RAMPART

February 9, 2012

 Greetings again from the darkness. Dirty cops happen in real life sometimes, and in the movies quite often. It can be an intriguing subject to explore … psychological demons, ego, power-mongering, etc. Typically we see it presented as a cop torn between doing the right thing and feeling like he is owed something. Rarely do we see a cop portrayed as beyond hope … so far gone morally that redemption is no longer even a possibility.

Writer James Ellroy (LA Confidential) and director Oren Moverman (The Messenger) present to us Officer Dave Brown, known to his fellow cops (and even his daughter) as “Date Rape” Dave. The moniker stems from a vice incident where Brown supposedly dished out street justice to a serial date rapist. With no proof of his guilt, Brown remained on the force and his rogue manner has now escalated to the point where he is a constant danger to himself and others. This guy has no moral filter for everyday living.

 Officer Brown is played with searing intensity by a Woody Harrelson you have never before seen. As loathsome a character as you will ever find, you cannot take your eyes off of him. He is hated by EVERYONE! Somehow he has daughters by his two ex-wives (who are sisters) and they all live together in a messed up commune where ‘hate’ is the secret word of the day, every day. Most of the time no one speaks to Dave except to tell him to “get out”. He spends his off hours drinking, smoking, doing drugs and having meaningless sex. Heck, that’s just about how he spends his time while on duty as well.  Dave’s behavior and the theme of the movie seem to be explained in a scene when he tells the IA Detective (Ice Cube) that he is not a racist because a he hates “all people equally“.  

The supporting cast is phenomenal, though most aren’t given but a scene or two. This includes Robin Wright (who nearly matches Dave in the tortured soul department), Sigourney Weaver, Anne Heche, Cynthia Nixon, Ned Beatty, Ben Foster, Ice Cube, and Steve Buscemi. The first hour feels like an Actor’s Retreat as most every scene introduces another familiar face.

 Still, as terrific as Harrelson is, and as deep as the cast is, the film is just too one note and downbeat and hopeless to captivate most viewers. Some of Moverman’s camera work is quite distracting and the sex club scene was pure overkill and unnecessary. Downward spiral is much too neutral a term to describe this character’s path and ultimately, that prevents the film from delivering any type of message. Harrelson had been mentioned as a possible Oscar candidate, but it would not be surprising if the film itself worked to his detriment.

SEE THIS MOVIE IF: you want to see a fantastic performance by Woody Harrelson OR you are just looking for a way to kill that pesky feeling of joy that’s been following you around lately

SKIP THIS MOVIE IF: you need to like at least one character in a movie

watch the trailer:

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Posted by David Ferguson

TMI (2-8-12)

February 8, 2012

TMI (Today’s Movie Info)

February: Director’s Month

 D.W. GRIFFITH (1875-1948) grew up in Kentucky as the son of a Confederate Army Colonel and Civil War hero.  His father’s war stories would greatly influence Griffith’s film career.  Remarkably, Griffith made over 450 short films and 80 feature length films (sometimes at the rate of two per week!). He was celebrated for his visionary and ground-breaking techniques (cross-cutting, split-screen, flashbacks, etc), but was also labeled a racist due to the nature of some of his films.  In 1910, he was credited with making the first film in Hollywood, In Old California.  Many of the biggest silent film stars got their start in a Griffith film: Mary Pickford, Lillian Gish, Mack Sennett, Lionel Barrymore. His renowned 1915 historical classic The Birth of a Nation was the first film shown in the White House (President Woodrow Wilson). The film is considered the birth of American cinema, but it also caused race riots throughout the country. In 1920, he became one of the founders of United Artists, along with Charlie Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford.  Griffith only made two “talkies”.  After the second, he retired stating “We do not want now and we never shall want the human voice with our films”.  He is credited with the invention of false eyelashes (for use in his film Intolerance: Love’s Struggle Throughout the Ages (1916) … and also credited with the phrase “lights, camera, action”, which is still used today by filmmakers.

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Posted by David Ferguson

TMI (2-7-12)

February 7, 2012

TMI (Today’s Movie Info)

February: Director’s Month

 FEDERICO FELLINI (1920-93) is revered as one of the most influential filmmakers of the twentieth century.  He was married for 50 years to Giulietta Masina (pictured together).  She was his creative muse and was cast in many of his films, most notably La Strada (1954) and Nights of Cabiria (1957).  “Felliniesque” is a film term used to describe baroque, dream-like sequences such as those Fellini produced.  The term paparazzi was derived from the character, Paparazzo, who photographs celebrities in the Fellini classic La Dolce Vita (1960).  He had four films nominated for Oscars as Best Foreign Film: La Strada (1954), Nights of Cabiria (1957), 8 ½ (1963), and Amarcord (1973) … all four won the award.  Additionally, he was nominated for twelve other Oscars (writing, directing).  Speaking (tongue-in-cheek) as a stereotypical Italian lover, he once said “It’s easier to be faithful to a restaurant than it is to a woman.”  Sadly, his wife of 50 years died a mere five months after he passed away.

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Posted by David Ferguson

PINA

February 6, 2012

 Greetings again from the darkness. One can’t help but wonder how differently this Oscar nominated documentary would have turned out had its subject, Pina Bausch, not passed away from cancer just days before filming commenced. Instead of direct insight from the famously creative choreographer, we witness the tributes she earned … dancing from those who brought her work to life.

Director Wim Wenders had planned for years to document Ms. Bausch and her fascinating interpretative dance company. When 3D technology became portable enough to work with, he knew it was time. Unfortunately, Pina was diagnosed with cancer and passed away just a few days later. What we see on screen are re-creations of her work by those dancers who worked so closely with her. The reverence is obvious during the brief statements from the key dancers. Wenders presents these segments, not as talking heads, but instead of live head shots with voice-overs. A very nice touch.

 The earthy elements of water, soil and rock are on full display, as are the street scenes Pina utilized over the years. The dances are brought to life for the first time without Pina’s direction. It’s clear her presence and spirit remain with the dancers. The interpretive dance numbers may not be to everyone’s taste, but the talent of the dancers, and especially the famed choreographer are quite obvious and impressive.

SEE THIS MOVIE IF: you want to witness the lasting impact of a most influential choreographer of interpretative modern dance

SKIP THIS MOVIE IF: you are looking for concrete insight and biographical details on Pina Bausch

watch the trailer:

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Posted by David Ferguson

TMI (2-6-12)

February 6, 2012

TMI (Today’s Movie Info)

February: Director’s Month

 CLINT EASTWOOD was almost 30 years old when he got his first big break and was cast in the TV series “Rawhide”.  In 1964, director Sergio Leone picked Eastwood for his “Man with no Name” trilogy of low-budget Italian westerns: A Fistful of Dollars (1964), For a Few Dollars More (1965) and The Good, The Bad and The Ugly (1966). In 1971, Eastwood directed his first film Play Misty for Me, and also starred in Dirty Harry, as a new breed of anti-establishment hero. Clint became a huge international movie star, but never strayed far from his love of directing films. To date, he has directed 33 films and even starred in most of them.  His directorial efforts cross many genres: Westerns, Action, Thrillers, Cop Dramas, Family Dramas, War, Biographies, Comedies, Love Stories, and even Sci-fi.  He also writes music for many of his movies and is quite an accomplished pianist.  After Gran Torino (2008), Eastwood proclaimed himself as retired from acting, but it was recently announced that he will be playing a veteran baseball scout in Trouble with the Curve (2013), directed by his longtime assistant director Robert Lorenz, and co-starring Amy Adams and Justin Timberlake.  Even though his Hollywood career spans 57 years, his Oscar recognition has come relatively recently.  He was nominated for Best Actor and won for Best Director and Best Picture for Unforgiven (1992), nominated for Best Director and Best Picture for Mystic River (2003), nominated for Best Actor and won for Best Director and Best Picture for Million Dollar Baby (2004), and nominated for Best Director and Best Picture for Letters from Iwo Jima (2006)

trivia: with Warren Beatty, they are the only two to receive Best Actor and Best Director Oscar nominations for two films. While directing, instead of “cut”, he has been known to say “that’s enough of that s**t”

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Posted by David Ferguson

A SEPARATION (Jodaeiye Nader az Simin, Iran)

February 5, 2012

 Greetings again from the darkness. This one finally made it to Dallas and it’s now clear why it is not only the Oscar favorite for Best Foreign Language Film, but also received a Best Original Screenplay nomination. It’s truly that good … and powerful … and thought provoking. I caught myself changing my mind more than once on some of the issues these characters faced.

The film opens with Nader and Simin (Peyman Moadi and Leila Hatami) in front of a judge to determine if they will be granted a divorce. Simin wants to take their daughter Termeh (Sarina Farhadi, the director’s daughter) to study abroad. Nader doesn’t disagree with the plan, only the timing. He refuses to leave his Dad, who suffers from Alzheimer’s, alone in Iran. In a poignant moment, Nader points out that while his dad may not know him, he still certainly knows his dad. This is the first of a recurring theme throughout … there are numerous ways to look at every issue.

When Simin moves in with her mother, Nader hires Razieh (Sareh Bayat) to be his dad’s caregiver. After a few days, Nader and Razieh have a heated argument and he pushes her out of the apartment. Next thing he knows, she is in the hospital after a miscarriage. She and her husband (Shahab Hosseini) file a claim saying Nader pushed her down the stairs causing the miscarriage. The core of the story is the actions of the key characters during the inquisition process by the judge/inspector. Nothing seems clear cut, and each character’s recall and statements vary from moment to moment.

 A key point is that these are all basically good and moral people. Muslim believers in various stages. None would purposefully sin, yet each is trying to protect something or someone. The script is fascinating in its detail and subtlety. It moves like real life rather than a movie trying to get crammed into a 2 hour window. Written and directed by Asghar Farhadi, the film deserves all accolades and acclaim. Let’s hope it finds an audience in the U.S. We could certainly use more stories and films like this. My reasoning for keeping my comments short here is that I believe this movie is most effective when one can watch this movie with few pre-conceived notions. Let your mind follow its own path.

SEE THIS MOVIE IF: if you want to see one of the best films of 2011 OR you would like an example of superb  and complex screenwriting

SKIP THIS MOVIE: if you prefer movies that don’t require you to engage the decision-making part of your brain (this one keeps you working!)

watch the trailer:

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Posted by David Ferguson

THE WOMAN IN BLACK (2012)

February 4, 2012

 Greetings again from the darkness. The quest for quality horror films is a never-ending project. Since low budget fright fests are the easiest way to make money in Hollywood, most take shortcuts that leave us feeling cheated. This remake of a 1989 British TV horror film actually has wonderful production design … the Gothic mansion is a sight to behold. Unfortunately, the shortcut here was a story that offers little substance, despite being based on Susan Hill‘s novel.

Daniel Radcliffe (yes, Harry Potter himself) plays a young, widowed solicitor named Arthur Kipps, who is still grief stricken, and now on the verge of losing his job. He is given one last chance to prove his mettle to the firm by going to a remote village to settle the affairs of recently deceased client. His young son (Misha Handley) and his nanny are to meet him in the village a few days later.

 The local townspeople clearly don’t want him there and are constantly trying to shoo him back to London. Of course, no one ever bothers to tell him why they are frightened and why they are so angry with him for going to the old house. This mansion is a work of art. It has the necessary creep factor to star in a real horror film. The furnishings and fixtures and decor are really the star of the movie. In fact, the DVD should include a segment on the antique mechanical toys.  It’s not giving away anything to say that every time Radcliffe sees this mysterious woman in black, something bad happens in the village.  The mystery is solved easily enough as we read along while Radcliffe organizes the letters.

The annoying thing about the film is that whenever we get a chill-inducing moment like a shadow in the background or a figure passing by a mirror, it is immediately followed up by a cheap parlor trick involving a sonic blast of music and an ear-piercing scream. It’s as if the director (James Watkins) is convinced movie goers are too ignorant to know when to be scared.  His solution: provide clues to say “Scream now!” Ciaran Hinds and Janet McTeer add a touch of class to the film as Mr.and Mrs. Daily, who recently lost their son. Mr. Daily has found solace in the bottle, while Mrs. Daily teeters on the brink of insanity. My theory that no film featuring Mr. Hinds can be all bad is tested here, and Ms. McTeer was seen recently as the best thing about the Albert Nobbs film.

 On a positive note, this is a nice transition movie for Daniel Radcliffe. He has quite a career challenge as he tries to break loose of the Harry Potter clamp. He succeeds here with quite a different physical appearance, though he really has little to do but alternate between a distantly forlorn look and peering cautiously around dark corners. A couple of interesting notes: the boy playing his son is Radcliffe’s real life godson; and the actor who played Radcliffe’s role in the 1989 original is Adrian Rawlins, who played Harry Potter’s father in those movies.

By the way, how long until Daniel Radcliffe realizes he should just steer clear of train stations?

SEE THIS MOVIE IF: you are desperately seeking a horror film that isn’t a slasher … even if it’s not very good OR you are anxious to see Daniel Radcliffe first real step towards a film career outside of “Harry Potter” OR you just want to see a beautifully creepy haunted house

SKIP THIS MOVIE IF: you are expecting a classic horror story in the vein of Poe OR you have had your fill of cheap tricks designed with no purpose other than to cause viewers to jump

watch the trailer:

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Posted by David Ferguson

TMI (2-4-12)

February 4, 2012

TMI (Today’s Movie Info)

February: Director’s Month

 DUNCAN JONES is a young, emerging sci-fi writer / director.  His first two feature films were the independent Moon (2009) and the box office surprise Source Code (2010). Both were critically acclaimed.  He is the son of rock star David Bowie, and served as the Best Man at Bowie’s 1992 wedding to supermodel Iman.  His original name was Zowie Bowie, but later went by Joe Jones – Jones is David Bowie’s original surname – and finally Duncan Jones.  He has not announced his next film project, but was recently passed over for the Superman re-boot, Man of Steel. Zack Snyder will direct instead.

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Posted by David Ferguson

TMI (2-3-12)

February 3, 2012

TMI (Today’s Movie Info)

February: Director’s Month

 FRANK CAPRA (1897-1991) As a child, he and his family came to the U.S. from Sicily.  He was hired as a gag writer by Hal Roach for the “Our Gang” series in 1924, and later spent time as a writer for Mack Sennett. In the 1930’s he became a full time director and was responsible for such classics as It Happened One Night (1934), Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936), You Can’t Take it With You (1938), Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939), Meet John Doe (1941). Of course, his 1946 film It’s a Wonderful Life, has recovered from its initial box office failure to become one of the all-time favorite holiday classics. His final theatrical film was Pocketful of Miracles (1961), which features the screen debut of Ann-Margret. He was nominated six times for a Best Director Oscar, winning three. Capra once said of James Stewart: his “appeal lay in being so unusually usual”

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Posted by David Ferguson

TMI (2-2-12)

February 2, 2012

TMI (Today’s Movie Info)

February: Director’s Month

 BILLY WILDER (1906–2002) wrote many German scripts prior to Hitler’s coming to power.  Being Jewish, Wilder fled Germany.  Both of his parents died at Auschwitz. He collaborated closely with Steven Spielberg on the script for Schindler’s List (1993) but refused a screen credit. Wilder was nominated for eight Best Director Oscars (second most to William Wyler’s 12), winning twice: The Lost Weekend (1945) and The Apartment (1960). Wilder is one of only seven filmmakers to win Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Screenplay for the same film.  He won all three for The Apartment (1960).  He made 7 films with his favorite actor, Jack Lemmon, including Wilder’s final film Buddy Buddy (1981).  Wilder was such a versatile filmmaker, he won recognition for his film work in comedies, drama, war and film noir.  He directed four films that consistently show up on lists for the 100 best movies of all time: Double Indemnity (1944), Sunset Blvd (1950), Some Like it Hot (1959), The Apartment (1960).  He once said of Marilyn Monroe: “breasts like granite, and a brain like Swiss cheese”

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Posted by David Ferguson

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