MARGOT AT THE WEDDING

Margot at the Wedding (2007) Dir Noah Baumbach
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Ciaran Hinds, John Turturro

***1/2

Though I liked very much "The Squid and the Whale", "Margot at the Wedding" turned me off. For no particularly good reason the trailer seemed to be talking down to me. I sensed an intellectual superiority or distancing from the audience. It turns out my instincts were wrong, Noah's "Squid" follow up is a thoroughly entertaining film - a trainwreck of a film to be sure, but fine character study of sibling rivalry.

Margot (Nicole Kidman) is a 'famous' short story author. She and her son Claude travel to “the Hamptons" - cottage country for the New York rich and famous - to visit her sister Pauline (Jennifer Jason Leigh) who is marrying slacker music-snob Malcolm (Jack Black). On the visit, the sisters clash on various issues– mainly Margot's disapproval of Malcolm as her prospective husband. But latent conflicts from childhood resurface and it becomes a bloody battle of psychological warfare, where no one, including the children, is spared the wounds.

"Margot" teeters on the edge of truth and pretension. At the beginning Baumbach puts up an impenetrable front. When we first meet Malcolm, he’s sporting an ironic hipster moustache, but he’s self-aware of it as well, and so tells everyone it's temporary. Even Margot’s young boy Claude is dressed up and coifed like a Metosexual. They play a highly competitive game of Crochet and Margot climbs a tree for no apparent reason. This random intellectual irony I feared from the trailer.

The dialogue was difficult to understand and get into as well. The characters don't speak like movie characters, but they don't speak like real people either – at least not the people I know. But that's ok, because once I got into the groove of the film it hooked me in and dragged me along its rocky course. The situations and issues I’m familiar with, and so once the characters are properly identified, the dialogue becomes as natural as everyday conversation.

Though we only see a weekend in the life of these characters Baumbach manages to show us generations of emotional baggage, going back at least three generations. Though we never meet Margot and Pauline’s parents, their mother and sister are referred to often. I'm sure an alternate film following these characters around for a couple days would result in similar self-destruction.

Saying Margot is a 'flawed' character is an understatement. She's a royal bitch, actually. She talks to and treats her son like an adult. It's terribly annoying. She even plays child-stunting mind games with him - the same games she plays with her sister, and likely the same games her mother played with her. This scolding disaffection comes from deep-rooted emotions which are revealed throughout the film. Sibling envy is one, career anxiety another, loss of identity, aging etc. It’s a layered performance from Kidman and one of her best. While she’s being a cold-hearted bitch, and though we never sympathize with her, we do identify with her emotions.

The great cinematographer Harris Savides (‘Elephant’) shot the film. He compliments the emotions with a cold, lonely and isolating visual design. Despite living on expensive property, the home feels dreary and depressing. He uses a muted colour palette and unflattering wide angle close-ups. It adds to up dogma-like realism.

Baumbach uses a few clever visual metaphors to hit his point on the head. There’s a recurring subplot of an aging tree in the backyard which becomes significant thematically at the end. And the final moments on the bus (and clever reference to “The Graduate”) is not subtle either. But both moments provide the satisfying closure I didn’t think I would get.

So don’t judge a film by its trailer. “Margot at the Wedding” made me look naïve for initially dismissing like fine little gem. Enjoy.

4 MONTHS, 3 WEEKS AND 2 DAYS

4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (2007) dir. Christian Mungiu
Starring: Anamaria Marinca, Laura Vasiliu and Vlad Ivanov

****

Guest review by Blair Stewart

‘4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days’ is a controversial work more talked about than seen. Despite being the surprise, underdog winner of the Palme D'Or this year, it was a conspicuously absurd omission from the Best Foreign Language Shortlist for this year’s Oscar nominations (that's right, it didn't even make the 'shortlist'). A bitter condemnation of life in Romania during the totalitarian reign of Nicolae Ceausescu, Christian Mungiu’s sophomore effort is a rattling experience.

It’s 1987 and we’re placed in an unnamed shithole of a city under the blanket of Communist misrule. For 12 hours we observe the actions of a student, Otilia (Anamaria Marinca), as she searches for a way to find her pregnant roommate Gabita (Laura Vasiliu) an abortion. With Romanian society in the grip of Ceausescu’s ‘Golden Age’, and abortions illegal, it becomes a Sisyphean task. From black market wheedling, surveillance and suffocating questioning from all facets, Otilia is forced to perform all the necessary tasks of attending to her weak friend. The question of pro-choice or pro-life is mute as the decision has already been made. What we witness is the consequences. The camera follows Otilia through underlit hotel rooms and various decrepit backalleys. Otilia meets a sordid cast of characters from the callow, opportunistic abortionist, to an upper-caste family simmering with tension at the ring of the telephone. It’s all well beyond loyalty to clean up Gabita’s mess.

The director’s presentation of the dilemma is like a rigid Dogma exercise. Mungiu keeps the camera at eye level, uses one shot for each scene, refrains from using music, and exclusively uses natural light (often plunging the audience into total darkness). It builds up to a sequence when the protagonist has to perform one last crucial task, the realism of which is worthy of the quiet terror throughout the entire ‘No Country for Old Men’.

In the role of the ‘hero’, Anamaria Marinca is fantastic – her guarded face projects the quiet pain of being lower-class and powerless in a corrupt Communist state. Though a minor issue is perhaps the extreme ‘Herzogian’ degree of hardship Otilia is forced to endure. With the entire universe conspiring against her, at times it actually strains the film’s credibility.

Some critics have declared a ‘Romanian New Wave’ based on the success thias film and his fellow countrymen Cristi Puiu’s “The Death of Mr. Lazarescu” and Corneliu Poromboiu’s “12:08 East of Bucharest”. I’m eager to seek out the results of this burgeoning movement.

A warning for the squeamish, if you are uncomfortable with the subject matter of abortion this is a realistic representation, proceed cautiously. I highly recommend this film.

IN PRAISE OF ROY SCHEIDER

Roy Scheider was an unlikely leading man - atypical in physical stature with an angular and weathered face, more in line with character actor or villainous henchman. He had one of the more famous broken noses in Hollywood (Marlon Brando's being the most famous). Yet the moment he opened his mouth a calm and soothing voice made you instantly like him. He was rarely the villain or the heavy. When called upon he always did it well and with panache - but it wasn't in his bones. Scheider on screen was someone you could trust. That's why he played more cops in his career than anything else.

I've put together a Roy Scheider retrospective. "Jaws" and "French Connection" are his famous classics, but he has seven other films which deserve to be rediscovered and enjoyed with Mr. Scheider in memory. Here's the ten Scheider classics in chronological order:

1. Klute (1971) dir. Alan J. Pakula
It's not surprising it took several character roles before proving himself as a leading man. Alan J. Pakula's thriller about a prostitute (Jande Fonda) who helps a police detective solve a mystery who Scheider's breakthrough. As Fonda's pimp - an unlikely dark role - he seemed to be cast largely on his street-wise looks than his personality. With it's multiple awards and nominations it was a major breakthrough for the late-blooming 39 year old.

2. The French Connection (1971) dir. William Friedkin
William Friedkin's benchmark film allowed Scheider to become a household name and be permanently etched in pop culture consciousness. Gene Hackman's Popeye Doyle was the showcase, but Scheider's quiet toughness as Doyle's loyal partner shone through winning him his first Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

3. The Seven Ups (1973) dir. Philip D'Antoni
After "The French Connection" Scheider took a series of similarly-themed and often forgettable cop dramas. "The Seven-Ups" is one of these films - but it's made memorable with Scheider's own fantastic car chase (Hackman got to drive the car in "The French Connection") - a grandiose 10mins pursuit through New York.

4. Jaws (1975) dir. Steven Spielberg
And then there's "Jaws", featuring one of the most famous ad-libs in cinema, "We're gonna need a bigger boat". Scheider was Spielberg's original 'everyman' - a family man who's scared of the water and challenges his fears by hunting down the imposing and cunning 25ft great white shark. "Smile, you son of a b--"

5. Marathon Man (1976) dir. John Schlesinger
Roy Scheider could have done anything he wanted after "Jaws", and he probably got hundreds of disaster-film roles thrown his way. Instead he followed up the biggest film of all time for another supporting character role in John Schlesinger's "Marathon Man". Scheider plays Hoffman's sly brother and secret agent who uses him to track down Laurence Olivier's evil Nazi war criminal. It's one of his most underappreciated roles. Just watch the hand-to-hand fight scene in the hotel room and you'll see - like Jason Bourne, he's badass.

6. Sorcerer (1977) dir. William Friedkin
Everyone should see "Sorcerer". The film was labelled a flop in 1977, but for William Friedkin and Roy Scheider it's some of the best work for both artists. Scheider plays one of several desperate ex-pat criminals living in South America in self-imposed exile. Scheider leads a team to transport several crates of unstable nitroglycerin to blow up an oil well. Scheider is again soft-spoken but tough, dependable and trustworthy. But by the end he's driven to madness - "Sorceror" is an assault on your mind, body and spirit. A must see.

7. All that Jazz (1979) dir. Bob Fosse
Bob Fosse's autobiographical artist-gone-wild story is like "Fosse's 8 1/2" with Scheider as his Marcello Mastroianni alter ego. It's a fascinating surreal self-destructive performance channeling the crazed drug-fueled debaucherous adventures and dreams of Fosse's real life. Scheider deservedly received an Oscar nomination for his peformance.

8. Blue Thunder (1983) dir. John Badham
Though Scheider's 80's output wasn't packed with critical acclaim or blockbuster hits from the 70's, he was still a bankable leading man. "Blue Thunder" is not "The French Connection" but it's a wildly entertaining action thriller. With fine direction from John Badham Scheider helps elevate the film beyond the hook of the cool iconic helicopter and officer Frank Murphy a heroic underdog.

9. 52 Pick-Up (1986) dir. John Frankenheimer
One of the best crime dramas of the 80's is this fine, underrated John Frankenheimer classic. "52 Pick-Up" is a tight revenge thriller which sees Scheider the victim of a heinous act of blackmail. Elmore Leonard's wonderful twisting story and razor-sharp dialogue contributes to the melodrama, but it's the trio of superb lead performances, including Scheider, who hold it all together.

10. Naked Lunch (1991) dir. David Cronenberg
Scheider's last great film is a crafty supporting performance in Cronenberg's notorious surreal psychedelic nightmare. Scheider plays Benway a mysterious Doctor who prescribes a counteracting drug to help Judy Davis kick her drug habit. Like in "Marathon Man" it's a devious scene stealing performance.

Roy Scheider had a reputation for being one of the nice guys in Hollywood. A true professional, who despite his acclaim and celebrity respected his fellow actors and crew. Please pick one or more of these films and help celebrate the life and career of Roy Scheider.

THE SEARCHERS

The Searchers (1956) dir. John Ford
Starring: John Wayne, Jeffrey Hunter, Natalie Wood, Vera Miles, Ward Bond

****

“The Searchers” is one of the all-time great Westerns. It deserves the title because “The Searchers” personifies best the mythologized period of time that Hollywood perfected. Ironically it’s one of John Ford’s later pictures (he was in his early 60’s), but his age doesn’t show. It's mesmerizing Hollywood studio classic.

John Wayne plays Uncle Ethan, a Civil War vet with a nefarious past who has returned to his brother's home for food and shelter. The return of Ethan is a joyful occasion for the kids but a sore spot for his brother. Unexplained conflict between the brothers hints at a lifetime of domestic differences. But while out on a scouting mission the ranch is attacked an Indian war party, his family murdered and his niece Debbie is kidnapped. From here on in Ethan's life becomes focused on revenge. Ethan, along with his half-nephew Martin Pawlsey (Jeffrey Hunter), embark on a decade-long journey to find the kidnapped niece and avenge his brother's death.

Ethan Edwards is one of the all-time great anti-heroes. In the cinematic mythological West, law and order is a relative entity. Ethan can be a stubborn racist, but a noble gentleman with his own personal set of ethics and morals. For Ethan, considering the heinous crime committed against his family, any and all means of rescue is justified. Edwards is singular in his mission, his character is superior to anyone and everthing he comes across.

"The Searchers" is a fascinating film because of the length of its narrative timeline. Ford takes us up and down the span of the U.S. West, across desert, mountains, and snowy fields. By the end of the journey Debbie is 10 years older, no longer the innocent victim Martin knew. She has spent most of her life in the company of Ethan's sworn enemy. As a result she becomes the enemy to Ethan. So what is Ethan's motivation? To find and rescue Debbie, or exact his own personal revenge against a lifetime of battles against the Commanche?

I was privaleged to watch the film in High Definition on HD Net. It was a glorious experience - John Ford's elegent compositions never looked better. One of the best scenes is Ethan's first confrontation with the Commanche. Watch the staging and build up of the action as Ethan's party is tracked by the Commanche's war party silently from a ridge off in the background distance. Ford was a master of composition, and though it wasn't his first film shot in Monument Valley, he uses the landscape to greatest effect.

While John Wayne's immense screen presence and star power invigorates every scene he's in, arguably the weakest moments is the subplot involving Jeffrey Hunter's character. Over the course of his journey Martin develops and undevelops a relationship with his childhood sweetheart Laurie (Vera Miles). It's provides comic relief but it's often pedantic and distracting from the sharply focused journey.

And there's the opening and closing shots, which never cease to send shivers down my spine. If you haven't seen the film, they are two identical shots of John Wayne in the distance seen through a doorway. These two moments are enduring because of three key elements - 1) the frame within a frame composition which, despite the long shot focuses our attention on Wayne's tall and sturdy frame. 2) The strong wind which seems to carry Ethan away. 3) The somber Stan Jones tune "The Searchers" played by 'The Sons of the Pioneers'.

The politically incorrect 'Cowboys and Indians' story and John Wayne's much parodied performance can seem antiquated to modern-nave audiences. But any preconceptions will dissolve immediately once The Sons of the Pioneers start singing that graceful opening song and John Ford frames that magnificent opening shot. Enjoy.

Here's the fantasic opening:

30 DAYS OF NIGHT

30 Days of Night (2007) dir. David Slade
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Melissa George, Danny Huston, Mark Rendall

***1/2

“30 Days of Night” is a familiar story – a small isolated community shut in and invaded by a horde of bloodsucking zombie/vampires. After countless films on this subject it’s hard to believe this film could be made fresh and entertaining. But David Slade does just that.

The hook of this zombie film is that the town under invasion, Barrow Alaska, the northernmost city in the state, is stuck under cover of night for 30 days. It’s a geographical thing - being so far north the sun doesn’t rise and set in traditional hours of the day. During the month of darkness most of the town leaves for the south, but a few of them stay. One day a drifter (Ben Foster) walks into Barrow making trouble and ranting about a plague coming for the town. After some other strange occurrences the malevolent demons reveal themselves. Over the next 30 days a race of rabid vampire-zombies savagely kill the citizens of Barrow. Sheriff Eben Oleson (Josh Hartnett) leads a group of scared citizens against the onslaught.

“30 Days of Night” follows the familiar path of the genre. There’s the small group of survivors in an enclosed location with no escape; there’s the scene where a friend or family member has to be put down after being bitten by the demons; there’s the irrational old man who thinks hiding is a bad idea, leaves the security of the group and is horrifically killed; and there’s the debate of who will sacrifice themselves for the good of the town. These familiarities work because it’s clear the classic ‘zombie story’ has become a sustainable and enduring form of cinema-storytelling - like “The Odyssey” in literary storytelling.

Director David Slade doesn’t complicate the form and lets his fine actors sell the story to us. As he should Slade carefully builds suspense in the opening act by hiding the demons from us. Ben Foster, who teases us with his incoherent rambling, turns in another scene stealing performance. His performances in this and “3:10 to Yuma” remind me of the ‘Christian Bale disappearing-act’ method of acting. And it won’t be long before Foster is an A-lister too. The great character actor Danny Huston, is a pleasant surprise as the leader of the zombies. He doesn’t speak a word of dialogue other than a made-up language through which he communicates with his minions. But with a pale white face, giant black pupils and a set of sharp mangled teeth Huston becomes a truly menacing baddie.

The film gives us the violence we expect, and Slade makes it all fun and horrific. Not even children are spared the carnage. Guns are kept to a minimum. Instead Slade prefers the good old fashioned axe as his prima-weapon. Hartnett performs some evil and nasty headchoppings – not the clean and simple one-swipe lop offs either, but tough and brutal hackings.

It’s a great showcase film for David Slade (“Hard Candy”) who will soon be making bigger blockbusters in no time. He has a great eye for composition and editing. Watch the first big vampire attack set piece, which he shoots from a high helicopter angle above. It’s a fantastic and fresh way of visualizing a scene we’ve scene dozens of times before in movies.

An interesting contrast film to “30 Days of Night” is Frank Darabont’s “The Mist”. It’s a similar film with the same genre parameters, and even a talented filmmaker like Darabont couldn’t get away with diverging from the path. So in this case perhaps inexperience was Slade’s greatest ally.

“30 Days of Night” is available on DVD Feb 26 from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.

GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER

Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner (1967) dir. Stanley Kramer
Starring: Sidney Poitier, Spencer Tracy, Katherine Hepburn, Katherine Houghton

***1/2

The most acclaimed film of the new Sony Pictures’ Stanley Kramer Collection is the celebrated “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” - the story of an interracial couple who come home to announce their relationship to their parents. The film was nominated for multiple Oscars and winning two for Hepburn and writer William Rose. It was my first time watching the film and I was surprised by the deft writing and nuanced performances of the leads. I had pre-conceptions of the film as a heavy-handed statement of race relations, but the film avoids the blunt characterizations I expected.

Sidney Poitier shines as the charming doctor John Wade Prentice who approaches the meeting of their respective families with careful trepidation. The most important moments of the film are the opening 20 mins where he meets Joey’s mother Christina and father Matt for the first time. Every look, gesture and line is carefully thought out so as not to offend. But it's impossible to avoid Christina's initial shock of seeing her daughter's new boyfriend. Hepburn, who plays Christina, doesn't give us conflict for conflict's sake,. She is not confrontational, instead reserved and polite, which fits her character. Poitier plays the scene like an intelligent 37 year old mature adult would. Houghton, as the much younger Joey, plays the scene as a 23 year old girl in puppy love. The dynamic of these three characters in this scene is a marvel of intelligent acting. The over-the-top objections from Tillie, the black female caretaker, is unfortunately the weak spot in the dynamic.

The first half of the film is a four-hander as Matt (Spencer Tracy) and Christina wrestle with not only the shock of her daughter's new relationship, but the fact they want their approval for marriage. It's all too much to take for Matt, who is welcoming of John, but soon changes his mind when he realizes the difficulties Joey and her prospective children will have in the still heavily-racist society.

The third act brings in Dr. Prentice's parents in from Los Angeles for a dinner party. Unfortunately the additional characters don't change the dynamic and the film continues to sail along the same path as the first half. The film builds to a lengthy speech from Tracy who expounds on the situation and his personal ethics. It's like the closing arguments of trial (and Kramer's other classics with Tracy "Inherit the Wind" or "Judgment at Nuremburg"), but nothing is revealed that we didn't see coming the entire film.

"Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" is an important film which hasn't dated much since 1967. The issues are still relevent today - for any kind of discrimination. I think we can all relate to the characters and circumstances of the film. And at the very least, it features three of the great actors of our time - specifically Sidney Poitier who is in top form. Enjoy.

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment will be releasing a Stanley Kramer Collection - a fine box set of Kramer classics, which includes, "The Wild One", "Ship of Fools" and others. This is the first of a series of Kramer reviews. Enjoy.

TOOTSIE

Tootsie (1982) dir. Sydney Pollack
Starring: Dustin Hoffman, Jessica Lange, Teri Garr, Bill Murray, Dabney Coleman

****

“Tootsie” is one of the all-time great comedies – a high concept comedy that only uses it’s gimmick to grab our attention. After we’re hooked the film becomes a fascinating and hilarious character-piece about gender relations. As well, we’re given an accurate glance at the absurdity and high-pressure world of daytime television.

Dustin Hoffman plays Michael Dorsey, a struggling actor whose talent is preceded by his reputation for being difficult. He puts the art of acting above his needs to eat and survive. When he absolutely can’t get a job anywhere he seizes an opportunity to audition in drag for a soap opera. Under heavy makeup, tweezed eyebrows and a frumpy dress Dorsey creates Dorothy Michaels – an ideal of independent female empowerment – the exact personality the producers of the show were looking for. He gets the job, without realizing the commitment and potential dangers of his deception.

He falls in love with his co-star Julie (a most gorgeous and young Jessica Lange) and is then courted by her father (Charles Durning). Dorsey’s has to continue the rouse in his home life as well, because he got the part over his colleague/girlfriend Sandy (Teri Garr). During this time Dorothy’s liberating and sometimes improvisational performance makes her/him a national sensation. But with the lies compounding Dorsey has to make a decision to continue with the deception or not. The result is one of all-time great filmed climaxes.

Dustin disappears into Dorothy Michaels. The film would not work if he didn’t. Though Dorothy Michaels is not a gorgeous woman, Hoffman’s southern belle voice inflections, tippy-toe walking and dainty mannerisms sell the character. The film is not gag-heavy or laugh-out-comedy, it’s situation and character-based. It’s absurdist cinema told with straight reality.

The story is screenwriting perfection personified. It’s classic formal structure that hits the right beats and the time with maximum impact. Watch how in the final act Michaels’ plans spiral out of control. The subplots with each of the supporting character merge until his final and inspiring speech during the “live” soap episode reveals himself to everyone in the world at the same time. This scene is one of the great climax because of momentum and reaction. Pollack directs the scene so well, by placing Hoffman at the top of the staircase on the studio set and has him descend as the gradually confesses his secret. And continually cuts to everyone reactions before and after the reveal which amplifies the surprise. It’s a brilliant moment.

The film was made 1982 – and many of you may remember it as a Zeitgeist year of gender-switching films. Blake Edwards’ Victor Victoria was released that year as well. Dave Grusin’s time and place music was lively in 1982, but now is almost unbearably dated. The bouncing bass and 80’s saxophone in the “Go Tootsie Go” theme song is cringe-inducing. But look beyond these peripheral elements it’s a masterpiece underneath and will shine through.

It’s the 25th Anniversary of the film and Sony has released a new DVD. There‘s a fine near-feature lengthy documentary on the making of the film from start to finish. It’s better than your average doc because the lengthy and interviews with the actors and filmmakers examine in the depth the detailed development process of crafting the film. We see the step-by-step process of how a kernel of an idea from Dustin Hoffman grew into the screenplay and the ultimate a shot and edited film. The collaborative process should be a course in filmmaking 101 for students. I highly recommend picking this up. Enjoy.

"Tootsie: 25th Anniversary" is available on DVD from Sony Picture Home Entertainment

JANE AUSTEN BOOK CLUB

The Jane Austen Book Club (2007) dir. Robin Swicord
Starring: Emily Blunt, Maria Bello, Kathy Baker, Amy Brenneman, Maggie Grace

**

“The Jane Austen Book Club” tells the story of five women and one man who get together once a month to discuss the revered novels of the dame of relationships and romance Jane Austen. The film would certainly be enhanced if you knew the characters and situations of the Austen oeuvre, and though there’s enough explanation for naves like me to get it, I was sadly bored with the frustrating lives of these people.

The film is framed around the depressing life of 30-something Prudie Drummond. Her name is appropriate because she is the epitome of a cynical prude. She teaches high school French and expresses her snobby superiority by speaking French in the middle of conversations. She loathes her uber-guy boyfriend who seems to put his career of their relationship. And she also longs to bed one of her hunky teenage students. Instead of therapy she attends the Jane Austen Book Club. The other members of the club are more grounded – Bernadette (Kathy Baker) the 4 times married senior, Sylvia (Amy Brenneman) who’s recently been dumped by her husband for another woman, Allegra (Maggie Grace), a lesbian with a extreme-sports fetish, and Jocelyn (Maria Bello), a single woman who prefers the company of dogs to men.

As each book gets read the situations and characters give greater meaning to their lives. Like “Sex and the City” the women gather at a Starbucks to discuss their characters and comfort each other as their crises deepens. The runt of the group, which provides the most substance of plot is Grigg (Hugh Dancy) – an almost too perfect unattached catch. He’s hunky, got great hair, is a millionaire, makes his own eco-friendly cars, and loves of science-fiction novels – imagine a young Richard Branson meets Steve Jobs. Grigg is torn between Sylvia and Jocelyn. He dates them both, yet neither want to commit to him. It’s utterly implausible that Grigg would even spend more than an hour with these ladies, let alone spend 6 months with them – especially with the exhausting Prudie moping about. So Grigg serves the role of the Austen male – the Mr. Darcy or Christopher Brandon (I admit I had to look these names up).

I guess my main problem with the film were the reactions and actions of the characters to their situations. Though I’m not a woman, I think the audience should be able to put themselves in the shoes of the protagonist, in this case, at least one of the characters. And I couldn’t do it. Each characters seem not like the accessible Austen characters, but a manipulated version of them to create drama and conflict.

Granted, Prudie’s final decisive moments, where she receives a sign from the divine – “What would Jane do?”, was a great moment – well written and directed. We finally saw an emotional and conflicted choice, which allowed Prudie to grow and become a better person. Unfortunately the 90 minutes prior to this was to much tedium for me.

“The Jane Austen Book Club” is available on DVD from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

ACROSS THE UNIVERSE

Across the Universe (2007) dir. Julie Taymor
Starring: Evan Rachel Wood, Jim Sturgess, Joe Anderson

**

Julie Taymor, a unique visual artist, creates a musical framed by the great songs of the Beatles. It's ambitious story with a few innovative sequences, but unfortunately it's peppered against a dull narrative with two-dimensional unimaginative characters.

The film introduces Jude (Jim Sturgess) a Liverpudlian shipbuilder who travels to America to find the father he's never met. After he finds him working at Princeton University he makes friends with Max (Joe Anderson) a privaleged but rebellious youngster. Meanwhile, Max's sister Lucy (Evan Rachel Wood) back home in her boring old small town moves to New York City to hang with Jude and Max. The three of them bunk up in a communal bohemian apartment where they meet several other lost souls who will eventually 'find themselves amid the political turmoil of the 60's. A love story between Jude and Lucy takes over glued together by the power of the Beatles songs.

Taymor certainly captures the spirit of the Beatles music - peace, love, war, protest etc etc. But the narrative and characters that give birth to the musical sequences are just too on the nose and obvious. Imagine the opposite of "I'm Not There". Todd Haynes' film had the same desired result - a visualization of a great artist and his songs. Though I found Haynes' film too impenetrable to grasp the deep meaning of his life and music, "Across the Universe" is on the other end of the spectrum - a paint-by-numbers version.

There's a simplistic 'bullet-pointing' of the time period. There's a Vietnam War sequence feels rushed and pefunctory and the characters Sadie and Jojo who are too obviously look-alikes for Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix.

Julie Taymor is careful to craft each scene/song with it's own style whether it's the neon-lit bowling alley, the giant Lion King-esque puppets, dancing black-suited office workers on lunch etc. The one fundamental flaw is that the Beatles songs are so perfect and so cherished that I found the actor's cover versions uninspired.

"Across the Universe" is a film that looks better as a trailer than a feature length film - at 130 mins, it's way too long for what should be a short and sweet psychedelic musical.

"Across the Universe" is available on DVD from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.

Across the Univers...

ELIZABETH: THE GOLDEN AGE

Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007) dir. Shekar Kapur
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Clive Owen, Geoffrey Rush, Rhys Ifans

***

The Rotten Tomatoes rating for “Elizabeth: The Golden Age” stands at 34% - 45 points lower than its predecessor. Is the sequel that bad? It was unanimously trounced as soon as it premiered at TIFF last year. What gives? The film is definitely not bad, and in fact, it’s pretty good. Most certainly a worthy successor the great film of 1998.

Cate Blanchett deservedly received an Oscar nomination for her performance (rare for a sequel). She portrays Elizabeth as an older Queen brilliantly. Elizabeth is a different Queen from those tumultuous early years where she struggled against the Catholic authorities. The film is set between 1585 and 1588, the year of the famous defeat of the Spanish Armada – this would make Elizabeth 50 – and 30 years after the first film. Elizabeth still has not taken a husband and produced an heir. The evil Catholics are still conspiring against her – this time Mary Stuart (Samantha Morton), in exile in Scotland, is hoping to take the throne. The Spanish Empire, which, at the time, was more powerful than the British is assembling a massive navy force to take down the Brits for good and the rid world of her evil Protestant ways.

At the top of the film a rogue handsome gentleman sailor named Walter Raleigh fresh from the New World has claimed some riches from a Spanish gallion. Is he a pirate or a privateer working on behalf of the country? Elizabeth is attracted to Clive Owen’s rugged good looks and sends one of her ladies Elizabeth Throckmorton (Abbie Cornish) to watch over him. But Throckmorton and Raleigh fall in love thereby crushing Elizabeth’s soul.

The heart of the film is Elizabeth’s inability to give in to her carnal desires. Inwardly she sees love and yearning as a sign of weakness. And being a woman of older age, in her position, with enemies at the gates, the slightest weakness could spell the death of her country. Kapur and his design team cleverly dress and make Owen up to look like Joseph Fiennes whom you may remember played Elizabeth’s lover in the first film. Elizabeth was betrayed when she found out Fiennes' character was married. The memory of this betrayal is not spoken of overtly but is present in the subtext of the film.

The film looks fantastic - especially on HD DVD. Much of the film takes place inside the elegent Royal Palace, but in the final act we're treated to some fine action spectacle. Elizabeth dons some armour, channels the wrath of God and becomes Joan of Arc. It's unfortunate the real hero of the Armada defeat Sir Francis Drake is given only a brief few minutes of ineffectual screentime played by a forgettable unknown actor, but the star power of Clive Owen elevates the film to believable and entertaining cinema.

Shekar Kapur directs the film with his usual melodramatic flare. It's missing that 'surprise' factor which made the first "Elizabeth" so enjoyable, but it certainly bests the overwrought and unnecessary "Four Feathers". Ignore the critics and the Rotten Tomato ratings and rediscover "Elizabeth: The Golden Age". Enjoy.

"Elizabeth: The Golden Age" is available on DVD this week from Universal Home Entertainment.

Elizabeth: The Gol...

U2-3D

U2-3D (2008) dir. Catherine Owens, Mark Pellington

***

This film is difficult to review, because though the music, showmanship and cinema-treatment of U2’s massive Buenos Aires performance is magnificent on Imax 3-D I can’t help make this review a personal commentary on the 3-D medium which is becoming increasing popular.

The U2 3D concert film which made a big splash in Sundance is now available in many cities equipped with Imax screens. It’s a traditional concert film made thoroughly satisfying because of the fine selection of U2 songs played and performed brilliantly by the Irish super rockers. Choosing the South American Buenos Aires concert on the Vertigo tour was a great decision. The Argentinians are never sitting down, hands never in their pockets – instead they keep up an intense level of crowd appreciation for the entire 90mins.

3-D has always been marred as a gimmick of cinema, but now with 3-D versions of mainstream releases such as “Beowulf” and “Polar Express” and many films incorporating 3-D sequences into their films – “Superman Returns” and “Harry Potter” - the medium is on the cusp finally breaking out. Exclusively 3-D drama films are just around the corner and it seems James Cameron’s secret project will be the first.

Unfortunately I am still not completely satisfied with the results – including its use in the U2 film. My main problem with the viewing experience is the double-image or 'ghosting' which the process still hasn’t cracked. If you watch the film without the glasses on the image appears doubled or superimposed on top of each other. With the glasses on your two eyes are supposed to work together to create the 3-D image. But of all the 3-D films I’ve seen, I’ve never seen a truly sharp and pristine picture. Hopefully James Cameron has solved this problem, because in a concert the illusion is bearable, but as a dramatic feature it doesn't measure up.

The filmmakers tools will change as well. Wide-angle shots are enhanced by the 3-D process, while compressed long-lens shots appear flat. With the double-image problem dissolves can confuse the frame. In fact, in the U2 film directors Pellington and Owen rarely, if ever, use a straight cut in their film. This is a common technique for concerts films, but in the 3-D, it’s an unnecessary distraction. Ironically the best visual moments in U2-3D are when the cameras are pointed at the crowd. The depth created by the fans in the foreground against the thousands of people in the background create the most awesome images in the film.

U2 fans and fans of music in general should see the film for the fantastic music and new point-of-view into the concert experience. Movie fans should experience it to see the progression of the technology and where the future of big screen filmmaking is going – warts and all. Enjoy.

DFD One Year Anniversary

It's Feb 3rd, 2008 and Daily Film Dose turns one year old today! Thank you to everybody who reads and comments. I appreciate everyone's support. Since Feb 3, 2007 I almost managed the complete my task - a film review every day. There was one day I didn't get to post a review or essay - Dec 1st - the day I moved into my new house. But apart from that, it's been a review a day. The frequency will continue this year as well.

Thanks again,
Alan

WE OWN THE NIGHT

We Own the Night (2007) dir. James Gray
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Mark Wahlberg, Robert Duvall, Eva Mendes

***

“We Own the Night” was a headscratcher release from last year. It received a prestigious selection for competition at last year’s Cannes Film Festival – a rarity for an American genre film. Yet, in the Fall, James Gray’s film was buried in a brief theatrical release only to make back a pittance and quickly disappear at the box office. It’s a shame because, though it’s not “The Departed”, it’s a quality American crime film.

The film opens in a well-staged scene in a Brooklyn nightclub. The blaring Blondie music signals it’s the 80’s, when NYC was the crime capital of the country. Bobby Green (Joaquin Phoenix) manages the club, which is inhabited by the usual clubbers but also a ring of dangerous Russian gangsters. But Bobby comes from a family of cops – his brother Joe (Mark Wahlberg) is a ball-busting captain who comes into conflict over Bobby’s mob connections, and his father Bert (Robert Duvall) is a well-respected recent retiree from the force.

When Joe is attacked and almost killed by the Russians Bobby’s struggles with his allegiances. Bobby becomes an informant and goes undercover to take down the mob fulfilling his rightful place in his family.

“We Own the Night” feels like a good ol’ Sidney Lumet film – like “Prince of the City” or “Serpico”. Character reigns over plot and action. As well, I found similarities in the themes in “The Godfather”. “We Are the Night” is a film about family and the obstacles that divide them. Michael Corleone begins “The Godfather” as an innocent kid who eschews the gangster lifestyle of his family while Bobby Green rejects the family of cops that he was born into. It’s when tragedy strikes both families that they finally realize their true paths in life. Like the famous shooting of Vito Corleone, it’s Bobby’s brother Joe who is shot down, which allows Bobby to reconcile his differences with his family.

In the special features making of featurette, writer/director Gray says filmmaking is part truth, but also part spectacle. Everything about Bobby’s transition makes for truthful drama, especially with three fine actors playing the roles (Phoenix, Wahlberg, Duvall). What’s missing unfortunately is the ‘spectacle’ of “The Godfather”, or say, “The Departed.” The second half contains two set pieces of action and suspense (including a unique car chase in the rain), but there is no emotional climax which is needed to elevate the film to become one of the great crime films it aspires to be. After Bobby turns to become an informant, his character arc is essentially completed. There’s a minor reveal at the end about one of his close friends in the gangster world, but it doesn’t achieve the substantial drama we saw in the first half of the film. As a result, the film becomes more “Copland” than “The Departed”.

But considering the quick exit from the box office last year this film needs to find an audience on DVD. James Gray is a fine filmmaker, and it has been 7 years since his last film. This is a shame. Enjoy.

“We Own the Night” is available on DVD Feb 12 from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.

We Own the Night

GROUNDHOG DAY

Groundhog Day (1993) dir. Harold Ramis
Starring: Bill Murray, Andie McDowell, Chris Elliot

***1/2

“Groundhog Day” is a perfect film of its genre - a high concept comedy where the concept never trumps the comedy, story or characters. A self-obsessed weatherman has to relive the same tedious Groundhog Day in lame Punxsutawney PA over and over again. The film never gets too clever for itself and let’s Bill Murray’s sardonic personality lead the audience into his own personal day of hell.

The first act establishes Phil Connors (Bill Murray) a depressed and cynical weatherman who loathes his annual assignment of covering the Groundhog celebrations in Punxsutawney PA. It’s a demeaning chore for a man who dreams of hitting the big time and going ‘national’. His producer Rita (Andie McDowell) and cameraman Larry (Chris Elliot) are forced to suffer through Phil’s moping through out the day. But when a monster snowstorm hits (like the one we got yesterday in Toronto), Phil is forced to stay the night, but when he wakes up, it’s the same day as yesterday. Phil’s moves through the same steps as the day before, has the same conversations, with the same people – it’s his day of hell again.

Days pass, and it’s the same thing over and over again. After much thought, Phil’s dishonesty takes over and he starts using the timeloop to his advantage – stealing some money from some lazy security guards, bedding a local cougar etc. With each passing day he slowly falls in love with Rita – unfortunately with each day he has to start over again with his courtship. As the frustration mounts he comes to grip with his own personal frailties – the recognition of which will eventually allow him to escape his nightmare.

“Groundhog Day” resembles another time-capsule film, “It’s a Wonderful Life”. In fact, it’s the inverse of that film. Phil Connors is the opposite of George Bailey. George’s life was about altruistic giving, whereas Phil’s life was egotistical selfishness. Divine intervention strikes upon both characters in opposite ways. The angel Clarence allows George to see how his ‘wonderful’ life has contributed to the well being of everyone around him, and the unseen forces looking down upon Phil reveals his own malfeasance. The comparisons don’t go too much beyond that, but it would be an interesting double-bill of divinity.

Bill Murray is the ideal Phil Connors. He builds upon the despicable Frank Cross in 1988’s “Scrooge’d”. Bill, as usual, is dry and sardonic – reprehensible but lovable as well. Despite the high concept Murray and director Harold Ramis manage to put the cleverness away in the second half of the film and concentrate on a romance.

It’s a surprise the film turns into a romantic comedy, because Rita is kept largely out of the film in the first half. The second half is still heavily weighted toward Murray, but it only takes an infectious smile from McDowell to make the romantic connection to the audience.

The ending is an oddity, as Phil’s nightmare ends after he successful sleeps with Rita before the stroke of midnight. Was the purpose of the time-warp so Phil could find the right woman to make him a real man, or was it so he could conquer the unconquerable?

In any case, “Groundhog Day” is a perfect film for the February blahs – a month with nothing to really look forward to other than bad weather and shoveling snow. Enjoy.

A 15th Anniversary edition of “Groundhog Day” is available on DVD from Sony Picture’s Home Entertainment.