Extremely LOUD and Incredibly CLOSE, Iron Lady, Norwegian Wood, Man on a Ledge, King of Devil's Island

What two things do BILLY ELLIOT (2000), THE HOURS (2002), THE READER (2008), and the new film EXTREMELY LOUD AND INCREDIBLY CLOSE have in common? Most fans would know that these are the four consecutive films that Stephen Daldry has directed. Film buffs also know that all 4 have been best picture Oscar nominees. EXTREMELY...has had a lot of divisive reviews, and I went into it with rather low expectations, since the subject matter sends queasy shivers down many people's spine. Maybe it's still too early to digest the horrors of 9/11. But I found this story of a precocious nine year old boy's quest to stay closer to his dead father (Tom Hanks) by traipsing all over NYC a year after the WTC attaches in search of the meaning of a lost key he thinks was left by his father as a clue to the mind games they played together, to be just the right approach to some heavy emotional cathartics. His mother (played with restraint by Sandra Bullock) seems out of it emotionally, and he soon hooks up with an old tenant that rents a room from his grandmother from across the alley. The old man (Max von Sydow, a stalwart actor from Ingmar Bergman films)does not speak, but conveys more pain and understanding than anyone else he lives with. Together they search the city for a person named "BLACK" who may hold the answers to the mysterious key left from his father. The film definitely belongs to the genre of HUMANITARIAN, as many characters and events conspire to bring the child (engaging newcomer Thomas Horn) to some sort of closure about the death of his beloved father. One critical line complains that the child, some sort of intellectual savant, can't possible be so perceptive. Another rant has the story teller being accused of insensitivity towards the tragedy (as if there can be only one or two ways to respond...). Others complain that the story is too contrived, or too shallow, or complicated, or unbelievable. But the actors, especially von Sydow, won me over quickly, and I became involved in the mystery of the key, and the wonderful variety of the people he meets that become involved in his story, and he in theirs. I think that EXTREMELY LOUD AND INCREDIBLY CLOSE has the emotional power to deeply affect a populace that is afraid to confront tragedy and afraid to reach out for help from others. There are many interesting scenes that deal with emotional pain and loss, and even though the film is raw at times, and a bit pat at other times, I think if enough people see this clear-eyed film, it could be the big surprise winner on Oscar night, even though it received only two nominations--BEST PICTURE and BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR Max von Sydow. I, for one, LOVED IT. GRADE-----A-

Meryl Streep is the reason for seeing IRON LADY, the rather routine bio-pic of Britain's controversial Prime Minister in the 1980's, Margaret Thatcher. The film is set up as a memory/perception/fantasy/document-drama, which starts with a delusional, slightly demented present day Thatcher/Streep taking to her deceased husband (the amazing Jim Broadbent) about politics and past life. The film flashes back and forth in time, covering the bases of Thatcher's accomplishments. Unfortunately the politics seems rather tame and unengaging. HOWEVER, from the moment she appears on screen, Meryl Streep has you transfixed, whether she is middle-aged or elderly. I found myself absolutely riveted--I couldn't see Meryl Streep in this character at all. She totally engulfed the character in a compelling way, so that it didn't really matter what the plot mechanics were. As much as I enjoyed the other nominated actresses this year, especially Viola Davis from THE HELP, there is nothing close to Streep in the way she's got you completely in her grasp. Win or lose the Oscar, this is the FINEST performance in Meryl's incredible career. GRADE-------B

Based on a true story, THE KING OF DEVIL'S ISLAND is a Norwegian film about a dark time in the early 1900's when delinquent bad boys were sent to a remote island reformatory to work under dismal, cold and cruel conditions, often involving beatings and assorted abuses. The uprising that this film details is handled with restraint and heart breaking realism, and it is to the film's credit that there are no easy answers or "jump to your feet" cheering that I'm sure Hollywood would like to include when they try to remake this compelling tale. GRADE------B

The Japanese film NORWEGIAN WOOD, based on a popular novel, is beautifully photographed and skillfully made, but there is a dull, deadness at the center as if follows the story of a young love, the two lovers having been thrown together by the suicide of the young man's best friend. When their relationship sends the young woman into despair and depression (she feels guilty for the death of her first boyfriend) and to a mental health retreat, the young man becomes involved with another woman. Both times I wanted to yell at the screen---"Run for you life, buster--these woman are very damaged." In spite of my disappointment in the film initially, 6 months after I saw it at SIFF, many scenes have stuck with me in a haunting manner. GRADE--------B-

Seen last summer at SIFF, the gorgeous looking bio-pic YOUNG GOETHE IN LOVE had a brief run last week, which is about right, since the film is unremarkable but for the costumes and photography. GRADE-----B-


MAN ON A LEDGE tries hard to become more than a caper flick, with what seems like a suicide threat from a man perched high on a hotel ledge threatening to jump, but trying to incite the crowd and the cops that he is really innocent of the crime he was sent to jail for earlier. We quickly learn that his actions are a cover for a robbery of the rich man who set him up and sent him to prison. Unfortunately, the action rarely rises to elicit much interest, and we really don't care in the long run. GRADE-------C

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Some good DVD choices I viewed this last week.....

I've never before seen this classic Bette Davis thriller called THE LETTER (1940)--she made it at the height of her Warner Brothers career with director William Wyler,
with whom she was having an affair. The first jarring scene has her following a man out of her plantation house in Malaya, firing her handgun point blank at him all the while. She claims it was self-defence, but before long an incriminating letter shows up which puts her in the hot spot. Davis always excelled at playing really bad women, or at least larger than life women, and this is definitely one of her best. She's wonderfully underplayed, complete with crochet hook and horn rimmed glasses, but she shows real power with many pithy lines, especially the classic closer "With all my heart, I still love the man I killed." I read after seeing this that the production code forced a change in the ending, so that no one can get away with murder. This seemed like the least convincing scene to me. Still, it doesn't get any better with Bette. GRADE-------A

An entertaining biopic that premiered on HBO in 2010, TEMPLE GRANDIN is spearheaded by a terrific Claire Danes in the title role, with fascinating support from Catherine O'Hara, Julia Ormond and David Strathairn. It tells the true story of a young woman and her mother who struggle to give Temple the education she deserves despite struggling with autism. It is an endlessly creative film, which informs as it entertains with humor and drama. It won top Emmys for Best Picture and Best Actress. GRADE------A

I'd call it a guilty pleasure, but really, there's nothing to be guilty about here. This might be a case where the film version is actually better than the London musical play upon which it is based. I'm talking about director Joel Schumacher's film of Andrew Lloyd Webber's THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (2004). I saw the play back in 1997 and couldn't really understand what all the fuss was about. Perhaps seeing the actors close up and personal really put a personal spin on it for me, and in the film the music and songs make so much more sense. The costumes and sets are spectacular, and the romantic conflicts really grab me. This is the third time I've seen the movie version, and I get sucked in to it every time. My small complaint: Emmy Rossum has a terrific voice, but not so much screen appeal, and Gerard Butler makes for a dashing and dramatic Phantom, but his voice is only fair, and Patrick Wilson's hair is distractingly fey. But hey, whenever I want a good musical score to go through my head, this is the go to film. (At least until December 2012 when LES MISERABLES comes to the screen with Hugh Jackman (Valjean) and Russell Crowe (Javert) and Amanda Seyfried (Cosette,) and Anne Hathway (Fantine)!!!!!--big question, can Crowe sing?????) GRADE-------A-

Jennifer Jones and Joseph Cotten star in LOVE LETTERS (1945), sort of a convoluted love story where the bottom line is "love conquers all." During wartime, Cotten writes poetic love letters for his buddy to send to his wife. After the war, he looks up the wife, since his buddy has died, only to find her in an amnesiac state, since she's been accused of killing her husband. She's in love with the letters, but realized that her husband is not the man who wrote them. Of course, Cotten falls for her but many hurdles must be jumped before the happy ending can occur. Pleasant enough, with a surprising twist at the end. GRADE------B-

A French film called THE GIRL FROM MONACO (2010) has plenty of eye candy with beautiful actors and scenery set in and around Monte Carlo, but the set up--an older lawyer falls for an obnoxious, young party girl while on a high profile court case--just doesn't ring true. GRADE--------C

Eerie MELANCHOLIA, spendid TIN TIN, engrossing TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY

Possibly the most unusual film of the year is Lars Von Trier's MELANCHOLIA featuring a strong performance by Kristen Dunst as a spoiled, mentally unstable bride who clashes with her sister's husband and her sister at her wedding, where she appears ungrateful for the expensive party and indifferent towards the groom. It is intermixed with an apocalyptic theme that may mean the end of the world--fascinating stuff, especially during the first and last 15 minutes, and occasionally during some lyrical scenes of nature and horses and planets and rather grandiose music that lull you into feelings of significance. Unfortunately, the lengthy wedding party and scenes from the following week feature the most aggressive kind of hand held camera work, beyond the point of annoyance. Still I have to hand it to Von Trier, who has created the most curious and intriguing kind of psychodrama/science-fiction film of the year. I'd love to give this film an A- but for the nauseating hand held sections. GRADE---------B

I really enjoyed the new animated film directed by Steven Speilberg and based on the popular (in Europe) graphic comic. It's got the awkward title of THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN, which is a live action film that has been animated, so that the characters look very realistic, and there is a lot of slapstick and physical humor that really made me laugh. One character, the "bad" character Sakharine, voiced by Daniel Craig is drawn to look exactly like Steven Speilberg, which I found very amusing. It is certainly a much better "pirate movie" than the PIRATES OF CARIBBEAN series, and if you are in the mood you should dig it. GRADE---------B

Last week I went to see the new thriller TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY, based on the novel by John le Carre, and became quite engrossed in the spy drama, when suddenly, one hour into it, the bulb from the projector blew up, and we had to get our money back. I went back a week later (on our big snow storm day) and became caught up again in the story and characters. Unfortunately, the finale seemed a bit murkier than the preceding 100 minutes, and I was rather mystified by the end. Subtle and understated scenes keep this thriller on a slow burn --James Bond it is NOT-- but I can recommend it to those interested, and the cast is intriguing---Colin Firth, Gary Oldman, Tom Hardy, John Hurt, and Benedict Cumberbatch, who is currently so good in the new modern BBC series of/as SHERLOCK HOLMES. GRADE---------B


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DVD CHOICES........

GET HIM TO THE GREEK (2010) remains vulgar, rude, disgusting, outrageous, drug and alcohol fueled, and very very funny if you are in the mood. I find it to be a rowdy, laugh out loud, coarse comedy, and I enjoyed it a 2nd time. GRADE-------B+

Based on the motion picture BLOOD SIMPLE (1984) which was the Coen brothers first big hit, this Chinese remake by Zhang Yimou called A WOMAN, A GUN AND A NOODLE SHOP (2009) works quite well, and adds some incredibly vivid visuals and cinematography to the mix. It makes me want to see BLOOD SIMPLE again. Zhang Yimou has made some of my favorite Chinese films, including RAISE THE RED LANTERN (1991), NOT ONE LESS (1999), HERO (2002),and HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGARS (2004). His newest film opens next week in Seattle, called FLOWERS OF WAR starring Christian Bale as a priest trying to lead a group of women to safety during Japan's rape of Nanking in 1937. GRADE-----------B

Released earlier this year, MR. POPPER'S PENGUINS is a pale, timid film based on the popular children's novel from 1939. One would think that with all the fabulous special effects available today that this film could be a corker. Instead, it falls flat when it should be soaring. Using a mix of live action penguins and animation, the story tells of how Mr. Popper's father, a wandering adventurer, sends a half dozen penguins to his son (Jim Carrey) just before dying, and how Popper attempts to keep them alive in his highrise condo, trying to win over his children, now involved in a parental divorce. This is the type of "comedy" that has the adults acting more like children than children, making up preposterous lies just to get a laugh, but would kids really believe all these lies????? Some of the special effects are amusing, but we've seen them done before (like in HAPPY FEET) and common sense goes out the window early, to plummet the likability of this film to the ground. GRADE-------C-

Just about as sleazy as it's title implies, SPREAD (2009) is a familiar tale about a selfish, manipulative young man (Ashton Kuchar) who picks up older, wealthy women for sex, to live off of them. He finally meets a younger girl who attracts him but she turns out to be a female version of his gigolo life-style. The one thing the film has going is it's uninhibited performance by Anne Heche as the older woman, and lots of nudity and sex scenes, although I noticed that there was always an amusing vase or glass or flower placed strategically right in front of the genitalia of the sexual coupling. GRADE-------D+

WAR HORSE! plus a sharp TATTOO, a moving PARIAH, zippy MISSION IMPOSSIBLE 4, THE ARTIST, a kinky SKIN I LIVE IN & a classic CHRISTMAS CAROL (1951)

First out of the gate this holiday season is Steven Speilberg's sentimental, beautifully made story of a World War I WAR HORSE, which is based on a children's novel and later (and currently)a Broadway stage play. The film is similar in some ways to BLACK BEAUTY, in that it follows a horse from owner to owner over the course of several years as it moves from farm horse to war horse to work horse and back again, although the narrative is not from the horses point of view, but rather the varied owners. There is not too much to surprise you plot wise, but it is a sumptuously lovely film with stirring music (by stalwart John Williams) and Thomas Kinkaidian-like settings highlighted with photography by Janusz Kaminski. Speilberg can often make sentiment awfully gooey, and your reaction to the film will depend on whether or not you can "go with it" ---otherwise you may not like it much at all. This time I'm going with it. GRADE---------B+

If not quite as shocking as the Swedish version, the excellent American version of THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO featuring solid characterizations by Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara, and it holds up nicely (with a few minor changes to the ending) when compared together. Fans of the Swedish verson will find this just as engrossing--those unfamiliar with the earlier version should be throughly entertained and thrilled. GRADE---------B+

Tom Cruise is incredibly restrained in the forth installment of MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE--GHOST PROTOCOL and perhaps that is why this film works better than the past three, at least as a big budget popcorn film. The film, directed by Brad Bird (THE INCREDIBLES) moves along with a stylish energy that defies logic, until the lights come on, anyway. In spite of some improbable action sequences, the film is highly entertaining. GRADE------B

Call it a minor miracle, but the low budget PARIAH, with help from producer Spike Lee and the Sundance Film Festival carries a big punch in it's tale of a 17 year old girl who is growing up fast and discovering she is a Lesbian. She is more comfortable with her sexuality at school, but quickly changes clothes before coming home to her more traditional, religious middle class family. Some of the themes are familiar, but you've got to be impressed by the truthful sincerity that propells every scene. My biggest complaint----that damned hand held camera is overused again, and the low budget makes many scenes hard to see due to dark photography. A recent film with a similar theme is GUN HILL ROAD (2010) where the father figure comes out of a prison stint to discover that his teen aged son wants to change his sex. In both films, the protagonists must deal with predjudice, family anger, confused sexuality, and self confidence, and Harmony Santana in GUN HILL ROAD and Adepero Oduye in PARIAH are both incredibly charismatic. GRADE------B+

I'm not sure why THE ARTIST has become the critics darling of the year. It is definately a silent film, and there is a good reason why they faded out quickly in the 1930's---actors that mugged to broadly, pacing that slowed down to accomodate printed titles, often symplistic story lines, and a failure to engage the audience's attention. These are all featured in this new novelty film. Perhaps people like it because it recalls the early days of cinema, but I found it a stuggle to stay engaged, and several people around me were struggling to stay awake. It is still charming and clever at times, but so help me, if this gets nominated for any type of story or screenplay award, I'm going to scream. GRADE--------B

It is engrossing, well acted, and has great production values, but the new film by Pedro Almodovar called THE SKIN I LIVE IN is truly the most twisted, perverse story filmed this year. Almodovar is less shrill than normal, and it is to his great credit that this story of a doctor's revenge for his daughter's death is as entertaining as it is. It's sort of a medical thriller with a touch of science fiction as it deals with themes of revenge, sexual idenity, loyalty, rape, torture, and destiny. GRADE-------B-

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DVD choices include----

SCROOGE aka A CHRISTMAS CAROL (1951) is perhaps the best loved of all versions of the Charles Dickens novel. This one features Alister Sim as Scrooge as well as Jack Warner, Hermione Baddeley, Patrick Macnee and others. It feels a lot like the great adaptations that David Lean made of Dicken's GREAT EXPECTATIONS (1946)and GREAT EXPECTATIONS (1948) with lots of atmosphere and great character actors. It holds up well. GRADE-------A

Loretta Young won her Oscar for THE FARMER'S DAUGHTER (1947) and it is easy to see why. She's a naive but smart-thinking maid to a senator (Joseph Cotten) with whom she falls in love, even as she is recruited into running for a congressional seat against his own party. The delightful cast includes the sly Ethel Barrymore, and the prickly Charles Bickford, and the film bubbles along with a great deal of charm. GRADE-------B+

There have been several versions of Oscar Wilde's haunting story of a man whose portrait ages and reflects his decadant lifestyle while he himself stays youthful, but this version of PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY (1945) has to be one of the best. It kept me up way past my bedtime with an intriguing production highlighted by strong preformances by Angela Lansbury and Donna Reed as his would be lovers, and George Sanders and Peter Lawford as his evil friend and cohort, respectively. Filmed in lovely black and white, but it does have some startling color inserts. GRADE-------B+

We started watching JULIE AND JULIA (2009) on TV about half way through, when I suggested we start at the beginning with a new Blu-ray disc I had recently bought. Wow, the Blu-ray was a far superior picture quality than what we watched for 10 minutes on regular TV--what a revelation. Meryl Streep really shines in an intelligent and amusing way as the great Julia Child--she has the mannerisms down as you can attest by renting some of Julia Child's TV preformances in the kitchen. Amy Adams is her adorable self, and the film is solidly entertaining, if not exactly artful. Shot on location in France and New York, it is fun to watch. GRADE------B

A strong cast featuring Barbara Stanwyck, Kirk Douglas (in his first major role), Lizabeth Scott, Van Heflin and Judith Anderson highlight this odd, dubious melodrama about three kids who grow up with the murder of an older woman on their conscious. Stanwyck really gets to chew the scenery on this one, but THE STRANGE LOVE OF MARTHA IVERS is quite fun. GRADE------B