Christopher Nolan and Inception

With Inception, Christopher Nolan has proven, yet again that he is the best filmmaker currently making big-budget studio films. Nolan began his career making complex art-house type films (Following and Memento), then he followed those up with his first foray into working with a larger budget and bigger stars, Insomnia. While I enjoyed Insomnia, I feel that it is the least of Nolan's films, possibly because it is a remake of a Norwegian film (which I have yet to see) and unlike all his other films, Nolan did not have a hand in writing the screenplay.

I was skeptical when I first heard that Nolan was going to be taking over the Batman franchise. I was afraid that he might lose the qualities of what was best about his film making like Sam Raimi did when he made the Spiderman films (luckily Raimi regained it with Drag Me to Hell!), but with Batman Begins, Nolan made the best comic-book superhero adaptation to date. Nolan stripped the characters of their cartoonish quality and gave them new life. He also showed that he could make an action film without losing the complexities of his storytelling.

The Prestige is probably the most character-driven of all of Nolan's films. He recasts Christian Bale and Michael Caine from Batman Begins along with Hugh Jackman, Scarlett Johansson, and David-Freaking-Bowie! The Prestige revolves around the relationship between two turn-of-the-century magicians and their mutual animosity for one another and their attempts to destroy the other. The Prestige was released around the same time as another film about an antiquated magician, the Edward Norton film, The Illusionist. Upon initial viewing of both films, I felt that The Illusionist was the better of the two, but after seeing the The Prestige two more times, I have changed my mind about that.

What more can I say about The Dark Knight that hasn't already been said? The casting of the late Heath Ledger as the Joker was an inspired choice that really gave the film its basis. Whereas Christopher Nolan used the film Blade Runner as inspiration for Batman Begins, he used the Michael Mann film Heat as his groundwork for The Dark Knight. Heat is one of my favorite films, and you can really feel it in Nolan's direction. Ledger's performance as the Joker is one of the best performances by an actor his age that comes to mind. In films like Monster's Ball and Brokeback Mountain, Ledger gave outstanding performances, but his characterization of the Joker is by far his best, and sadly the last great performance we'll have from him.

Which finally brings us to Inception. I will not say too much of the plot for those who haven't already seen the film, but I will discuss the technical aspects. It has been written in articles that Nolan spent ten years working on the screenplay for Inception, and it shows. After viewing Inception, it is clear that Christopher Nolan's storytelling ability goes far beyond that of your average filmmaker. No other filmmaker besides Nolan could have brought this story to the screen, let alone understand it well enough to interpret it! Nolan has layered his story (literally) to the point where the film leaves the viewer with thoughts of the film long after they have left the theater.

The casting of the film is yet again, amazing. Leonardo Dicaprio leads the cast which is varied by ethnicity and nationality. Inception features actors from the US, Britain, France, Japan, and India, and all these actors have major roles. I can't readily think of another film that this can be said of. All of the performances are outstanding and contribute to the believability of the fantastical nature of the film.

WARNING: MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD!

Inception achieves something unique within the world of summer blockbusters. It gives us a plot line that is entirely original. Some may argue that it contains ideas from films like The Matrix or Dark City, but the story doesn't really hinge on these elements. Nolan has given us a film that isn't a remake, adaptation, or a rehash of something else. Inception is totally new and incredible.

The trailers show city blocks folding in on themselves and characters engaged in hand-to-hand combat in gravity-less hallways, but these are just small parts of the overall story and aren't even integral to the film itself. Nolan has weaved these awesome visuals with a story that is complex enough to leave the viewer satisfied on all levels. Inception does something that Michael Bay can only do in his dreams (no spoiler intended!). Nolan marries amazing special effects, great acting, and an engaging and mind-bending screenplay into a film that is the best of the year, so far. Other filmmakers will be hard-pressed to top this one anytime soon!

END SPOILERS

While I have only seen Inception once at the time of this writing, it is a film that lends itself to multiple viewings. Multiple screenings will give the audience time to penetrate the storyline and fully envelop themselves in the world that Nolan has created. I plan on seeing it again when the audiences have died down a bit. If you haven't seen Inception already, get off your butt and go see it! This is a film that has something for everyone.

Green Zone, etc.

Wow, I suck. Its been over two months since I last posted. In the meantime the Oscars were televised, as well as several other lesser awards shows. I began typing up a blog entry with my thoughts on this year's change from five nominees to ten nominees for the best picture Oscar in addition to my award picks for this year. Well, in the middle of typing that blog I accidentally deleted the whole thing and it auto-saved immediately after, so all my hard work was for naught. Oh, well.
I've seen quite a few movies in the last couple of months, several of which I wanted to write about but just couldn't force myself to. Among them, "Crazyheart", "An Education", and "The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus". Since all of these films have been out for some time, I felt I would write about the most recent film I've seen in theaters, "Green Zone".
I didn't know a lot about the film before seeing it, except that it stars Matt Damon and was directed by Paul Greengrass who also directed Damon in the last two "Bourne" movies. The film takes place in Baghdad in 2003, in the early days of the current Iraq war. Damon plays Chief Warrant Officer Roy Miller who is in charge of a squad of soldiers who are looking for WMD's.
Miller and his men have been given intelligence leading them to many suspected WMD sites, but no weapons are found there. An Iraqi citizen named Freddie tells Miller and his men about a nearby meeting of several high ranking members of the Iraq Army. This leads to a series of events that finds Miller discovering secrets about the very reasons why the US military invaded Iraq. I'll say no more of the plot than that.
The supporting cast include Greg Kinnear, Amy Ryan, and the always dependable Brendan Gleason, who plays CIA agent, Martin Brown.
The film is very worth watching and is a definite improvement over the similar Leonardo Dicaprio/Russell Crowe film, "Body of Lies". Matt Damon gives an excellent performance as a soldier who just wants to know the truth about what he is fighting for. If you're in the mood for an intelligent action/war movie, then I would recommend "Green Zone."

Big Fan

Its been two weeks since my last post, but I've been meaning to write a review of Big Fan since I watched it a week and a half ago. In my review of Moon, I said that if I'd seen it before I had made my "best of" list, it would have made it on; that goes for Big Fan as well.
Let me start by saying that I love Patton Oswalt's standup comedy. His comedic take on many of the absurdities of pop culture is why he is so amazing. Patton is an extremely intelligent writer and in interviews, he has proven himself to be one of the quickest and sharpest guys in show business. Paul Aufiero, the character that Oswalt plays in Big Fan is his opposite in almost every way. Aufiero is a meat-headed New York Giants fan who lives with his mom in Staten Island and works as a parking garage attendant. Paul is a regular caller to a local sports radio show. His nemesis is fellow caller "Philadelphia Phil", whom Paul debates on-air with his pre-written ramblings about how the the Giants are a much better football team that the Eagles.
The plot of the film revolves around how Paul deals with the after effects of being brutally beaten by his favorite football player, Giants quarterback, Quantrell Bishop. Writer/Director Robert D. Siegel, who also wrote Darren Aronofsky's The Wrestler, crafts a another wonderful character study, but this time about a man who is so completely obsessed with the sport of football to a point where he doesn't care about anything else. Paul's only friend is the equally dim Sal, (Kevin Corrigan from The Departed and Pineapple Express), who wishes that he had the courage to call in to radio shows like Paul.
I feel that Big Fan is a movie for those who are or who know someone whose life revolves around being a "fan" of something. It is one thing to be heavily involved with something creative, but another thing entirely to be so caught up in a world that you don't actually have any stake in. I am not a football fan (or sports in general), but I do know what its like to have an intense interest in a specific medium. For me, it is film, music, and history. Luckily, I have never given my life over to anything in such a way that I could care less about family, friends, a career, etc. Paul Aufiero is a loser of the most extreme kind. You can enjoy this movie because you pity him and know that you're better than him and people like him. I don't think anyone who is similar to Paul could enjoy this film, but they probably wouldn't watch it anyway.

*Big Fan is currently available on DVD. Be sure to check out the special features, especially if you're a fan of Patton.

Moon

There are some films that the less you know about before viewing them, the better. Moon is one of those films. The story is set sometime in the future, we're not given an exact date. Sam Rockwell plays Sam Bell (I'm sure this is no coincidence), an employee of Lunar Industries, a company that mines some sort of material on the moon that is the solution to the earth's energy problems. Sam is all alone in a space station on the moon, save for a computer named GERTY that seems to control everything onboard. The fact that the computer is voiced by Kevin Spacey, whose calm, monotone voice is reminiscent of HAL 9000 from 2001: A Space Odyssey, I'm sure is no mistake. Sam is in the last two weeks of his three year contract for Lunar Industries as the sole crew member in the mining station. Needless to say, there are endless directions that the screenplay can take from this point. I will say no more of the plot than that.
If I had seen Moon before I wrote my "Best Of" blog, it would have been listed among my favorites of 2009. The story is most definitely "hard" science fiction. This is a film that I'm sure Arthur C. Clarke or Isaac Asimov would enjoy quite thoroughly. Sci-fi is a genre that, when done well, can allow us to think about and relate technology or scenarios that we could never possibly experience to our own lives. Without giving anything away about what happens to Sam, I will say that I was very moved by the storyline and the events of the film. The subject matter is absolutely science fiction, but the story is a very human one.
The technical aspects of the film are also astounding. For an indie film, there are an incredible amount of fx shots. At no point do you ever doubt that Sam is actually on the moon, living and working in a space station. Where a film like Transformers hinges entirely on the special fx, Moon is simply serviced by them.
This is the first film by writer/director Duncan Jones, who as it happens is the son of David Bowie. Moon contains none of the fantastical elements of Bowie's Space Oddity era, but Jones does seem to have the same effortless artistry that his father does. A lot of work went into the production of this film, but you don't think about that when you watch it. Sam Rockwell is an actor that I admire greatly. He has a quality that I can't quite put my finger on, but that element of his acting suits this role very well.
The best movies are the ones that you think about for some time after you've finished them, and the more you think on them, the more you enjoy them. I watched Moon at nine o'clock this morning it is still on my mind, and I don't imagine it will leave my thoughts anytime soon.

*Moon was released on DVD and blu-ray today, so add it to your Netflix queue, or rent it at your local videostore.....if you must.

Thoughts

I had some lofty ambitions when I decided to create this blog. I wanted to write on classic films that are important to the medium as well as some new films and hopefully expand the tastes of people that happen upon this blog.
I've had a lot of ideas that I'm not sure will come to fruition or not. I wanted to watch Fellini films and write on them (never mind that 8 1/2 is the only Fellini film I've seen). I thought about watching and writing on silent films and comparing them to modern films. I wanted to chronicle the films of certain directors and write on their particular style of film making.
Instead of trying to be all artsy-fartsy, I'm just going to write on the films I see and feel are worthy of writing about. I may work my way up to my original grandiose ideas, or I may not. I need to give myself time to evolve as not only a writer, but as a film viewer as well.
Sure, I'd like to think that I have an encyclopedic knowledge of film and can impart it to anyone who reads this (if the sarcasm of this sentence isn't evident, let it be now), but the fact of the matter is, just because I know who guys like Ingmar Bergman, Luis Buñuel, and Rainer Werner Fassbinder are, I haven't seen any of their films yet and and I don't really have any authority to write on them just because I may watch a couple of their movies.
For those of you that know me personally, I do know a lot about film, but mostly just American directors, and recent ones at that. I can talk at length about Quentin Tarantino or Wes Anderson, but I know very little about the French New Wave directors that influenced their films.
In the long run, I hope that this blog can not just challenge the people reading it (however few there are), I want it to challenge me and make me grow as a writer and critic.

Netflix

If you don't already have Netflix, you should sign up. Your local video store only has a selection of a few thousand movies at a time, whereas Netflix has 100,00+. Their blu-ray selection beats any local store, so if you own a blu-ray player this is definitely the way to go. It usually only takes two days to get a new movie (depending on where you live), so if you ship a movie on Monday, you'll have a new one by Wednesday. Also, Netflix has thousands of movies and TV shows to stream instantly on your computer if you have an unlimited monthly plan starting at only $8.99 a month.

*I hope someone from Netflix sees this and sends me a check.

Picks for 2009

My friend Brett and I used to make our “Best Of” lists every year and e-mail them to each other. This was always fun and would give us a chance to defend our individual choices, even though we inevitably would pick most of the same movies as our favorites. I haven’t made one in several years, but I would always keep a mental tally of my favorites from each year. It has always been hard for me to qualify each film with a specific number, so I’ll just name my favorite film from 2009 and the nine runners up in no particular order. I’ve also compiled a list of five others that just missed the list for one reason or another.

Since I’m just an amateur film critic and don’t get the chance to attend film festivals, advance screenings, etc., I haven’t had the chance to see every film this year that I’ve wanted to. A few that I still need to see are Invictus, The Road, Big Fan, Moon, An Education, and a few others. Sadly, I rarely get a chance to view many brand new foreign films or documentaries, as I live in an area that doesn’t get many of these in theaters. When I get a chance to see some of these, I may post another “best of” list with some more obscure titles.

This year had more great movies come from a varying degree of different genres than any year in recent memory. In addition, we saw a number of new or newer directors making their mark on the film world as well as a few established directors returning with some great films.

Inglourious Basterds – This is the best movie of 2009, period. Anyone that still doubts that Quentin Tarantino is the most talented writer/director of his generation should be silenced by this one. Tarantino has made a War World 2 movie to end all World War 2 movies. He has thrown the history book out the window (you would think that this would be a shock to a student of history such as myself, but no) and his film is all the better for it. He presents the Second World War not as it was, but as it should have been. Brad Pitt’s Aldo Raine and Christoph Waltz’s Hans Landa are two of the most memorable characters in the movies this year, or any other. For those more astute filmgoers, Tarantino has given us much more than a genre film, he has made one of the best movies about movies in recent memory.

Up In the Air – The third film from Jason Reitman, after the wonderful Juno and Thank You for Smoking, this film is set in the corporate world after the recent economic meltdown. George Clooney plays Ryan Bingham, a gun-for-hire who is brought in by large corporations to lay off dozens of employees at a time. His character lives in airports and hotel rooms and doesn’t have a real connection to any other human being, even though he deals with people all the time. The film features some heartbreaking scenes of non-actors who were laid off from their jobs in real life. This film is a startling indictment of the corporate culture and a great movie too.

District 9 – First time feature film director Neill Blomkamp has made the best science fiction film of 2009. Sorry James Cameron! The film is set in the slums of Johannesburg, South Africa where an alien ship has landed and the aliens, known as “Prawns” are forced to live in a refugee camp, called “District 9”. The film begins in a pseudo-documentary style and then turns into a getaway movie with some very impressive action scenes. Newcomer Sharlto Copley plays Wikus Van De Merwe, a character whose ignorance would be hilarious if it didn’t make him so incredibly dangerous.

Away We Go – Director Sam Mendes follows up the emotionally devastating Revolutionary Road with this heartwarming road trip film about a couple who truly love one another and belong together. The polar opposite of the couple featured in his previous film. John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph play Burt and Verona, an unmarried couple with a baby on the way. When Burt’s parents (Jeff Daniels and Catherine O’Hara) tell the couple that they are moving to Belgium, Burt and Verona decide to visit some other friends and family throughout the US and Canada to decide where they want to raise their baby. This film is funny in a way that feels natural as the laughs come from the characters themselves, not from artificially created situations. Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jim Gaffigan, and Allison Janney all turn in wonderful supporting roles.

(500) Days of Summer – Marc Webb, another first-time feature director, brings us a painfully funny film about the relationship between the hopeless romantic, Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and the cynical, Summer (Zooey Deschanel). This film really hits home for those of us who have had very strong feelings for someone that just doesn’t reciprocate. While on the surface, (500) Days of Summer may seem like another romantic comedy, it really defies expectations.

Coraline – With Coraline, Henry Selick finally makes good on the promise of his first two films, The Nightmare Before Christmas and James and the Giant Peach, after directing the dreadful Monkeybone. Working from a screenplay by Neil Gaiman (based on his book), Selick creates a beautiful film in stop-motion animation that can be enjoyed by children and adults alike. The storyline involves a young girl, Coraline (voiced by Dakota Fanning), who moves with her parents into a strange community populated with some very odd characters. Through a series of events which involves a miniature secret door, a talking cat, and an old doll that look exactly like her, Coraline enters an alternate universe that is controlled by the Other Mother (voiced by Teri Hatcher).

Up – Pixar films rarely disappoint and Up is no exception to this. Essentially, Up is an unlikely adventure story pairing septuagenarian, Carl Fredricksen (Ed Asner) and chubby boy scout, Russell. The prologue of the film shows Carl as a young boy and his obsession with explorer, Charles Muntz (Chrristopher Plummer). His passion for adventure is shared by his childhood friend, turned bride, Ellie. At the onset of the film, Ellie has died and left Carl all alone in their home, now surrounded by sprawling skyscrapers. What starts as a very sad tale, turns into an incredible adventure set in South America.

The Hurt Locker – Veteran director, Kathryn Bigelow has made the best film so far about the current Iraq war. The film does not have a political agenda, and is neither pro nor anti-war. The brilliance of The Hurt Locker is that it shows soldiers as just guys doing their job, albeit a very dangerous one. Jeremy Renner plays Sgt. William James in one of the year’s best performances as a man who is an adrenaline junkie and has found the perfect job to get his fix. James joins a team of soldiers whose job it is to diffuse bombs placed throughout Baghdad by terrorists. Anthony Mackie and Brian Geraghty play the other members of the team. The film features some of the most suspenseful scenes in any movie this year. Guy Pearce, Ralph Fiennes, and Evangeline Lilly all play small, but crucial, supporting roles.

Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire – This is not an easy film to watch, and I’m not sure I would attempt to do so again. It is the very powerful story of an abused, illiterate, overweight teenager growing up In Harlem in the mid-80’s. Precious is pregnant with her second child and is flunking out of school. Her days are occupied by daydreams of being a star on MTV and having a “light-skinned boyfriend”. Her mother is played by Mo’nique as a cruel, calculating monster in a performance that undoubtedly will be recognized by the Oscar voters. When Precious enrolls in an “alternative school” she starts to realize that she can make something of herself with the help of her teacher, Ms. Rain (Paula Patton). First time actor, Gabby Sidibe plays Precious, a character that goes from victim to victor.

Drag Me to Hell – Sam Raimi returns to the horror genre with Drag Me Hell. This is probably the most fun you could have at the movies this year. Allison Lohman plays Christine Brown, a loan officer who is eager to get a promotion and in her haste, she denies an extension for a creepy old woman who in turn, puts a curse on her. After realizing that the curse is for real, Christine goes to extreme lengths to remove the curse. Justin Long plays her boyfriend who tries to help her, even though he doesn’t entirely buy in to the curse. This film has one of the best, most shocking endings of the year.

These five films just missed my top ten for one reason or another, but I enjoyed them all quite a bit.

Fantastic Mr. Fox – The other stop motion film to come out this year, Wes Anderson directs this film based on a book by Roald Dahl. The only problem with this one is that it was marketed as a kid’s movie, while adults will probably enjoy it much more. The voice talent includes George, Clooney, Meryl Streep, Jason Schwartzman, and Bill Murray. A very fun and wonderful film that could be enjoyed by more introspective and intelligent youngsters, as well as their parents.

Zombieland – Not quite as good as Edgar Wright’s Shawn of the Dead, it still is a lot of fun. The “rules” for surviving in a world filled with zombies that Jesse Eisenberg’s character comes up with are a highlight of the movie. This one also features the best cameo in any movie this year, but I won’t spoil it for you.

Observe and Report – A very dark comedy about a mentally disturbed mall cop played by Seth Rogen. Director Jody Hill describes his screenplay as a “comedic version of Taxi Driver”, and that isn’t too far off. The final chase scene ends in the year’s biggest laugh, in my opinion. Be forewarned, this covers some subject matter that no comedy has even touched before.

Where the Wild Things Are – Spike Jonze’s third film is an adaptation of Maurice Sendak’s wonderful children’s book. I’m pretty sure that I’m going to have to watch this again to fully “get it”. The film accurately portrays the isolation that comes with being a kid sometimes.

A Serious Man – The Coen Brothers present us with a tale of a Job-like character set in a Jewish community in the 1960’s. This is unlike any of the Coens other movies, and not quite like any movie I’ve seen before. This is another film that I feel will improve with each additional viewing. The cast is largely unknown, with a few exceptions.