MYST POST #5: The Lego Movie

I've realized that my last three reviews have been of indie films. So, I saw it fitting that my last one should end with a huge blockbuster (THE ENEMY!). My expectations were fairly high, merely because the movie was released a few months ago, and I know it got good pretty good reviews, while also destroying the box-office on a somewhat small budget for a blockbuster ($60 million).

The movie is about an average-Joe, named Emmet (Chris Pratt), who discovers that he has fulfilled some prophecy and must save the Lego Universe from being permanently Krazy-Glued by President Business (Will Ferrell). That's the main plot, which while ridiculous, was relatively easy to follow. Alongside, Pratt and Ferrell are like 15 other big Hollywood stars. Some have big parts, but some rather annoyingly say like two lines (collect their check) and then we never hear from them again. These bit roles are mainly famous heroes and superheroes that the Lego brand has the rights to and has released. For example, in the film are familiar names like Superman, Dumbeldore, Gandalf, Abraham Lincoln, Green Lantern, and Batman, who are known as "Master Builders". Of those mentioned, Batman had the biggest part in the movie, voiced by Will Arnett, and I thought supplied the funniest lines in the movie.

The entire movie is very self-aware and doesn't take itself too seriously. The film follows the trend started by Shrek (2001), filled with many pop-culture references that for the most part are right on and don't fall flat. Also, the movie's animation is extremely good. I had to ask my brother if it was stop-motion, because the characters looked so real. The whole universe is made of legos, so if you look closely, even water and fire are made of tiny little pieces put together. This was a nice little detail, and it is another example that shows that they weren't just throwing a kids movie together so they could make some money.

In fact, I think that there were probably many scenes or lines designed for an older audience, that probably flew right over the younger kids' heads. For example, there is a reference to sharks with lasers on their heads (Austin Powers) and at one point a character says, "Come with me if you want to not die," (Terminator). I kind of expected the film to have this tone though, as the animated films that are most successful have this key component. 

Chris Pratt does a great job in this movie as Emmet. Being funny merely through merely voice-acting takes skill. Will Ferrell, who plays the main bad guy I thought was even overshadowed by Pratt excellent voice-acting, and Ferrell I thought did a great job in Megamind, so Pratt really demonstrated some voice-acting potential. 

One thing, I didn't really like about the film was the pacing. Typically with a film like this there is a lot of action, but I was actually overwhelmed by how much there was. I really like movies that are in a different type of universe to start kind of slow so we really get a good glimpse of what this world is like, before jumping into the action. Yet, in this film, there is little exploration of this entirely new world, but after only like five minutes we are thrown into the action and conflict. 

This clip above shows the double-decker couch. This was one of the gags of the film and later it is used again in a scene that was my favorite of the movie. In this other scene now more characters like Batman, chime in, giving numerous reasons why it is such a dumb idea. It almost reminded me of a stand-up bit, deconstructing how dumb it really was, which I thought was something many animated movies don't do. While this movie wasn't short on jokes, usually they tell a joke and then just move on to the next fifteen, yet they take their time on this one, and really make it a funny scene. My favorite line was, "If you're sitting on the bottom, and you're watching TV, are you gonna have to watch through a bunch of dangling legs? Who's gonna want to sit on the bottom?" 

While this was in no way a perfect movie, it was very entertaining. I was laughing throughout the film, and was absolutely at no point bored. What more can you ask for in a movie based on a toy? It is a great movie to watch if you just wanna relax and not have to get to involved or confused, but just have a good time. Overall, I give this a 8/10.

MYST POST #4: The Station Agent

As I was perusing the Netflix Instant Watcher catalog, I came across a familiar face. It was that of Tyrion Lannister, or for people who aren't fans of Game of Thrones, Peter Dinklage. I love his character on the show and admire his immense acting talent, who despite his small stature, seems to always fill the screen with his presence.

This movie is about a dwarf named Fin, played by Dinklage, who after his boss and seemingly only friend dies, he leaves him a small piece of property in New Jersey, with an abandoned train depot building. Before Fin's friend died, the two of them had worked in a train hobby shop. Now, with nothing and no one else, Fin decides to head out to the property and live out the rest of his lonely days, reading about, thinking about, and watching trains.

Naturally, life isn't that simple for Fin, much to his dismay. Just a few hundred feet from Fin's property is a hot dog stand owned by the chatterbox, Joe (Bobby Cannavale), who is just looking for a listener, as he tends to his mostly customer free stand. The third main character is an eccentric artist, Olivia, with Patricia Clarkson perfectly cast in the role. Her connection with Fin, is that twice (in scenes that had me cracking up), she accidentally runs Fin off the road with her car, forcing him to dive into the woods.

This movie is really about loneliness and the different ways people cope with it. All his life, Fin has been teased and ridiculed for something he can't even control, his height. Therefore, he chooses isolation as the best solution, preferring to have the company of none, rather than risk any more emotional hassle. Joe, has few customers and seemingly few friends (perhaps because he talked their heads off), but is good to Fin, accompanying him on his "right of way" walks down old train tracks, or driving Fin, while he films a "train chaser" film. Olivia, without revealing any spoilers, is separated from her husband (played by Mad Men alum John Slattery), and has lost other important people in her life.

This film, directed and written by Tom McCarthy was shot on a shoestring budget, but this definitely didn't detract from the quality and appeal of the film. The aspect that stood out to me the most was the editing. Fin, though the main character, rarely speaks, and when he does, it is often with only one word answers, yet cuts to Fin reveal Dinklage doing a great job acting with his facial expressions. Instead, there are many scenes of Fin just walking. He doesn't know how to drive, so he spends much of his time, walking down roads, or train tracks. We see a lot of long shots of Fin walking alone, which really highlight his solitude.

I thought that that all three actors do a really great job in the film. Dinklage is in almost every scene and doesn't talk much, but still adds a lot of depth to his character. Joe, played by Cannavale, is also a really good character. I had only seen Cannavale before in last year's Blue Jasmine, and he was also really good in that. He seems to really have a hold on the east coast, fast talking, macho guy, but who also has a soft side. Patricia Clarkson as I said before, was perfectly cast. If you need a middle aged, eccentric woman, with a bit of a free spirit, she's the one you cast. Just a side note, there is a young almost unrecognizable Michelle Williams, in this movie, which I wasn't really expecting, but plays a character unlike so many of her more recent roles, which was a nice refresher.



A scene that I really liked, came near the end of the film. Fin who had rejected all of Joe's invites to the local bar, spitefully decides to go by himself, and drink his troubles away. This eventually leads to Fin, standing on his bar stool drunkenly proclaiming, "Here I am! Take a good look!" It was a rather sad scene as all of Fin's frustration with all the gawkers and insults has built up to this point and comes spewing out. To cap it all off, McCarthy goes with a high angle shot, diminishing the character even more, and emphasizing his weak emotional state.

This was an independent film, so like many other indies, it has a rather slow pace, so I don't recommend it to people who prefer a lot of action in films. Most of the conflict in this movie is either internal or implied. This movie actually had more humor than I was expecting. I found myself laughing quite a few times, so though loneliness is a heavy theme, it isn't a complete downer. Overall, I found this movie quite good, and anyone who has a Netflix account should check it out. I give this a 9/10.

Formal Film Study #2: John Huston

I had watched "The Maltese Falcon" (1941) this past summer, as I am a sucker for film-noirs, and was thoroughly impressed with it. I was curious then to see what some of John Huston's other films had to offer. The three films I chose were, "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre" (1948), "The African Queen" (1951), and "The Man Who Would Be King" (1975). To be honest, I picked the three films randomly at first, but I soon realized that the three while each individual in their own way, had overlapping themes and aspects that I found rather interesting.

"The Treasure of the Sierra Madre" (1948) is story set in the 1920's about three men who set out to strike it rich panning for gold in the Sierra Madre Mountains. Starring Humphrey Bogart, and Huston's father, Walter Huston (who won an Oscar for his role), the film depicts mankind's perpetual lust for gold and wealth, with the three men willing to set aside any of their remaining morals in order to get rich. "The African Queen" (1951), set during the start of World War I in the heart of Africa, also stars Humphrey Bogart, and the headstrong Katharine Hepburn, two people who unite together against all odds, to contribute to the war effort in any way they can. Lastly, "The Man Who Would Be King" (1975) stars, Michael Caine and Sean Connery, two ex-British soldiers who set out to find treasure in Kafiristan, but find themselves treated like Gods by the natives who have never seen white men before.

The Treasure of the Sierra Madre

Obviously from the descriptions, these film share a common genre: Adventure. In researching Huston's life, I found that he was quite the adventurer himself. He won numerous amateur boxing titles and was in the Mexican Cavalry. He had a passion for thrills, and this was projected loud and clear in his films. In my opinion, all three films were escapist films in the classical sense. While today, escapist films have become largely about superpowers and explosions, these reminded me of a more rugged, boyhood version of escape, and especially adventure. By boyhood, I mean that they gave the sense of nostalgia and what we thought of as "adventure" when were kids. Becoming a king in a far away land. Going on a journey with a beautiful woman beside us. Or, finding gold and setting off into the sunset living the rest of our days as rich men. 

The African Queen

One thing I was found that was interesting and perhaps explains why the films have such a nostalgic and swashbuckling feel to them, is that they were all based on novels. Who hasn't ever read a book, and then been so lost and immersed in the world that is presented on the page? Then, through Huston's brilliant direction, he is able to transfer this idea of immersion, from the page, to the screen wonderfully. One key element to this fluid transfer is the setting. Few scenes in all three movies were shot on stages or sets, instead, Huston chose to shoot mainly on location for the three films. This adds to the sense that we are actually there and are participating in this adventure with everyone on screen. There is a series of shots in "The Man Who Would Be King" for example, that do a fantastic job of setting the scene, and giving the audience a great sense of what the setting is like. We see Caine and Connery trudging through blizzards, hot sandstorms, or walking on narrow paths, with large canyons hoping to swallow them up if they fall. Or, in "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre" the prickly cacti that surround the three men, serve to foreshadow the stinging attitude the three men will soon have towards each other. 

The Man Who Would Be King

Overall, I thought that the cinematography was very crucial to the three films' success. Many times Huston employed close ups of the actors. This allowed us to feel the sweat pouring the down the actors faces as they melted under the unforgiving African sun (not caring if it made even Hepburn unattractive), or the anxiety, as the trust between the prospectors dwindled quickly. Also, there are many shots that don't feature any of the actors, instead focusing on a crocodile jumping into the river, or the natives in an Indian marketplace. These all serve to reinforce the idea that these are exotic and strange and totally new locales for both the characters in the movie, and us, the audience. 

Ultimately, the films are tales of adventure in the purest sense. The stories presented on screen send us hurdling into unknown regions, with each situation asking forcing us to ask ourselves, "What would I do in the same situation? Would I betray my friends for gold? Would I risk my life to sink a German naval boat with homemade torpedoes? Would I take advantage of naive natives to become their king?" I love movies that make you think during the viewing and then afterwards, your mind is still racing. Huston effortlessly harnesses the idea of exploration and the thrill that comes with it, which makes for an extremely enjoyable experience. Anyone who hasn't seen one of his films, I highly recommend them after watching these three.

MYST POST #3: In a World

There have been plenty of movies about movies. This film, directed, written by, and starring Lake Bell gives an inside look to an often overlooked, but crucial aspect of the movie business: the voice-over industry. The title of the movie plays off those three words we all have heard countless times in movie trailers, with the voice booming, "In a world..."

The movie's main premise is based off those three words. The man who provided the famous phrase passed away, so the idea is that the phrase will be brought back for a movie to honor his legacy, with all the top voice-over actors vying to get the coveted role. As you can tell, this isn't your basic cookie-cutter plot, so I was intrigued to see the indie flick, hoping it would be a refreshment from all the blockbusters and sequels Hollywood spews out.

Lake Bell plays the daughter of a famous voice-over artist, who wants to break into the male dominated industry. You might recognize her from a few comedies released the past couple of years ("No Strings Attached", "What Happens in Vegas") usually playing the best friend of the main actress. However, she is in the spotlight for this film, and she shines bright. She is very funny throughout the film, and doesn't seem to care if she looks stupid on screen if it gets a laugh, which I really admired, in a day and age when image has never been more emphasized. Also, the comedy wasn't one-dimensional like you often see. I was glad that there were no scenes of her tripping and falling in high heels. In other words this isn't a Katherine Heigl movie. Joining her on screen were some familiar comedic faces, like Demetri Martin, Nick Offerman, Rob Corddry, and Ken Marino.

Demetri Martin is one of my favorite comedians and it was a nice surprise to him on the screen, and he was very good in the movie. He was part of a little romance element in the movie, which I wasn't expecting, but was actually pulled off rather well. Also, Corddy plays Bell's brother-in-law in the movie, and is a co-star of Bell on the TV show, "Children's Hospital". He plays against his usual type of a raunchy, scumbag character, doing a great job playing the role straight, rather than for comedic value.

The film as I said before was an independent film with a budget of only $1 million and was filmed in Los Angeles. I was worried that these factors and that many of the actors seemed to agree to be on the movie because of their relationship with Bell, would hurt the movie, fearing it would feel like it was just slapped together. Yet, Bell managed to create a very effective film. There were no crazy crane shots and the lighting seemed to be mostly natural, but this made the story just seem more normal and relatable. The script had me laughing often, but also there were some well-placed dramatic scenes.

One scene I particularly liked came near the end of the film, as we see all the different routines of the voice-actors. The editing works well as in one shot we see Ken Marino doing sit-ups, Bell's dad making odd noises in a sauna to warm up, and then the kicker, Bell in her pajamas just eating cereal. The scene was simple and wasn't yelling in our faces, trying to get us to laugh, but rather very subtle and then very funny.

For those who want action scenes, lots of punchline jokes, or big name actors, this film isn't for you. However, I was quite pleased after watching the movie and the ending was one of those endings that make you feel real good, but not in a cheesy happy ever after way. I also won't be surprised to see Bell appearing in more movies, as this film shows that she has the directing, writing, and acting/comedic chops to become a star. Overall, I give this a 9/10.

MYST #2: Dallas Buyers Club

Going into this movie, I had very high expectations. The movie garnered a lot of buzz and praise during the past few months, so I was expecting to be blown away. Yet, as I should have known, it didn't live up to the lofty standards I had naively set for it. However, that's not to say I didn't like it. I actually thought it was quite good, but I wouldn't put it in the same echelon of other favorites of mine.

The movie based on a true story, spans several years in the mid 1980's to early 1990's, the height of the AIDS epidemic. Set in Texas, we follow blue collar man, Ron Woodroof, played by a magnetic Matthew McConaughey, who after being diagnosed with AIDS takes action to make sure both himself and other AIDS sufferers get the medication they need. Woodroof, initially given 30 days to live by doctors, heads south of the border, and eventually global in order to secure non-FDA approved medication. He then sets up a "club" where members pay a flat monthly fee, and in return get however many drugs they need.

Assisting him in this business venture is another AIDS patient, trans-gender Rayon, played by Jared Leto. They are an unlikely duo as Woodroof is an adamant homophobe, but who later learns to appreciate the help and friendship Rayon selflessly provides. Also, in the film is Jennifer Garner in a supporting role, who plays a sympathetic doctor to the pair, and I thought gave an underrated performance in the film, but was overshadowed by the two male co-stars' work in the film.

The acting in the film was what stood out the most to me, and obviously the quality did not go unnoticed during awards season. McConaughey goes out of his rom-com comfort zone again in choosing this role, and it obviously paid off. Recently he has taken a more dramatic approach to acting and has demonstrated he has the acting chops to handle a heftier role. Indie films like this one and Mud (2012), which both feature southern men are right in his wheelhouse, where he can speak with that long drawl we have all become so accustomed to. However, I would like to see him take on more dramatic roles in the future where he doesn't use a southern accent, but it's unlikely as that seems be a trademark in the same vein as Jimmy Stewart's country boy persona. I know many will also dismiss the acclaim for this film as it was highly publicized that both Leto and McConaughey lost a lot of weight for this film, which many see as a shortcut to cashing in come awards time. Having seen the film though and many of the other contenders for awards this year, in my opinion, I do feel that the praise was merited.

Operating on a very measly budget of $5 million dollars, I read that director Jean-Marc Vallée used only natural light in the film. Therefore, the film looked very real, like a documentary, which added rather than detracted from the film, as it highlighted the bleakness of the diagnosed, burdened with the disease that permeated and affected their every day lives.

The cinematography was also done rather well. One scene I thought was very effective took place in Ron's trailer. Ron, barely functioning after a night of cocaine and booze, watches as his friend and two ladies participate in an act he can longer enjoy (that's as detailed as I'll get), and from Ron's point of view the camera slowly pans from his friend and the females towards a calendar with the 30th day circled. At this moment, Ron basically wakes up to his situation and the gravity of it, deciding not to spend the last month of life he's been given by his doctors, sitting around doing cocaine and getting drunk. I thought that this scene was very subtle, but still important and delivered a strong message to the viewers.

This movie though did have some flaws. I felt that the last third or so of the film was rather jumbled, seeming like the director changed his mind a few times about what kind of movie he wanted it to be. At times it reminded me of the movie Catch Me if You Can (2002) with McConaughey traveling to Japan to get more medication disguised as a pilot, while I wondered how he acquired this outfit, and how he had suddenly turned into a con-man able to get over the border with thousands of pills telling the DEA that it was all his and he wasn't going to distribute them. Also, by the end I thought it tried tackling a theme that had been done countless times in other films that were focused solely on that theme, while this film just kind of threw it in at the end. That theme specifically, was the greediness and corruption of large-scale government sectors like the FDA. I would have liked it if it had just stayed more focused on the characters, instead of also rather ineffectively trying to condemn the FDA.

I think that this is one of those films that I like, but I don't love, but it's hard to say why. There was just something missing, but I'm not sure what. Perhaps I'm just too picky. I do think that this movie shows a big transition for McConaughey's acting career and a large departure from his past rom-coms like How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (2003), which may disappoint many of his female fans, but for me, I'm excited and looking forward to see what he'll do next.

Overall I give this an 8/10.

Formal Film Study: Billy Wilder

I had never seen a Billy Wilder film before this. I guess the reason why I picked him at first was because The Apartment was one of the top 250 films on IMDb I hadn't seen yet. So, getting past my lame reason for choosing him, I chose to watch The Apartment (1960), Sunset Boulevard (1950), and Some Like It Hot (1959). I decided on these three films because I felt that they were his most well-known and would have the best demonstration of his unique style.

I watched The Apartment first because that was the film I was most familiar with. This film depicts Jack Lemmon doing his trademark average Joe character who can't say no to letting his bosses use his apartment to have affairs in, while they promise future success for his loyalty. Sunset Boulevard I felt was the densest of the three as it is a realistic and rather sharp look at a B-movie screenwriter who gets taken in by an aging and mostly forgotten silent film star, while exposing the often overlooked darker side of Hollywood. Some Like It Hot also features Jack Lemmon, and Marilyn Monroe, who gives a very good performance, and is about two men who go on the run disguised as women in an all-female band after witnessing the St. Valentines Day Massacre.

The Apartment

The writing of the three films was what stood out to me the most. Besides being director, Wilder co-wrote all three films. He won Oscars for writing for Sunset and The Apartment, and was nominated for Some Like It Hot. All three films are heavy on dialogue and each have many memorable lines. My favorite from the three was, "I am big. It's the pictures that got small" (Sunset Boulevard) spoken by Gloria Swanson. There is also quite a bit of humor injected into all three, specifically Some Like It Hot since it is a straightforward comedy, but the humor isn't simple. I felt stupid a few times for laughing a few seconds later than I should I have because it took me some time to get a joke. For example, Lemmon is talking to his boss who says, "Ya know, you see a girl a couple of times a week, just for laughs, and right away they think you're gonna divorce your wife. Now I ask you, is that fair?" while Lemmon then responds, "No, sir, it's very unfair... Especially to your wife." Besides humor, the dialogue lacked any of the typical campiness many of the films of the same time were plagued with. The words, along with the performances, at times seemed frighteningly real. 

Sunset Boulevard

Another thing I thought seemed consistent throughout Wilder's films was the cinematography. The medium shot was heavily employed in all three films, as Wilder seemed to prefer to keep the audience from getting too close to the characters. Rarely were there close ups in any of the films. A scene that was both funny and well shot was when Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis in Some Like It Hot are arriving at a train station and are wearing high heels for the first time. Wilder films them walking from the waist down, giving us a good luck at their rather manly legs struggling to stay balanced in their new shoes. Also, Wilder often kept the camera steady. Only slightly panning at times, like when Lemmon goes to answer his phone in his apartment in the middle of the night as an executive calls to make a late booking. The often stagnant camera I thought was done because it allows the audience to really focus on the characters and highlights dialogue, rather than action.

Some Like it Hot

I found myself at times in awe of what Wilder was able to get away with in terms of content in his films, but immensely satisfied, that he pushed the boundaries at the time, as it gave the films great depth and added to the quality. I was glad that Sunset Boulevard didn't try and sugarcoat anything, as a main point of the film was that it was showing Hollywood without all the glamour. A scene I think shows a good example of this is when Gloria Swanson's character attempts suicide by slitting her wrists. The movie doesn't show the act, but shows the aftermath and how distraught she is, adding to the character's complexity. I think that scenes like this, the entire premise of The Apartment, and the many references to sexuality and sex in general in Some Like it Hot, demonstrate how Wilder didn't care if his movies pushed the limit for what was allowed, instead letting the magnificence of his films not be detracted by censorship. 

Yet, at the core of these films, I found something rather interesting. I noticed that all three films were about people pretending to be something different than who they really were. Some Like it Hot is the most obvious example of this, with the men pretending to be women. Sunset Boulevard is tells the sad story of a woman who believes she is an "ageless star", when in reality she has all but faded into the universe. While, in The Apartment Lemmon's character, Baxter, lets his neighbors and almost everyone else he meets think that he is a womanizer, and the trysts happening almost nightly in his apartment are of his doing. While researching Wilder's life, I discovered that he was a first just a writer, but then became a director too, because he felt directors were misinterpreting his work. This shows how since he at one point felt that he was being portrayed as something else (through his writing), he felt that this feeling of misrepresentation was a great source for new material in his later films. 

I think Wilder does a great job of balancing reality with fantasy. His films seem to be right on the edge of believable and fake. Originality is essential in his films. The stories seem so familiar, but still so fresh. His films don't seem dated at all, even though they are all 50+ years old, and I think a major factor they stand up to the test of time is because of the originality of the films. Perhaps Wilder is trying to say that our lives aren't so boring after all, and there is something exciting if we take a second glance. 

1935 Film Project: "The Golddigger"

1. This movie is about a struggling and broke actress played by Jean Harlow, who has to go to the bank to solve her financial problems. There she comes up with a solution, however it isn't very moral. She overhears three brothers played by the Marx Brothers discussing a large fortune they have just inherited. She then hatches a scheme with her boyfriend played by William Powell, to seduce one of the brothers so that she can marry one of them and get their money. She then proceeds to go on many dates with the brothers, with each occasion containing numerous comical and ridiculous situations that the Marx brothers are known for. The brothers are somewhat naive though, and end up losing all their money. Yet, the movie shows how even though they aren't rich anymore, they are still happy.
2. This will be a screwball comedy. It will be similar to the academy award winner, "It happened one night". The Marx brothers fit perfectly in this genre because screwball comedies have a lot of slapstick comedy, which is one of their fortes.
3. MGM is our studio because they had the Marx brothers contract and have a large budget if needed for certain comedic scenes, but probably won't need a huge budget since it is just a comedy.
4. We chose Jean Harlow as the lead because she is someone who can add sex appeal, but also has a sinister side to her. William Powell is supporting because he also has a face that you just can't trust. For director, we chose Leo McCarey because he directed "Duck Soup" so he has a good feel for the Marx Brothers' comedy. Our cinematographer is Gregg Toland. He is very good at utilizing different angles and manipulating deep space composition. This is our focus because there will be many opportunities to have a comical situation going on in the background, while something plot wise happens in the foreground.
5. Our movie won't really be affected too much by the Hays Code. While the Marx Brothers sometimes like to use suggestive or double entendre language, they are more than capable of adapting their comedy style to be more family friendly.
6. There weren't any things that I disagreed with in my group.I just wish I had come up with a better title, because I think I could thought of something more clever.