Movie Loner

Getting old stinks. The aches, the pains, the medical probing and prodding. It would be nice to age gracefully with our faculties intact but some of us will inevitably become burdens. When this happens children often accept the responsibility of caring for their elderly parents. It’s far from easy for either party but we sacrifice for those we love. However, this whole process becomes increasingly problematic when the relationship between parent and children is strained. Watch The Savages and you’ll see what I mean.

Siblings Jon and Wendy Savage (Philip Seymour Hoffman, Laura Linney) just received a phone call they’ve been dreading. Their aging father Lenny, who suffers from dementia, got tossed out of his Arizona home by his recently deceased girlfriend’s family. Lacking options, Jon and Wendy decide to bring Lenny back to Jon’s Buffalo home. Jon picks out a nursing home. Wendy battles mounting guilt. Complicating matters is Jon and Wendy’s painful memories of an abusive childhood at the hands of Lenny.

To help ease Lenny’s transition Wendy moves in with Jon. Sibling rivalry heats up as bro and sis bicker over each other’s personal and professional lives. Despite their differences, they come together to care for their father whose condition worsens by the day. Wendy and Jon also grow closer and gain a mutual respect for one another, while struggling to forgive Lenny for his past misdeeds. Dealing with the end of their father’s life forces them to grow up, face their own mortality and find the happiness that has sadly eluded them.

Hoffman and Linney are two of the best actors working today. Their choice in roles are both challenging and interesting. They rarely deliver false performances and watching them act side-by-side is absolute pleasure. Writer/director Tamara Jenkins balances a poignant story with moments of levity. Caring for the elderly is a tricky subject matter not often seen in mainstream film. The Savages provides a realistic glimpse into a scenario that many of us will confront at some point in our lives. It’s one of those smaller films deserving of a wider audience.

The trailer for The Savages:

No Comments »

I’ve been writing a lot about 2007 movies for a reason. 2007 was a damn good year for film. In fact, it might have been the best year since 1999, a groundbreaking 365 days that included The Matrix, American Beauty, Fight Club, The Sixth Sense, Boys Don’t Cry, Being John Malkovich and Magnolia. WOW! What a list. But I digress, I’m supposed to be extolling 2007. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford may be guilty of a verbose title, but it is without question one of last year’s best films.

The story follows Jesse James (Brad Pitt) through his final years focusing on his odd relationship with Robert Ford (Casey Affleck), an ambitious young man who took part in The James Gang’s final heist. Ford grew up idolizing Jesse’s criminal exploits and believed a friendship with Jesse would lead to fame and fortune. Jesse, at first flattered by Ford’s fanaticism, soon grows weary of the obsessive behavior. Jesse would spend his post-crime life wandering Missouri in a constant state of paranoia fearing his inevitable capture or betrayal.

Jesse’s trust issues send him on a mission to eliminate anyone associated with the last robbery. That includes Robert Ford and his brother Charley (Sam Rockwell), who have devious plans of their own. Jesse sees through Robert’s innocent guise but does nothing to stop him. In the end, Jesse James welcomes his own death, tired of living a life on the run. For his part, Robert Ford achieves his desired stardom becoming one of the country’s most recognizable men. However, as time passes Ford’s heroic persona mutates into his true identity, that of a coward who gunned down a beloved American outlaw. The rest of Ford’s life would be one lived in shame.

Until this film Casey Affleck was always Ben’s little brother. Well, not anymore. His searing portrayal of Robert Ford earned him an Oscar nomination and permanent removal from Ben’s shadow. Great westerns are hard to find these days but writer/director Andrew Dominik paints a stark portrait of Missouri in the 1880s. Grim realism dominates a land where the code of criminals supplants the code of law. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford isn’t about elaborate gunfights or men with no names. It’s about the last days of a historic figure presented in a simple, yet effective manner.

The trailer for The Assassination of Jesse James:

No Comments »

Ever wonder how the great singer/songwriters find the inspiration to create hits? Well, I have. John Mayer dispels a lot of myths about the process. Check this out:

No Comments »

I’ve always been an Ang Lee fan. The Ice Storm is one of my favorite movies and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is filmmaking at its finest. I’ll forgive him for the overblown misfire that was Hulk, but overall the guy has proven himself time and time again exploring different genres in the process. How Lust, Caution went largely ignored by American audiences is still a mystery. Too bad because it was easily one of last year’s best films.

Hong Kong, 1938. Shy student Wong Chia Chi joins an acting troupe led by Kuang Yu Min, a budding revolutionist who is vehemently opposed to the WWII Japanese occupation of China. Patriotic plays lead to Kuang and his thespian charges embroiled in a plot to assassinate Japanese sympathizer Mr. Yee. Wong Chia Chi adopts the persona of the married Mrs. Mak befriending Mrs. Yee in an attempt to get closer to Mr. Yee. After numerous Mahjong sessions at the Yee home, Mr. Yee takes a keen interest in Mrs. Mak, but a hinted affair is never realized after the Yees abruptly relocate to Shanghai.

Shanghai, 1942. Four years pass and Wong Chai Chi is back in school and living with her aunt. A reunion with Kuang, who is now a player in the anti-Japanese movement, again places Wong in a dangerous spygame to entrap the elusive Mr. Yee. Resurrecting her Mrs. Mak identity, Wong soon begins a torrid affair with Yee. Aggressive sexual encounters draw the two together as Mrs. Mak accepts the role of mistress. Her duties to country become clouded once her feelings for Yee strengthen. Lust turns to love, and Mak/Wong is forced to choose between her loyalty to Kuang or her passion for Yee.

Tony Leung, who I’ve lauded repeatedly on these pages, takes a welcome departure from the brooding, romantic characters he usually plays and turns in a phenomenal performance as the cold-blooded Mr. Yee. But this film is all about Wei Tang, whose portrayal of Wong/Mak is a revelation. This was Wie Tang’s acting debut and if it’s any indication of her talent she has a long career ahead of her. Ang Lee continues to impress bouncing from American to native Taiwan cinema. Lust, Caution secures his rank among today’s top filmmakers.

A scene from Lust, Caution:

No Comments »

Crime doesn’t pay. Who hasn’t heard this before? Still thousands of people every year think they can dupe the system and walk away with a nice cool sum that will solve all of their problems. They’ll spend countless hours trying to justify it to themselves. Nobody will get hurt. It’s a simple job. Is it, really? If you’re thinking about pulling off the perfect robbery or scam do yourself a favor and watch Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead. It will scare you straight.

Philip Seymour Hoffman plays Andy Hanson, a schlub payroll manager with a bored wife and nasty drug habit. Good ‘ol Andy has been embezzling money from his firm and he’s about to get pinched. He needs cash fast so he concocts a scheme to rob his parents suburban jewelry store. To assist in this “victimless crime” Andy enlists his meek little bro Hank (Ethan Hawke), who has financial woes of his own. Andy has it all figured out. All Hank has do is commit the robbery and it’s smooth sailing from there.

Of course, nothing goes as planned. Hank decides he’s too chicken to do it alone so he brings along a friend who happens to bring a gun. The friend is killed, and Andy and Hank’s mother, who wasn’t supposed to be at the store, ends up in the hospital with a gunshot. The brothers’ foolproof plot slowly, and painfully unravels. Guilt and paranoia seep in as Andy and Hank feebly attempt to keep it together. Meanwhile, their heartbroken father Charles (Albert Finney) seeks answers and justice.

This is a tough movie to watch. First-time screenwriter Kelly Masterson weaves a tragic, compelling story that gets bleaker as it progresses. The great director Sidney Lumet employs flashbacks to reveal backstory to this agonizing criminal tale. He provides the audience no glimmer of hope, or chance of redemption for his characters. They are trapped by their own missteps and can’t escape their deserved fates. Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead is far from the “Feel good movie of the year” but its precise execution and brilliant cast make it worth seeing.

The trailer for Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead:

No Comments »

Let me get this straight. Martin Scorsese directed Mean Streets, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, The Last Temptation of Christ, and Goodfellas, but won nary an Oscar for any of them. Instead, he wins for 2006’s The Departed, a good, not great film. You’ve probably seen The Departed, but did you know it was a remake of a Hong Kong movie called Infernal Affairs? As is usually the case the remake fails to live up to the original.

The Hong Kong police are at war with the Triads. Two young cadets, Chan and Lau, take up opposite sides for control of the streets. Chan goes deep undercover to infiltrate Boss Sam’s crime syndicate. Lau, a secret member of Sam’s gang, climbs the police department ladder to the position of Inspector. While Chan employs morse code to tip-off his Supervisor, Lau uses cell phones and computers to forewarn Boss Sam. Both men know the other exists, but it takes a complex cat and mouse game to reveal their true identities.

After ten nerve-racking years of posing as a gangster, Chan is beginning to lose himself. As long as he remains undercover a normal life will never be attainable. Meanwhile, Lau is starting a normal life. He and his fiance move in together and make plans for the future. Lau also struggles with his dual existence; the pressure of deceiving his law enforcement brethren takes a toll. As they edge closer to discovering each other, Chan and Lau both question the validity of their respective jobs. A tense rooftop climax finally brings the two men together putting an end to their subversive ways.

It’s great to see two of Hong Kong’s best actors go head-to-head. Tony Leung and Andy Lau shine playing kindred spirits teetering the thin line between loyalty and betrayal. The clever, twisting narrative was astutely adopted by Scorsese for The Departed. Unfortunately, Scorsese’s version suffers from a neatly tied ending. Infernal Affairs doesn’t provide easy answers to its difficult questions. Good guys and bad guys are not so definable. The lack of ambiguity in American cinema makes for boring, predictable movies. Thankfully, films like Infernal Affairs are there to pick up the slack.

The trailer for Infernal Affairs:

No Comments »

Anyone familiar with writer/director Tom DiCillo’s phenomenal Living in Oblivion is well aware filmmaking can be excruciatingly painful. I’m amazed most movies don’t turn into disasters. In particular independent films are always at risk for falling apart. Without deep Hollywood coffers, a smaller project can be ruined by one or two bad days of shooting. For that reason I am appreciative of a movie like Box of Moonlight, DiCillo’s eccentric follow-up to Living in Oblivion.

Straight-edge electrical engineer Al Fountain (John Turturro) has just finished installing a factory gas turbine somewhere in the middle-of-nowhere rural America. Instead of going directly home to Chicago Al rents a car and sets out to rediscover Splatchee Lake, a quaint water park he once visited as a kid. Al’s perfect memory is spoiled when he finds an abandoned Splatchee sitting on a contaminated lake. Disappointed, Al hits the road and nearly crashes into a broken down car belonging to a local named Bucky (Sam Rockwell), aka The Kid. Al’s boring, joyless existence is about to get very interesting.

Al begrudgingly agrees to tow The Kid’s car home. Once there, Al is anxious to leave, but Bucky passes out so Al is forced to spend the night. A breakfast of milk and Hydrox cookies leads to a fun-filled day for Al and Bucky. Their list of activities include taking a dip in a gorgeous swimming hole, engaging in a tomato fight, and running from the cops. Free-spirited Bucky and by-the-books Al become fast, albeit unlikely, friends. Al’s short stay is extended into a 4th of July vacation as he sheds his rigid ways and injects some much-needed fun into his life.

Box of Moonlight festively illustrates how friendship can result in positive change. Al and Bucky have no friends which enables them to learn much from each other. The Kid shows Al how to cut loose; Al teaches The Kid a little bit of structure goes a long way. Turturro has made a career playing staid characters, but he adds a deadpan goofiness to Al Fountain. Rockwell never fails to impress in his comedic roles. His portrayal of the Davy Crockett attired oddball Bucky The Kid is original and hilarious. Box of Moonlight is an strange little film that will grow on you.

A scene from Box of Moonlight:

No Comments »

There’s been a lot of chatter lately about the career decline of both Robert De Niro and Al Pacino. Last week’s 88 Minutes did nothing to dispel the notion that Pacino is finished, and the negative grumblings surrounding the upcoming Righteous Kill won’t help either Al or Bob. Two old-timers who continue to churn out great performances in interesting films are Jack Nicholson and Michael Caine. One such film is Blood and Wine, a gritty noirish thriller that proves there is no honor among thieves.

Nicholson plays Alex Gates, a philandering Miami wine dealer looking for a big score. Alex has his eyes on a priceless necklace stashed away in a wealthy client’s palatial estate. To nab the jewels Alex partners with Vic Spansky, a short-fused safecracker dying of lung disease. Once Alex and Vic get their hands on the necklace things begin to go awry. A domestic tiff between Alex and his wife Suzanne (Judy Davis) leaves Alex unconscious. Suzanne grabs a bag, unaware it contains the stolen goods, and flees with her son Jason (Steven Dorff).

Suzanne and Jason head for the Keys with Alex and Vic in fast pursuit. The venomous Vic will do anything to reclaim the jewels. Standing in his way is Jason, who cleverly pieces together the scheme and devises a plan of his own. It’s every man for himself as Alex, Vic and Jason vie for possession of the diamonds. Self-preservation takes grip as the lure of immense riches consumes the trio of thieves.

People often complain about not liking any of the characters in a particular movie. I find that criticism ridiculous. Since when do characters have to be likable? Blood and Wine is about loathsome criminals. We’re not supposed to identify with or cheer for scumbags like Vic and Alex. Quentin Tarantino made it cool to like bad guys, but real bad guys are pieces of shit that we should abhor. Blood and Wine works because its villains get what’s coming to them. Special praise goes to Michael Caine for his spot on portrayal of the repugnant Vic.

A scene from Blood and Wine:

No Comments »