A list of my recently viewed movies

I've been splurging on my movie watching lately, and I don't quite have the time to write up full reviews for all of them. In lieu of that, I'm just going to give some brief thoughts on each.

* * *

Fascination (2004)

A terrible movie. Think something from Hallmark or Lifetime but with more sex. It's got everything you would never want from a film: poor acting, gaudy wardrobe, over-the-top soundtrack and a plot involving the rich and the bored killing, fucking and swimming. Oh, it's also got several counts of incest. Highly recommended in medium-sized groups of drinking friends with senses of humor.

* * *

The Hole (2001)

Here's a little English film starring Thora Birch with--to my ear--an impecible English accent and a pre-Bend It Like Beckham Keira Knightley. It's got a great cast of fine young actors. The Hole shows us what the beautiful upper crust would be like if they were stuck in a locked bomb shelter for eighteen days. The results--as one might expect--are a bit shocking. Told in a fractured viewpoint narrative similar to Rashomon or Hero, the trick with this little number is that the fracturing occurs within a single character. Disturbing and shot with a beautiful decay, here's another film to watch in a drinking group of friends...with the lights off.

* * *

The People Under the Stairs (1991)

A Wes Craven ghetto fairy tale. People... felt like Craven's Big Trouble in Little China but without the magnetic Kurt Russell to keep the dialogue crack-a-lackin'. The plot involves a poor family on the verge of eviction, a haunted house, a crazy in-bred family (with a shotgun replacing a chainsaw) and a pure heroine in need of rescue. People...'s biggest problem remained throughout the film that our hero was untouchable. The viewer never doubts that the young boy will make it out safely, that he'll save the heroine and that the bad guys will get their comeuppance. Perhaps we could blame this blandness on the fairy tales upon which the film was based. Perhaps we could blame the poor dialogue and dull scenery (most of the film takes place behind the walls of a mansion). Whatever it was, the plot dragged, and the film is only worth watching for those interested in modern updates of children's fairy tales.

* * *

Sideways (2004)

Despite an underwhelming trailer, Sideways certainly delivers the laughs and the tears. Much like Alexander Payne's earlier works, the lead character is a sad, boorish man who will not allow himself to happy with his surroundings. On the other hand, pairing Paul Giamatti and Thomas Haden Church together was a masterstroke for the director. The two have great chemistry together as do all of the actors in the film. As dull as a (another) film about a groom and his friend going out before the wedding--as well as a film about wine-tasting and golf--the actors make the dialogue funny and interesting while the film transcends its constituent parts (hence the Oscar nominations). Definitely worth a gander.

* * *

D

Closer (2004)

Director: Mike Nichols
Starring: Natalie Portman, Jude Law, Julia Roberts & Clive Owen

* * *

Everything you've read in the reviews is true. Yes, the film leaves the viewer feeling very detached from these characters despite what the title implies. Yes, what these characters say and do to each other is, at times, terrible and heart-breaking. Yes, some of the performances feel mechanical.

What these reviews generally fail to touch upon, however, is that Clive Owen is an acting god. The film is worth sitting through the somewhat boring and inscrutible scenes between Law and Roberts just to see Owen on the screen again. Going through the film in my head, the only scenes that I can really remember are those with Owen in them. The scene when he discovers that Roberts--his recently married wife--has been cheating on him is amazing. The scene when he finds Portman in the strip club after she's been dumped by Law is amazing. The scene when the two boys finally confront each other is amazing, especially despite one party being totally out-maneuvered by the other party.

The structure of the film is based directly on the play of the same name. There are really only a few scenes, but they each stretch on for ten to fifteen minutes each. This might not have been terrible, but the dialogue also plays to the theatrical (rather than the cinematic) ear. Unfortunately this means that when you get two actors on screen with no on-screen spark with poor line delivery (say, between Roberts and Law), one can almost make out the screeching as the momentum of the film slows to a crawl. Whenever Owen and--to a lesser extent--Portman are on-screen, however, they make long scenes feel short and awkward dialogue sound like warm apple pie.

Closer is without a doubt worth watching, but be sure to buy some popcorn. You'll want to have something to do when you lose interest in what's happening on-screen.

January 29
Beverly Center Cinemas, late afternoon

* * *

D

Shi mian mai fu "House of Flying Daggers" (2004)

Directed by: Yimou Zhang

Starring: Takeshi Kaneshiro, Andy Lau and Ziyi Zhang

Yimou Zhang's follow-up to "Hero" is a tighter and more emotionally satisfying film. The story involves Captain's Jin(Takeshi Kaneshiro) and Leo(Andy Lau) trying to infiltrate and destroy the rebel gang "House of Flying Daggers." To do this Jin is sent undercover. In doing so he falls in love with Mei(Ziyi Zhang), the blind daughter of the Flying Daggers' late leader, whom Jin and Leo had assassinated just before the movie starts. Sounds fairly straight forward doesn't it? Only there are about 4 double crosses, and a boat load of ambiguities. Yimou Zhang seems to revel in his character's morally ambiguous situations.

For instance, the Government that Jin and Leo work for is a corrupt and evil establishment. The text piece at film's beginning tells us so. The Flying Daggers are a group of kung-fu crazies sent on destroying the evil and corrupt government. So, naturally we are wanting to route for Mei and hiss and boo at Jin and Leo. However, they aren't such bad dudes. And when the Flying Daggers are finally introduced we aren't given a real sense of WHY we should route FOR them other than the previously mentioned text introduction. The conflict between the Flying Daggers and the Government is all a big Maguffin.

Takeshi Kaneshiro winds up stealing the movie. Jin is charming like Cary Grant and fierce like Russell Crowe. Ziyi Zhang delivers another complex performance. Her dead eyes(remember she is playing a blind girl) contain more emotion and heart ache than most American actresses can muster in an 'Oscar campaigning sobfest.' Andy Lau's Leo is primed to explode the entire film. Thankfully the Third Act lets him.

We spend most of our time watching Jin and Mei fleeing Government soldiers and fighting in a series of meticulously designed action sequences. And then the twists in the Third Act happen and everything you thought you knew about the movie is stabbed in the face. Yimou Zhang knows what the audience wants and then keeps it from them. The Bastard. At first the film seems to be about a power struggle and how certain players can affect this struggle, but then at about an hour in the focus shifts to Mei, Jin and Leo. The final fight sequence is both a gut buster and a contrived head scratcher.

The final question you'll find yourself asking, possibly aloud, is "What happened to the Flying Daggers and the Government? Who won?" Doesn't matter. Never did.

This movie is gorgeous. The use of color contrast between character's costumes and natural backgrounds is itself a triumph. This is the prettiest movie I've seen all year. It ought to win the Best Cinematography Oscar... But then "City of God" should have as well. And we all know how that went. The choice of camera moves and storytelling is reminiscent of a Sergio Leone western. There is a fight scene in a field of flowers. The Camera is tight on Jin and Mei. They have just defeated a group of 8 soldiers. The battle seems to be won, but as the camera tracks backward the frame opens to reveal a larger group of soldiers. Yimou Zhang does this throughout the film giving it a sense that actions relevant to the story are happen off camera as we speak. In my brain the story is still continuing. What is filmed is only a snippet of a grander tapestry.

Lemony Snicket's a Series of Unfortunate Events

Director: Brad Silberling

Starring: Jim Carrey, Meryl Streep, Billy Connelly, and Jude Law(voice of).

This movie is absolutely gorgeous. Every little detail of Art Design is completely imagined. The Costums, the sets, the Lighting, everything fits together to give this film a very unique and pleasing look. However, the movie itself falls just shy of total success.

The acting is very good. The two oldest Baudelaire children(Emily Browning & Liam Aiken) really carry their scenes and are charming. The twins playing the baby are adorable and cute. Jim Carrey is hilarious. Billy Connelly and Meryl Streep are charming and great as always. However, there was just... something missing. I will have to go back and watch this film again just to catch all the gags the filmmakers threw in there. Like the AFLAC Duck. Yeah, thats right. at one point a very large object is falling. Cut to a white duck swquacking around. the Object falls and the duck flies off. This is very amusing. The voice of the duck is Gilbert Gottfried. No he doesn't say 'AFLAC!" but he quacks.

There are cameos like this all over the place. Count Olaf(Jim Carrey) is an actor. He has a troupe. The Troupe consists of The Bald Man(Luis fucking Guzman), Person of Indeterminate Gender (Craig Ferguson), Woman with White Faces #1-2 (Jennifer Coolidge and Jane Adams) and Hook-Handed Man(Jamie Harris). Several other Christopher Guest company members show up in other funny and assorted scenes. Also Cedric the Entertainer and Dustin Hoffman(!!!!). Yeah, this movie has alot of gags.

It was a fun entertainment. I hope they make more, because the ground work is there... if they could just find that one missing ingredient... hmmm.

-N