I seriously considered not using my regular title for this feature on this one. The juxtaposition of the lighthearted Futurama reference with a film like Twelve Years a Slave is awkward and unintentionally humorous. However, I've used it for every one of my previous reviews, some of which were of fairly serious films, so it stays nonetheless.
So what do I mean by that clunky introduction? Just that Twelve Years a Slave is a great film, but also a very serious film. At times it feels like you are watching a contest to see which recognizable actor can be the most awful to the protagonist, or to his fellow slaves. Whether its the casual sleaziness of Paul Giamatti's slave trader, the cowardly bullying of Paul Dano, or the jealous rage of Sarah Paulson to one of her husband's favored slaves, a young woman named Patsey, it's hard to watch. Even some of the less terrible characters, such as Benedict Cumberbatch's gentle and relatively fair slaveowner, are awful in a completely different way, simply because they are willing participants in the "peculiar institution" of slavery.
Of course, the worst of the bunch is Edwin Epps (Michael Fassbender). The drunk, lecherous, and generally cruel man is terrifying, mainly because you are not sure what he is going to do. Granted, as I was familiar with the story of Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor, in a brilliant performance), I realized that he was going to survive whatever misfortunes he would have. That doesn't change the fact it was tough to watch him go through the indignities of the situation.
There are many painful scenes to watch in this film, scenes that make the pain and cruelty of slavery so vivid, despite the fact that it's constitutional legitimacy and legal standing have been gone in the United States for over 150 years. In fact it feels right at home with the oratory and literature put forth by the abolitionists during the run up to the Civil War. If there was some weird world where cinema and the Antebellum United States coexisted, I could see outraged southerners burning this film and threatening to destroy any theater willing to show it, while the abolitionists from Boston to Lawrence proclaiming its God-given virtue.
I highly recommend that you go watch this film, if it is playing somewhere you can watch it. If not, I recommend you rent it, stream it, or buy it as soon as it comes out on DVD, Netflix, etc... It's a film that should be watched by everyone to not forget the horribleness and degradation of both slave, master, and those who were willing to support, or at least unwilling to stand up against, this most undemocratic of practices.
* For more cinematic information on this story, you can make a decent trilogy out of this film, Glory, and Lincoln.
Saturday, November 16, 2013
Friday, October 18, 2013
Dispatches from the Popcorn Stadium: Captain Phillips
So Fall 2013 is shaping up to be a pretty great time to go to the movies. Opening a week after the tense, gripping, and highly recommended Gravity, Paul Greengrass' Captain Phillips is almost as tense and gripping, and just as good of a movie.
I have to be honest that I wasn't looking forward to this. Frankly, I was kind of underwhelmed by the trailer. I guess it really wasn't so bad of a trailer, but considering it was the same exact trailer played before most of the movies I've watched since May, it grated on my nerves after a while. Still, I changed my mind about seeing it after reading some good reviews.
And I'm glad I did.
I have to be honest that I wasn't looking forward to this. Frankly, I was kind of underwhelmed by the trailer. I guess it really wasn't so bad of a trailer, but considering it was the same exact trailer played before most of the movies I've watched since May, it grated on my nerves after a while. Still, I changed my mind about seeing it after reading some good reviews.
And I'm glad I did.
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Dispatches from the Popcorn Stadium: Gravity
Look, I understand why people don't go to the movies these days. With DVRs, Netflix/Hulu/Amazon, iTunes Season Passes, and many other ways to get our entertainment at our fingertips, a trip to the local cineplex seems less essential than ever. Even a non 3D ticket often pushes $10 these days, especially when you are in major metro areas. And those 3D tickets cost a couple dollars more, even more for an IMAX showing. Why blow a month's worth of streaming on a ticket to a movie, particularly when it's Clash of the Beige Generic Monsters, or Jack and the Beige Giants.
And frankly, who could blame you? For the most part, movies have failed to figure out how to use 3D. It isn't that it is impossible to use successfully, Avatar showed how well it could be used to enhance the experience, and Pixar and Dreamworks Animation has used it to add depth to their movies. Still, many movies, whether filmed for 3D, or done in post production, have failed to take advantage of it.
And frankly, who could blame you? For the most part, movies have failed to figure out how to use 3D. It isn't that it is impossible to use successfully, Avatar showed how well it could be used to enhance the experience, and Pixar and Dreamworks Animation has used it to add depth to their movies. Still, many movies, whether filmed for 3D, or done in post production, have failed to take advantage of it.
Friday, October 4, 2013
Dispatches from the Popcorn Stadium: Prisoners
POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD
If you saw the trailer or commercials for Prisoners, you pretty much have the gist of what is going on. The youngest daughters of two families are abducted, Jake Gyllenhaal is the investigator charged with finding them, Paul Dano is the weird guy with the RV who is kidnapped and tortured by Hugh Jackman, assisted (or at least not opposed) by Terrence Howard and Viola Davis. Fortunately, they kept the result of Jackman's brutal beating of Dano out, something that isn't the case in the actual film.
The political allegory of this film is not subtle, boiling down pretty much to "torture is bad and pointless, m'kay?" I guess the secondary message would be that torture is useless when dealing with a mentally challenged and psychologically scarred person who may not be guilty. Or that those who stand by and let monstrous behavior happen are just as guilty as those who do it. Either way, these points aren't very subtle, and neither is Hugh Jackman's performance.
Fortunately the movie is saved by Gyllenhaal's performance. You can feel the stress get to him, as the sleepless nights pile up and the frustration mounts. He's had a perfect record with his cases, but you can tell it's not about the performance, but about finding those kids. When it appears that all is lost, and he thinks he has blown the case, he goes off the rails in a completely understandable, yet scary way.
Beyond that, the cinematography was great. It captured that dreary feeling of late November, made worse by the tragic events that were unfolding on screen. To me, it seems almost criminal that Roger Deakins (look at his impressive filmography) has never won an Academy Award. Although not as epic or as colorful as some of his other work, this works just as well for the needs of this film. In a couple places, there are dark holes that characters have to jump down into. In both cases, they are shot so you see nothing but the empty darkness. It was foreboding and scary, particularly after the scene with all of the snakes writing around in trunks.
This was not a great movie, but it was worth seeing. Like too many movies these days, it is far too long. Just because Peter Jackson does it, doesn't mean every movie needs to be 2.5-3 hours long.
As the fall season kicks into gear, with Gravity coming out this weekend, it will likely get lost in the shuffle. It's worth checking out just for Gyllenhall's performance and the cinematography. If you haven't seen it already, I would suggest waiting a few months until it comes out on Blu-Ray/DVD or until its available on your streaming service / premium cable network of choice.
Rated R 153 minutes
If you saw the trailer or commercials for Prisoners, you pretty much have the gist of what is going on. The youngest daughters of two families are abducted, Jake Gyllenhaal is the investigator charged with finding them, Paul Dano is the weird guy with the RV who is kidnapped and tortured by Hugh Jackman, assisted (or at least not opposed) by Terrence Howard and Viola Davis. Fortunately, they kept the result of Jackman's brutal beating of Dano out, something that isn't the case in the actual film.
The political allegory of this film is not subtle, boiling down pretty much to "torture is bad and pointless, m'kay?" I guess the secondary message would be that torture is useless when dealing with a mentally challenged and psychologically scarred person who may not be guilty. Or that those who stand by and let monstrous behavior happen are just as guilty as those who do it. Either way, these points aren't very subtle, and neither is Hugh Jackman's performance.
Fortunately the movie is saved by Gyllenhaal's performance. You can feel the stress get to him, as the sleepless nights pile up and the frustration mounts. He's had a perfect record with his cases, but you can tell it's not about the performance, but about finding those kids. When it appears that all is lost, and he thinks he has blown the case, he goes off the rails in a completely understandable, yet scary way.
Beyond that, the cinematography was great. It captured that dreary feeling of late November, made worse by the tragic events that were unfolding on screen. To me, it seems almost criminal that Roger Deakins (look at his impressive filmography) has never won an Academy Award. Although not as epic or as colorful as some of his other work, this works just as well for the needs of this film. In a couple places, there are dark holes that characters have to jump down into. In both cases, they are shot so you see nothing but the empty darkness. It was foreboding and scary, particularly after the scene with all of the snakes writing around in trunks.
This was not a great movie, but it was worth seeing. Like too many movies these days, it is far too long. Just because Peter Jackson does it, doesn't mean every movie needs to be 2.5-3 hours long.
As the fall season kicks into gear, with Gravity coming out this weekend, it will likely get lost in the shuffle. It's worth checking out just for Gyllenhall's performance and the cinematography. If you haven't seen it already, I would suggest waiting a few months until it comes out on Blu-Ray/DVD or until its available on your streaming service / premium cable network of choice.
Rated R 153 minutes
Monday, September 23, 2013
Recap of the Emmy Awards
So, yeah....the Emmy Awards aired last night. Granted, most of the time I was primarily focused on the Bears vs. Steelers game, which was at first much less painful, then became far too close, to the point that I turned it off because I didn't care to watch them blow a 3 TD lead. Of course, some of the weird filler crap at the Emmys was so bad that it made me want to turn back to NBC to see Roethlisberger pick apart Chris Conte again. Death seemed to hover over the entirety of the broadcast, with long tributes to various actors that died in the last year, plus Carrie Underwood singing "Yesterday" (Released in 1965) to commemorate the broadcast of Kennedy's assassination (1963, of course). This was in addition to the usual "In Memoriam" segment. Now remembering these actors, who are gone but not forgotten is not a problem. However, could you have shown some of their work?
I don't know why I care about these awards (or any awards) for that matter. They should matter to me about as much as they do Ron Swanson*, although perhaps they'd mean more if the right people won them. In some cases they did (Tony Hale, Anna Gunn, Breaking Bad), in other places the wrong person/show won (Modern Family for anything it won, Jeff Daniels), and others someone won who deserved it, although in the process shutting out someone who also deserved it (Julia Louis-Dreyfus beating out Amy Poehler, Tina Fey, Lena Dunham, and Laura Dern for Best Actress in a Comedy).
I still can't believe that Amy Poehler and Jon Hamm have yet to win an Emmy. Part of the problem is tough competition, especially with Hamm. Having to go up against Bryan Cranston almost every year is never an easy thing to do. With Poehler, I wonder if the character of Leslie Knope is just not the type of character that tends to win these awards. Both Mad Men and Parks & Recreation, home to two of the best ensembles on TV right now, have never won a single acting Emmy. I'm not sure how that happened, but there it is.
I suppose it's nothing new. It took until this year for Bob Newhart to win an Emmy (for guesting on The Big Bang Theory). The characters of Leslie Knope, Don Draper, Ron Swanson, and Michael Scott have exactly zero wins to their name. The Wire was never even nominated for Best Drama. Of course, animated series are completely ignored. I'm sure you can go back through the years and find many other examples (such as Bob Newhart).
So another year is down, and we can forget about the snubs, while remembering the few that they actually got right for a little while longer. Then next year, when the nominations come out, we can gripe again how Nick Offerman was criminally ignored, Modern Family is over-represented, and figure out who's going to beat Jon Hamm and Amy Poehler...again. And hopefully, the awards show won't take place the same night as the penultimate episode of the Best Drama winner's series, and a Bears game.
*A character that has netted Nick Offerman no nominations, let alone wins. One of the best comedy characters out there can't get a nomination because it's apparently guild rules that 67% of the spots go to Modern Family actors.
I don't know why I care about these awards (or any awards) for that matter. They should matter to me about as much as they do Ron Swanson*, although perhaps they'd mean more if the right people won them. In some cases they did (Tony Hale, Anna Gunn, Breaking Bad), in other places the wrong person/show won (Modern Family for anything it won, Jeff Daniels), and others someone won who deserved it, although in the process shutting out someone who also deserved it (Julia Louis-Dreyfus beating out Amy Poehler, Tina Fey, Lena Dunham, and Laura Dern for Best Actress in a Comedy).
I still can't believe that Amy Poehler and Jon Hamm have yet to win an Emmy. Part of the problem is tough competition, especially with Hamm. Having to go up against Bryan Cranston almost every year is never an easy thing to do. With Poehler, I wonder if the character of Leslie Knope is just not the type of character that tends to win these awards. Both Mad Men and Parks & Recreation, home to two of the best ensembles on TV right now, have never won a single acting Emmy. I'm not sure how that happened, but there it is.
I suppose it's nothing new. It took until this year for Bob Newhart to win an Emmy (for guesting on The Big Bang Theory). The characters of Leslie Knope, Don Draper, Ron Swanson, and Michael Scott have exactly zero wins to their name. The Wire was never even nominated for Best Drama. Of course, animated series are completely ignored. I'm sure you can go back through the years and find many other examples (such as Bob Newhart).
So another year is down, and we can forget about the snubs, while remembering the few that they actually got right for a little while longer. Then next year, when the nominations come out, we can gripe again how Nick Offerman was criminally ignored, Modern Family is over-represented, and figure out who's going to beat Jon Hamm and Amy Poehler...again. And hopefully, the awards show won't take place the same night as the penultimate episode of the Best Drama winner's series, and a Bears game.
*A character that has netted Nick Offerman no nominations, let alone wins. One of the best comedy characters out there can't get a nomination because it's apparently guild rules that 67% of the spots go to Modern Family actors.
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Dispatches from the Popcorn Stadium: The Family
While watching The Family, I was struck by how similar it was in ways to one of my favorite movies. No, not Goodfellas, although there was the obligatory reference to the film. Instead it was The Incredibles. Now granted, the Parrs were routinely moved around because of the country's disdain for their former heroes, not because he was a snitch against the mob. And in the Pixar film, only Bob seemed to have the problem of reverting to his old ways, as opposed to the family in The Family. Oh, and I'll have to watch The Incredibles again to confirm this, but I'm pretty sure none of the characters went around dropping f-bombs. Nevertheless, there was still a familiarity there, particularly with Tommy Lee Jones as the put upon government official who keeps having to cover the tracks of the violent family.
I wish it was as good as The Incredibles. It felt kind of half-baked, alternating between light-hearted "fish out of water" comedy with deadly-serious violence. Sometimes this works pretty well, but more often it is just confusing and jumbled. In addition, I can't imagine even a valuable and politically connected witness like Robert DeNiro's character would be able to get away with some of the crap he was doing.
I wouldn't call it a total waste of time, as there were a few good chuckles. For a movie from the doldrums of early September it was fine. I'd say it's worth checking out once it comes out on Blu-Ray and DVD, or if you are just itching to see a movie and have already seen better ones already.
I wish it was as good as The Incredibles. It felt kind of half-baked, alternating between light-hearted "fish out of water" comedy with deadly-serious violence. Sometimes this works pretty well, but more often it is just confusing and jumbled. In addition, I can't imagine even a valuable and politically connected witness like Robert DeNiro's character would be able to get away with some of the crap he was doing.
I wouldn't call it a total waste of time, as there were a few good chuckles. For a movie from the doldrums of early September it was fine. I'd say it's worth checking out once it comes out on Blu-Ray and DVD, or if you are just itching to see a movie and have already seen better ones already.
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Summer Movies, Part 3
Now that Labor Day has passed, the summer movie season is officially over. In a few weeks the Fall/Holiday movie season will kick off, and I am eagerly awaiting many movies that will be coming out this fall. However, that is another post, as this one is for taking a breather and looking back at the last group of movies I watched this summer. Despite only having one "summer blockbuster" in this batch, it was probably my favorite set, as some of my favorite movies of the summer were in this group.
The Wolverine
Eh, it wasn't too bad, bub. That seems to be the theme of the movies this summer, as most of the movies I've seen have been OK, but not anything great. The most interesting thing about this movie is it sets up the next X-Men movie that sounds like it could be an absolute flustercuck.
The Way Way Back
I really liked this film. In fact, it almost felt like it was manufactured for the express purposes of me enjoying it. In other words, it kind of felt at times like a paint-by-numbers coming of age story with "quirky" characters. However, the performances of the cast (especially Sam Rockwell and Allison Janney) are anything but cookie-cutter, and its still an enjoyable story.
We're the Millers
This would probably be my vote for surprise of the summer, as it turned out to actually have some fairly funny parts. Considering how awful the trailer was (the Red Band one was a bit better), the fact that it was merely decent makes it a welcome surprise. Again, the cast plays a big role in making this work, especially Nick Offerman.
Jobs
I almost forgot I saw this film. It wasn't too bad, although it seemed a bit second rate at times. Josh Gad was pretty good as Steve Wozniak, and Kutcher's Jobs was actually fairly decent. It wasn't quite as enjoyable as Pirates of Silicon Valley. I wonder how much better Aaron Sorkin's will be, assuming that ever gets made.
Blue Jasmine
I'm pretty certain this is the first Woody Allen film I've ever seen in a theater*. Definitely one of my favorites of the summer, although definitely not an uplifting film. All of you Louis CK completeists will want to check this out, as he makes a rare cinematic appearance in this one. I would gather this is probably worth a longer post, once I get a chance to see it again.
The World's End
I actually saw this before Blue Jasmine, but I figured I would save the best for last. This was definitely my favorite movie of the summer. In fact, I think it might be my favorite entry in the Cornetto Trilogy**. It's definitely the most mature and reflective of the three movies. More importantly, it's damn funny, in several different ways. Like the other two movies in the trilogy, this one is a gold mine for quotes, many of which are most certainly not PG-13***. Although I'm not quite as old as the characters in the story, it still resonated with me, and the end...yeah...the end. I can see how this might not be a favorite of a lot of people, but I really like the ending. If you can, I recommend you see this with someone who has no idea what the hell the Cornetto Trilogy is, has never seen the other two movies, and assumes this is just a small foreign film about some schoolyard chums getting back together for a night of drinking and self-reflection.****
Recommendations
Blue Jasmine
The World's End
The Way Way Back
My Favorite Five of the Summer
5. Blue Jasmine
4. Monsters University
3. The Heat
2. The Way Way Back
1. The World's End
*I have yet to delve deeply into his films. The only one I own is Midnight in Paris, although I really liked Manhattan and Annie Hall.
**Yes I'm aware that this might be fightin' words with the other member of this blog. I don't care.
***The rough standard I try to maintain on this blog. Please don't go back through the archives to prove me wrong.
****Yes, that totally is what this is. Totally. Mm-hmm.
The Wolverine
Eh, it wasn't too bad, bub. That seems to be the theme of the movies this summer, as most of the movies I've seen have been OK, but not anything great. The most interesting thing about this movie is it sets up the next X-Men movie that sounds like it could be an absolute flustercuck.
The Way Way Back
I really liked this film. In fact, it almost felt like it was manufactured for the express purposes of me enjoying it. In other words, it kind of felt at times like a paint-by-numbers coming of age story with "quirky" characters. However, the performances of the cast (especially Sam Rockwell and Allison Janney) are anything but cookie-cutter, and its still an enjoyable story.
We're the Millers
This would probably be my vote for surprise of the summer, as it turned out to actually have some fairly funny parts. Considering how awful the trailer was (the Red Band one was a bit better), the fact that it was merely decent makes it a welcome surprise. Again, the cast plays a big role in making this work, especially Nick Offerman.
Jobs
I almost forgot I saw this film. It wasn't too bad, although it seemed a bit second rate at times. Josh Gad was pretty good as Steve Wozniak, and Kutcher's Jobs was actually fairly decent. It wasn't quite as enjoyable as Pirates of Silicon Valley. I wonder how much better Aaron Sorkin's will be, assuming that ever gets made.
Blue Jasmine
I'm pretty certain this is the first Woody Allen film I've ever seen in a theater*. Definitely one of my favorites of the summer, although definitely not an uplifting film. All of you Louis CK completeists will want to check this out, as he makes a rare cinematic appearance in this one. I would gather this is probably worth a longer post, once I get a chance to see it again.
The World's End
I actually saw this before Blue Jasmine, but I figured I would save the best for last. This was definitely my favorite movie of the summer. In fact, I think it might be my favorite entry in the Cornetto Trilogy**. It's definitely the most mature and reflective of the three movies. More importantly, it's damn funny, in several different ways. Like the other two movies in the trilogy, this one is a gold mine for quotes, many of which are most certainly not PG-13***. Although I'm not quite as old as the characters in the story, it still resonated with me, and the end...yeah...the end. I can see how this might not be a favorite of a lot of people, but I really like the ending. If you can, I recommend you see this with someone who has no idea what the hell the Cornetto Trilogy is, has never seen the other two movies, and assumes this is just a small foreign film about some schoolyard chums getting back together for a night of drinking and self-reflection.****
Recommendations
Blue Jasmine
The World's End
The Way Way Back
My Favorite Five of the Summer
5. Blue Jasmine
4. Monsters University
3. The Heat
2. The Way Way Back
1. The World's End
*I have yet to delve deeply into his films. The only one I own is Midnight in Paris, although I really liked Manhattan and Annie Hall.
**Yes I'm aware that this might be fightin' words with the other member of this blog. I don't care.
***The rough standard I try to maintain on this blog. Please don't go back through the archives to prove me wrong.
****Yes, that totally is what this is. Totally. Mm-hmm.
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