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.