Written and directed by: Emilio Estevez
Starring: Martin Sheen, Emilio Estevez, Yorick Van Wageningen, Deborah Unger, James Nesbitt
The Way is a film about personal discovery. Very early in the film, Thomas Avery (Sheen), an upper-class ophthalmologist from California gets a call from French Authorities informing him that his free-wheeling son, Daniel (Estevez) was killed while walking along the Camino de Santiago. In case you have never heard of the Camino de Santiago, it's an Ancient pilgrimage trail that runs from France through Spain to The Cathedral of Santiago de Compestela. It is believed that the remains of the Apostle St. James are buried at this site. Tom travels to France to bring his deceased son home, and instead decides to take the pilgramage in honor of his son. Tom spreads his son's cremated remains along the way. While on his personal journey, Tom encounters three other travelers taking the same journey. There is Joost (Van Wageningen), a free-spirited Dutchman from Amsterdam, Sarah (Unger), a bitter chain-smoking Canadian, and Jack, a self-absorbed writer suffering from writer's block. By happenstance, the group travels together; each bringing their own dynamic to the story.
While the film has a mild religious undertone (Martin Sheen is a devout catholic by the way), it is not a religious film. The film is more of an inspirational story about personal discovery, no matter what one believes in spiritually. The on-location sets along the actual Camino de Santiago provide breath-taking scenery, and add to the authenticity of the film. The 80s lite-radio themed score can be a bit melodramatic, but it is easily overlooked. There are also a few scenes in the story that could have been more developed into the narrative. For instance, in one scene Tom loses his backpack in a river, but the scene just sort of dies out. However, the overall aspect of the film is still good in my opinion. As Estevez approaches the mid-century point in his life, I believe he is finding his niche as a writer, producer and director.
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011)
Directed by: Thomas Alfredson
Starring: Gary Oldman, John Hurt, Toby Jones, Colin Firth, Ciaran Hinds, Tom Hardy
Set in 1970s cold-war era, the thriller Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is about the search for a mole within the British Intelligence Service, MI6. After a bungled operation in Budapest, Agent George Smiley (Gary Oldman) is forced to retire from his post as second in command of the agency. When a low level British Operative by the name of Ricky Tarr (Hardy) surfaces with information about a woman he met in Istanbul, Smiley is brought out of retirement to help find the mole who is working as a double agent for the Soviets. Everyone in the British Intellegence Agency soon becomes suspect as the characters are introduced one by one. There are many Iconic British actors in the film; "Tinker" is Percy Alleline (Jones), "Tailor" is Bill Haydon (Firth), "Soldier" is Roy Bland (Hinds.) "Spy" is the one believed to be the double agent. The agency is run by a man who goes only by the name of "Control" (Hurt.)
While I liked the sets and the acting of the entire cast, the narrative of this film was confusing and very hard to follow. It probably helps to know that the screenplay for this film is based on a 1974 novel series written by French Novelist John Le Carre. The book was made into a 1979 BBC mini-series featuring Alec Guinness. I have not read the book or seen the original BBC series, but I am sure that both go into greater detail in explaining the entire story. The 127 minutes in this film was not enough to give the audience much to go on, and did nothing for me personally as the viewer.
Starring: Gary Oldman, John Hurt, Toby Jones, Colin Firth, Ciaran Hinds, Tom Hardy
Set in 1970s cold-war era, the thriller Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is about the search for a mole within the British Intelligence Service, MI6. After a bungled operation in Budapest, Agent George Smiley (Gary Oldman) is forced to retire from his post as second in command of the agency. When a low level British Operative by the name of Ricky Tarr (Hardy) surfaces with information about a woman he met in Istanbul, Smiley is brought out of retirement to help find the mole who is working as a double agent for the Soviets. Everyone in the British Intellegence Agency soon becomes suspect as the characters are introduced one by one. There are many Iconic British actors in the film; "Tinker" is Percy Alleline (Jones), "Tailor" is Bill Haydon (Firth), "Soldier" is Roy Bland (Hinds.) "Spy" is the one believed to be the double agent. The agency is run by a man who goes only by the name of "Control" (Hurt.)
While I liked the sets and the acting of the entire cast, the narrative of this film was confusing and very hard to follow. It probably helps to know that the screenplay for this film is based on a 1974 novel series written by French Novelist John Le Carre. The book was made into a 1979 BBC mini-series featuring Alec Guinness. I have not read the book or seen the original BBC series, but I am sure that both go into greater detail in explaining the entire story. The 127 minutes in this film was not enough to give the audience much to go on, and did nothing for me personally as the viewer.
Like Crazy (2011)
Directed by: Drake Doremus
Starring: Felicity Jones, Anton Yelchin, Jennifer Lawrence, Charlie Bewley
Anna (Jones) and Jacob (Yelchin) meet while seniors in college and fall deeply in love. The couple is faced with a dilemma after graduation because Anna is a London foreign exchange student and has to return home. They begin a long-distance romance that soon becomes even harder when Anna is not allowed back into the United States after over-staying her student visa. Jacob is entrenched in a furniture design business that he's now developed in Los Angeles, while Anna is stuck in the UK. Over a several year period the lovers have an on-again off-again relationship. Jacob travels back and forth to London to keep their love alive. During their times apart though, they both have relationships with other people; her with Simon (Bewley), he with Samantha (Lawrence.) In the end, they have to decide if their romance is worth trying to make a life together.
Writer/Director Drake Doremus in his 6th project behind the camera, gave the cast only a basic outline of what was to happen in each scene, and the actors improvised most of their dialogue. Jones and Yelchin do an excellent job of carrying out their work with flowing screen chemistry. A chair that Jacob designs and builds for Anna is a signature of the entire film. It is sturdy, yet fragile at the same time. Jacob also inscribes "Like Crazy" on the bottom of the chair...a signature of his love for Anna.
I liked this film for two reasons: raw unscripted acting, and a director who makes a film that leaves the viewer questioning how it really ends...does their love survive all that it has been through?
Starring: Felicity Jones, Anton Yelchin, Jennifer Lawrence, Charlie Bewley
Anna (Jones) and Jacob (Yelchin) meet while seniors in college and fall deeply in love. The couple is faced with a dilemma after graduation because Anna is a London foreign exchange student and has to return home. They begin a long-distance romance that soon becomes even harder when Anna is not allowed back into the United States after over-staying her student visa. Jacob is entrenched in a furniture design business that he's now developed in Los Angeles, while Anna is stuck in the UK. Over a several year period the lovers have an on-again off-again relationship. Jacob travels back and forth to London to keep their love alive. During their times apart though, they both have relationships with other people; her with Simon (Bewley), he with Samantha (Lawrence.) In the end, they have to decide if their romance is worth trying to make a life together.
Writer/Director Drake Doremus in his 6th project behind the camera, gave the cast only a basic outline of what was to happen in each scene, and the actors improvised most of their dialogue. Jones and Yelchin do an excellent job of carrying out their work with flowing screen chemistry. A chair that Jacob designs and builds for Anna is a signature of the entire film. It is sturdy, yet fragile at the same time. Jacob also inscribes "Like Crazy" on the bottom of the chair...a signature of his love for Anna.
I liked this film for two reasons: raw unscripted acting, and a director who makes a film that leaves the viewer questioning how it really ends...does their love survive all that it has been through?
Friday, February 3, 2012
A Separation (2011)
Directed by: Asghar Farhadi
Starring: Peyman Maadi, Leila Hatami, Sarina Farhadi, Sareh Bayat
Nader (Maadi) and Simin (Hatami) are a middle class couple faced with a difficult decision. After waiting for months they are granted permit to leave the country. Simin wants to move from Iran so they can raise their 11 year old daughter, Termeh (Farhadi) in a safe place. Nader refuses to leave because of his ailing father, who is suffering from Alzheimer's disease. Out of options, Simin files for a divorce. In a country where women have little or no custodial rights in a divorce, she won't move away without her daughter. With his wife moved out of the house, Nader hires a caretaker named Razieh (Bayat) to help care for his ill father. Nader suspects Razieh of abusing his father, and also accuses her of being a thief; violence then erupts between the two. The narrative then twists and turns through issues of morality, religion, gender, and socio/economic classes.
This film is an eye-opener into how the way things work in the Iranian legal system. The film shows that in Iran one can accuse another of a crime, sign a complaint with the court, then have that person prosecuted by a judge. No lawyer, no jury or trail...just one person's word against another, with the judge being the only one to decide the outcome. However, if one has the means, the accusing party can be paid-off to make the whole case go away. This film also brings to light how religion plays a big part in how things are decided and played out in modern day Iran.
Powerful performances by the entire cast make this film a top Oscar contender for best foreign language film this year.
Starring: Peyman Maadi, Leila Hatami, Sarina Farhadi, Sareh Bayat
Nader (Maadi) and Simin (Hatami) are a middle class couple faced with a difficult decision. After waiting for months they are granted permit to leave the country. Simin wants to move from Iran so they can raise their 11 year old daughter, Termeh (Farhadi) in a safe place. Nader refuses to leave because of his ailing father, who is suffering from Alzheimer's disease. Out of options, Simin files for a divorce. In a country where women have little or no custodial rights in a divorce, she won't move away without her daughter. With his wife moved out of the house, Nader hires a caretaker named Razieh (Bayat) to help care for his ill father. Nader suspects Razieh of abusing his father, and also accuses her of being a thief; violence then erupts between the two. The narrative then twists and turns through issues of morality, religion, gender, and socio/economic classes.
This film is an eye-opener into how the way things work in the Iranian legal system. The film shows that in Iran one can accuse another of a crime, sign a complaint with the court, then have that person prosecuted by a judge. No lawyer, no jury or trail...just one person's word against another, with the judge being the only one to decide the outcome. However, if one has the means, the accusing party can be paid-off to make the whole case go away. This film also brings to light how religion plays a big part in how things are decided and played out in modern day Iran.
Powerful performances by the entire cast make this film a top Oscar contender for best foreign language film this year.
Water For Elephants (2011)
Directed by: Francis Lawrence
Starring: Hal Holbrook, Robert Pattinson, Reese Witherspoon, Christoph Waltz
The story is told as a flashback by an old man named Jacob (Holbrook) who is trying to get a job with a circus, present day. The plot takes place back during the depression in 1931 when as a young man (Pattinson) Jacob loses both of his parents in a car accident. He drops out of Cornell University's veterinary school and wanders aimlessley in search of a job and a new life. He hops aboard a train that just so happens to be a circus train. The circus owner, August (Waltz) is prepared to throw him off the train untill he learns that young Jacob has a talent for veterinary medicine. Jacob immediately becomes infatuated with the star of the show, Marlena (Witherspoon) who also happens to be August's wife. Marlena soon has mutual feelings for Jacob. In an era when times are tough, and jobs are few, the circus is in trouble of being shut down after losing it's main attraction, a horse. August purhcases an aged elephant named Rosie in hopes of reviving the circus. With Jacob training Rosie, and Marlena riding her, the circus succeeds in bringing the crowds.
The narrative then begins to unfold a tale of forbidden romance between Jacob and Marlena, and the tyrannical ways of the circus owner, August. Much like his role of a merciless Nazi in Inglourious Basterds (2009), Waltz uses the same characteristics of a leader with an iron fist. His radiant charm hides his true cold hearted ways. He knows more of what's going on between his wife and Jacob than what he leads to believe. When he finally does let Jacob and Marlena know that he has discovered their romance, the scene is eerily reminiscent to the opening scene in Inglourious Basterds when Col. Hans Landa lets the farmer know that he knows that he's harboring Jewish refugees. I won't spoil it for you, but the fate of the circus and its owner takes a turn after the romance of Jacob and Marlena comes to light.
This PG-13 film is good, wholesome family entertainment. In an era of CGI and pre-fabricated special effects, it's nice to see a film come along that gets back to basics; a good story, made with real people on real sets.
Starring: Hal Holbrook, Robert Pattinson, Reese Witherspoon, Christoph Waltz
The story is told as a flashback by an old man named Jacob (Holbrook) who is trying to get a job with a circus, present day. The plot takes place back during the depression in 1931 when as a young man (Pattinson) Jacob loses both of his parents in a car accident. He drops out of Cornell University's veterinary school and wanders aimlessley in search of a job and a new life. He hops aboard a train that just so happens to be a circus train. The circus owner, August (Waltz) is prepared to throw him off the train untill he learns that young Jacob has a talent for veterinary medicine. Jacob immediately becomes infatuated with the star of the show, Marlena (Witherspoon) who also happens to be August's wife. Marlena soon has mutual feelings for Jacob. In an era when times are tough, and jobs are few, the circus is in trouble of being shut down after losing it's main attraction, a horse. August purhcases an aged elephant named Rosie in hopes of reviving the circus. With Jacob training Rosie, and Marlena riding her, the circus succeeds in bringing the crowds.
The narrative then begins to unfold a tale of forbidden romance between Jacob and Marlena, and the tyrannical ways of the circus owner, August. Much like his role of a merciless Nazi in Inglourious Basterds (2009), Waltz uses the same characteristics of a leader with an iron fist. His radiant charm hides his true cold hearted ways. He knows more of what's going on between his wife and Jacob than what he leads to believe. When he finally does let Jacob and Marlena know that he has discovered their romance, the scene is eerily reminiscent to the opening scene in Inglourious Basterds when Col. Hans Landa lets the farmer know that he knows that he's harboring Jewish refugees. I won't spoil it for you, but the fate of the circus and its owner takes a turn after the romance of Jacob and Marlena comes to light.
This PG-13 film is good, wholesome family entertainment. In an era of CGI and pre-fabricated special effects, it's nice to see a film come along that gets back to basics; a good story, made with real people on real sets.
Thursday, February 2, 2012
The other "F" Word (2011)
What happens when a punk rocker from the 1980s becomes a father and a family man in the new millennium? Director Andrea Blaugrund explores that very issue. This documentary film interviews a wide variety of punk rockers like Flea, from The Red Hot Chil Peppers, Fat Mike from NOFX, Lars Fredericksen, from Rancid, Art Alexakis from Everclear, even world-famous pro skater, Tony Hawk, among a host of others. The majority of the film however, focuses on punk rock veteran Jim Lindberg, of Pennywise. Married for 21 years, Jim struggles with maintaining his punk image of "anti-authority," while trying to be a husband and father to his three beautiful young daughters. The grueling tour schedule begins to take a toll on Jim, and he decides to make a change.
The film also explores how none of the punk rockers interviewed really got into the music scene to become rich and famous, instead got into it as a way to rebel against authority and "the system." They are all for the most part, far from rich today, and appear to more of a "working class" brand of musician, struggling to make ends meet and raising a family. Lindberg summed it pretty well when he stated that out of necessity, he HAD to make money to support his family. He made money the only way he knew how, and that was with his music. In turn, he found himself becoming a part of "the system" he rebelled against in his youth.
I identified with this film because I am a product of the 1980s myself. I was a huge fan of a lot of the punk rockers interviewed in this short (100 minute) documentary film. It's very interesting to see that these guys are all human like the rest of us; greying and balding, rapidly approaching or in some cases past the point of middle age. Most of these punk rockers were raised in broken homes or with absent fathers, and the film shows how they are trying their best to see that their children are raised with love and affection, unlike they were. Perhaps raising good kids is a better way to change the world instead of rebelling against it.
The film also explores how none of the punk rockers interviewed really got into the music scene to become rich and famous, instead got into it as a way to rebel against authority and "the system." They are all for the most part, far from rich today, and appear to more of a "working class" brand of musician, struggling to make ends meet and raising a family. Lindberg summed it pretty well when he stated that out of necessity, he HAD to make money to support his family. He made money the only way he knew how, and that was with his music. In turn, he found himself becoming a part of "the system" he rebelled against in his youth.
I identified with this film because I am a product of the 1980s myself. I was a huge fan of a lot of the punk rockers interviewed in this short (100 minute) documentary film. It's very interesting to see that these guys are all human like the rest of us; greying and balding, rapidly approaching or in some cases past the point of middle age. Most of these punk rockers were raised in broken homes or with absent fathers, and the film shows how they are trying their best to see that their children are raised with love and affection, unlike they were. Perhaps raising good kids is a better way to change the world instead of rebelling against it.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Bellflower (2011)
Written and Directed by Evan Glodell
Starring: Evan Glodell, Tyler Dawson, Jessie Wiseman
Woodrow (Glodell) and Aiden (Dawson) are two slacker buddies living in Southern California. They are unemployed, and have no one else in their lives but each other. They fill their days trying to build a flamethrower and a souped-up hot rod that belches fire. They believe that some form of an imaginary gang by the name of "Mother Medusa" will form up, which they will lead. Both are obsessed with post-apocalyptic life similar to their favorite film, Mad Max (1979.) They think that if they can build the car and flame thrower, they can travel like wild banshees and live free in a post-apocalyptic world. Woodrow then meets a girl named Hilly (Jessie Wiseman), they have some good times, fall in love, then she breaks his heart. The story then turns into a twisted tale of revenge. Woodrow and Aiden spiral out of control, each on a path of self-destruction. Or was the whole thing just a dream?
A film like this shows what an independent filmmaker can do with a $17,000 budget, and then turn that into a six figure profit. The cinematography is gritty and raw, but adds to the dark element to the film. The original score fits perfectly into a film like this as well. Though the narrative bounces back and forth, and seems a little confusing at times, it's actually an enjoyable film to watch. While the acting abilities of the cast aren't the greatest, and the plot is "way out there," it doesn't really matter. I liked it for the sheer fact that this film isn't what you would "normally" go to see at the theater. The story isn't all "neat and pretty" and you probably wouldn't go and show it to your kids. But, it's art and it's entertaining to consenting audiences. If Glodell can take $17,000 and turn that into a profit, what would he do if he had a blockbuster budget? The possibilities for this young director are endless...
Starring: Evan Glodell, Tyler Dawson, Jessie Wiseman
Woodrow (Glodell) and Aiden (Dawson) are two slacker buddies living in Southern California. They are unemployed, and have no one else in their lives but each other. They fill their days trying to build a flamethrower and a souped-up hot rod that belches fire. They believe that some form of an imaginary gang by the name of "Mother Medusa" will form up, which they will lead. Both are obsessed with post-apocalyptic life similar to their favorite film, Mad Max (1979.) They think that if they can build the car and flame thrower, they can travel like wild banshees and live free in a post-apocalyptic world. Woodrow then meets a girl named Hilly (Jessie Wiseman), they have some good times, fall in love, then she breaks his heart. The story then turns into a twisted tale of revenge. Woodrow and Aiden spiral out of control, each on a path of self-destruction. Or was the whole thing just a dream?
A film like this shows what an independent filmmaker can do with a $17,000 budget, and then turn that into a six figure profit. The cinematography is gritty and raw, but adds to the dark element to the film. The original score fits perfectly into a film like this as well. Though the narrative bounces back and forth, and seems a little confusing at times, it's actually an enjoyable film to watch. While the acting abilities of the cast aren't the greatest, and the plot is "way out there," it doesn't really matter. I liked it for the sheer fact that this film isn't what you would "normally" go to see at the theater. The story isn't all "neat and pretty" and you probably wouldn't go and show it to your kids. But, it's art and it's entertaining to consenting audiences. If Glodell can take $17,000 and turn that into a profit, what would he do if he had a blockbuster budget? The possibilities for this young director are endless...
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