CITY ISLAND (2009)

April 4, 2010

 Greetings again from the darkness. I am always amazed, amused and somewhat satisfied when a writer gathers up multiple stereotypes, massages the conflict and dialogue, and emerges with a script that captures interest and holds attention. Writer/director Raymond De Felitta has done just that with working class Italian New Yorkers.

All story lines revolve around the secrets each of the family members keep from the others. Sure, we all understand that two-way communication and trust create a much stronger and healthier family, but sometimes, it’s just not that simple.

Andy Garcia plays the head of this secretive bunch and he sets the stage with two whoppers. The first is his slinking off to acting classes while chasing his lifelong dream of becoming an actor – like his inspiration, Marlon Brando. To cover this one up, he tells his wife (Julianna Margulies) that he is off to another poker game, unaware that she interprets this as code for his having an affair.

They have a daughter (Dominik Garcia-Lorido) who has lost her college scholarship and is saving money to re-enroll by working (secretly) as a stripper. Guess what?  Her parents don’t know.  Their odd ball son (Ezra Miller), who believes he is too smart to attend classes, develops an online fetish habit that ends up VERY close to home.  Again, his parents are oblivious.

In most films, this would be plenty of ammunition to create havoc among the players. Not here. Garcia’s second, and much larger secret, throws this dysfunctional family into a tailspin – and he somehow is the last to realize. Emily Mortimer, Steven Strait and Alan Arkin all provide strong support to the story and this “family”.

Mr. De Felitta explored some of these family topics in The Thing About My Folks, but here he is working with his own script. The balance between comedy, conflict and insight is actually very good; though, the New Yorker habit of loud mealtime conversation is somewhat discomforting for this southern boy. Still, I have nothing but positive things to say about how the stereotypes end up providing self-realization to each of the characters, and even more importantly, an understanding of what their family really is. Good stuff here.

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Posted by David Ferguson

GREENBERG (2010)

March 29, 2010

 Greetings again from the darkness. Warning: this is one of the artsy-fartsy type movies that bore many, but energize me.  Noah Baumbach wrote and directed the excellent The Squid and the Whale, and it is with Greenberg that he really makes a statement as an independent filmmaker to anticipate. The second gem is always the most elusive. That said, I am not sure I can recommend this movie to very many people, despite all the good things I am about to write.

This is the first Ben Stiller role that actually seems to fit him. His typical role is as a punchline. Here, as Greenberg, he is not one bit likable.  He plays a guy who recently suffered a nervous breakdown and is now house-sitting for his rich brother, who is on a family vacation in Vietnam. Throughout the movie, Greenberg states he is concentrating on doing “nothing” right now. Of course, that is his defense mechanism for being unable to connect or communicate with any real person. Yes, that sounds bleak … and it is. Yet, it is also fascinating and thought-provoking.

Despite Stiller’s strong turn, Greta Gerwig (as Florence) proves to be the heart of the story. She is the family assistant to Greenberg’s brother and finds herself oddly attracted to Greenberg’s vulnerable state. This is my first exposure to Ms. Gerwig and I find her fascinating as an actress. She has a natural openness on-screen and is certainly no glamour-gal. Instead she comes across as a very real 25-year-old trying to make sense of life – especially her own.

In addition to Ms. Gerwig, Rhys Ifans provides outstanding support work as Greenberg’s long ago band mate. This is the polar opposite of Ifan’s character in The Boat that Rocked as here is just a guy putting together a grown up life for himself. He struggles with the adjustment, but accurately depicts how our daily choices can make or break us.

I am not sure whether to categorize this as a character study or just an exquisitely written series of scenes that hit the nail on the head. One of the best scenes of the film is when Stiller meets up with Jennifer Jason Leigh (Baumbach’s real life wife) and she immediately rebuffs his reconciliation attempts. They had been a couple briefly 15 years ago and she has obviously moved on, while he has not. Excellent film-making.

The best way I can describe Greenberg the character is that he is a compilation of the dark thoughts that we all experience from time to time … a desire to do nothing, wanting to be blunt and direct, dreams of recapturing the magic of youth, and of course, writing complaint letters for everything wrong in the world. Obviously, most of us spend very little real time on these things, but that is the Greenberg character. Let’s keep an eye on Mr. Baumbach – he may just be the real deal.

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Posted by David Ferguson

THE RUNAWAYS (2010)

March 20, 2010

 Greetings again from the darkness. Getting dragged back to the mid-70’s can be quite fun, especially when the topic is rock ‘n roll. Based on lead singer Cherie Currie’s autobiography, this film provides an overview of the formation, sudden fame, and equally sudden dismantling of the first all-girl’s rock band, The Runaways.

Joan Jett was the heart of the band, but it took oddball music producer Kim Fowley to put the band together and get the recording deal. Fowley may be the most interesting character in this story. Here he is played with force by the very talented Michael Shannon (Revolutionary Road).

Instead, the story focuses on Cherie Currie and Joan Jett, mostly Currie, since it is her book! Dakota Fanning plays Cherie Currie as a confused 15 year old with a messed up family life. The family includes a mom, played by Tatum O’Neal, who announces she is getting married and moving to Indonesia. Currie’s dad is a very sick alcoholic, so she is an easy recruit for Fowley and Jett. Jett is played balls-out by Kristen Stewart. Yes, Kristen Stewart from Twilight. Here she shows much more of the talent we saw prior to the Twilight series. She captures the fire and spirit of Joan Jett and leaves little doubt she will pursue her dreams despite all obstacles.  For a touch of trivia, note that Cherie’s sister Marie is played by Riley Keough … granddaughter of Elvis Presley.  It’s her big screen debut.

Overall, the script comes up short and provides us little more than headlines and a quick glimpse. Would have expected much more on talented guitarist Lita Ford, who continues to work today. For a quick intro to the story of The Runaways, this one is fine. Just don’t expect much depth.

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Posted by David Ferguson

A PROPHET (Fr.,Un Prophete, 2009)

March 13, 2010

 Greetings again from the darkness. This was France’s entry, and one of the odds-on favorites to win Best Foreign Language Film at this year’s Academy Awards (it did not win). Director Jacques Audiard brings us the gritty realism of power within the walls of a prison. We even get a glimpse into how power inside the walls translates into power in the outside world.

Tahan Rahim stars as Malik, a young, shy, weak boy (apparantly) wrongly sentenced for striking a police officer. Malik is quickly abused and taken advantage of by the stronger, seasoned convicts. Ahh, but young Malik is a quick study and is dragged under the control of the powerful Corsican group led by Cesar Luciana (played with fire by Niels Arestrup). He studies Cesar’s process and moves and quickly learns to run his own side businesses by walking a fine line between the various groups in prison.

See, Malik is a French born Arab who becomes a trusted adviser to the Corsican crime boss. Although, the Corsicans call him a dirty Arab and the Arabs don’t trust him because of his affiliation with the Corsicans. What a mess for Malik. But he is quite the opportunist and makes the best of his situation.

Some of the story lines are brutal, while others are quite clever. This adds to the realism and makes this an intense story to follow. Jacques Audiard also directed the fine The Beat that My Heart Skipped and that film also featured Niels Arestoun, who flashes some evil eyes and plays his low key power to the hilt. He is great fun to watch here.

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Posted by David Ferguson

BROOKLYN’S FINEST (2009)

March 6, 2010

(3-5-10) 

 Greetings again from the darkness. Ever since Training Day became a hit, director Antoine Fuqua has been one of the director’s that escape harsh criticism from the Hollywood elite. He is a master of intense moments in time, but I believe many of his movies lack continuity to the point where the story seems to come second to adrenaline rushes. Brooklyn’s Finest is no exception.

The film follows the unconnected stories of three cops. Richard Gere is the stereotypical veteran cop who is one week from retirement, and begins the film with a gun in his mouth. Ethan Hawke is the desperate young cop whose family just keeps growing (his wife Lili Taylor is pregnant with twins) and he longs to provide better living arrangements. Don Cheadle is the undercover cop who, if he hasn’t already crossed the line, is dangerously close.

The best scenes are with Cheadle and Wesley Snipes, who plays a just released from prison hardened criminal. Their dialogue rings true for an undercover cop trying to play both sides and hold on to what’s “right”. If not for Ellen Barkin‘s histrionics, the worst scenes would be watching Richard Gere show off his full repertoire of three different facial expressions. Poor Ethan Hawke looks like no one let him eat or shower for 2 months prior to filming. The boy looks sad.

Even though we know it’s coming, the final act where the three stories intersect is pretty interesting and make for a satisfying shoot-em-up ending. Brace yourself for some hardcore street violence and language and a meandering soundtrack.  The film seems to funnel to the point that there is a very fine line between right and wrong for those in law enforcement.  I prefer to cling to the belief that this is a serious exaggeration.

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Posted by David Ferguson

THE WHITE RIBBON (2009)

February 21, 2010

(2-20-10)

 Greetings again from the darkness. There have been many films with troubled communities: The Village, Wicker Man, Children of the Corn, and Stepford Wives to name a few. None of these compare to the pre-World War I rural German village that director Michael Haneke plops us into.

Haneke is the master of keeping the viewer guessing and never really allowing us a clean solution to the mysteries he presents. Did you figure out what motivated the cruelty from the boys in Funny Games? Did you ever really figure out who or why the family was being videotaped in Cache? The same holds true here.  Haneke seems to be obsessed with evil and ambiguity … two very intriguing subjects for film.

The story is told by the voice-over from the school teacher many years later. We only see the village and the residents as “things” happen – through the recollections of the teacher. Haneke presents many suspects, but no answers to all of the “accidents” and foul play that occurs. We witness only the aftermath and the distrust of the close community.

The film is up for Best Foreign Film and the stark, bleak, black & white look will put you on edge and create a feeling of discomfort, even in the somewhat happiest moments of the film. No doubt it will frustrate those who need a clean wrap-up, but those who enjoy discussion and debate will need an extra cup of coffee afterward to go through all the what-ifs.

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Posted by David Ferguson

THE LAST STATION (2009)

February 13, 2010

 Greetings again from the darkness. Have been hearing so much about the performances of Christopher Plummer and Helen Mirren, that I couldn’t wait for this one to finally hit town. They are both nominated for Oscars (somehow, his first), though neither appear to be a front runner.

Based on Jay Parini’s novel, director Michael Hoffman (One Fine Day) brings us a look at the last year in the life of Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy, who wrote two of the finest of all-time (War and Peace, Anna Karenina). Unfortunately, I am not sure of the point of the film. We are provided a glimpse into the marital challenges faced by Tolstoy and Sofya, but more of the story seems to be devoted to the scheming of Chertkov (Paul Giamatti) who wants the copyrights turned over to the Russian society … he is a very strong believer in Tolstoy’s newfound disgust with personal possessions (among other things).

James McAvoy is hired to be Tolstoy’s personal assistant slash double agent. He is to report to Chertkov all that goes on, and in a twist, he is to report the same to Sofya, who fears that the “new will” shall leave she and the family destitute.

The first half of the film belongs to Plummer, who refuses to go overboard playing Tolstoy as the great man, not just great writer, that so many see him as. I doubt any of us today can really appreciate how this man was worshiped at the time, though the paparazzi and tears at the end give us some indication. The second half is Mirren’s as she copes with being shut out, while still in a lifelong love.

I would have preferred more insight into Tolstoy the man, rather than the Tolstoyan movement, of which I found little interest. We certainly get a more defined character in Chertkov, but the maturing of McAvoy’s character helps offset the harshness.

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Posted by David Ferguson

THE YOUNG VICTORIA (2009)

February 8, 2010

 (2-8-10) Greetings again from the darkness. Emily Blunt would have stolen The Devil Wears Prada if not for the queen of screen, Meryl Streep. Here she competes with no one and does a nice job of carrying this film based on the early years of Queen Victoria. If you are rusty on your British sovereign history, she ruled from 1837-1901.

For 20 of these years, she was married to her true love, Prince Albert (played well by Rupert Friend). While the two meet as youngsters, the bond between them comes from their letters … an early precursor to eHarmony?? We know Victoria mostly from royal portraits, so it’s nice to see her as a rebellious youngster trying to learn the tricks of the trade, even while being manipulated like a pawn by her mother (Miranda Richardson) and her mother’s lover (Mark Strong). We get to see her tenacity blossom as she matures and literally grows up into the monarchy.

While Ms. Blunt’s performance is strong, Julian Fellowes’ writing is not at the level of his previous work in Gosford Park. We do get some of the same power plays, but it is missing the nuances of that much better film.

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Posted by David Ferguson

A SINGLE MAN (2009)

January 31, 2010

 (1-31-10) Greetings again from the darkness. World famous fashion designer Tom Ford (YSL, Gucci) dives head first into the movie world as writer (screenplay) and director of this one. As expected, the visual details are impeccable – from the “glass house” to the color scheme to the set design to the wardrobe and make-up. All that is missing is a character we care about.

Colin Firth has been nominated for many awards for his performance as George, the grieving professor, who in 1962 lost his partner of 16 years. Not even sure grieving is the correct word. Mostly, George has just given up on life. He gets up every morning and puts on his facade and begins the false-front that is his day.

We see, in flashback/daydream form, Mathew Goode as George’s partner. They seemed to have been very happy together. We also see Julianne Moore as George’s neighbor and long ago shot at a “real” relationship (her words). Ford has a nice touch showing Ms. Moore applying make-up as she puts on her best front for an evening with her grieving friend, George. It’s all a bit pathetic actually.

Anyway, here it is 8 months after his lover’s death and George has apparently decided to end his misery. We are locked in to his preparations, which are every bit as fastidious as his morning routine. My favorite parts were when George gets shocked out of his little world and has to interface, even briefly, with a colleague or neighbor’s kid. The way he maintains his front is the key to what’s ticking.

Overall, it is impossible to argue with the praise being heaped upon Mr. Firth for his fine performance, but this film is really pretty shallow and gives us nothing to ponder. Maybe the Christopher Isherwood novel (source material) is better. Evidently the subject matter clicked with Mr. Ford … too bad he wasn’t successful in sharing his connection.

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Posted by David Ferguson

THE IMAGINARIUM OF DR PARNASSUS (2009)

January 22, 2010

 (1-10-10) Greetings again from the darkness. Mention to me that Terry Gilliam has a new film and I can’t help but chuckle and wonder what his mind has dreamed up this time. His past films include Brazil, The Fisher King and the underrated Adventures of Baron Munchausen. One thing I know, he will challenge beliefs and remind me that my imagination pales in comparison to the master.

Even Mr. Gilliam was challenged this time as filming was halted due to the death of the imensely talented Heath Ledger. A very imaginative tweak to the script allows Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Collin Farrell to sub in so the film could be completed. The solution is a bit odd and disjointed, but of course, fits right in with the rest of the film.

Christopher Plummer, smack in the middle of a career re-birth, plays Dr. Parnassus, the spiritual leader of an oddball traveling sideshow. Dr. P’s mirrored portal “invites” guests to discover their own imagination in a wicked choice of morality and greed … a twisted good vs. evil that exists in us all. Of course, all this comes after Plummer struck a deal with the devil (terrific Tom Waits) over his immortality and the soul of his first born child … played well by Lily Cole.

Plenty can be interpreted from all that occurs inside the mirror. It is a fascinating world and has some touches of Mr. Gilliam’s Monty Python roots. Don’t expect a traditional Hollywood film, but enjoy the visuals and the many messages offered … even if some are presented in a somewhat messy format.

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Posted by David Ferguson

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