It took a while for Midnight in Paris to reach worldwide release, but boy did I pick the perfect evening to finally see Woody Allen's latest film. The theater contained a few scattered couples all over the age of twenty and most of them being much older except for two girls and a boy in the very back row who were roughly twelve years old. What drove them to a Sony Pictures Classics film I do not know. Maybe they thought the theater would be empty and they could goof off. Maybe they were given an assignment to see the film for a history or literature class due to the glimpse into the lives of some of these subjects' most influential individuals. No matter what the case, they would not keep their mouths shut, and in response neither would anyone else in the theater. People shouted "Shut up!" and "Could you please be quiet?!" several times, but no one got up to have an employee come in and do something about the problem. This can be explained by the fact that Woody Allen's imaginative storytelling and incredibly intriguing characters kept everyone in their seats despite the rude and annoying children behind them.
Midnight in Paris follows Owen Wilson, in a role that shows his real potential as an actor (not like foolish comedies such as Hall Pass), as Gil Pender, a Hollywood screenwriter who is dissatisfied with the focus of his career and wishes to branch out into writing novels. While in Paris with his fiancee, Inez, played by a convincing but slightly annoying Rachel McAdams, Gil begins to feel distant from his significant other who has absolutely no interest in his feelings or ideas, so he separates from Inez and her family to explore the beautiful city at night. On one drunken evening while looking for his hotel, Gil is invited into an old looking car and escorted to a party. Here he meets a man named Scott Fitzgerald and his wife Zelda. At first he just assumes this to be a coincidence even though the man playing piano at the party seems to have written the music himself. Then he is led to a pub where the group encounters none other than Ernest Hemingway. Gil goes along with everything, since his dream is to live in 1920s Paris, and asks Hemingway to take a look at his novel, which instead is passed along to Gertrude Stein.
Gil makes an attempt at bringing his fiancee along for the adventure the next night, but she leaves after waiting impatiently (certainly no Wedding Crashers chemistry here). Then the clock strikes twelve and Gil enters the old fashioned car on his own. While in the company of Gertrude Stein, he meets more significant people of the time such as Pablo Picasso and his mistress, Adriana, played by the beautiful Marion Cotillard. Gil takes a liking to her and spends more and more time with her throughout his visits to the past, but soon learns that he is not alone in the quest for another time.
Woody Allen explores the recurring argument of which period in time was most remarkable and how people constantly chase after a different age or wish for a better era. With advancements in technology taking away every mystery about every detail one could think of, even something as simple as when a movie or album came out, people tend to stop thinking on their own and just go to their Mac or Blackberry for the answer. However, even those who lived in what some may say was the Golden Age believe otherwise and look back on the generation before them with jealousy. Allen's characters portray a genuine struggle for another time as well as the complete opposite opinion, in addition to the enthusiasm evident in particular periods (especially Adrien Brody's hysterical rendering of Salvador Dali). Inez and her parents, who seem to have no similarities with Gil, are the typical rich and spoiled Beverly Hills family who, along with Inez's friend Paul, think they know everything about the past, but don't truly care about what they think they know. Some standout scenes include Gil proving Paul completely wrong.
As technically cluttered as our generation may be, it's impossible to travel back to a time deemed more noteworthy or "golden." However, if one can find someone with the same passion that exists today, life can be a lot more enjoyable. I doubt the twelve-year-olds got any of this out of the film, but it's clear that they should have been next door watching The Hangover: Part II. I hate to sound like Inez's snotty parents, but a little culture could do them some good.
Friday, June 17, 2011
Monday, June 13, 2011
Super Acting, Average Story in "Super 8"
Just three years after experiencing the mind-blowing trailer for Cloverfield, moviegoers in the summer of 2010 witnessed another preview from the Bad Robot production company that came across as a sequel, prequel, or different viewpoint of the 2008 monster movie. As time passed, however, director J.J. Abrams assured everyone that Super 8 has no connection to his previous production. Nevertheless, after viewing the presumed followup, one can certainly point out a number of similarities.
Super 8 of course is directed by the new man of mystery and science fiction, J.J. Abrams, who like most people in his line of work, looked up to and was influenced by Steven Spielberg, who is an executive producer for the movie. While on the set, the two discussed what it was like growing up making movies for fun with an actual super 8 mm camera. Their passion for the style of filmmaking seen around the time of Abrams' childhood in the 1970s, which is when the film takes place, is obviously noticeable throughout, which creates a sense of nostalgia for that time period. As the film progresses, however, it changes from a great narrative revolving around a group of young filmmakers working on a piece to submit in a festival, to a combination of story lines we've all seen before.
Although I do not intend on giving away too much of the plot and its factors that are to be kept secret, I will include a SPOILER ALERT warning just in case. I went into the theater expecting another Cloverfield, but the first two-thirds or so of the movie proved otherwise until of course, I did notice the resemblance. The monster looks very familiar, and the classic case of boy tracking down location of girl (protagonist of Cloverfield trekking across the city for his ex-girlfriend) is evident. While the alien unleashes a substantial amount of havoc in the small town of Lillian, Ohio, it does not mean as much harm as it inflicts. This relates to Spielberg's own E.T. and Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
Super 8 does have unique qualities despite its various parallels with other movies. The acting is superb and Joel Courtney along with Elle Fanning, sister of Dakota, should have extraordinary careers ahead of them. The rest of the young characters played by Riley Griffiths, Gabriel Basso, Ryan Lee, and Zach Mills also do a fine job, as well as the adult actors including Kyle Chandler, making for a great cast. I think the best part of the film is seen during the credits, when the entirety of the zombie movie directed by Griffiths' character is played out. It reminded me of when I made my own short movies as a kid using my dad's camera. Don't worry, I will not turn this into a story of how I was just like Abrams and Spielberg when they were kids.
Overall, Super 8 is not a bad movie. It's just not great either. I believe if the mediocre Cloverfield never existed, then this movie could be appreciated a lot more. I also don't wish by any means that E.T. or CE3K were not around, but if Super 8 could better distinguish itself from these movies, then we would have a fantastic piece of cinema on our hands. In any case, it is worth seeing as an escape from the completely obvious formulaic dross that will clutter the theaters throughout the remainder of the summer.
Super 8 of course is directed by the new man of mystery and science fiction, J.J. Abrams, who like most people in his line of work, looked up to and was influenced by Steven Spielberg, who is an executive producer for the movie. While on the set, the two discussed what it was like growing up making movies for fun with an actual super 8 mm camera. Their passion for the style of filmmaking seen around the time of Abrams' childhood in the 1970s, which is when the film takes place, is obviously noticeable throughout, which creates a sense of nostalgia for that time period. As the film progresses, however, it changes from a great narrative revolving around a group of young filmmakers working on a piece to submit in a festival, to a combination of story lines we've all seen before.
Although I do not intend on giving away too much of the plot and its factors that are to be kept secret, I will include a SPOILER ALERT warning just in case. I went into the theater expecting another Cloverfield, but the first two-thirds or so of the movie proved otherwise until of course, I did notice the resemblance. The monster looks very familiar, and the classic case of boy tracking down location of girl (protagonist of Cloverfield trekking across the city for his ex-girlfriend) is evident. While the alien unleashes a substantial amount of havoc in the small town of Lillian, Ohio, it does not mean as much harm as it inflicts. This relates to Spielberg's own E.T. and Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
Super 8 does have unique qualities despite its various parallels with other movies. The acting is superb and Joel Courtney along with Elle Fanning, sister of Dakota, should have extraordinary careers ahead of them. The rest of the young characters played by Riley Griffiths, Gabriel Basso, Ryan Lee, and Zach Mills also do a fine job, as well as the adult actors including Kyle Chandler, making for a great cast. I think the best part of the film is seen during the credits, when the entirety of the zombie movie directed by Griffiths' character is played out. It reminded me of when I made my own short movies as a kid using my dad's camera. Don't worry, I will not turn this into a story of how I was just like Abrams and Spielberg when they were kids.
Overall, Super 8 is not a bad movie. It's just not great either. I believe if the mediocre Cloverfield never existed, then this movie could be appreciated a lot more. I also don't wish by any means that E.T. or CE3K were not around, but if Super 8 could better distinguish itself from these movies, then we would have a fantastic piece of cinema on our hands. In any case, it is worth seeing as an escape from the completely obvious formulaic dross that will clutter the theaters throughout the remainder of the summer.
Sunday, June 5, 2011
"Fast Five" Kicks the Summer Into High Gear
I know Fast Five has been out for a while so most of you may have seen it already, but if you haven't and need some mindless entertainment that is aware of its ridiculousness then this is the movie to see. For the 2 hour and 10 minute running time, at least an hour and 45 minutes of that is pure action. From the opening sequence of a bus flipping over a dozen times, to the heist on a train, all the way to the final job, the intense fighting and racing hits hard.
The plot certainly isn't important, but it's a classic case of a heist going in a different direction due to some people being bad and untrustworthy. After Toretto and O'Conner, played by the franchise heros Vin Diesel and Paul Walker, along with their team are accused of killing three federal agents, they are not only hunted by the head honcho in Rio whose men were planning on betraying them, but also a new addition to the series, Dwayne Johnson. He sports a goatee in order to differentiate himself from his equally jacked costar Diesel (which comes in handy during a completely unnecessary but extremely amusing fist fight). Johnson's cheesy but hilarious lines are worth the ticket price alone even with the never before seen type of special effects scenes.
The whole gang comes together for the final job and if you are wondering how Diesel and Walker somehow managed to obtain a career in acting, Tyrese Gibson among others prove that things could be worse. This isn't too upsetting, however, since it simply doesn't matter what anyone has to say. It's all about what they do. Sure every single thing they succeed in pulling off is utterly absurd, including two average sized cars pulling a safe weighing ten tons out of a wall and across streets and bridges, but just remember to check your brain at the door. I found myself in several WTF moments, getting a little annoyed at how stupid the people behind this movie think the audience can be, but what can you expect from a movie called Fast Five. A ludicrous title and a joke to know that it's the fifth installment in a movie about racing cars. Thankfully, this one is more Ocean's Eleven (without the A list stars) than NASCAR on the streets.
If five brain cell damaging movies weren't enough, stick around after the credits. One star from the series who was left out has news about another. I can't even imagine what they'll try to do next. Oh wait, steal and race some cars.
The plot certainly isn't important, but it's a classic case of a heist going in a different direction due to some people being bad and untrustworthy. After Toretto and O'Conner, played by the franchise heros Vin Diesel and Paul Walker, along with their team are accused of killing three federal agents, they are not only hunted by the head honcho in Rio whose men were planning on betraying them, but also a new addition to the series, Dwayne Johnson. He sports a goatee in order to differentiate himself from his equally jacked costar Diesel (which comes in handy during a completely unnecessary but extremely amusing fist fight). Johnson's cheesy but hilarious lines are worth the ticket price alone even with the never before seen type of special effects scenes.
The whole gang comes together for the final job and if you are wondering how Diesel and Walker somehow managed to obtain a career in acting, Tyrese Gibson among others prove that things could be worse. This isn't too upsetting, however, since it simply doesn't matter what anyone has to say. It's all about what they do. Sure every single thing they succeed in pulling off is utterly absurd, including two average sized cars pulling a safe weighing ten tons out of a wall and across streets and bridges, but just remember to check your brain at the door. I found myself in several WTF moments, getting a little annoyed at how stupid the people behind this movie think the audience can be, but what can you expect from a movie called Fast Five. A ludicrous title and a joke to know that it's the fifth installment in a movie about racing cars. Thankfully, this one is more Ocean's Eleven (without the A list stars) than NASCAR on the streets.
If five brain cell damaging movies weren't enough, stick around after the credits. One star from the series who was left out has news about another. I can't even imagine what they'll try to do next. Oh wait, steal and race some cars.
Saturday, June 4, 2011
"X-Men: First Class" Starts Off Strong Then Takes a Beating
After a disappointing third installment in the franchise and a below average origin story with Wolverine, it seemed as if the X-Men series would finally get back on track with First Class, but unfortunately the movie took a turn for the worse. This film follows Professor X and Magneto before they become the wise and powerful mutants most people are familiar with, starring James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender in the lead roles, respectively. The first half hour or so is so intriguing that it's hard to believe that the film could change so drastically from an early James Bond type adventure to a laughingly corny superhero flick that we've seen too much of in the past.
First Class begins just as 2000's X-Men with a scene involving Erik Lehnsherr, later to become Magneto, in Nazi invaded Poland. It goes deeper into what happened that day, however, and Erik is taken into the custody of the main villain, Sebastian Shaw, played by Kevin Bacon. At first Bacon manages to pull off the bad guy persona, and as he torments the young child into wielding his powers, the audience truly feels the boy's agony. After this torture and the murder of his mother, years go by and the main source of entertainment comes from Erik's quest for the man who ruined his life. He travels to different locations, bouncing around the globe, similar to that of a classic Bond film, and one scene in particular stands out above the rest in which Erik shows off his remarkable power in a bar located in Argentina. This is the most noteworthy moment, but it gets lost in the rubbish that is to come.
Fassbender's performance involving the struggle over the control of a mighty gift is certainly the best part of the film and it is believable that he is to become Ian McKellen's Magneto. McAvoy's portrayal of Professor X is also convincing at first, but when the film flips on its ear to become a joke, he is no longer tolerable just like the rest of the cast. The supporting characters are what make First Class feel more like coach. The transition from awesome to unbearable is so distinct, I almost said "Uh oh" out loud. After Xavier and Erik recruit new mutants, in a montage including a pretty funny cameo, the team of youngins go around their isolated room coming up with cool superhero names. This cheesy scene was so aggravating I was hoping that Kevin Bacon and his minions would arrive sooner and wipe them all out. When he finally does drop by, the X-Men realize they must train in order to stop him.
As can be seen in the film's commercials, the story revolves around the Cuban Missile Crisis, which apparently started because both the U.S. and the Soviet Union were fooled by Sebastian Shaw alone. It really makes both parties look completely idiotic. So now it is up to the mutants, who the humans have a deep hatred for, to solve the issue. Cue the next corny montage of training and coming to the understanding that we can do it guys! As if that's not bad enough, Mystique is flirting with everyone, including an incredibly annoying Beast, as well as Erik who convinces her that she is beautiful. As if.
If you're looking for some solid action sequences, this isn't a bad place to start for the summer. However, if you recognize what is really happening around the explosions, it's quite pathetic. Why the butterfly stripper can't be stopped with a single bullet, let alone huge red rings shooting out of Havok is beyond me. It's obviously not a spoiler to hear that Professor X somehow ends up in a wheelchair. Brace yourself for that groundbreaking scene. If you recently watched the third X-Men film you'll notice that he's old and still walking. Guess that one didn't match up, huh?
Anyway, the movie had such potential with a strong performance throughout from Fassbender and a decent start from McAvoy and Bacon, but they grow to become so insufferable. Other than a good beginning and January Jones' cleavage every few minutes, there is not much to see besides special effects. I know that we've learned everything necessary to understand Magneto's origin, but if the film solely followed his quest for revenge, this installment could've been a lot better. I'm sure Marvel will go back to one mutant at a time with Deadpool or whoever is coming up next, but it's a shame that several characters at once couldn't work and such great talent went to waste.
First Class begins just as 2000's X-Men with a scene involving Erik Lehnsherr, later to become Magneto, in Nazi invaded Poland. It goes deeper into what happened that day, however, and Erik is taken into the custody of the main villain, Sebastian Shaw, played by Kevin Bacon. At first Bacon manages to pull off the bad guy persona, and as he torments the young child into wielding his powers, the audience truly feels the boy's agony. After this torture and the murder of his mother, years go by and the main source of entertainment comes from Erik's quest for the man who ruined his life. He travels to different locations, bouncing around the globe, similar to that of a classic Bond film, and one scene in particular stands out above the rest in which Erik shows off his remarkable power in a bar located in Argentina. This is the most noteworthy moment, but it gets lost in the rubbish that is to come.
Fassbender's performance involving the struggle over the control of a mighty gift is certainly the best part of the film and it is believable that he is to become Ian McKellen's Magneto. McAvoy's portrayal of Professor X is also convincing at first, but when the film flips on its ear to become a joke, he is no longer tolerable just like the rest of the cast. The supporting characters are what make First Class feel more like coach. The transition from awesome to unbearable is so distinct, I almost said "Uh oh" out loud. After Xavier and Erik recruit new mutants, in a montage including a pretty funny cameo, the team of youngins go around their isolated room coming up with cool superhero names. This cheesy scene was so aggravating I was hoping that Kevin Bacon and his minions would arrive sooner and wipe them all out. When he finally does drop by, the X-Men realize they must train in order to stop him.
As can be seen in the film's commercials, the story revolves around the Cuban Missile Crisis, which apparently started because both the U.S. and the Soviet Union were fooled by Sebastian Shaw alone. It really makes both parties look completely idiotic. So now it is up to the mutants, who the humans have a deep hatred for, to solve the issue. Cue the next corny montage of training and coming to the understanding that we can do it guys! As if that's not bad enough, Mystique is flirting with everyone, including an incredibly annoying Beast, as well as Erik who convinces her that she is beautiful. As if.
If you're looking for some solid action sequences, this isn't a bad place to start for the summer. However, if you recognize what is really happening around the explosions, it's quite pathetic. Why the butterfly stripper can't be stopped with a single bullet, let alone huge red rings shooting out of Havok is beyond me. It's obviously not a spoiler to hear that Professor X somehow ends up in a wheelchair. Brace yourself for that groundbreaking scene. If you recently watched the third X-Men film you'll notice that he's old and still walking. Guess that one didn't match up, huh?
Anyway, the movie had such potential with a strong performance throughout from Fassbender and a decent start from McAvoy and Bacon, but they grow to become so insufferable. Other than a good beginning and January Jones' cleavage every few minutes, there is not much to see besides special effects. I know that we've learned everything necessary to understand Magneto's origin, but if the film solely followed his quest for revenge, this installment could've been a lot better. I'm sure Marvel will go back to one mutant at a time with Deadpool or whoever is coming up next, but it's a shame that several characters at once couldn't work and such great talent went to waste.
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