The King's Speech

I think of British film making more as a scenic train ride- you see lots of interesting sights- maybe have some good conversations with other train passengers- have a cup of tea in the beverage car. But, there really aren't any hills to climb- it's as even keeled as it gets. On the flip side, American film making- is more like a roller coaster: twists and turns, hills, danger and occasionally the guy next to you, leaning over to throw up. When I saw the King's Speech last night- the average age of movie goers in the theatre was well over 50. Definitely no risk for heart attack

'K.S' was up for 12 academy awards- and dominated the Orange British TV and film awards- so it was a must see for anyone who follows movie reviews/ critic scores. The principal characters definitely earned the surrounding hype: Colin Firth, Geoffery Rush and Helena Bonham Carter blew their roles out of the water. The story line, while an inspirational one, was a little less than I had hoped for. But I'm pretty sure you could throw those three all stars into a dark closet with a mop bucket and a box of matches and have a five star film.

The storyline follows the Duke of York (Firth) and his struggles with a life long speech impediment. Yes. That's literally the whole story in a nut shell.
Firth is endeared to his audience as a doting husband and father, as well as a struggling member of the royal family. His father, King George V, is dying. His brother, Edward has more interest in philandering with a married American socialite than ascending to the throne- which leaves the Duke, who is incapable of speaking for more than 2 seconds without a stutter- to assume power. This is in the age of radio ("wireless") - where each of the monarchs are expected to make broadcast- If you like uncomfortable silences, this should really do it for you.
It's because of these anticipated broadcasts, that the Duke's wife (Carter) seeks out the help of Lionel Louge (Rush), an unconventional speech therapist- who's personal and often awkward methodologies seem to be the Duke's only hope.
I have to say that it was refreshing seeing Carter in a role that wasn't dark and morbid (corpse bride, bellatrix lastrange, the red queen). I can say that she seemed down right human.  Rush was refreshing- witty and cool. Never letting those silences end without a sparkling gem. One thing does still bother me- he's supposed to be Australian.... where was the accent? lol.
In the end - brilliant acting makes this film a winner. Dont' expect an edge of your seat thriller- but be sure to sit back and enjoy the quiet train ride :)

Pan's Labyrinth (El laberinto del fauno)

Three things you should know about Pan's Labyrinth right off the bat:
1) It is in Spanish
2) It is bloody and has scenes of intense violence
3) It is amazing.

This dark and twisted tale takes place in fascist Spain- where a young girl, Ofelia,  learns that she is the reincarnated princess of the underworld (which is a warm and golden place- not the river Styx, eternal punishment we think of). Her earthly father has died in the war, and as a means of survival, Ofelia's mother marries a violent and abusive army officer. They move to the countryside, where the step-father is the commander of an outpost, constantly warring with the native rebels. Ofelia longs to escape into her books and fairy stories- and soon enough, she is smack in the middle of the deepest rabbit hole anyone could ever hope to escape from. However, instead of absconding from the dangerous world of war into a safe one- she finds that magical world she wants so desperately to be a part of, can be far more traitorous than anything on the surface.

I can honestly say that I've never been so excited for subtitles in my life. Even though I'm a proficient Spanish speaker, I did not want to miss a second of this raw and cutting picture- the darkest of dark fairy tales. I like to think of Director Guillermo Del Toro as the Mexican Tim Burton- his movies are often dark and tenebrous, dealing with morbid themes- but making them colorful and attractive- very hard to do indeed.

To understand his vision- you have to have a glimpse at this visionary filmographer. He grew up in Mexico, raised by a devout catholic grand mother- therefore each of his movies have some symbolism of the catholic faith; even it it's only a crucifix, rosary or a prayer- you can count on it. His father was a victim of a kidnapping, in which he was held for ransom for over two months; therefore his films often deal with the twisting dark of the underground. More often than not, his films involve subway tunnels- but in Pan's Labyrinth- it takes us into the lurid lair of a child-eating monster-or under the roots of a great tree, where a giant toad lives. He spent many years doing makeup & special effects before he dove into directing full time; and boy has it paid off. His characters are flawless.

As much as I would love to watch this movie over and over again, to find new details in the settings, new dimensions to the actors- I simply couldn't. Pan's Labyrinth takes me to a very dark place- of which I can only visit a few times a year. Please, do not watch this movie if you are looking for something uplifting and magical- for while it is spellbinding, it's morose nature can sit under your skin like a surgical implant.

The Last Lovecraft: Relic of Cthulu

In a word: ridiculous. This movie was Evil Dead meets The Hangover meets Shaun of the Dead. I wasn't sold on seeing this one- from it's caliber of cover art- I could tell it wasn't going to be a real winner. However, one of my co-workers said that it would be right up my alley- which I'm sad to say... it was. My good friend, Mandie, and I have a sacred past time of seeing really awful horror movies together and laughing the whole way through them. Past ventures include: Dead Silence, Lair of the White Worm and Human Centipede. This would have fit the bill perfectly. 

The plot of the movie was so murky and lack-luster that I couldn't honestly tell you what it's about. I do know that it's loosely based off of the writings of H.P. Lovecraft- the father of modern fantasy-horror. The two man characters are working at a squirrel gift basket company and driving around a super spiffy mini-cooper- when they are summoned by a council of elders- and are given the quest to stop this squid monster, Cthulu, from taking over the world with his cult of fish people (the deep ones). They are entrusted with this task because one of the two is the last living relative of H.P. Lovecraft and is immune to the fishy powers of the sea dwelling predators.

The writer then decides to throw in a third 'extra weird with some weird on top' guy who resembles Zach Galafianakis from the Hangover- who only gets to come on the quest because of his obscene amount of nerd knowledge and dedication to the Cthulu comic books. He mostly just sits in the back seat of the car and talks about how happy he is to be out of his grandmother's basement....

They seek out a wayward sea captain who is the only man to have ever survived an encounter with the 'deep ones'- but who is reluctant to talk about his past traumas, and will only describe it as having been fish raped. Yup. It's a winner all around.  

I won't spoil the oscar-worthy ending for you- but please note that I put this movie in the same mental vault I would if I had ever walked in on my great aunt Hilda in the shower- far far away in a deep place. I don't regret watching it- out of sheer awe for anyone who gave these guys a budget it play with. 

Black Swan

Let me start by saying, this movie is NOT family friendly- do not see it with your mom, your sister or even your boyfriend... It is a movie that is so raw and powerful that it can't be contained in the cute little pink box that other ballet movies might fit in to. There is sex. A lot of sex- mostly our starlet, Natalie Portman, experimenting with herself- which tends to make a lot of people uncomfortable. I felt pained for all of the mother-daughters I saw in the theatre sitting together, awkwardly looking away for half of the movie. Don't let that be you. If you see this movie, see it with someone you know well, and trust just as much.
We, the audience, have grown to love Natalie Portman as the quiet, girl-next-door-turned-heroine for the past decade; starting off young, as Mathilda in The Professional, taking our breath away as Evee Hammond in V for Vendetta, and even as the valiant Padme in the recent installment of Star Wars. She's very good at making us feel for her- wanting to reach into the film and lift her out of whatever predicament she's in. We love to see her succeed.
I had not prepared myself to see 'precious Natalie' in her starring role as Nina Sayers, in Black Swan. I was sure that I had it all figured out from the previews- a movie about a struggling ballerina in New York, trying to make a name for herself- maybe throw in a little sideways romance...  Definitely not.
Nina Sayers is a fragile, and emotionally vulnerable ballerina in a New York Dance company- she is obviously dedicated to her craft and is quietly obsessed with perfection. She lives with her emotionally abusive mother, who was once a dancer as well- and who lives vicariously through her only child, refusing to allow Nina to make any decisions for herself. Nina's bedroom is like that of a 10 year old- pink bed sheets, stuffed animals and music boxes. She's like a porcelain doll, trapped in this perfect little world- unable to free herself.
The opportunity arises for Nina to audition for the role of Odette in the company's production of Swan Lake, and it doesn't seem that she will land the part; the Director (Vincent Cassell) finds her vulnerable nature appealing for the white swan, but says that, being a dual role- Nina lacks the necessary darkness to play the black swan- mentioning her meek nature and lack of sexuality. However, a series of events lands Nina the part- to the dismay of the other ballerinas in the company.
Enter stage left: Mila Kunis, playing the overtly sexual and devious Lily- a ballerina joining the company from San Francisco. Nina feels equally threatened and attracted to her- she's everything that Nina isn't, a fact of which she is keenly aware. I have to say, that I've never been fond of Mila- especially as Jackie in That 70's Show- I've always felt that she was a little one dimensional; but this role changed that. You love Lily for her charm and wit, but hate her for her manipulative ways. I dare you not to be totally intrigued by this character.
Lily sees Nina's vulnerability as an open door- she influences her to 'get out a live a little'- all the while scheming to steal Nina's role as the lead. What happens next can only be describes as controlled chaos: Nina begins to change- fracturing from her once demure self with a darker, rebellious Nina. She begins to experiment sexually, mostly with herself (a good 20 minutes worth at different parts of the movie, don't say I didn't warn you...) and with Lily. There are drugs and alcohol involved- Her once controlled world has gone to hell- she begins imagining herself hurting other people- herself- and oddly enough, she seems to begin sprouting black feathers...
The emotional turmoil surrounding the 'new Nina Sayers' leads to a psychological whirlwind that could easily lose the most seasoned of movie-watchers. You can't tell what's real or not- who's playing who- it left me guessing until the end.
The only qualm I had was with Director Darren Aronofsky's casting of the past Prima Ballerina- Beth (who was replaced by Nina Sayers). It was played by Winona Ryder. The role  meant to be that of a woman who has basically been ridden hard hard and hung up wet. She's dedicated her life to the company- only to be replaced by a younger face, simply because she's reaching her 30s. I felt that Ryder didn't have much to offer the role- she was simply the worst part of this movie.
Darren Aronofsky, is no stranger to psychological thrillers: Requiem for a dream, Pi, and the Fountain- all of which, I dare say, are a little above me. However, this movie reaches out and grabs you- spins you around until you're dizzy- then dares you to walk in a straight line. It's intense and gripping- and one that, if you dare, you should definitely see.

Scott Pilgrim vs The World

If you love video games, Chinese school girls and garage bands- this movie is definitely for you. I have the attention span of a cucumber, and I absolutely loved it. The bright colors, killer music and constant pop culture references kept me begging for more- and the best part; my husband loved it too- he could call out any of the video game references, theme songs or sound effect that were used so prolifically throughout the movie. So for those of us ADD nerds at heart, or at least who married to them, I'd urge you to give this one a shot.

Michael Cera, every one's favorite slacker (Juno, Year One, Super Bad), stars as Scott Pilgrim- a lovable loser in his twenties, with no job and no prospects. He shares a small apartment with his gay roomie, Wallace Wells; played by the hilarious Kieran Culkin (this is hands down my favorite role of his yet). Scott spends his afternoons playing Ninja Ninja Revolution (a version of DDR) and hanging out at the  Good Will store with his high-school aged girl friend, Knives Chau- In the evenings, he's practicing with his garage band 'The Sex Bob-ombs' (Cera has played guitar for real in many of his movies- he's an excellent musician). 

Chaos ensues when he meets and falls for, the magenta haired Ramona Flowers. She's the outsider with baggage, looking to escape her past with a sweet boy like Scott. Little does he suspect, that Ramona has seven evil exes that haunt her past and present- threatening to knock our anti-hero into oblivion. 

The cast absolutely makes this film- and it's not just our leads. Cera is terrific, don't get me wrong- but I really see him as a one trick pony- he's a great slacker- but I don't see him playing any other more challenging roles. We, the audience, clearly see his shortcomings, but are endeared to him anyway-

Mary Elizabeth Winstead, who plays Ramona, has a lot to offer as an actress... but not specifically this part- she's flat and cold, and I often find myself wondering: why is he still chasing this girl? However, if you want a likable character- there's a slew of them amongst Pilgrims friends and cohorts. Knives Chau, played by Ellen Wong is adorable. I just want to put her in my pocket and feed her M&Ms. For those of us who don't have a taste for emotional subtleties-Wong wears every emotion on her sleeve. She does the giddy/ heart broken school girl so well, I don't think any other actress could have done it justice. Plus, she kicks butt at the end when she fights Ramona for Scott at the Chaos Theatre. Cute fact- that adorably embarrassing homemade tshirt she wears in the battle of the bands scene, was actually made by Ellen Wong. :)

Let me again reiterate how AMAZING Kieran Culkin was as Wallace Wells- he cares deeply for Scott, and the two characters play off of each other like the male version of the Gilmore Girls. Of course, most of their conversations are less than PC- but let's face it; that's half of what makes Wallace so lovable. 

Jason Schwartzman plays Giddeon (G-man) Graves, a music producer who rules the league of Evil Exes, controlling the future of Ramona's love life- when all he actually wants is to win her back by chasing off any prospects. His character is not only cynical- he's likable, in a very odd way. I found myself wanting to know and party with these people. The cast makes the film so strangely believable, that it doesn't even seem out of place when Scott gets attacked by a series of ex boyfriends, who can fly, conjure dancing girls and produce serpents made of electricity... 

The visual effects are the other half of what makes this film worth watching. Comic book 'Ka-pows' and floating hearts, video game stat bars and sound bursts fill the other wise empty area surrounding the characters. It is truly awesome- especially for those of us who really are drawn to the details. 

These effects are the direct result of Scott Pilgrims' origins as a Graphic Novel (cough* comic book* cough), written by Brian Lee O'Malley. Has been described as 'a hybrid manga: part romance, part video game". In short- it's awesome, and you should get your hands on it. Director Edgar Wright, who did Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, pulled all of the subtle comedy elements out of the novel and put them right in your face- so you couldn't possibly miss them. Bravo Mr. Wright- Bravo. 

So let's recap: Awesome and Lovable Cast- Fantastic Music (I bought the sound track)- Great Visuals, and  you can watch it even if you have the attention span of a cucumber. And girls- if you're seriously disinterested in everything above I've listed- then see it with your geeky guy friends; I'm sure they'd be thrilled. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8cERG4rhhM

Paranormal Activity 1 & 2

So by now we've all heard of Micah and Katie and their dangerous romp with the paranormal; ending in her possession and his untimely death...
Well, if you haven't heard these names, you're sure to have heard of the $11,000 dollar miracle that was Paranormal Activity. An independent film directed by Oren Peli- and gained recognition at the Slamdance Film Festival. After a limited opening, Paramount bought the rights for $350K- a great investment if I might say so; the film turned out nearly 200 million dollars world wide.
Everyone loves an under dog- this movie that cost almost nothing to make, scared the pants off of millions of Americans in 2009. I should know, I was one of them. The movie was under limited release when I drove an hour from my home to see it with friend it. It's presented in the 'found footage' style- from the view finder of a home cam-corder, supposedly after the demise of the camera operator. The granddaddy of found footage film would be the Blair witch project. From 2008-2010, they were prolific: Quarantine (08), Cloverfield (08), Paranormal Activity 1 (09), Paranormal Activity 2 (10), and The Last Exorcism (10). If you've never been a witness to this film style before- your first experience with it is what makes it special- although it can also have the unfortunate side affect of making you nauseous. An upside to the Paranormal Activity films, is that for most of the movie, the cameras are stationary: be it on tri-pods or as recorded security camera footage.
Back to Micah and Katie- in the first film, the poltergeist activity in their California home ranges from doors opening and closing to heavy foot steps, to Katie being dragged out of bed by an invisible force. Before the film even starts, writers incorporate a 'thank you to the families of the deceased' into the preliminary credits- which gets you thinking... could this be real? And the answer is... of course not. As I mentioned before, I saw it just as it was coming out- and little was known about it. None of my friends had written on their facebook walls about 'that fake paranormal movie' yet- so naturally, not having done any preliminary research on the movie- and dreaming that parts of it may actually have been real, left me leaving my nightlight on. However, a brief frolic on IMDB.com revealed that it was entirely fictitious- and put my simple mind at ease.
It didn't take long for the movie's success to sky rocket and for the Internet to begin buzzing with movie goers questioning the movie's authenticity- which in the end left them questioning the possibility of the paranormal :) Good job Oren. Way to shake up the ant farm.
If you haven't already seen paranormal activity 1- I would recommend it.... maybe with the lights on. There is some strong language- but everything else, even the terror elements are pretty tame. I'd say it's safe for the 13 and up posse.

As for Paranormal Activity 2- which made it's dvd release this week, my hopes weren't high for the sequel of a movie who's prime buzz was the question of, 'could it be real?' Well... obviously, if there are sequels coming out of the woodwork- and questions of the legitimate nature of this found footage is quashed pretty quickly.
Still, in the preliminary credits there was the same 'thanks to the families of the deceased'. Which I thought was a tacky, and ominous sign of what the next hour and a half would bring.
The movie itself begins with the birth of baby hunter to Katie's sister, Christy and her husband- which is captured on hand-cam. After the family home is trashed (later chocked up to poltergeist activity), they install a thorough security system- including cameras in every room. The action is slow for the first fifty minutes or so- low rumbling noises, creaky floors- the Spanish nanny, Marteen,  senses evil and begins burning herbs in the home to send away bad spirits.... this presence seemed to be more of a wall flower than the door slamming, Katie- grabbing demon of the first Paranormal movie. I longed for a door to slam- or the tv to turn on by itself... anything. Very abruptly (and right as I was about to get up for popcorn) the action begins- cabinets fly open, the baby levitates, the family dog goes into convulsions- its non-stop from there. So if you like fast paced ghost movies, you can start the movie at around 58 minutes in... you won't miss much important.
I was feeling full and content with what I thought was the end of the movie- Christy has over come her possession, and remembers nothing. Katie, comes over for a visit and claims that the paranormal activity has only begun at her and Micah's house. *for those of you confused with the timeline- these tapes (P.A. 2) supposedly takes place two months before the first movie- so it's actually a prequel. That would have been the perfect place to end it- very classy. However, someone- who should probably be demoted- decided to throw in a little zest at the end- and have a possessed Katie storm her sister's house, bloodied from killing Micah, and finish off Christy and the husband, and make off with baby Hunter, who is never seen again. The end.

There was also a really akward, badly sewn plot strand that seemed to imply that the demon haunting the house was there to claim the first male to be born to Katie and Christy's family in a century.... like I said- badly done. I would have sooner believed that the house was built on Jimmy Hoffa's burial plot than to think that this demon was there to collect the male infant's soul. Who was the demon, Rumplestiltskin?
After Christy wakes up from her possession, there's reasonably good action that brought back out my nightlight.... after that- well, I prefer to think that it just ends there.
Did I mention that they're making a third one? should be interesting.... coming 2011- and look who's in it yet again.... Katie. I wonder how they'll finagle the timeline this time.

Fried Green Tomatos

Let's start with something comfortable; like a home cooked meal on a Sunday afternoon. A movie that makes most of the women who see it feel human again- or at least makes us want to go out and adopt just about any old lady from a nursing home with the promise of a good story. I feel sorry for all of you men out there who can't relate to just how stirring this movie can be- and also the fact that it's manliest character is a young Chris O'Donnell, who makes a brief appearance as Buddy Threadgoode. I can see how that would make it hard for a man to relate to. This movie is a breath of fresh air- relaxing, but invigorating. It's by no means slow, full of touching and at times, fast paced twists and turns- which make this movie hard to follow when broken up- then again, I don't know anyone who has regretted sitting through it from start to finish.
The truth is,that for my generation at least, not a lot about this movie is 'easy to relate to'. I've never lost a sibling to a railway accident, tamed wild bees or saved a beloved friend from an abusive marriage- but maybe it's what we haven't experienced that makes us feel so much while watching this gem. We want to be that alive- longing for the kindred spirit like Idgie found in Ruth or even an emotional awakening like Evelyn Couch found though Idgie's stories. I know that I have a hard time finding a film that makes me feel more alive, vicariously or otherwise, than Jon Avnet's Fried Green Tomatoes. 

 Most of the film is narrated by elderly nursing home resident, Ninny Threadgoode, to Evelyn Couch (Cathy Bates) an over weight and under appreciated house wife, with nothing to live for but the snickers bars she hides under her pillow. Bates role was memorable for one line only,  "TOWANDA". She gains empowerment through Ninny's stories- which are all about two friends from the deep south, who's bonds were stronger than anything Evelyn had ever experienced. I'm sure that Bate's character has long arms to reach the women of age, and pull them in to the plot- however, many of her struggles were lost on me: her husband's indifference to her, the world's unsympathetic nature and the idea that time was passing her by all drove her deeper into Ninny Threadgoode's stories. For me, Bate's raw talent was wasted on this role- which was flat and faulted.

 As for Ninny and Evelyn's relationship, it was the only plot hole that I found to be the least bit difficult to relate to. I often found myself asking: why Evelyn was driving to the nursing home to continually hear stories from a women she had no relation to? Sure the stories are good, but are they worth sitting in that uncomfortable visitors lounge for hours smelling sterile bandages and peppermint? 

In my eyes, the saving grace of this movie was Idgie and Ruth's relationship to one another- if there were no Evelyn Couch or Ninny Threadgood, and the film solely focued on the young girls in their cafe- nothing would be missed. 

Mary-Louise Parker gives a stand up performance as straight-laced Ruth Jamison- long before she ever stole the lime light in WEEDS- she was a doe eyed beauty who holds the heart of Idgie's older brother, Buddy.  Mary Stuart Masterson plays wild eyed Idgie- the original tom boy, whom any man in town would gladly try to tame. I think that this role fit her well enough, that every part she's played since then has been down right forgetable... in fact, I can't think of a single one I'd watch her in again, save for this one. After Buddy's tragic death, Idgie's mother looks for Ruth to be a good influence in her impetuous daughter. Things don't exactly go according to Mama Threadgoode's plan- and the two quickly become the best of friends- as well as playfully bad influences on each other. 

On down the line, Ruth marries an abusive man- and becomes pregnant. Idgie rescues her from her abuser, and brings her home, where the two open a restaurant together 'the whistle stop cafe', serving what else- but fried green tomatoes. Thus reiterating the idea that the love of two friends is more fervent than that of any man- which leads to my next point: the novel that the movie is based off of Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, is one in which Ruth and Idgie are not only kindred spirits, but they're lovers as well. All of this was taken out of the movie to make it more palatable for the American public. Back in '91, a down home lesbian comedy probably wouldn't have been the wisest thing for the studio. Ellen didn't even come out until '97... The critics did give Avnet a lot of flack for drifting so far from the book, but in the end he received an award from GLAAD for 'best lesbian content'. I'd wager that most Americans still don't realize that Ruth and Idgie's food fight scene was the closest thing to their love making that made it into the final cut.

This movie calls us to action- to find those small whistle stop towns of the US- long since abandoned and boarded up; I guarantee that it will drive you to appreciate, and even imagine what was there fifty or a hundred years ago- a school house- a department store, or a cafe perhaps? maybe two girls inside having a food fight :)  

Overall Score: On the grading scale from MUST SEE to AVOID LIKE THE PLAGUE- I'd give this film a solid Must See- but the elements have to be right- get comfy, watch it by yourself if you have to, in order to fully open yourself up to the emotional elements- By all means watch it with your mother or grandmother, and see what interesting stories come out of it :) 

To finish it off- here's a recipe to go along with this iconic movie. Mmmmm... tates like memories :)

http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/best-fried-green-tomatoes/Detail.aspx