Film Review: I’m Here
The more layers I peel off the Hollywood creaky wheel, the more cynical I become. Art is an important aspect to the understanding of humans. You can go through world history and some form of art will give you a glimpse into the psyche of the world at that time. Whether it be cave sketches, oil paintings of baby Jesus, Picasso’s genius, or the modern art of Mark Ryden, the thoughts of the moment are frozen in time.
Film is art. Yet, over time, it has become overrun by businessmen trying to make a quick dollar. Art has become secondary if lucky. The focus is on brand. How can a studio sell opening weekend? How quickly can a profit be made?
Film is art. And a few directors still get that. As I mentioned a few days ago, there are still true artists in the Hollywood scene. Paul Thomas Anderson. Quentin Tarantino. Spike Jonze. I’ve mentioned them all a thousand times on this site. And it’s because they keep things exciting. Their ideas are interesting. They are taking a medium and showing us something we’ve never seen before.
After a rough 7 year stint on Where the Wild Things Are, Spike Jonze wanted to create something simple. During the editing process of WTWTA, he secretly shot the 35 minute short film, I’m Here, just to keep the creative juices flowing.
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DVD Review: Notorious
To say I’m a 90′s hip-hop fanatic would be an understatement. From 1989-1999, I was a bona fide hip-hop addict. Everyday after school in Junior High, I would run home, pop in my VHS tape and record my favorite videos from YO! MTV Raps. D-Nice, Ice Cube, M.C. Breed, De La Soul…I was into it all. My version of a DeLorean is by bringing back some of these classic jams. Especially the ones below. They all were captured at a particular moment in my life that holds a special place in my memory. It was a time when rap music had an innocence without being cheesy. Backpackers, militants, and the gangstas — they all had my suburban ear.
Then came the Suge Knight era of Death Row Records and Puff Daddy with the Notorious B.I.G. They took the innocence of the rap music message and made it too real.
Because of my love for this era of hip hop, I’ve been really reluctant to watch the Notorious B.I.G. biopic, Notorious. After watching Anthony Mackie’s brilliant performance in The Hurt Locker, I felt the urge to see how he portrayed Tupac Shakur.
DVD Review: Paper Heart
I had high hopes for Paper Heart.
Maybe because Charlyne Yi is part of the Judd Apatow crew. Maybe because of Michael Cera’s involvement. I just know I was intrigued by the idea this hybrid documentary.
After watching this film, my 8 year old nephew actually summed it up best:
“Paper Heart? More like Paper Fart!” [ed. note - This conversation never actually happened.]
The film follows Charlyne Yi as she embarks on a quest across America to make a documentary about the one and only subject she doesn’t fully understand: love. As she and her good friend (and director) Nick search for answers and advice about love, Charlyne talks with friends, strangers, scientists, bikers, romance novelists, and children. They each offer diverse views on modern romance, as well as various answers to the age-old question: does true love really exist?
And then the scripted hybrid part:
Shortly after filming begins, Charlyne meets a boy after her own heart: Michael Cera. As their relationship develops on camera, her pursuit to discover the nature of love takes on a fresh new urgency. Charlyne doesn’t want to risk losing the person she finds closest to her heart.
Quite simply, this film is too aware of its cuteness and quirkiness. You’re supposed to be enthralled by the awkward, tomboy act from Yi. It grew tiresome 10 minutes into the film. It’s a self-conscious semi-documentary about a self-conscious girl. And without sincerity in a documentary, why should you care?
The director in the film is actually an actor playing a director. Michael Cera is playing Michael Cera (doesn’t he always). Cera and Yi were supposedly really dating in real life and start dating in the scripted part of the film. Confusing? Not really. Just more hurdles that get in the way of your inevitable thought: What’s the point?
There was lots of buzz around this film during the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. It was met with mixed reviews. Some reviewers fell into the Yi “charm”, while others (like this reviewer) were turned off by too much screen time by her.
The actual documentary portion of the film had some interesting stories from couples in various forms of love, but the sincerity of the story was mocked by paper puppet shows created by Yi.
There’s not much more to say here. You might fall into the trap of “Hey, I like Michael Cera, I’ll check it out.” But BEWARE.
Consider yourself saved.
DVD Review: “Let the Right One In”
It’s difficult to fully convey the experience of watching Let the Right One In with a review. If you are anything like me, you’ve had it up to here (gesturing above my head) with the vampire crap. Film and TV shows have been on vampire overload and there is no end in sight (Daybreakers, Lost Boys 3, Dead Sucks, Twilight: Eclipse, etc.). Who would have thought a Swedish vampire flick from 2008 would stay with me for so many days, making me wonder: Has EVERYONE seen this film? If not, run to Blockbuster or move it to priority #1 on your Netflix Queue. The steady and calm camera movement, haunting tone, and pitch perfect acting makes this one of the best films…of the decade (more on that to come next week). Let the Right One In is more visually beautiful than any you’ll see this year. And you’re in for a treat if you have Blu-Ray.
Let The Right One In takes all of the lame clichés of modern vampire flicks, and spins it into the real world. It focuses on a story of uncertain friendship and fragile love, of social reality and dark fantasy. Based on the novel by John Ajvide Lindqvist, director Tomas Alfredson’s film takes us deep into the heart of Sweden’s frigid suburbs.
Oskar is an outcast 12-year-old boy with no apparent friends. He’s a favorite target of bullies, and at home, where he lives with only his mother in an apartment complex that would make a sane man crazy. So pale and unimposing, he’s almost translucent. Bullied at school, he buries himself in a scrapbook of violent murders. Between his scrapbook and trusty knife, he has all the makings of a potential sociopath. One night Eli enters Oskar’s life and changes it forever. Eli is… different. Her hair is black and matted, her face smudged with dirt. Only a thin shirt protects her against the snow. “Don’t you feel the cold?” asks Oskar. “No,” she replies. “Why not?” “I think I’ve forgotten how.” Eli is also 12 years old — “kind of”, she says.
Eli has moved into the apartment next door, with a middle-aged man who speaks very little and has quite the black kit filled with a flashlight, plastic container, a funnel (yep), and some rope. It’s very unclear who this man is…either her guardian or her slave. Eli, you see, isn’t like the other girls. In fact, as she puts it, she’s not even a girl. She’s a vampire.
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Spoiler Free DVD Review: Oldboy
DVD Review: Oldboy
Original Release Date: November 21, 2003
FS Verdict: This movie will raise the bar on your film expectations; it will stay with you long after it’s finished. Add it to your Queue…HERE!
I heard the buzz on this movie for awhile before finally seeing it for myself. I sat down on the couch, popped in the DVD, and had no idea what I was about to see. It was a rare time that I saw a film completely in the dark. And that’s what I ask of all of you. Don’t ask what it’s about. Don’t let anyone give anything away. Experience it for yourself. Because of this, the review will be short. Here is the only thing you need to know about the brilliant Oldboy:
The film follows the story of Oh Dae-Su, who is locked in a hotel room for 15 years without knowing his captor’s motives. When he is finally released, Dae Su finds himself still trapped in a web of conspiracy and strangeness. His own quest for vengeance becomes tied in with romance when he falls for an attractive sushi chef.
This South Korean film was directed by Chan-wook Park. His restraint, patience, and direction in telling the story is superb. The film won the Grand Prix award at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival and high praise from the President of the Jury (Quentin Tarantino), who could not persuade the members of the jury to give it the Palme d’Or over Fahrenheit 9/11. In 2008, CNN named Oldboy one of the ten best Asian films ever made.
I know some of you are asking yourselves, does this mean there are subtitles? The answer is YES. And here is an important note when you watch it. The DVD automatically plays the English dubbed version. Take this off and go with the Korean subtitles. The dubbed version sounds like a bad karate movie. It will ruin things.
This film is twisted, dark, funny, light, and will have you wondering what happens next. For emphasis…again…this movie is twisted. Let that be your warning to the innocent out there. I’ve seen lots of movies to say the least. This instantly went into my Top 20…possibly even Top 10.
*Note — Steven Spielberg and Will Smith are in discussions to remake this film in the U.S. After you finish the movie, think about that idea. Bad or good idea? Let me know your thoughts.
-Corey @ FS
Spoiler Free Review: Away We Go
Away We Go
Directed by Sam Mendes
Written by Dave Eggers & Vendela Vida 
Release date (wide): June 19, 2009
FS Verdict: Highly recommend!
It always seems to come when you least expect it.
Weeks pass by. Birthdays are celebrated. The family visits; friends stop by. Commute back and forth to work. Months pass by. Marriage is celebrated. Babies are born. Parents have date night. Years pass by.
Life happens.
Suddenly there is a halt in the never ending treadmill of our daily being and a moment of question—a moment of clarity happens. Why do I live in this city? What happened to my dreams? Have I been left behind in the game of life?
Away We Go is a quest into the hearts and minds of this generations 30-somethings and successfully reaches at the truth.
British director Sam Mendes has a fascination with the so-called “American Dream” which is evident within his films American Beauty and Revolutionary Road. This time instead of a cynical view of suburia and relationships, his film focuses on the quirkiness of everyday life and all that we choose (or not) choose to surround us. Famed novelist Dave Eggers has brilliantly crafted his first film script (his next is Where The Wild Things Are) and caught the essence of finding ones way in life.
Our two main characters are something we rarely see in film: a couple seemingly truly in love with each other. Burt (John Krasinski) and Verona (Maya Rudolph) finally come into their own as actors with performances so touching it would be difficult envisioning anyone else playing these characters. The journey begins when the 6 month pregnant couple learns that their only tie to the city they live in will be cut. Burt’s parents are moving to Antwerp for 2 years — 1 month before the baby is born. Verona’s parents have both passed away. Where do they want to raise their baby? What friends/family do they want to raise the baby near? Away they go…
Reviews are starting to trickle in for this film and many of them are obviously written by critics who simply do not understand the generation presented to them. They mistake the couple in love as being “smug” instead of sweet. They also mistake the character observations as “judgemental”. You as the viewer can judge this for yourself. But we adamently disagree with that stance.
There’s a great quote in the film that really sums up the generation as a whole. In a haunting scene in Montreal, Chris Messina’s character Tom says to Burt, “I wonder if we’re selfish. I wonder if we wait and wait to have kids, and then we’re surprised when babies aren’t so easy to make anymore. In the meantime, there are a minimum of a million 14-year-olds who just got pregnant without even trying.” Thirtysomethings have so many possibilities and options today, that many are statistically starting families later than any other generation before them. They can travel freely. They can become the next American Idol. They can control their own destiny…seemingly. All of those fears and hesitation are summed up beautifully and comically in this film.
Burt and Verona visit the whole spectrum of families, young and old. In reuniting with these families across the country, they slowly are able to gather what they want (and don’t want) in their own pending family. Sam Mendes subtly shoots the American landscape in all of its beauty. From the Desert to the Beach, we get an insider look at the vast territory we can live in…if we so choose. Away We Go will stay with you long after you leave the theater.
We highly recommend it.
Corey @ FS
Kenny Powers Meets Napoleon Dynamite
DVD Review: The Foot Fist Way
Original Release Date: September 26, 2008
FS Verdict: Queue it up — with mild caution.
“I’m so hungry I could eat a grown man’s ass right now!” – Fred Simmons
If a nonchalant quote like that makes you laugh, then read on and add this to your Netflix Queue. If not, watch this film with caution. Fans of Eastbound & Down on HBO will be in for a treat as Danny McBride essentially started crafting the Kenny Powers character in this film. Director Jody Hill (Eastbound & Down, Observe & Report) keeps things rude and crude in this hilarious comedy about Tae Kwon Do instructor Fred Simmons.
Danny McBride plays Simmons, a loudmouthed bully who operates a Tae Kwon Do (Korean for “foot fist way”) dojo out of a strip mall. Fred idolizes Chuck “the Truck” Wallace (Ben Best), a Steven Seagal wanna-be who has an eye on Simmons’ wife.
The plot is thin and the budget is low, which only adds to the humor. The plot simply gets in the way of letting Danny McBride seemingly improvise through many scenes. The dead panned jokes are reminiscent of Napoleon Dynamite…on steroids. Much like Kenny Powers, the character of Fred Simmons will make you cringe while sticking with his every word. His no-nonsense attitude in the most dire situations elevates the comedy while showing the sweet spot within the character.
Shot in 19 days on a tight budget, The Foot Fist Way is shot in pseudo-documentary style, which actually feels like the correct choice for these actors. While McBride is the star (and now rising comic actor), it is obvious that most of the “actors” are fairly new.
If you like Danny McBride, you will love this movie.
*Note: Trailer is Red Band (a few curse words here and there)
- Corey @ FS
He’s Just Not That Into This Movie
DVD Review: He’s Just Not That Into You
Original Release Date: February 6, 2009
FS Verdict: Stay far away….consider yourself saved.
Let’s get this out in the open right now. I enjoyed Bridget Jones Diary, Love Actually, Amelie, and many other modern romantic comedies not necessarily aimed at the male demographic. You see, when done right, the rom-coms are great movies for everyone. He’s Just Not That Into You is easily at the bottom of the rom-com totem pole. Two notches BELOW The Wedding Date and Over Her Dead Body. Five notches below Runaway Bride. I wish I could say it was one of those dumb movies you can enjoy on a rainy Sunday afternoon. But the reality is that 129 minutes of your life will forever be gone…and wasted.
With the strong cast of Scarlett Johanson, Ben Affleck, Jennifer Connolly, Drew Barrymore ,and Jennifer Aniston this movie had great potential. Based off a New York Times bestseller self help book, it had the makings of a romantic comedy that could reach out to both men and women and say something new about relationships.
Gigi (Ginnifer Goodwin) is hoping that big things will come from a blind date with Conor (Kevin Connolly) but he hasn’t called. He’s too busy being infatuated on his friend Anna (Scarlett Johanson), who’s content to use him on her own terms . Anna has just met and become obsessed with Ben (Bradley Cooper) a faithful but tempted man in a rocky marriage with Janine (Jennifer Connelly).
To muddle the plot more, Anna’s friend Mary (Drew Barrymore) is failing to find love through personal ads and phone messages (we get about 2 scenes with her) . Meanwhile, Janine and Gigi work with Beth (Jennifer Aniston) who has been in a relationship with Neil (Ben Affleck) for seven years and is infuriated over his failure to pop the question.
Phew.
Unlikeable characters, bad acting, and terrible dialogue gave this Film Savior critic a bad taste in their mouth. The main character GiGi is psychotic and a mildly retarded. Her character also takes over 70% of the film. Jennifer Aniston plays Jennifer Aniston. Kevin Connolly (Eric from Entourage) plays Eric from Entourage. Scarlett Johanson plays the on e character she has played in 5 other films — home wrecker.
Corey @ FS