Review: "Watchmen" (2009): Grade: B+

Watchmen (2009): B+

Note: I'm giving this film a B+ as a film and not as an adaptation even though I've read the source material twice.

I've had a lot of time to mull over this film. I had been highly anticipating it but I did not go in expecting much to be honest because I did not want to hype myself up too much. Basically what we get here is a huge array of quality here. Some aspects are incredible, some good, some not so good and some atrocious. Overall though I really truly am of the opinion that this is way more than I ever would have expected for an adaptation of this source material. I think people are failing to understand how lucky they are to have as many elements of this film come together the way they do. What Zack Snyder got away with is incredible to me. He does so many things that are contradictory to what the studio most likely wanted and the film that we could have gotten would have been extremely awful had they followed the lengths that studios go to be accessible. So while others rip this film apart because they have nothing better to do with their lives let me say that is could have been a thousand other films; all bad. The Paul Greenrass version which was in preproduction at some point by the way would have had a film that takes place in the present day. The cast that they got together on this is better than anything I could have hoped for and normally an entirely a-list group of actors would have come together on this but instead we got a group of character actors who let us slip into the world more easily instead of us saying "oh look thats Jude Law playing Ozymandias". Then we get to keep the R Rating. We get to keep the alternate history. We get to keep the length time which is incredible to me that it gets to be this long. Also...it is word for word taken from the source material. Its insane. Some think this is a flaw and in some places it is but honestly just as a fan it is extremely satisfying to see something like this exist. Snyder gets so much right here. So much.

I'll say it right here and right now. "The Dark Knight" may be an altogether better film (although even I am not so sure) but I sure as hell enjoyed this film more than "The Dark Knight". The problems I have with this film are substantial in size but small in number.

The Bad:

I carry major issues with the ending. Not with the squid. Who gives a shit about the squid. I am happy they took it out. It would have been ridiculous. But by changing it to Dr. Manhattan it gives him a reason to leave instead of it being completely his choice at the end which is different. So his character motivations change drastically because of this. Also it does not make the attack completely anonymous. It makes it traceable and I feel that it makes the idea of the world uniting under a cause to be a bit flimsy.

While they kept the destruction of New York City intact that is basically all they keep. The fact that it happens. The tone of it is completely different though. You barely see the destruction. The heaviness and vastness of the event that takes place at the end of the graphic novel barely registers here. It feels like the equivalent of maybe a couple of hundred people dying and not New York City. It should have felt a lot heavier. Snyder not once cops out on the violence but here he actually does. I want to feel like I just lost that city. Even in a fictional story. I want to feel that in some way. I did not. I wanted him to move "Sounds of Silence" to this portion of the film and play the song in full with the visuals being the deaths of all of these people. That would have been incredible. In a film that takes inues for a sex scene you would think the elimination of New York City would get some screen time. But it does not. The studio does not want you to feel like it happened. That and Snyder fucked up big time. When Laurie and Dr. Manhattan observe the rubble its just rubble. No bodies. None of it held much weight for me and if I am watching a 3 hour film that is absurdly faithful to its source material and is mostly really great for the rest of it I expect it to not cop out for the pessimistic finish. But they do. I did not FEEL it. And that sucked. The film drops the ball on the end.

As did the last scene with Dan and Laurie and Sally. Oh everyone is so happy. And I'm sorry but penis problems do not just disappear like that especially when you add on the destruction of New York City and the fact that they know who really did it. Apparently that gives them a great sex life. Well whoop de do. Lame as hell. And the reconciliation with Sally and Laurie made me feel like I was watching a soap opera.

Also the 2 seconds of the MCR "Desolation Row" in the film. Its much less than I expected but it still meant I was forced to listen to it as I attempted to crush peoples' heads in an effort to get out of the building so my brain would not fry from musical abomination.

Also I had an issue with Laurie and Dan so violently defending themselves when they get mugged. They kill everyone. Its ridiculous because it makes Rorschach's violence completely acceptable by comparison and you are not supposed to feel that way. There is also a scene with Dr. Manhattan killing people at a club who pull guns on him. And first of all who would be that stupid? Second of all he explodes them when he does not have to. So while the Comedian's actions remain appropriately horrific, Rorschach's become so much more commonplace because of the violence that Dan, Laurie and Dr. Manhattan needlessly employ. You are supposed to get the feeling Rorschach goes too far and you do to an extent but not enough.

Those are the major issues. My minor ones are that I felt that Carla Gugino's makeup as an older Sally was awful. I hated the Richard Nixon they got and the makeup they put on him. This is a problem I have with the graphic novel as well but Laurie's character just does not hold up to the rest of them. Its like Alan Moore decided because he apparently does not know how to write a woman character that "I'll just give her mommy issues".

Also the "Hallelujah" sex scene was hilariously awful. Oh my God. Poor Leonard Cohen. Poor me. As a huge Leonard Cohen fan it was tragic to see what Snyder did to the song. The scene was shot well but the music choice could have been better because it was the worst scene I have seen in a movie since "The Happening". Yeah; I went there. But Snyder gets huge props for using the original Cohen version instead of going with the much more widely used Jeff Buckley version or even the Rufus Wainwright version. He showed a much appreciated faithfulness to the Cohen even though it was completely misguided.

The Good and the Beautiful and Perfect:

Pretty much the rest of it I loved. Even though a lot of the impact is lost on the amount of time that has gone by since the book was written, the alternate history held up pretty well. I think the film could have had a more consistent energy to it and I saw the potential for greatness in a lot of places where I saw goodness but getting to see this adaptation made me so happy and was generally so satisfying.

The attention paid to faithful detail in this is remarkable and I cannot get over how impressed I am with what Zack Snyder accomplished. I thought he captured the feel of the source material in a lot of places. I thought the lok of it was perfect. I loved the effects. Keeping the dialogue so exact was astonishing to watch. He touched upon the themes of the book and definitely addressed the issues.

I was unsure how to feel about Malin Akerman and Matthew Goode after seeing it. I definitely do not think Akerman is as bad as everyone seems to think she is. I think she has a stylized way of delivering lines that is more reminscent of Classical Hollywood acting and does not neccesarily match with today's more naturalistic style of acting. And she is the weak link but she has a lot of presence and I thought that made up for a lot of what people seem to percieve as bad acting instead of what I percieve which is an adequate performance surrounded by much better performances. Matthew Goode I thought brought a different quality to Ozymandias than it did on the book. I did not see him as quite so effeminate. In the film an issue is that I did not believe he was the smartest man in the world. He came off as a schmuck who likes to think he is the smartest man in the world. But he again carried the presence and had an interesting and fascinating line delivery at times. His face when Nite Owl was beating the shit out of him at the end basically made for my favorite moment in the performance.

The rest of the performances completely nailed it in my opinion. Patrick Wilson has been one of my favorite actors for a while now ever since seeing him in "Angels in America". I have a massive crush on this man. I've pretty much seen the majority of his film work at this point. His Dan was appropriately dweeby and mundane. His mannerisms were perfect and my favorite moment with him was right when Rorschach leaves after the first time he visits and Dan sits down and takes his glasses off right next to the suit. This was one of those moments of everything coming together perfectly to capture the feel of a panel. The music, shot, body language, everything. I liked the way he played his friendship with Rorschach as well. Because its one of my favorite aspects of the source material.

Jeffrey Dean Morgan. Another person I'm already a huge fan of. His work on "Supernatural" was fantastic. This man carries an immense presence with him. He brings that presence to this film. He is appropriately despicable but I still love him strictly on a character basis and his scene with Moloch brings a weird slight sense of momentary empathy to him. This is one of three perfect performances the film has.

The second would be Billy Crudup as Dr. Manhattan. Holy shit. Incredible. What he does with the character goes way beyond what I could have expected. The decision to make him soft spoken is beautiful and it is his voice that made me officially decide on Jon being my favorite character from this story. Instead of giving him a lame loud booming voice, Crudup gives him a gentle distant monotonous one. Because its the same voice he had when he was human which makes sense. Then he makes the voice distant sounding which completely goes along with Jon's distance from humanity and disconnect from it. You feel it in his voice. It gave Jon a poetic and hypnotic quality to him that I found endlessly fascinating. I am obsessed with this performance.

And of course the performance everyone is obsessed with and rightfully so; Jackie Earle Haley as Rorschach. The only way I describe it is perfection. I read a quote from a review that summed it up perfectly and I will let her words speak for me: "It's one of those wonderful collisions of actor and part where God seemingly set a man's atoms in motion so he could tumble through life and land in front of this camera in this costume." Its so true. This performance is ridiculous(in a good way obviously). I have never or very rarely seen a character go from book to screen with the kind of perfection this one did. I have loved Jackie Earle Haley since I saw him in "Little Children" (which also starred Patrick Wilson coincidentally and Kate Winslet for that matter where Patrick and Kate have a much more effective sex scene than the one in this movie). Haley was nominated for an Oscar for his perforamance in this film, had a major shot at winning and lost to the infinitely inferior performance of Alan Arkin in "Little Miss Sunshine". I am convinced he lost because Oscar voters did not feel comfortable putting the checking a performance off of someone who is playing a paedophile. His performance in that film is in my opinion one of the top 5 greatest performances of the decade. The hardest and most uncomfortable performance I've seen this decade as well. He makes the film physically hard to get through. So when I heard he was cast as Rorschach I immediately was ecstatic. Oh my God I am also obsessed with this performance. His prison scenes could not have been better. The scene where he injures a fellow inmate in the lunch line and then says "I'm not locked in here with you. You're locked in here with me" was explosive. Seriously I almost exploded with glee. His death scene was perfect as well. I cannot say enough about how incredible and surreal it was to see this performance come out of this movie.

All of the secondary people were great too; Hollis Mason, Moloch, the psychiartrist, etc. My personal favorite of the secondary people was Laura Mennell who played Janey Slater. Everything just came together with her for me.

I was happy to see that Zack Snyder's obsessive need to stay faithful meant that he did not cop out on any of the male nudity. Yes it was only for a need to stay faithful but it showed me the potential every film has to treat nudity with fairness and graciousness and it was a refreshing change to the unbalanced bullshit implanted because 99.9% of media is filtered through the male gaze. And while it still is here, its a balanced gaze and not the shit that takes place everywhere else you look

The other thing I love about the film was the soundtrack both score wise and song wise. Tyler Bates has the perfect amount of 80's feel to the score without going overboard with it. And it has an atmospheric quality at times that I loved.

The songs used in the film outside of "Hallelujah" and "Desolation Row" were superb and weird and great. I know people are complaining about some of them and a few were questionable but while I was watching the film I was thinking this is way more interesting than typical instrumental tracks. It broke things up a bit and I liked that. "I'm Your Boogie Man" was so awesome. So awesome. "The Sounds of Silence" is my favorite song of all time so hearing that was basically like my dream. I would have paid the 10 dollars just for that minute and a half scene. Nat King Cole's "Unforgettable" gave the Comedian's death a haunting and actually beautiful quality to it as choreograph based and violent as it was. It was the best action based scene in the film. But there are obviously two song usages that stand out for me. One is the best opening credits sequence that again I've seen in years and the other was the best part of the film and one of my all time favorite sequences in a film ever ever ever. If I see a better scene in 2009 I'll be surprised.

Using "The Times They Are A Changin" may have been a bit obvious but it turns out that these opening credits give a feel for how grand the scope of the film is and it manages to perfectly and I mean perfectly and brilliantly fit in the history of the Minutemen and of history in general in a series of semi still moments set to the Dylan song. Its my favorite Dylan song so this scene was already a mindblow to me as it was. The scene could have been a black screen with the credits set to the song and I would have been in heaven. But my god what Zack Snyder accomplishes here is nothing short of miraculous. His opening credits scene in "Dawn of the Dead" using "The Man Comes Around" by Johnny Cash was already one for the books but this one tops it. My favorite semi still in the scene is the one with Sally's retirement party and she is pregnant and the way her and the Comedian are looking at each other was subtle and great. This scene is a tour de force.

But there is another scene in "Watchmen" which was honestly the best solid chunk of 10 minutes I've seen in a movie since.....I do not even know when. Speaking from a subjective point of view I actually enjoyed Dr. Manhattan's origin story sequence more than I enjoyed any 10 minute chunk of a film from 2008. Yeah, I said it. First of all when they used Philip Glass' score from "Koyanissqatsi" in the trailer I flipped my lid. This score is a stunning. So then Snyder uses it in the film. For Jon's backstory. This is a masterpiece of the scene. The way he skips around time just like in the comic. Billy Crudup's voice when he speaks combined with this music is unlike anything I could have ever hoped for from this film. It is the only sequence in the film that adds something to the source material. It actually elevates the panels. I felt like I was floating when I watched this. I have not gotten this feeling from anything since I watched "Mulholland Drive". That is a film that has changed my perception of what film can and should strive towards doing. It taught me to emphasize my admiration for a film much less on the story as an but on what a director can achieve with pure feeling and atmosphere. This scene captured all of that for me. And I applaude Zack Snyder and Billy Crudup and Philip Glass for his score in the first place. Snyder showed me a light touch of genius by using "Pruit Igoe" and "Prophecies" from Philip Glass' "Koyannisqatsi" score. This scene took me and put me into an almost literal 10 minute trance. His line reading of "They are shaping me into something gaudy" is haunting me right now. The despair and passivity carried in the voice is beautiful.

Another moment that stood out for me was Dan's dream which I felt was really well done and I am impressed Snyder had the guts to tackle it.

When I think of the problems I had with the film I get a little concerned. But I get more concerned because they got so much of the film right so it had the potential to carry more power. But when I think of all of the abominable things this film could have been I start to think of the end product as a minor miracle. Its not the source material, it never as going to be, I knew that from the start. It does not hold the significance or emotional power. The urgency of it is lost. But so much of it is there. You know what? This is actually a pretty damn impressive work for the most part.

Review: Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About his Father

Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About his Father (2008) (Documentary)

Grade: A-

This is the most depressing and gut wrenching documentary I have ever seen. Never in my life have I sobbed like this during a documentary. The pure emotion that is contained in this film is something to behold. The film has flaws. Its totally biased and makes no effort to even be in the slightest objective. But for me in this case it does not matter. The film was made by the very good friend of Andrew Bagby who had been shot to death 5 times by his ex girlfriend Shirley Turner. She has a son Zachary that is Andrew's. Kate and David are Andrew's parents and they want to raise the kid themselves instead of letting their son's murderer raise him who fled the country and is now walking free in Canada her home country. The film follows Kate and David's experience trying to gain custody of Zachary as well as interviews with tons of people who knew Anthony. Kurt the filmmaker has pure rage and wants to give you as much high voltage emotion as possible so you can feel what everyone in the film feels. You feel like you know ANthony as a person by the end and you hate it that he is dead. Absolutely hate it. It breaks you. You want to hug Kate and David who go through so much in the course of this film and who are truly incredible people. And then something happens as Kurt is making this film. Something horrible that cuts you to pieces and I'm still trying to put myself back together.

I liked the fast way it was edited together because I felt that it served the purposes of Kurt very well. He's not looking for a slow experience. He wants to overflow you with the emotions and try to put the unaware viewer as closely aligned with what these people are feeling as possible. He want us to feel the passion and love that everyone had for Anthony. And to see the scope of how many people loved him because so many people did. Its a film about emotion and anger and sadness and because the filmmaker is first hand strongly connected to the subject matter, with other films this might cause some problems objectively but here it helps the film and gives it a life that most documentaries do not have because they are too busy trying to be unbiased. The iflm makes no attempt to excuse Turner for her actions, frankly nor should it. I would have liked to learn more about her and her problems and it sucked learning that she has kids at the end of the film and seeing that they were not interviewed about what she was like. Why? Because Kurt, Kate, David and anyone watching the film who knew Anthony do not give a shit about Shirley and her issues. They hate her. And considering what happens later in the film....jesus.

So in conclusion another documentary from 2008 that is better than "Man on Wire". One that is not perfect from an objective point of view but in a way if they had fixed these errors, the film would be more flawed. So in a way its perfect. It is the rare case in which a documentary that relies on pure emotion and subjectiveness is all the better for it. Bring a couple of boxes of tissues to this film.....Seriously. You will sob. And if you don't cry than you are inhuman as another reviewer wrote of the people watching this film.

Comments on Academy Awards 2009

Comments on the Oscars 2009!!

Overall I was delighted with the ceremony itself. It was a little cornball but it always is. I thought Hugh Jackman was fantastic. He is just adorable. "I'm Wolverine!". I loved the opening number. I thought the "Musical's back" number was a little much and also really random. But not bad. I loved the way the awards were presented although I would have liked clips from the acting awards. Also instead of lots of people saying thank you for the montage on who has won I felt that lots of clips from the actual preformances would have been more inspiring and less self serving. Loved the short Judd Apatow film. Loved the genre montages. Loves the stage setup so so so so so much. Tina Fey and Steve Martin were great as was Ben Stiller in his Joaquin Pheoniz spoof.

Basically though there were no shockers last night. The only one was the loss of "Waltz with Bashir" losing to "Departures" which I felt in my gut and did not go with so while it was a surprise, anyone intensely following the Oscars as I have would have heard the case for why that film might have stolen it which it did. And I really felt that Sean Penn would be taking it home for a while now so that came as expected for me. I am happy he won even though I think Rourke deserved it. He really did an incredible job. Dustin Lance Black's speech was very moving. Kate Winslet has finally won an Oscar. I really thought Penelope Cruz would lose for some reason. I was wrong. But I adore her so its fine. Heath winning was expected and touching. Was hoping for a Slumdog upset but clearly that was not in the cards. Hmmm...thats about it. Its weird that the Oscar year is over. I am unsure of what to do with myself now. I'll get into lots of manga and start watching Mad Men and other shows; that's what I'll do. Well until next year. I'll try to do much better with blogging from now on. It will be hard but I would really like to try.

Lots of New Films that I do not have Time to Do Individually

Ok I have seen lots of films that I do not have the time to write about individually.

Among them:

City of Ember (2008): B- Really great first hour. Could have been amazing. Best art direction of the year. But the last half hour just meanders off into nothingness.

Choke (2008): B: Really entertaining and fun but ultimately forgettable in the grand scale of things. But I'd recommend it because it is very good. Sam Rockwell is fantastic as always.

Let the Right One In (2008): B+ Stuck with me very much after it ended. Not obsessed with it the way some people are from a subjective point of view but in terms of recognizing how great it really is I can attest 100% to that. The relationship between the two is done beautifully and the violence is handled with immense skill and subtlety without hiding away from it in the slightest.

The Visitor (2008): B. Not normally my type of film but Richard Jenkins really got me involved. I want him to be my awesome uncle or my best friend. He is incredible in this really doing some beautiful work. I am very happy he has finally gotten some recognition for a performance that whole heartedly deserved it.

Shine a Light (2008): C. After seeing Gimme Shelter this is basically a really really really poor man's version of that. And its not even that. Its definitely decent. The concert is shot really nicely by Scorsese and the Rolling Stones still put on a great show but ultimately I wanted more archival footage and did not get that.

Reprise (2008)B-. I wanted to love this but in the end I felt like we were kept at too much of a distance from the characters to really get to like them at all and these are characters that I think you are supposed to care about. The director shows a great amount of talent and skill with his first film but it is too focused on being influenced by the French New Wave films to really give us anything of real value. There are some nice moments and really great parts and other parts where I rolled my eyes. Great soundtrack though.

Penelope (2008): C. This sounds like I did not like this but I actually did. But in the end its just an average movie. Not bad but not anything really good. So it gets an average grade. Christina Ricci and James McAvoy elevate the material's forced quirkiness and make us care but again its just not memorable.

Paranoid Park (2008): B+. Not as good or substantial as Milk but really really fantastic film about the ennui of adolescence shown to an extreme with the way a young skateboarder comprehends and deals with the fact that he accidently killed someone. The use of Nina Rota in this is beautiful. And Gus Van Sant's tracking shots always impress me. One of my favorites of his.

The Strangers (2008): B+. One of the most frightening and terrifying experiences of my life. While I felt more could have been done to get us to like and care about the characters who are being terrorized I felt that the experience itself made me feel like I went through something and thus caring about the characters did not change the fact that I felt like what I was watchign was happening to me. This is the director's first film and he brings a completely refreshing vibe and skill set to the horror film lessening on the gore but not the disturbance and using very little music and concentrating on subtle uses of sound and camera shots to scare us. His use of other music such as Joanna Newsom has a profound effect. This is a very talented director. Even Roger Ebert who hated this film goes on for paragraphs about the skill level that the director shows. This is a film that breathes life into the horror film. And I cannot wait to see more from this talented guy.

The Incredible Hulk (2008): B
I personally enjoyed this as much as "Iron Man". Yes I know. Shocking. But I did. I really really liked this a lot. Edward Norton and Tim Roth bring a degree of respectability and talent to the table. Liv Tyler and Edward Norton did a great job and have good chemistry. As I said, Tim Roth was my favorite aspect of the film. The scenes with Tim Blake Nelson slowed thinkgs down a bit and fucked with the tone a little but no biggie. While its not "The Dark Knight" or anything, I still think it should be put in the list of films as examples of the superhero genre upping its game.

Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired (2008): A-
Incredible and fascinating documentary. I know some say that the film is on Polanski's side and that the film tries to get us to like him but I sort of disagree. The films main goal is to point out that Polanski's guilt put aside, he had an unfair trial with a completely corrupt judge. I agree that he got completely fucked over. The way the director puts together this material and story is truly remarkable. That aside it does not change what he did and while he is an incredible director and his talent is important, he did something horrible and I do not care if the girl publicly forgave him years later. I do not think the film tries to hide behind what he did. I think the film addresses it but also tries to make him a sympathetic figure due to his history. I don't think the film forgives what he did or even tries to excuse it; they do show that he is supposedly a nice guy and a good person but honestly anyone with half a brain should understand that what he did was wrong and I assume the film assumes that people are not stupid and can honestly decide for themselves that a man who drugs a 13 year old girl and rapes her is not very cool. But I do not think the film was that one sided although I would have liked to see more from the victim of it.

Frozen River (2008): B. Really interesting film with an unbelievable performance from Melissa Leo. Really refreshing raw look at a person struggling. The film is not sugarcoated in anyway or polished to be accessible. This woman's life sucks and in a very realistic way. I appreciate the film for that.

Lakeview Terrace (2008): B+ I loved this. I flatout loved this movie. I was completely taken in by it. I do not even know what to say about it but it completely took me by surprise. Loved loved loved this.

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist (2008): B-. I only give this a B- because some of it felt false but the parts that did not in particular the relationship between Nick and Norah which woud be the most important aspect of the film rang true to me and I thought the chemistry and talent of the two actors really clicked and that time was taken to develop their relationship that normally is not seen as much as it is here. Ari Graynor did a fantastic job as well as the drunk friend who I hope to see in more roles.

"Changeling" (2008) Grade: B

"Changeling" (2008)

Grade: B

I really like the feel of Eastwood's films. I always have. This is no different. I never felt it broke beoynd a certain level into becoming one of the truly impressive films of the year but I still feel it is a bit better than people seem to think it is. I was interested the whole time. Horrified much of the time. Eastwood did such a great job of recreating the 1920's. Really beautiful. The real life events of the film make a good subject because some of the things that happened were so ridiculous that you would only believe it in a film. Eastwood's music is subtle and moving as usual. The performances were for the most part great. Angelina Jolie manages to break away from her real life status and really give us a moving and genuine performance as Christine Collins. The helplessness she holds is so many situations by her character are really felt by the audience because of her performance. Her hope and desperate nature are conveyed really beautifully by her as well. I cannot believe this is the same woman from "Wanted". Collins is a woman functioning in a man's world and the power the other gender holds over Los Angeles and the country at the time really hindered Christine's choices as well as anyone who would take her and lived in a world where a woman who was desperate for helped was written off as crazy. While the emotions were there I wish there had been a been more of character here though. I do not feel like the script really fleshed her out enough at all but its not a huge complaint. I also felt John Malkovich would have had more presence here as the Reverend but he's just sort of there. But I loved how his character is a sane religious person. It was so refreshing to see a religious person portrayed as sane and likeable and good. I'm not religious at all but I feel that all the time they are portrayed as literally insane in films and its sort of ridiculous. So it was nice to see that change. I actually think I was the most impressed or at least the most effected by Jason Butler Harner as Gordon Northcott. Some people thought he was bad and over the top but I thought he was haunting and that it was as disturbing a performance as you can get. He seriously fucked with me and made the disturbing subject matter about 10 times as hard for me to watch. Because this was a disturbing film. Definitely hard to get through. I thought he was brilliant in this and I think its one of the best performances of 2008. Excuse me for being in the minority. Any Ryan was good here as well. The character I personally came to like the most out of anybody in the film was Detective Lester Ybarra. He;s not really a character though seeing as you do not really get to know him at all but hes in a ton of the film and I really liked the role he had within it. Despite all fo these performances I thought Jeffrey Donovan as J.J Jones was actively bad. I could not take him seriously with his stupid half Irish accent and found that he frequently took me out of the movie. Congrats to Jolie for being able to emote in the same scene with him. I hear he is good on "Burn Notice" but hes really not good here. He looks the part but does not play the part well. All in all this was a very solid film. Not one of the best of the year but definitely one of the better ones. While I'm not sure it works completely I still was effected by it. The scene in which Northcott hangs was the best scene in the film. Man that's fucked up. I read one comment that said that the scene explains best why the reviewer was against the death penalty. Its funny because for me it explained exactly why I was for it. Its really the only conservative thing I am for but I won't waver on my support for it. Some people just do not deserve to live. Gordon Northcott was one of them. So yeah those are my thoughts on "Changeling" Good, sometimes great, not a masterpiece by any means but definitely solid.

"Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian" Grade: C-

"The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian" (2008)
Grade: C-

I was going to give this a C but after rewatching some of The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe on ABC Family last night I forgot just how damn good that film is and it further made me realize that this is just not a good film. The effects are great and beautiful, the kids have a lot of presence. But other than that, nothing held the weight it did last time. I thought they stayed too faithful to the book and needed to branch off of it to give these kids some development because while they had presence this time around they had absolutely no personality. These kids grew up in the last film and then went back through the wardrobe and had to be kids again. That is such a golden oppurtunity for exploration. Really? You aren't going to do anything with that? Also this is the most violent PG film I have ever seen. I am convinced the MPAA was on crack when they gave this a PG rating considering that all of the kids KILL people in this ( i don't remember if Lucy does though) and Peter DECAPITATES SOMEONE!!!!!!! What the hell!? PG!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!??! Also everything involving Caspian and the Telmarines was uninteresting and I know that it has a lot to do with the fact that I'm not huge on the book either but still. And Ben Barnes as Caspian was a joke. That accent was funny and distracting and he could not manage to give emotional weight to anything he was doing. This is a shame considering he is playing Dorian Gray in the new adaptation and that I really liked him in "Stardust". And I understand that these books and film is completely religiously motivated and I accept it and will not ridicule it. I do not think there is anything wrong with it but it distracted me at times. Also this stupid Susan and Caspian romance nonsense? Barf.

Despite all of this I feel that there were a couple of areas it succeeded in. Again I love the kids despite the nothingness required of them this time around. I loved how they handled the scene when Peter and Susan find out they will not be coming back to Narnia. I also have always loved the music in the first Narnia film and I loved it here as well. And again the effects were great and the film looked beautiful. But all in all this was dissapointing.

"American Teen" (2008) Grade: B-

"American Teen" (2008)

Grade: B-

Ok I am getting tired so I have to hurry these along. "American Teen" is a documentary that felt a bit too MTV for me. I think the style of the film is what detracted from it for me. I believe it when the director says its all real. Obviously some shots are staged as some always are in documentaries. But she shot 1,000 hours of footage over the course of a year, she had a lot to choose from. I believe its all real but I think the way it was edited together felt a bit fake which is why she is catching some slack. The animation sequences when they were each describing their dreams was really stupid. It was lame and honestly condescending to the meaningful stuff each of them were saying. It took me out of the film and was such an unneccesary gimmick that it would have gotten a B without those. I just wish the style had been different. Also the placing of information was structured in a very convenient way as to manipulate people into feeling things for these characters at certain times. For example, throughout the film we hate Megan for doing horrible things but then we learn right before her acceptance letter for Notre Dame is supposed to be coming in that her sister committed suicide two years before. All of this just in time for us to want her to get into Notre Dame instead of not wanting it. Colin was the least interesting for me. I adored Jake and Mitch (until Mitch did something really stupid). And of course Hannah was my favorite. Absolute favorite. She was so freaking cool. I want to be her best friend. But anyways yeah, definitely really really entertaining but put together in a way that is unfortunately a bit too stylish for its own good.

"Stuck" (2008) Grade: A-/B+

"Stuck" (2008)

Grade: A-/B+

"Stuck" is awesome. Seriously awesome. Stuart Gordon is brilliant. This film is so fucked up and has such a weird sense of humor about it that makes me wonder how hard it must be to create a film with an atmosphere like this. This film instead of showing a character making bad decisions that are unrealistic like many of the ones made in horror films, this film shows a character making horrific and seflish decisions that make no sense whatsoever but are so real for some reason. By the end of the film we must assume Brandi's character (Mena Suvari) is insane. Because seriously her constant assertions that none of it was her fault and just basically every single thing she does is so mind boggling to me but in a way that purposely adds to the film and does not detract from it. Suvari is so good here as is Stephen Rea doing so much with not a lot of time before he is stuck in the windshield for much of the film. This was based on a true story, the incident happened exactly as it does in the film as in real life but the film takes liberties from there. The film asks the question what makes people do the WTF things that they do? The score to this was spot on as were the rap songs particularly the one at the beginning giving the film a unique feel right off. I also loved the character of Rashid who starts off as sort of a stereotype but so much is done with him by the end of the film. I think you sort of have to get Gordon's style to get the film and I think you sort of have to get that the film is a dark dark comedy going into it otherwise this is going to seem ridiculous. It is ridiculous. But intentionally so. I loved this film. More than the majority of 2008 stuff I have seen. I think it reaches a near brilliance at times.

"Horton Hears a Who" (2008) Grade: A-/B+

"Horton Hears a Who" (2008)

Grade: A-/B+

I cannot explain what a kick I got out of this movie. I was expecting to be pleasently entertained but I laughed so much and was so taken in by everything. This won't be a long review because there is not much to say here except I loved this movie. Loved loved loved it. The Katie character was one of the most bizarre and random creations I've seen in animation in a long time but I was laughing so much everytime we saw her. The voice work was excellent with Jim Carrey providing such a likeability, fun loving innocence to Horton and Steve Carell provides an amusing practicality to the Mayor. I just really truly enjoyed this. It might have strayed from the feel of Dr. Seuss with its humor and slapstick but I still feel like it captures the feel of his drawings and the appreciation for life that his stories carry. Did I mention I loved this?

"Boy A" (2008) Grade: A

"Boy A" (2008)

Grade: A

Wow am I happy I saw this film. Weinstein picked it up and distributed it acroos a few theaters in its release in 2008. The year before it had played on TV in the U.K picking up some awards. I always have counted a films release date as when it is released in this country. So for me it is a 2008 release. And its better than 4 of the Best Picture nominees in my opinion. I was hooked onto this film the second it started. I highly highly recommend it. Anthony Garfield deserves heaps of attention and I think it looks like he will have a career based on his performance in this film. Katie Lyons is excellent her as well as is Peter Mullan. Everything about this film interested me. It was never done in a cliched way, the film had respect for its characters, it never really chose a side but asks you do make a decision for yourself which made for challenging viewing. I am convinced his conversation with her in the last 5 minutes is imaginary. Some people complain about the believabililty of the incident which surprises me because I never thought for once second that that was meant to be taken as real and still do not. This must be a very confusing read if you do not know what it is about. Basically it is about a boy who helped kill a 10 year old girl with his best friend at the time. Years later he is 24 and is released under a new name to start a life for himself. We see him attempting to start a life while seeing glimpses of his childhood. Garfield gives one of the best performances of the year creating such a likeable character whose predicament as a child becomes easy to see and the story and performance provide a character that is not at all what you expect to see which makes the story that much more interesting. I highly highly highly recommend it.

"Ghost Town" (2008) Grade: B

"Ghost Town" (2008)

Grade: B

This was a nice little film. The music was corny and too slight for my taste and I found Greg Kinnear to be very annoying but Ricky Gervais and Tea Leoni made this movie work (even though it had a very adequate script also). The two of them really pushed this film to its heights. She has such a presence and likability here that she alone gives the audience a layer of involvement that most romantic stories lack. And Ricky Gervais really is fantastic here and it works because as Ebert put it "he's not trying to make people laugh". Alan Ruck and Dana Ovey provide a touching subplot as well. While this movie is not amazing and its not anything to write home about, its a nice and refreshing surprise to the sameness that a lot of films have and it took a few turns I did not expect so overall I certainly would not call the film predictable either and that is another thing the film has that most do not.

"The Other Boleyn Girl" (2008) Grade: C

"The Other Boleyn Girl" (2008)

Grade: C

This was not as bad as I expected. I find it hilarious though how literally not one thing in this film is factual. Its all made up. Hardly any of it happened. Anyways, I found the film to be quite entertaining actually with interesting performances from Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johannson. They each have one birthing scene and its funny to see how they sort of try to outact each other with it. I actually felt Johannson did the better job with the role of Mary than Portman did with Anne. Sometimes they were hard to take seriously and other times they were very effective; it was weird how all over the place they were. Kristen Scott Thomas is always a pleasure to see. The end was effective. I guess my problem with it is that it feels hollow and rushed as if the scenes were cut down to their essentials yet its really long. There is little time for development basically leaving the two actresses of the roles of "the good sister" and "the bad sister". And honestly Henry is such a douche that it makes no sense as to why Mary would actually love him after everything but I guess those were the times. All in all the film just does not too much at all. But I was definitely interested, the performances were adequate and at times quite good, the story was interesting, costumes fantastic and the cinematography pretty. Basically I subjectively enjoyed it much more than I was unimpressed with it objectively.

"Encounters at the End of the World" (2008) Grade: A

"Encounters at the End of the World" (2008)

Grade: A

First thing's first: I liked this a lot more than "Man on Wire". Honestly I was a little underwhelmed by that film. Objectively it is masterfully put together. The part on the film when he actually goes on the wire was beautiful. I firmly believe what he did was beautiful. I adore Petit. But this film just engaged me so much more. Herzog's narration is so unique. It makes you look at what you are seeing in a completely different way. His narration is as I said unique, touching, haunting, adorable, funny and insightful. He has created something here that is so special. There are so many moments that were so weird and off and not anything I ever expected to see in a documentary. He paints Antarctica as a weird place, one that people who have been through so many different portions of their life find themselves. A place where important research is being done and things are being discovered. A place where little oddities are everywhere for you to discover. He presents a place that is completely hypnotic. I cannot get the moment when the lone penguin walks off towards certain death out of my head. It was so beautiful yet so disturbing. I highly suggest you see this for a unique look into a section of the world.

"Quid Pro Quo" (2008) Grade: C-

"Quid Pro Quo" (2008)

Grade: C-

I appreciate this film's attempt to explore a condition that is not well known to people; BIID, a condition in which people desire to be an amputee because they believe it will make them happier. The film was interesting for this reason and because of Vera Farmiga's performance (has become one of my favorite actresses). However the film was simply unforgettable and actually too short (76 minutes) to accomplish what it wanted. I never felt like I had any sort of understanding of the condition. I'm not expecting much but I did expect a slight insight which I did not feel that I got. The subject matter was really interesting and again I respected the attempt to tell a different story but I thought it was building up to something and I never got a payoff. The film was not actively bad which my grade suggests; it just was not very good. Love the poster by the way.

"Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson"

“Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson” (2008)

Grade: C

Hunter S. Thompson fascinates me. I just feel that the film is a little too introductory. I wanted more from the film and felt that it sort of jumped around a bit too much and skipped over some stuff. There is so much to cover that I feel like we just scratch the surface of it all. I never felt that I got to know him very well. It was interesting since I did not know a lot about him but at the same time I was underwhelmed. I know this got great reviews and I'd recommend it to anyone interested in the subject but but for me it was a bit all over the place with not a ton to offer.

"Surfwise" (2008) Grade: B+

“Surfwise” (2008)

Grade: B+

This was an interesting documentary about the Paskowitz family who raised their 9 children outside of the system so to speak. None went to school and they all were raised in a very small trailer that they would ride around in and surf. All of them are alive including the parents and all are interviewed about their lives and how they felt about the way they were raised. The father’s comments were the most interesting because it was his beliefs that were the reason that everyone lived the way they did. I am not sure how I feel about the reunion at the end but the film is definitely worth checking out. Probably my second favorite of the documentaries I have seen from 2008 which include Encounters at the End of the World, Man on Wire, American Teen and Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson.

"Berlin: Symphony of a Great City" (1927) Grade: B

“Berlin: Symphony of a Great City” (1927)

Grade: B

This film done very much in the manner of “Man with a Movie Camera” (although made earlier) is a sort of tribute to the city of the Berlin in the 20’s. We have talked about it in length in class and I cannot figure out what I think the film is trying to do since there are conflicting views. I certainly think because of the status of Berlin at the time that the film is attempting to honor the city and show how unique it is and how different it is from other places with its liberal attitude. There are moments when it seems to be wary of certain issues of class and despair. The score has moments that are meant to overwhelm but the score is a posthumous score and awe do not know if it is what filmmaker Ruttman intended. While I think Ruttman is very much establishing moments of caution, I do believe that he is much more interested in the rhythm of the piece, the avant garde nature of the film, creating the idea of visual music and paying tribute to a unique city in a unique time. That is how I take the film. That being said, the film was excellent; I am always interested in seeing films of this nature and the B grade is more due to this being no “Man with a Movie Camera”. It was excellent and certainly interesting but it is not “Man with a Movie Camera”. Vertov has him beat.

"Grave of the Fireflies" (1988) Grade: A+

“Grave of the Fireflies” (1988)

Grade: A+

Surely one of the greatest films ever made. The film takes place during WWII and the air raids in Japan. While the film never offers a statement on their part in the war and the atrocities they committed as well, the film simply points out the obvious but taken for granted fact of the citizens of Japan (in this case children) and their sufferings. The film explores the efforts of two children Seita and his little sister Setsuka who are unwillingly caught in the midst of a war that they do not understand and are not a part of. The film is trying to put the spotlight on the suffering of children during the war and how they are really the victims in all of this. Basically if you do not cry during this then….you have no soul. That’s right I said it; you have no soul. This film is a bitch to get through. Seriously, it is a very hard film to take in and handle. But it is well worth your time. Isao Takahata has a keen eye for the beauty in stillness and small moments that say so much. I am convinces Takahata wants to make people as miserable as possible with this film. I am joking. Well, I’m half joking. This is widely known as one of the greatest films ever made and rightly so; it is one of the truly few masterpieces in cinema; a film only bested by “Fantasia” in the world of animation.

"Barefoot Gen" (1983) Grade: A-

"Barefoot Gen" (1983)

Grade: A-

This was an extremely disturbing yet very moving and masterful anime film dealing with Hiroshima. The first 25 minutes are pretty lighthearted at least compared to the rest of the film. Once the bomb drops there is a sequence of the most disturbing animation I believe I have seen. Everything fits so well here though and there are moments of humor amongst the horror which give the film the humanistic quality that makes the film stand out. I do not know really what else to say except that it was very moving and beautifully put together despite how disturbing it was. I could say a lot more because we have discusses it in my anime class in great detail so I'm well versed on the films themes and depiction of WWII but I have so much more to get through.

Will Update Soon

Sorry I've been so negligent of this blog. I will update soon. I've seen some stuff and will give really quick reviews of things soon and then I will try to give more regular updates. : )