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+
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Jeff, I see this is a few years old. Maybe you're still doing the movie thing? So am I. Interesting to find another Botten into films. Would be good to chat. If you'd like to chat, please contact me at dale@curlyvic.com . Dale R. Botten, Executive Producer, CurlyVic Films LLC
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