Happy-Go-Lucky

It is true that we create our own destiny, or at least, the emotions that accompany it. If you have a bright outlook on life, no matter what it throws your way, you'll look at its good side. Take Polly, lose a bike, take up cars... or boats. This is a beautiful simple story about a character and its relations with others, a very happy character indeed. Refreshing and non-formulaic, Sally Hawkins' role is remarkable and well worth noting, as her happiness is contagious. Is this the Holly-Golightly of the 21st century?

This is what I could consider a light-hearted comedy that doesn't resort to silliness and breaks a bit of the structure of your typical three-act, as not much really happens and it is more about character development. This comedy is on par with good dramas, it is cinema evolving at its best, for an on-going good time... Buy it! En-Ra-Ha!

The Foot Fist Way / Finishing the Game

These are two different movies... Why do I review them together? For one thing, I don't think I have enough time on my hands today to do a couple of different reviews... on the other side, this whole review might turn out to be too long and then I'll have to break it down in two... (or three perhaps).

Steven Segal, Jean-Claude Van Damme... scoot over, these are the new standards in martial arts films... I had rarely (if ever) seen martial arts films that were cunning and funny, and yet approaching from such different angles. Maybe Jackie Chan has a great personality but his movies are still your traditional "fight-warrior" style with a little bit of slapstick.

The Foot Fist Way can be reached through different formulas:

George Constanza goes Steven Segal

Napoleon Dinamyte (Rent it, watch it, rate it and keep it) turned Bruce Lee...

Tae-Kwon-Do Fatboy, Tae-Kwon-Do. As in Run Fatboy Run (buy it)

Kung-Fu Panda (rent it) Un-Animated

The Karate Kid 20 years later... a documentary of sorts.

The Foot Fist Way uses an old formula, put together in the tackiest form, therefore, making it work in a really funny way. You've got your common character (ferrari-driving non-the-less), striving to save his love life. You've got the big, larger-than-life figure that may come into play in an ordinary "The Wrestler" kind of way, you've got the pupil, the new love interest, and most of all... the discipline that holds the art together, which will guide you through the story... For a quick laugh, try The Foot Fist Way, I rate this one a Rent it.

Finishing the Game, as I've mentioned before, is a completely different approach to Martial Arts. It's a Mockumentary about trying to finish Bruce Lee's last movie, called, if I'm not mistaken, The Game of Death, which he was filming when he died in 1973; therefore, having its good dose of insight into the seventies film culture which include the Jewish Producer and Ron Jeremy.

This movie is in the style of This is Spinal Tap (buy it) and Borat (buy it). For a light-hearted movie night that will give Chuck Norris a run for his money.... Rent both of these movies and watch them back to back; martial-arts have reached a completely new level!

He Was a Quiet Man

And very nerdy too. Do not be fooled by the critic that compared this to Amelie (Steal it), The Fight Club (Buy it) and Brazil (Buy it). If this is like the child of these three others, it certainly feels like the unwanted vicious child. He Was a Quiet Man is stranger than Stranger Than Fiction (Rent it) and somewhat more twisted than Crash (The 1990's movie about prosthetic limbs fetish - Avoid it) (Not to be confused with 2005 Crash - Buy it or Steal it).

Christian Slater comes out of has-been hell in an unredeeming manner, just to barely show his face and most probably go back in. Convincingly nerdish and quiet, he reminds us perhaps of why we haven't heard from him in so long. Elisha Cutberth is under-used as her hotness doesn't go exploited (at least that could have worked) and William H. Macy is on this unending cycle of irrelevant roles after being brilliant in Fargo (Rent it).

I've got to draw the line here, the point of this blog is that I watch many movies so you don't have to, so unless you're watching over 150 movies a year, i think you'll find better things to do for 2 hours than watching this movie. It is not totally despisable, and in the end it does have an interesting twist, so avoid it, but NOT at all cost.

Sleuth

Sleuth is a very theatrical play. For someone who likes movies, (action, not words), this is too much of a play. But of course, why would I expect something too different from Kenneth Branagh. It does bring out a wide range of actors in Jude Law, but nothing too convincing. After watching this, I have a beef with blockbuster for having packed a theater play in a little DVD box. 

OK, my anger apart, the premise is a little interesting and more than Sleuth, I would call it Match, or Duel. Two characters go at each other over the "love" of the same woman, upstaging each other until an unexpected end unfolds. As for the rest of it, there's not much to say, as it is too dialoguey and tries to be somewhat introspective. It sort of reminded me of Frost/ Nixon (Buy it) in that format, but didn't quite achieve its cinematic prowess. 

Sleuth might keep you awake, provided that you don't put it on after 9 PM. Don't buy it, don't rent it (not even off the 99 cent rack), Do Watch it, but that's just if you like the theater A LOT.

After the Wedding

I've lately found a better alternative in foreign movies, or maybe it's just that Australia disappointed me so as to question my loyalty for Hollywood. (Well, if we can call that Hollywood at least). I bet there's a lot of awful foreign films and a lot of slow, low budget stuff that'll put you to sleep, I've sure seen some myself.

As far as European films go, I think they deal with time different than Hollywood does, and in that sense, Hollywood beats them to the punch line, literally. That said, what I mean is, I DON'T HAVE 50 years to watch the Godfather, I'll settle for 3 hours (or 7 if I watch both back to back). So, why try to have lots of scenes in real time? where nothing happens? or at least nothing conducive to the overall premise? That can usually bring me to a yawn in many european films.

So considering After the Wedding is Danish and, of course, it involves a wedding, which directors sometimes treat like it's a wedding video and want to capture a lot of what's happening, this movie is a little slow in this sense, and if only it were 20 - 30 minutes shorter I bet it could have been submitted for best foreign language film on behalf of all its Scandinavian producers.

The premise seems original enough, the characters are well developed with purpose and motivation for their actions, there's no hay filling up the space (again, it's slow, but there's no unnecessary fillers which is good). It touches sensitive issues dealing with family, adoption, etc.

All in all, I do recommend this movie. Rent it. (Remember, that's like 3 out of 5 stars). As far as wedding movies you're better off with this one than with Rachel Getting Married (AKA Bobby Getting Bored) (Watch it), but you'll probably be more entertained by some of its Chinese counterparts. (You figure that one out, I forgot the name... The Wedding Banquet, was it??), as for Danish movies, this one is up there with The Inheritance... slow but good.

Australia

Fans of Moulin Rouge (buy it) Beware! If you thought romantic involvement with Kid Rock was Nicole Kidman's low point, look further down... While watching Australia I felt like I got a two-for-one deal, paid for one movie, got to watch two. I'm the first one to love long movies (Benjamin Button is one of my recent favorites), because when something's good, you want more of it, but when something's bad, more of it just makes you nauseaous.

Australia, to begin with, has a very ambiguous title, it can lure you in out of plain interest or curiosity as to what happens there, you guess there might be a good story lying behind it, and then you figure it can have so many things revolving around it, instead of a story it turns out to be a mixture of stories... as it is ambiguous, it is ambitious.

Australia= Rabbit Proof Fence (Buy it) + City Slickers (Rent it) - the actually funny Academy Awards Show Presenter (Crystal vs. Jackman) + Pearl Harbor (Avoid it) - Alfred Hitchcock's wisdom on how the length of a movie should be less than your bladder can hold. 

So while the first part is a somewhat bearable coming of age comedy, with a musical touch and a teaspoon of romance (and this is the good part), the second part completely takes over another theme of the movie that's not part of the original "cattle drive".  If you want some insight into the Australian policies that took away half-castes from their families, do yourself a favor and watch the aforementioned Rabbit Proof Fence... if you're curious to watch how Nicole Kidman is directed by Baz Luhrman again, watch Moulin Rouge again,(this way you'll also avoid the painful sight of damaging botox, silicone, etc.),  if you want to see Hugh Jackman sans shirt, save yourself three hours and surf the net... if you want to see Australia, a 27 hour flight in coach should be less painful.  Needless to say, I rate this movie with an Avoid it!

Gran Torino

A Hmong among hmongs is just another hmong... It is sad to see that in a still racist America, stereotypes, unfortunately are not fortuitous. So while it's safe to say that many Asian girls will go to college and many African-American boys will end up in gangs, it's hard to single out the top of the crop, from the bottom of the barrel. So why is this relevant? Maybe it's not, but the point is that the White Man, can make a difference, but often chooses not to do so.

As a byproduct of all our xenophobia, America has chosen to forget that our neighbors are our friends, not our foes, and that the cultural diversity that enrichens it, is the very nature of its essence, a country made by immigrants, for immigrants. So while one community or another becomes victim of the violence itself begets, for the rest of us it's easier to turn our blind eye...

Not anymore, Dirty Harry is here to stop you, and will go to the full extent of his abilities to do it, so you better not mess around, because, while it's safe to say that some places in America are no longer safe from gang-related violence, NO Place in America is safe from the retaliation coming to you if you try to "stick it to the man". 

So embrace our diversity and learn from the strength that cultural differences can bring us, and if you need an example don't forget to watch Clint Eastwood at it, breaking down old barriers of ethnical intolerance in an age defying attitude that might bring you an 80's Déja Vu. Although he brings his usual stiff performance along, the movie is well balanced with the fresh unassuming performances of all his supporting actors, whom, might as well live in the very places this film was shot.

Gran Torino... The Movie, Rent it.... The Car, might be worth a spin too. 

BOBBY'S OSCAR BALLOT / Screenplay and Picture

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: Although Slumdog Millionaire is a clear-cut favorite, I think the story was too "Deus ex Machina" for my taste. I think there is a very easy link from the "Millionaire" questions to the story the Jamal is living through back flashes. Overall, it's too much of an easy happy ending for me. Now don't get me wrong, the previous years I was rooting for Juno and Little Miss Sunshine.  The story's were good, but seemingly not good enough for them to become best movie, and they were both very happy ending oriented.

Frost/ Nixon is a masterful adaptation from stage to screen, but still, you can sense it was written for the stage, but no wonder this is one of the best rated movies by critics.

As for Doubt and The Reader, I think both are very good stories, but perhaps Doubt kept too much as a play (unlike Frost/Nixon which is definitely more cinematic), and Reader dwelled on a little long, more like the nove. 

My favorite here is Benjamin Button, I could see a lot of similarities with Forrest Gump though, before knowing it was the same writer, maybe this will hurt it as not showing a really innovative view of things, but both Gump and Button are simply brilliant from my point of view. Also Button runs a little long, which makes me wonder how the writer was able to take so much from what originally was not a novel, but a short story, well, well, we'll see tonight.

Honorable Mention: Frost/Nixon

Bobby's Money : THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON      Eric Roth

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: The only one of the nominated movies in this category that I didn't get to see, was one for which I'm expecting a lot, since I've read good reviews on it and it actually won the Golden Globe:  Happy-Go-Lucky.

Frozen River has that linear structure in a story that lately seems to have gone out of fashion but is very straight-forward and non complicated. Regular drama, not to tragic, just a good dose of harsh reality. I give this a lot of points.

Wall-E has a nice message to it, and it's clearly more like the kids version of An Inconvenient Truth, for this, I applaud it and I'm voting for it as Best Animated Feature.

In Bruges, oh, well, it is a different comedy from your usual fare, but gets too complicated into the issue of right and wrong, and the morality of it, I would put this screenplay next to The Dark Knight, but overall not in this category.

Milk, of course, as I mentioned in my review, is a no-brainer for me, this should easily win this category for its cinematic quality, for its relevance, for its timing (both on and off the screen). And, although this gets into the tragic side of drama, knowing the protagonist's fate from the beginning, it has that American Beauty (steal it) quality to it, that keeps you wanting to see the development of the story regardless of its ending.

Bobby's Money: MILK     Dustin Lance Black

BEST PICTURE.

Slumdog Millionaire is a beautiful film and clearly the favorite. I have to give this one extra credit for its grand settings and the fact that it takes us through a visual bonanza of color and movement, I guess, perfectly defining Motion Pictures... Frost/ Nixon and Milk are clearly relevant to actual events in human rights, war, abuse of power.... The Reader is a wonderful love story which also addresses ignorance, (strong message), and has the Weinsteins' muscle behind it. Benjamin Button is a Dark Horse here, but I think bringing David Fincher (director: Seven, Fight Club) and Eric Roth (writer: Forrest Gump), is such a good formula that puts attention to a lot of detail and brings forth a story that actually was very compelling. Although this is handicapped a little for the fact of being a big production, I think Slumdog's recent buzz came a little after voting was closed, mmh. 

Again, take into account that I lost both of the previous years nominations (Juno and Little Miss Sunshine), and actually got it right with the underdog in 2005's Crash (Buy it).

Honorable Mention: Frost/ Nixon

Bobby's Money: THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON

BOBBY'S OSCAR BALLOT

BEST ACTOR: This race is clearly between 3 of the 5 actors. As I mentioned on my Benjamin Button review, I don't think Brad Pitt is astounding, although he's one of the favorites. From the other ones I reviewed, Langella, Rourke and Penn are the relevant contenders. Richard Jenkins is also very good in The Visitor (Rent it), but I don't think his movie is relevant enough.

So speaking about relevance: Langella's role is very relevant, considering the actual times of political turmoil and wrong-doings, and he really had me thinking for a moment there, that I was watching Nixon himself. He has also won a Tony for this same role in Broadway, so he has that going for him.

Sean Penn's Harvey Milk is very relevant today as we've come off a successful proposition 8, taking away rights from Gays and Lesbians. This is supposed to be a country of vanguard thinking and tolerance. This gives a lot of relevance to Penn's role, and he has always been both, an Academy favorite and an audience favorite.

Mickey Rourke is very powerful and real in The Wrestler, but I somehow get the feeling that he's playing himself. Although he beat the other two on this nomination, getting the Golden Globe, (Maybe he was aiming for the Golden Glove, considering his boxing background).

Honorable Mention: Frank Langella
Bobby's Money: SEAN PENN

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: This one is a quite tight race. Taraji Henson, I think is one of the favorites, considering, as Brad Pitt, she's in one of the favorite movies. Amy Adams and Viola Davis help carry Doubt to a higher level, and being structured as sort of a play, I think acting is very strong in this movie overall. Penelope Cruz acts like crazy and has won the Golden Globe, and Marisa Tomei is simply delightful to watch. mmmh, I'm very confused on where to vote here, the only one I would outright discard would be Amy Adams, as for Penelope Cruz, I think one award is enough, Marisa Tomei has already won an Oscar, so she's clearly one of the favorites. Viola Davis, is perhaps my favorite one, although her role is very short.

Honorable Mention: Viola Davis
Bobby's Money: MARISA TOMEI

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: I think this one is pretty much nailed down, there's been so much hype about Heath Ledger's death and his subsequent Oscar Nomination, that I think for sentimental reasons he will be given the recognition. I think it is also a recognition past due to his also daring role in Brokeback Mountain. Notable mentions here for Michael Shannon in Revolutionary Road and Philip Seymour Hoffman in Doubt.

Honorable Mention: Philip S Hoffman
Bobby's Money: HEATH LEDGER

BEST ACTRESS: Meryl Streep is always good and always one of the favorites, don't discard her. Angelina Jolie has some recognition coming to her, Changeling is a powerful movie and it is also part of recognizing her career as a versatile actress, playing both action heroes, and torn mothers with missing children (A Mighty Heart, rent it). Anne Hathaway is sooo good in her role, the only thing I don't think she's got going for her is that Rachel Getting Married is not really a very relevant movie, Melissa Leo, a good role as a mother in distress and Kate Winslet, an Academy Favorite with some credit pending.

Honorable Mention: Anne Hathaway
Bobby's Money: KATE WINSLET

Last year, it was the year of the foreign thespian. (Day-Lewis, Bardem, Cotillard, Swinton)
A few years back it was the year of the African-American (Washington, Berry)
This year, I see a common thread with Sexuality: Sean Penn - gay rights, Ledger- past due recognition for Brokeback mountain, Marisa Tomei - The Stripper, Kate Winslet - Older woman vs. young boy.

The Wrestler

This one is tough to watch. It is appealing that The Wrestler could be non other than your common guy going through a mid-life crisis. His lifestyle is self destructing but also shows a sense of grandeur. This is definitely a guy who's not afraid to grab the spotlight but it is during the rest of the time, the time when he's not in the spotlight that crisis hits. 

Mickey Rourke's role is somewhat semi autobiographical. An eighties star is down, but not out, if he gets to pull a comeback that will land him the big spotlight again and give his life a sense of purpose... but at what cost? His performance has already been praised by the Hollywood Foreign Press with a Golden Globe. Whereas he'll be able to snatch the coveted statuette, who knows, we'll see next week.

There's no shame in sticking to what we're good at, but this keeps us from experiencing the rest of what's out there, and sometimes even keeps us from building meaningful connections with the ones that are nearest to us. This wrestler is somehow self-indulged and a little high maintenance, but that, I guess, is an intrinsic characteristic of an attention craving creature.

A very linear drama, which I like because it doesn't bring unnecessary complications to the plot. The Wrestler is so crude at some points that it might cause disgust. If you like Fear Factor (TV), you might enjoy some of the graphic display on this movie. Such graphical content, although hard to watch and enjoy, does bring much reality to the screen.

Marisa Tomei is a proven actress that although her role as a stripper could have backfired, I think to let herself be guided by Darren Aronofsky was a wise choice, comparable to that of Jennifer Connelly in Requiem for a Dream (Buy it).  

A minute late, a dollar short, a Sopranoesque ending... don't wait to long to watch this one. I'm wrestling with myself on how to rate this one, I think I'll give it a Rent it.

Revolutionary Road

(If you're reading this on facebook, you might find it easier to read at www.rentalmovieweek.blogspot.com)

Ohh, what an excruciating drama. Lately I've come to wonder wether women were truly unhappy in their housewives roles before the women's liberation of the latter half of the 20th century. I guess it makes sense to not be content if you have to play a role you didn't choose, but was socially assigned to you. I can see at least one of my grandmothers (if not both) falling into a place of mere satisfaction about their roles as mothers and wives, and I ask the same question as Mad Men (TV), What do women want?

Are us men so clueless as to not know what women want? have we made any progress in these last 50 years? Is women's liberation truly the answer???

This domestic drama is thoughtfully played out by its characters. Both Winslet and DiCaprio give gut wrenching performances that even made me squirm. And Michael Shannon (nominee for best supporting actor)is also outstanding. Amongst current films that will contend for some award, I would mostly compare this one with, The Reader for one, basically because of Kate Winslet's disparaged character; Doubt on another hand because both movies more resemble a play to me, they're very theatrical,  performances are powerful and dramatic, a lot revolves around the dialogue.

The settings and the art direction on this one are also worth watching, taking us back to this glamourous fifties of art deco and martini lunches. 

Overall, Revolutionary Road is too theatrical for my taste, if you're into theater and drama this could be right up your alley, and there's certain points that make it worth your while, but beware, it could be a little slow... In the end, will Sam Mendes recur to the old Hollywood formula that mandates "Kill DiCaprio" ? we'll see. I'm rating this one with a Rent it.

Milk

Harvey Milk was a cornerstone in the movement for Gay Rights. As the first openly gay politician in the history of the U.S. his story, is of full relevance in our current time. With everything going on right now about the revocation of gay's rights to marriage (why should they be happier than the rest of us anyways), I think it is a very good timing for this movie to come out right now (did this movie come out?? or just its characters?).

Sean Penn does an extraordinary performance, just like Langella made us think he was Nixon (whom he's not)  in Frost / Nixon (buy it), and Rourke made us believe he fights in a ring for a living (which he's actually done) in The Wrestler (rent it), Penn makes us think he's Harvey Milk (whom he clearly is not) and definitely portrays a gay man (whom he... I don't know, he seems not to be, but I have no proof to testify either way), in a very convincing manner.

This story is very cinematic, it does move back and forth with full intrigue and takes us visually throughout the different stages of Milks political career.  I also think it is, as I mentioned above, very relevant and it should be promoted just for the educational value of it. After this movie I somehow envisioned Harvey Milk as the MLK of homosexuality. 

The rest of the cast is hard to single out, though Josh Brolin is the only one nominated, the gay roles, in their own styles, of James Franco, Diego Luna and Emil Hirsch are notable. Wether Josh Brolin's character is straight or there's latent homosexuality is for the audience to decide.

The Plot in a sense reminded me of American Beauty in that you know first-hand that the protagonist will die at the end, but you want in for the experience of what will happen in between now and the moment when death actually strikes. 

Hollywood, is a little behind ( a little behind? ) the european film industry in addressing the gay issue. In the not too distant past I can remember two good movies that address such issue, Brokeback Mountain (quite suggestive title) (Rent it), and a slight touching (touching??) of the theme in Far From Heaven (Buy it).  I could rate Milk a Steal it, but if you did and went to jail for it, I'm afraid of the dire consequences it could have upon you if word got out on why you were there . (Let's say I don't want you to become anyone's mistress against your will). So I will rate Milk with a Buy it.

Regardless of wether you like gay people or not, you have to come to terms with the fact that homophobia is the racism of our generation and if we've come a long way to learn to accept our differences amongst races, cultures, religions (Religious tolerance hasn't happened but it will be our next challenge for later this century), we need to accept and embrace differences in sexual orientation (after all, as Woody Allen said, being bisexual automatically doubles your chances of getting a date for Saturday night). And if you do say you like gay people, don't be hypocritical and let them have the same rights as the rest of us do, which is to choose their own partner for marriage and set up their own family because remember a family is not about sex, it's about love.

The Reader

This is a beautiful love story about a law student that finds his ex-lover as she faces a war-crimes trial. It could be also one of those stories of love unfulfilled, as both characters struggle not with their past, but more so with their present. 

It can be heart-breaking at times, as the innate differences between these lovers brings them both together and apart. The age difference is perfectly understandable and plays an important role as both characters mature and come to terms with the situation at hand with different approaches. Kate Winslet's role is touching (literally), as she chooses not to face humiliation - in any situation, her character is that of a very strong woman in her convictions and it shows an unrepentant sense of pride.

Though the story is beautiful (as I said before, we're all suckers for a good love story), I don't see much sense on the skipping back and forth through the timeline. I think this could be one of those stories that just moves forward from the early beginning. I don't know, I just feel this resource is sometimes overused without much relevance, i.e., whatever is happening at one end of the story line, isn't really too relevant to the overall conduction of the plot.

This movie made me reflect on how sometimes ignorance can play a defining role in most crises and wars, sometimes yielding intolerance, and sometimes, even worse, not even causing intolerance but mere indifference.  

I definitely recommend this movie, it is insightful and shows a very different angle to the worn out view of  a delicate theme such as the holocaust, and besides, this one just looks at the holocaust in mere retrospective. Remember evil has different levels, evil a la Madoff -wrongdoing with full knowledge of cause and effect-, and evil a la American History X (buy it) -wrongdoing out of mere ignorance and intolerance-. On which of these extremes does Hitler fall, and on which one does the common Nazi do?

This is a love story that has us rooting for the characters to fulfill their love despite their slight differences. (does age matter much?). The Reader gets a Buy it on my ratings.

Doubt

You will, for sure, doubt, but as some saying goes if it looks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it might just be a duck. So my point being, this movie is about a priest that's being accused of molesting a black kid in a catholic school, could that have happened? maybe looking back at the setting of this play (it is more of a play than a movie), people might have doubted, but now a days, with some evidence showing that could have been a common happening, I wouldn't think there'd be much doubt at all, which makes another interesting point, are we predisposed to judge people based on stereotypes? Couldn't that be labeled as intolerance or bigotry?

The story is well put together, the acting is superb, and you get to kind of root for the priest, which in the end leaves you with doubt as to what might have happened or even more so, why it could have happened, sort of trying to "legitimize" whatever went on. This we should attribute to Philip-Seymour Hoffman's excellent interpretation. 

Another excellent job, one I particularly liked was Viola Davis's role as the allegedly molested kid, it really goes to show the struggle between wanting the child's well being but trying not to single him out in a setting that clearly alienates him.

There are some really crude movies about this theme, like Sleepers (watch it), this one is not quite in the same category as it views events from a non-judgmental point of view, perhaps out of approaching such delicate matters from the real standpoint where there is not full disclosure of what's really going on. In this sense it is a really refreshing view that not necessarily puts full blame on the priest, or on the catholic school's system (No children's behind left)... Doubt we shall because in the end, who is the sinner... aren't we all? 

I rate Doubt with a Rent it... maybe.

Frost / Nixon

This is an unmatched match. Protagonist and antagonist come into a straining psychological battle to grab the spotlight and come out on top.  Now I understand why sport events are so highly paid. In a battle of cunning wit and power, Frost and Nixon try to pick themselves up from the boxing ring's canvas, Who will prevail?

This movie is one true masterpiece in its genre. It's historical, it's very relevant, it resembles a bit of a documentary, giving it a credible status. But beyond that, it's a deconstruction of the characters' personalities, that shows how power can corrupt us to the betrayal of our basic need of connection to others and also how ego can make us fly high beyond our reach and make us strive for grandeur.

As both Frost and Nixon struggle with their own demons, they both have good counter-balancing acts that help them stay together and focused on their ultimate goal.  I envisioned this movie as being structured as a boxing match, and noticing how sometimes, somebody has the upper hand before coming into the round, and how that can eventually translate into an advantage. 

Frank Langella's portrayal of Nixon is, as far as I'm concerned, very accurate. Up front I was a bit skeptical as to how his interpretation would fare against Anthony Hopkin's in Oliver Stone's Nixon (Buy it). In the end I felt like I was watching Nixon himself, but even more so, it was a portrayal that brought a multidimensional character to life showing even the slightest hints of emotional conflict, pride or just sheer manipulation. 

You might particularly like this movie if you were in the Vietnam War, if you're a Democrat, if you feel like you're down but not out, even perhaps if you'd still like some insight into seemingly absurd things as the war in Iraq, and so on, and so on. I am not saying though, that this is a liberal vision of things (though I guess it could be) but I feel it is a fair picture of the way things actually went down, and in a sense, it can even bring you to empathizing with Nixon.

As far as the Oscar race is going, this one ranks amongst the top. As Oscar worthy Langella's interpretation pulls the weight of the movie, I have to give it a very fair chance. I will go all out on this one and definitely rate it a buy it, maybe even steal it... though you know better than to expect too much from a movie, particularly one in such somber tone about trying to extricate someone's secret from deep within its confines. It might be that I was pleasantly surprised as I did not expect this film to be quite so introspective and revealing.

In short, don't miss this one, I think it is one of the best possible ways to spend two hours.

Slumdog Millionaire

So Who Wants to be a Millionaire?? Certainly everyone but a Billionaire. But maybe more so if you're a kid from the slums that grew up having to scrape for food and the meeting of your most basic needs... or not. When you're young and pursue love, you figure, as some do, that it is more important to find your better half than to strike riches..., or is it? considering a very impoverished background? well if it doesn't create a conflict, but, au contraire, it creates a solution for both your interests, so much the better. 

This story takes us through places around India that make us realize how impoverished millions of children are (and perhaps even a billion or so).  It is a good eye opener to the conditions outside our western capsule, and it shows how harsh our world is, but without the loss of hope and optimism... in such sense I'd say it strikes a good balance. This movie is beautiful to watch as it has stunning photography that takes us into exotic places, full of color and movement and chaos and music. The music itself which I always consider plays an important role in keeping the overall rhythm of the story line, keeps you at an upbeat and always on the edge of your seat.

On the dramatic sense, as the main character has to overcome obstacle over obstacle to achieve his goal, it seems to me that after having gone through much tougher hurdles, it reaches a point where things seem to be solved "Deus ex machina" in a very optimistic and happy tone. Although this will be popular with the crowds, I think it could cost it an Oscar. 

This movie is a little more mainstream than some previous Danny Bollywood's, excuse me, Danny Boyle's  work, I certainly recommend you watch Trainspotting (buy it*) if you haven't done so already; and if you come to like Slumdog, (which I command you to do),  I also recommend Millions (rent it)... = Danny Boyle + Kids + Millions.

In the end, I think it's a shame that Boyle had to become more formulaic and mainstream in order for the academy to notice him. Though some of his movies seem kind of somber or exotic, this one seems to have all those elements but at the same time upbeat and dynamic. 

I think Slumdog should be a strong contender in some Academy Awards like Cinematography, Music Score, Song, Editing... As for Best Picture... I don't know, It has a strong contender in Benjamin Button.

So, while I'm into formulas here are some recipes through which you might concoct this dynamic festival of sound and color (which makes it very good, because, remember, movies are "Show don't Tell").

Slumdog Millionaire = Born into Brothels (buy it) + It Could Happen to You (rent it) - Rosie Perez

 

or

Slumdog Millionaire = City of God (steal it) + A Passage to India (buy it) + Alejandro Camacho**

By pure mathematical combination of these formulas, (Average of 1 steal it, 2 buy its and 1 rent it) I'll have to rate Slumdog with a Buy it but remember, do go watch it before Oscar night, this will be among the two big favorites. Or should I say favourites...?

*For ratings guidelines refer to "Rating Guideline" also in this Blog.

** Yes... the Mexican Soap Opera Actor.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Curious indeed.  I went into the theater thinking there might be a slight chance I would come out of it three hours before I had entered. Not having had that literally happen to me, I did feel rejuvenated and with an optimistic outlook in life, as if to say, I can make my life go back in time, recover the good things, forego of whatever is no longer needed, (shed those extra pounds, etc., etc.). So in a sense, I did come out of the movie theater feeling younger than at the point I entered, so for that....Kudos to mister Fincher (and F. Scott Fitzgerald who wrote the original story upon which the film is based). 

Now, I don't know weather making me feel good was the intention of the movie, making me shed a tear here and there but overall giving me a positive attitude; certainly this is a good quality in a film, for which I understand 13 Oscar nominations. Brad Pitt is delightful in that he really confers the image of a man that does characterize a broad range of ages accurately or really believable.. a man of few emotions though, but a lot of years (Brad Pitt's ship will sink, not unlike DiCaprio's, but the story floats on... i.e. No Oscar for Mr. Pitt this time). 

The Story beautifully conveys the idea that love transcends age... (although just to a certain extent, as some hormonal balances might, or rather, do come into play), and we are all suckers for a good love story. Beware though, if you're in a hurry or tired, this one's a little long (very enjoyable non-the-less) 

The character, slightly different than the rest of us, has to struggle against his own diverse nature, but more so, his main struggle is how this affects his relationship to his loved one (Cate Blanchett). In a sense, it reminds me of Forrest Gump (Steal it)... They both have a slight handicap of sorts that could make them ostracized, but they play along and this doesn't become the issue... The issue though is that they meet their childhood "sweethearts" somewhere along their lives and this changes their outlook on things. I could enlist some other similarities like... they both live through wars, they're both southerner, they're sailors, at one point in their life they use a walking device, they befriend a black man... amongst many other similarities... the story line is of epic proportions taking us through different important events throughout the twentieth century and beyond.... Also, the accompanying music is well balanced but does not take center stage.

You might find this movie interesting if: you grew amongst elderly, you have a crush on someone from your childhood, you liked James Dean, you enjoyed The Motorcycle Diaries, you don't know about prostitute etiquette, you're wondering when did tattoos make their latest debut,  you loved it when Forrest Gump took the oscar 14 years ago, you hated it and felt Pulp Fiction was robbed from its Oscar, you feel like the previous discussion is futile as it was The Shawshank Redemption which deserved the coveted statuette, you liked the old lady from Titanic.

And so, I can say this is a strong contender this Oscar season, and diverting a little from the original line of my blog, which is for rental movies, once it's Oscar season I like to watch most of what is nominated so I can at least root for someone a month for now. Will I root for Benjamin? I don't know, I haven't watched any of the other nominated films, (looking forward to watching Slumdog Millionaire and the talent of Danny Boyle) but I can tell you again... Benjamin Button will be a strong contender! For now, I will rate it Buy it.  (But do go watch it before it comes out on video though).  Have a good one y'all!