Quiet" where many people voluntarily lived in an underground bunker with 24-hour video surveillance, and broadcast his life (along with that of his then-girlfriend) on a website called "We Live in Public", before losing his wealth and withdrawing from the public stage. The film is a fascinating portrait of a very troubled human being and Timoner does a masterful job in telling the story of this complicated and infuriating person. Unfortunately the film is only scheduled for festival screenings at the moment; hopefully some distributor with balls will pick up this terrific movie.
Lastly, BRONSON (which has also opened in the United Kingdom) is a film biography of Charles Bronson, just not THAT Charles Bronson. Rather, it is an impressionistic drama based on the life of one of Britain's most notorious individuals, Michael Peterson, who adopted the name of the DEATH WISH actor when he had a brief career as a bare-knuckles fighter. The film directed and co-written by Nicholas Winding Refn (best known for his PUSHER trilogy) is messy, kinetic and not altogether successful. But it does showcase a brilliant, star-making turn by actor Tom Hardy in the title role. BRONSON is scheduled to open in the U.S. in the fall of 2009.
SUMMER HOURS is Olivier Assayas' latest film and it deals with familial legacies, both literal and figurative. It's an accomplished drama headed by a cast that includes the divine Juliette Binoche, Charles Berling and Jeremie Renier with excellent support from Edith Scob. My only quibble with the film is that it felt like Assayas didn't quite know how to end the story; there are at least three places where the film could easily have stopped and left the audience feeling satisfied. I understood where he was going with the final sequence; it just felt redundant. The film opens in New York on May 15, 2009 and will be available on IFC On Demand.
The final film I saw was FOR THE LOVE OF MOVIES: THE STORY OF AMERICAN FILM CRITICISM. Critic turned filmmaker Gerald Peary traces, for the first time, the history of movie reviewing from its earlies inception (circa 1907) through to present day when critics face losing their outlets thanks to the shrinking circulations of print media and the explosion of the Internet. It's a mix of talking heads, film clips and history and Peary provides a nice introduction to the novice. Hopefully, the documentary might inspire the current crop of film aficionados to pick up a book by James Agee, Manny Farber, Donald Richie, Pauline Kael, Andrew Sarris, etc.
I will eventually be posting reviews of the films on the website (when I get the time). I just thought I'd give a quick run down and reaction.
Overall, the festival struck me as pretty good. The films I saw were of mixed quality.
Opening night was THE BROTHERS BLOOM, Rian Johnson's follow-up to his admired debut BRICK. Working with a cast that included Academy Award winners Rachel Weisz, Adrian Brody and Maximillian Schell, Oscar nominee Rinko Kikuchi and Mark Ruffalo, Johnson spun a stylized tale of con men and their female mark. While it was inventive, I felt it shared some of the same flaws that his first film did: the execution was novel and intriguing, but it couldn't be sustained over the life of the film. Scheduled for release in May 2009.
Next up was a double feature of 500 DAYS OF SUMMER and IN THE LOOP. The former is an astringent take on the romantic comedy genre, detailing the year-plus relationship between a greeting card writer (Joseph Gordon-Leavitt) and his co-worker, who happens to be named Summer (Zooey Deschanel). The leads are appealing and the film has grown on me as time has passed. It is scheduled to open in limited release in July 2009. The latter has already opened to rave reviews in England and as it happens is also scheduled to open in July 2009 in limited release as well. Humor is an individual thing and while I didn't exactly find this movie the laugh-riot that some of the British critics did, I enjoyed the film. It's a satire that hits more targets than misses and encompasses both the inner workings of both the British and American governments. Peter Capaldi leads the cast that also includes Tom Hollander, James Gandolfini, David Rasche, Mimi Kennedy, Anna Chlumsky, Gina McKee and Chris Addison.
Next I had a triple feature: THE BURNING PLAIN, WE LIVE IN PUBLIC and BRONSON.
THE BURNING PLAIN was probably the best of the films that I saw at IFFB. It marks the directorial debut of Guillermo Arriaga, the screenwriter of such features as AMORES PERROS, BABEL and THE THREE BURIALS OF MELQUIADES ESTRADA. As with those films, Arriaga focuses on three separate stories that eventually overlap. Although some of the tale is predictable, the no-nonsense directing and superb cast, including Oscar winners Charlize Theron and Kim Bassinger, along with Joaquim de Almeida, Jose Maria Yazpik, JD Pardo and Jennifer Lawrence make this film highly worthwhile and unforgettable. The film has already opened in the United Kingdom and will debut in the United States in October.
WE LIVE IN PUBLIC is Ondi Timoner's second documentary to win the top prize at Sundance -- an unprecedented feat. Her first was the terrific DiG! which was built around the rivalry of the charismatic but troubled musicians Anton Newcombe, the front man for Brian Jonestown Massacre, and Courtney Taylor-Taylor, the front man for the Dandy Warhols. Taylor-Taylor makes a cameo appearance in this new documentary that profiles "the greatest Internet pioneer you've never heard of" -- Josh Harris. In the last twenty years, Harris was something of a visionary, creating the first Internet television station (Pseudo.com) long before streaming videos, created an underground experiment called "Quiet" where many people voluntarily lived in an underground bunker with 24-hour video surveillance, and broadcast his life (along with that of his then-girlfriend) on a website called "We Live in Public", before losing his wealth and withdrawing from the public stage. The film is a fascinating portrait of a very troubled human being and Timoner does a masterful job in telling the story of this complicated and infuriating person. Unfortunately the film is only scheduled for festival screenings at the moment; hopefully some distributor with balls will pick up this terrific movie.
Lastly, BRONSON (which has also opened in the United Kingdom) is a film biography of Charles Bronson, just not THAT Charles Bronson. Rather, it is an impressionistic drama based on the life of one of Britain's most notorious individuals, Michael Peterson, who adopted the name of the DEATH WISH actor when he had a brief career as a bare-knuckles fighter. The film directed and co-written by Nicholas Winding Refn (best known for his PUSHER trilogy) is messy, kinetic and not altogether successful. But it does showcase a brilliant, star-making turn by actor Tom Hardy in the title role. BRONSON is scheduled to open in the U.S. in the fall of 2009.
SUMMER HOURS is Olivier Assayas' latest film and it deals with familial legacies, both literal and figurative. It's an accomplished drama headed by a cast that includes the divine Juliette Binoche, Charles Berling and Jeremie Renier with excellent support from Edith Scob. My only quibble with the film is that it felt like Assayas didn't quite know how to end the story; there are at least three places where the film could easily have stopped and left the audience feeling satisfied. I understood where he was going with the final sequence; it just felt redundant. The film opens in New York on May 15, 2009 and will be available on IFC On Demand.
The final film I saw was FOR THE LOVE OF MOVIES: THE STORY OF AMERICAN FILM CRITICISM. Critic turned filmmaker Gerald Peary traces, for the first time, the history of movie reviewing from its earlies inception (circa 1907) through to present day when critics face losing their outlets thanks to the shrinking circulations of print media and the explosion of the Internet. It's a mix of talking heads, film clips and history and Peary provides a nice introduction to the novice. Hopefully, the documentary might inspire the current crop of film aficionados to pick up a book by James Agee, Manny Farber, Donald Richie, Pauline Kael, Andrew Sarris, etc.
Every Little Step
It took me nearly 2 years but I finally got to the Kendall Square Theatre in Cambridge. This place is buried near an office complex. In the past, I've tried a couple of times to find it and now I realize that I was within blocks of it but couldn't quite find it. I feel like a moron because I finally relied on Google Maps and the satellite view to track the place. So now I know that it's about 1/2 hour walk from where I live and I'll be able to find it again.
The reason I hiked over there was to see the documentary EVERY LITTLE STEP which partly details the history of the stage musical "A Chorus Line" and partly details the casting process for the revival that opened in 2006 and the production that is still touring around the U.S.
I have to step back a bit and say that I saw this show numerous times in its initial incarnation. I saw the first national tour in Boston and the New York production numerous times between 1976 and its closing in 1990 when it was the then-longest running musical. So the show has a soft spot in my heart. I did not see the revival because I was working freelance and money was tight. I had more or less given up going to Broadway shows by that time due to the cost and due to disappointment in the few musicals I had seen in recent years.
I'll post a fuller review at my website soon but for now, what I will say is that the movie was good but in my opinion, the filmmakers couldn't decide if they wanted to make a history of the show or detail the casting of the latest production. As such, EVERY LITTLE STEP seems a little unfocused. Also, the filmmakers (James D. Stern and Adam Del Deo) try to create suspense over who will be cast when anyone who either saw the show or even read a review of it would know the outcome.
Still, there are moments that when the film soars -- like watching Jason Tam audition for the role of Paul and a large-scale dance audition that recalls the opening of Bob Fosse's great film ALL THAT JAZZ.
For a rating I'd have to give the movie a B.
The reason I hiked over there was to see the documentary EVERY LITTLE STEP which partly details the history of the stage musical "A Chorus Line" and partly details the casting process for the revival that opened in 2006 and the production that is still touring around the U.S.
I have to step back a bit and say that I saw this show numerous times in its initial incarnation. I saw the first national tour in Boston and the New York production numerous times between 1976 and its closing in 1990 when it was the then-longest running musical. So the show has a soft spot in my heart. I did not see the revival because I was working freelance and money was tight. I had more or less given up going to Broadway shows by that time due to the cost and due to disappointment in the few musicals I had seen in recent years.
I'll post a fuller review at my website soon but for now, what I will say is that the movie was good but in my opinion, the filmmakers couldn't decide if they wanted to make a history of the show or detail the casting of the latest production. As such, EVERY LITTLE STEP seems a little unfocused. Also, the filmmakers (James D. Stern and Adam Del Deo) try to create suspense over who will be cast when anyone who either saw the show or even read a review of it would know the outcome.
Still, there are moments that when the film soars -- like watching Jason Tam audition for the role of Paul and a large-scale dance audition that recalls the opening of Bob Fosse's great film ALL THAT JAZZ.
For a rating I'd have to give the movie a B.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Update
Okay, so I started off the year with great intentions but we all know which road that leads down. I had made a resolution to myself to try to post more frequently and regularly -- but that was before work commitments became even more demanding. We're in the home stretch of a two-year project and while we are making progress, there's still a huge amount of work to be done. I get home and am exhausted and there's still stuff to be done. And basically, once out of the office, I turn into a lazy lump and want nothing more to either watch TV (having cable after all these years is like someone on a diet being locked in a fully-stocked bakery with freshly made goods) or playing video games. Anything but having to use my brain. And on the rare occasions when I try to sit down to write something -- most times I'm not able to spew out more than five words before it all goes to mush.
Seriously, there were days when I felt I couldn't string 2 sentences together. (Obviously, today is not one of them.) I don't really get out to see too many movies; again it comes down to being lazy. I got spoiled living in NYC and being able to go during the day. And as a critic, you could pretty much expect that there would be a 6pm screening somewhere. In the real world, movies start later and that's a problem for me. I want to head out after work -- but if I go home -- well then I'm sucked into a black hole of inertia. Also, a lot of the types of films I really like -- especially foreign ones -- don't make it up here except to play "special engagements" -- that is, 3 or 4 days -- maybe a week tops -- and then they disappear and I have to wait for video. As such, I've become a proponent of VOD which my cable company provides, so I can see movies in the comfort of my home for less than what I'd pay at the theaters.
Even so, I am trying to venture back into the world of movie-going. Stupidly, I'm doing it when the work situation is reaching critical peak -- but I keep hoping that I'll be able to compartmentalize things as I did when I was younger. I put myself through grad school, working a full-time job, attending classes at night, and even doing extra stuff on weekends. It takes a lot of energy and planning -- so we'll see.
In a move that can only be called strange -- Boston has not one but two film festivals occurring simultaneously. The Boston International Film Festival (running April 17 - 26) and the Independent Film Festival Boston (running April 22 - 26). Both have interesting programs and I faced the usual dilemma that almost all film festivals create: Which movies do I see?
I opted for the Independent for a couple of reasons, mostly because it had more movies I really wanted to see. But I have to ask myself what idiot decided that it was okay to have two major festivals during the same time? This city doesn't support film in the manner that it did years ago -- it certainly doesn't in the same way that NYC does. But seriously, the idea of planning these two festivals to overlap would be akin to the Tribeca Festival moving from spring to fall to compete with the New York Film Festival. There's no need for this.
Anyway -- I doubt I'll be posting during the festival -- I'm scheduled to see 7 films -- but I WILL do a wrap-up piece during the week of April 26.
In the meantime, I've been catching up with a host of things -- a few quick reactions.
DOUBT (2008) -- How can a critic offer an opinion on a movie that is basically about making judgments? It's a slippery slope, but this adaptation of John Patrick Shanley's play is well-acted and can spark debates about a myriad of topics, least of all the central mystery of the story. I had my own doubts about Philip Seymour Hoffman in the role of the priest, but he acquited himself nicely. It's the women who dominate though, with Meryl Streep, Amy Adams and especially the magnificent Viola Davis, giving memorable performances. Rating: B+
HEAD ON (1997) -- This was one of the first movies I was assigned to review and whatever I wrote has been lost to the ether. So I revisited it to see if my memories were valid. The film attemptes to capture the psyche of a troubled teenager in Australia. Ari (the charismatic Alex Dimitriades, who I thought was destined to follow in Mel Gibson's footsteps, but who seems to have confined his subsequent work to his native land) is a second-generation Greek struggling to define himself. His solution is to ingest massive amounts of drugs, party and engage in gay sex. There's a self-destructive bent to him and the audience watches as he pursues that route. The movie isn't quite a classic, but it's pretty good. Rating: B-
RACING DAYLIGHT (2007) -- An independent feature comprised of three interconnected stories told from different characters' points of view, RACING DAYLIGHT has a intriguing premise that isn't executed well. Sadie (Melissa Leo) begins to be possessed by the spirit of a Civil War ancestor and starts to re-enact the woman's romance. Co-starring David Straithairn, Jason Downs and Sabrina Lloyd. Rating: C-
THE DUCHESS (2008) -- The true story of Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire and an ancestor of Diana Spencer, THE DUCHESS attempts to find the parallels between the 18th-century figure and her 20th-century descendent. Kiera Knightley tries valiantly to infuse the character with spunk but she is out-acted by co-stars Charlotte Rampling (as her mother), Ralph Fiennes (as her much older husband), Hayley Atwell (as her romantic rival) and Dominic Cooper (as her paramour). It's high-gloss soap opera based on fact with Oscar-winning costumes. Rating: C+
MAN ON WIRE (2008) -- A fascinating documentary about Philip Petit who in 1974 mesmerized New York City and points beyond by walking a wire strung between the newly-opened World Trade Center towers. James Marsh's film is a mix of talking heads, re-enactments and archival footage and photographs and it serves a fitting tribute to the buildings that were attacked and destroyed on September 11, 2001. My first sight of those towers was only a few months after Petit had achieved his "stunt" and for over 20 years I lived in view of them. The film captures the spirit of the times and was one of the best documentaries -- hell, one of the best films -- I've seen in a long time. This is keeper. Rating: A
Seriously, there were days when I felt I couldn't string 2 sentences together. (Obviously, today is not one of them.) I don't really get out to see too many movies; again it comes down to being lazy. I got spoiled living in NYC and being able to go during the day. And as a critic, you could pretty much expect that there would be a 6pm screening somewhere. In the real world, movies start later and that's a problem for me. I want to head out after work -- but if I go home -- well then I'm sucked into a black hole of inertia. Also, a lot of the types of films I really like -- especially foreign ones -- don't make it up here except to play "special engagements" -- that is, 3 or 4 days -- maybe a week tops -- and then they disappear and I have to wait for video. As such, I've become a proponent of VOD which my cable company provides, so I can see movies in the comfort of my home for less than what I'd pay at the theaters.
Even so, I am trying to venture back into the world of movie-going. Stupidly, I'm doing it when the work situation is reaching critical peak -- but I keep hoping that I'll be able to compartmentalize things as I did when I was younger. I put myself through grad school, working a full-time job, attending classes at night, and even doing extra stuff on weekends. It takes a lot of energy and planning -- so we'll see.
In a move that can only be called strange -- Boston has not one but two film festivals occurring simultaneously. The Boston International Film Festival (running April 17 - 26) and the Independent Film Festival Boston (running April 22 - 26). Both have interesting programs and I faced the usual dilemma that almost all film festivals create: Which movies do I see?
I opted for the Independent for a couple of reasons, mostly because it had more movies I really wanted to see. But I have to ask myself what idiot decided that it was okay to have two major festivals during the same time? This city doesn't support film in the manner that it did years ago -- it certainly doesn't in the same way that NYC does. But seriously, the idea of planning these two festivals to overlap would be akin to the Tribeca Festival moving from spring to fall to compete with the New York Film Festival. There's no need for this.
Anyway -- I doubt I'll be posting during the festival -- I'm scheduled to see 7 films -- but I WILL do a wrap-up piece during the week of April 26.
In the meantime, I've been catching up with a host of things -- a few quick reactions.
DOUBT (2008) -- How can a critic offer an opinion on a movie that is basically about making judgments? It's a slippery slope, but this adaptation of John Patrick Shanley's play is well-acted and can spark debates about a myriad of topics, least of all the central mystery of the story. I had my own doubts about Philip Seymour Hoffman in the role of the priest, but he acquited himself nicely. It's the women who dominate though, with Meryl Streep, Amy Adams and especially the magnificent Viola Davis, giving memorable performances. Rating: B+
HEAD ON (1997) -- This was one of the first movies I was assigned to review and whatever I wrote has been lost to the ether. So I revisited it to see if my memories were valid. The film attemptes to capture the psyche of a troubled teenager in Australia. Ari (the charismatic Alex Dimitriades, who I thought was destined to follow in Mel Gibson's footsteps, but who seems to have confined his subsequent work to his native land) is a second-generation Greek struggling to define himself. His solution is to ingest massive amounts of drugs, party and engage in gay sex. There's a self-destructive bent to him and the audience watches as he pursues that route. The movie isn't quite a classic, but it's pretty good. Rating: B-
RACING DAYLIGHT (2007) -- An independent feature comprised of three interconnected stories told from different characters' points of view, RACING DAYLIGHT has a intriguing premise that isn't executed well. Sadie (Melissa Leo) begins to be possessed by the spirit of a Civil War ancestor and starts to re-enact the woman's romance. Co-starring David Straithairn, Jason Downs and Sabrina Lloyd. Rating: C-
THE DUCHESS (2008) -- The true story of Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire and an ancestor of Diana Spencer, THE DUCHESS attempts to find the parallels between the 18th-century figure and her 20th-century descendent. Kiera Knightley tries valiantly to infuse the character with spunk but she is out-acted by co-stars Charlotte Rampling (as her mother), Ralph Fiennes (as her much older husband), Hayley Atwell (as her romantic rival) and Dominic Cooper (as her paramour). It's high-gloss soap opera based on fact with Oscar-winning costumes. Rating: C+
MAN ON WIRE (2008) -- A fascinating documentary about Philip Petit who in 1974 mesmerized New York City and points beyond by walking a wire strung between the newly-opened World Trade Center towers. James Marsh's film is a mix of talking heads, re-enactments and archival footage and photographs and it serves a fitting tribute to the buildings that were attacked and destroyed on September 11, 2001. My first sight of those towers was only a few months after Petit had achieved his "stunt" and for over 20 years I lived in view of them. The film captures the spirit of the times and was one of the best documentaries -- hell, one of the best films -- I've seen in a long time. This is keeper. Rating: A
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Happy New Year!
So it's 2009 and we're off and running. One of my resolutions is to try to be more pro-active on posting here. My work schedule has been taking a toll on me and then trying to run around and deal with the holidays not to mention the lousy New England weather. I have back problems that stem from a fall I took on ice in the winter of 2006 and with all the snow we've had it's been rotten.
The last year also took a toll on me as in an 18-month period, three close relatives and two good friends all died. It's a factor of life, but it also can seem overwhelming sometimes.
Anyway, I want to try to stay a bit more upbeat and hope that everyone will have a good year. Hopefully the new administration in Washington can work to improve the U.S. standing in the world and that our economy begins to improve -- although realistically I know it will take at least 2 years.
This year, I'm also facing a big decision as I've got about 9 months left on my commitment to this job. After that, it's the scary/wonderful prospect of moving on to something else.
The last year also took a toll on me as in an 18-month period, three close relatives and two good friends all died. It's a factor of life, but it also can seem overwhelming sometimes.
Anyway, I want to try to stay a bit more upbeat and hope that everyone will have a good year. Hopefully the new administration in Washington can work to improve the U.S. standing in the world and that our economy begins to improve -- although realistically I know it will take at least 2 years.
This year, I'm also facing a big decision as I've got about 9 months left on my commitment to this job. After that, it's the scary/wonderful prospect of moving on to something else.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Remake fever
I suppose I'm going to send a mixed message in this entry, but I do feel that there is a right way and a wrong way to proceed.
So I'm reading my email and I look at this one that comes in from Zap2It and the Hollywood news seems full of remakes, particularly of 1980s movies. Now I don't really have a problem with a few remakes -- just like I don't have a problem with some Broadway shows being revived. It can be very intriguing to see someone put a new spin on a role. Well today's edition mentions that there's a remake of Romancing the Stone in the works. Then I read further and discover that Russell Brand wants to star in a new version of Arthur. And a writer has already prepared a script for a redo of Soylent Green. Of course, there's a new Footloose starring Zac Efron. Denzel Washington is fronting a new version of The Taking of Pelham 123 (which already was remade as a TV movie). There are reports that Disney is going redo Tron not to mention the umpteen horror movies that are in the pipeline. Also, let's not forget Fame.
Ok. Occasionally a remake turns out pretty good. A classic example would be The Maltese Falcon. But with this dependency on turning hit foreign movies into English-language pictures (including The Departed which IMHO did not live up to the originals) and now this trend of turning hit movies from the 80s -- what can we look forward to? A new Back to the Future? How about another take on Star Wars?
My philosophy about film remakes is that a studio should possibly investigate remaking movies that failed artistically the first time out. But I realize that it become a question of $$$$ and a known quantity will draw a crowd. It's just depressing when new ideas are stifled because someone feels that audiences crave a new take on a movie that was successful in its initial outing.
Maybe I'm just missing something.
So I'm reading my email and I look at this one that comes in from Zap2It and the Hollywood news seems full of remakes, particularly of 1980s movies. Now I don't really have a problem with a few remakes -- just like I don't have a problem with some Broadway shows being revived. It can be very intriguing to see someone put a new spin on a role. Well today's edition mentions that there's a remake of Romancing the Stone in the works. Then I read further and discover that Russell Brand wants to star in a new version of Arthur. And a writer has already prepared a script for a redo of Soylent Green. Of course, there's a new Footloose starring Zac Efron. Denzel Washington is fronting a new version of The Taking of Pelham 123 (which already was remade as a TV movie). There are reports that Disney is going redo Tron not to mention the umpteen horror movies that are in the pipeline. Also, let's not forget Fame.
Ok. Occasionally a remake turns out pretty good. A classic example would be The Maltese Falcon. But with this dependency on turning hit foreign movies into English-language pictures (including The Departed which IMHO did not live up to the originals) and now this trend of turning hit movies from the 80s -- what can we look forward to? A new Back to the Future? How about another take on Star Wars?
My philosophy about film remakes is that a studio should possibly investigate remaking movies that failed artistically the first time out. But I realize that it become a question of $$$$ and a known quantity will draw a crowd. It's just depressing when new ideas are stifled because someone feels that audiences crave a new take on a movie that was successful in its initial outing.
Maybe I'm just missing something.
Friday, November 28, 2008
Reading? and other Musings
Do people read anymore? And if they do, in what form? That seems to be a issue getting discussed lately. The piece by Roger Ebert mentions that the Associated Press has now put a 500 word limit on all articles. I can recall a web outlet to which I contributed wanted its writers to follow a template that limited the number of words we could use, including a one-sentence plot description. Now, some of the more serious feature films cannot be summarized in one sentence, so it was always a challenge. The thought behind the AP decision is that people are so pressed for time that people don't want long essays.
What does this mean for literacy in the U.S.? We're gradually moving away from a society that reads toward one that is viewer-driven. You Tube and its competitors suck up a lot of time. I know I spend far too much time on the computer than I should. And it has taken a toll on my reading.
The last few years I was living in Manhattan, I didn't have cable television -- just had an analog set and the choices were the major networks and PBS. Consequently, I didn't watch as much TV. Now I've got cable and there are shows to which I've become addicted. "Mad Men", "Damages", "Chelsea Lately", "Ace of Cakes", to name a few. (Yes, it's an eclectic group, but then I've been that way most of my life.) I rarely watch the major networks and when I do, it's generally for pure entertainment. I really liked "Pushing Daisies" for a number of reasons: it was clever if a bit twee, but the cast more than made up for it. Anna Friel is a terrific actress and I have fond memories of an interview I did with her years ago. Lee Pace is one of the best actors working today. Don't believe me? Rent "Soldier's Girl", "Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day" and even "The Fall" and then tell me otherwise. Truthfully, I wasn't much of a Kristen Chenoweth fan when I saw her on Broadway (her vocal shtick was like nails on a chalkboard) but in this show, she's entertaining. Swoosie Kurtz and Ellen Greene -- both stage veterans -- are in a class of their own. And the guest actors have been stellar. It's a quirky little show that got pummelled by the writers' strike and has now been consigned to the cancellation pile. Well, maybe I can put that one hour to use in January reading.
Yes, reading. Books. I was chatting with someone recently and was asked the last book I'd read, and I realized it had been a while since I actually had FINISHED a book. The last novel was called The Story of a Marriage by Andrew Sean Greer (who had written one of my all-time favorites The Confessions of Max Tivoli which in turn owed a lot to the F. Scott Fitzgerald story "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" which is one of 2008's Christmas movies. I'm surprised that no reviews I've read note that some of the liberties Eric Roth took with the short story mirror some of the things Greer did -- but then again, do film critics have time to read?)
The last non-fiction work I completed was Everything Was Possible by Ted Chapin, a behind-the-scenes story about the making of the landmark 1971 musical Follies with a book by James Goldman and a sublime score by Stephen Sondheim. In synchronicity, there were not one, but two stagings of the show here in the Boston area in the fall, so I had finished the book and then went to see the two shows. The first was at the Lyric Stage Company of Boston, a small house with a stage the size of a postage stamp. Yet, the director, Spiro Veloudos found nuances in the book and staged the show in a very intimate but enlightening manner. The cast consisted of local talent and it proved to be an enjoyable evening. About a month later, The Boston Conservatory did a full out staging of the show, recreating Michael Bennett's choreography. Because it was performed by students, the cast was enormous -- very much like the original production -- and that too proved to be a very enjoyable afternoon. (I should mention that I also saw the infamous 2001 Broadway revival which had its moments but I missed the Encores! production in 2006.)
One of my eccentricities is that I tend to start several books at a time, reading them in various places. In New York, I'd have the books I'd read during commutes on subways and busses, the ones I'd read at the laundry, the ones I'd take to a cafe, etc. Here in Cambridge, things are very different, so I find that I'm doing more reading at home than anywhere else. Still, right now I've got three or four books going at once. The novel Loving Che, the memoir The Glass Castle, and the nonfiction For the Thrill of It. I did try to read Twilight but I found that Stephenie Meyer's writing was puerile at best.
So what, if anything, do people read (beside blogs). From my own blog reading, I discovered something called the Cannonball read but I'm too much of a wuss to try to participate. Plus, my job drains me so when I do get home, I just want to relax and not be intellectually challenged. Nevertheless, as part of an early New Year's resolution, I'm going to try to read more books and to write more about movies and other things of interest.
What does this mean for literacy in the U.S.? We're gradually moving away from a society that reads toward one that is viewer-driven. You Tube and its competitors suck up a lot of time. I know I spend far too much time on the computer than I should. And it has taken a toll on my reading.
The last few years I was living in Manhattan, I didn't have cable television -- just had an analog set and the choices were the major networks and PBS. Consequently, I didn't watch as much TV. Now I've got cable and there are shows to which I've become addicted. "Mad Men", "Damages", "Chelsea Lately", "Ace of Cakes", to name a few. (Yes, it's an eclectic group, but then I've been that way most of my life.) I rarely watch the major networks and when I do, it's generally for pure entertainment. I really liked "Pushing Daisies" for a number of reasons: it was clever if a bit twee, but the cast more than made up for it. Anna Friel is a terrific actress and I have fond memories of an interview I did with her years ago. Lee Pace is one of the best actors working today. Don't believe me? Rent "Soldier's Girl", "Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day" and even "The Fall" and then tell me otherwise. Truthfully, I wasn't much of a Kristen Chenoweth fan when I saw her on Broadway (her vocal shtick was like nails on a chalkboard) but in this show, she's entertaining. Swoosie Kurtz and Ellen Greene -- both stage veterans -- are in a class of their own. And the guest actors have been stellar. It's a quirky little show that got pummelled by the writers' strike and has now been consigned to the cancellation pile. Well, maybe I can put that one hour to use in January reading.
Yes, reading. Books. I was chatting with someone recently and was asked the last book I'd read, and I realized it had been a while since I actually had FINISHED a book. The last novel was called The Story of a Marriage by Andrew Sean Greer (who had written one of my all-time favorites The Confessions of Max Tivoli which in turn owed a lot to the F. Scott Fitzgerald story "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" which is one of 2008's Christmas movies. I'm surprised that no reviews I've read note that some of the liberties Eric Roth took with the short story mirror some of the things Greer did -- but then again, do film critics have time to read?)
The last non-fiction work I completed was Everything Was Possible by Ted Chapin, a behind-the-scenes story about the making of the landmark 1971 musical Follies with a book by James Goldman and a sublime score by Stephen Sondheim. In synchronicity, there were not one, but two stagings of the show here in the Boston area in the fall, so I had finished the book and then went to see the two shows. The first was at the Lyric Stage Company of Boston, a small house with a stage the size of a postage stamp. Yet, the director, Spiro Veloudos found nuances in the book and staged the show in a very intimate but enlightening manner. The cast consisted of local talent and it proved to be an enjoyable evening. About a month later, The Boston Conservatory did a full out staging of the show, recreating Michael Bennett's choreography. Because it was performed by students, the cast was enormous -- very much like the original production -- and that too proved to be a very enjoyable afternoon. (I should mention that I also saw the infamous 2001 Broadway revival which had its moments but I missed the Encores! production in 2006.)
One of my eccentricities is that I tend to start several books at a time, reading them in various places. In New York, I'd have the books I'd read during commutes on subways and busses, the ones I'd read at the laundry, the ones I'd take to a cafe, etc. Here in Cambridge, things are very different, so I find that I'm doing more reading at home than anywhere else. Still, right now I've got three or four books going at once. The novel Loving Che, the memoir The Glass Castle, and the nonfiction For the Thrill of It. I did try to read Twilight but I found that Stephenie Meyer's writing was puerile at best.
So what, if anything, do people read (beside blogs). From my own blog reading, I discovered something called the Cannonball read but I'm too much of a wuss to try to participate. Plus, my job drains me so when I do get home, I just want to relax and not be intellectually challenged. Nevertheless, as part of an early New Year's resolution, I'm going to try to read more books and to write more about movies and other things of interest.
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