Moonrise Kingdom (DVD)

Here's the thing I love most about Wes Anderson, and you can probably only say the following about a very small number of directors: when you are watching a Wes Anderson movie, you absolutely know you are watching a Wes Anderson movie from frame one. If you didn't know he directed the movie, you would most certainly realize it as soon as the movie starts.

Moonrise Kingdom is most certainly a Wes Anderson movie. Every single detail proves this, from the clothes to the set decoration to the dialogue - everything. And while it's not my personal favorite of his movies (that award goes to The Royal Tennenbaums, of course), I think it may be his best work to date. It's sweet and it's sad and it's just damn good.

The movie takes place in 1965 on a small East Coast island where a teenage khaki scout named Sam (Jared Gilman) falls in love with a book / binocular loving girl named Suzy (Kara Hayward) and they decide to run away together. With an impending hurricane headed their way, a bunch of people begin searching the island for them, including Suzy's lawyer parents with a troubled marriage (Frances McDormand and Bill Murray), the island cop (Bruce Willis), a hilariously serious Scout Master (Edward Norton) and a character aptly named Social Services (Tilda Swinton). Jason Schwartzman also shows up in the final act to help our young love runaways. What's so great about Moonrise Kingdom in this day and age of movies with complicated plots and confusing story lines is how unabashedly straight forward it is. It's a simple story told simply and that is what makes it so beautiful. There's this great overall sense of adventure and this celebration of young love. The film is so beautiful but it also makes you sad at the end, remembering better days.

The movie may be Wes Anderson's best but it's far from perfect. The adult characters have a certain lack of personality and aren't really fully developed although I like to think that's intentional. As a child, you don't fully understand the problems and concerns going on in adult lives, so perhaps this is a reflection of that feeling. Another small problem I had was the third act. The film meanders at a slow, sweet and enjoyable pace and then at the end, Anderson tries to fit in as much action as possible (in fact, all of the action).

But these two small problems don't take away from the fact that Moonrise Kingdom is a great movie, definitely one of the best of the year and probably Anderson's overall best. Anderson is known for being weird and pretentious but he keeps this movie quirky while managing to curb his more out there notions that maybe turn off mainstream audiences. The performances, especially by the young Gilman and Hayward, and Norton, who all but steals the show, are fabulous. The dialogue is fresh and sweet. Moonrise Kingdom happens to be a perfect inclusion in Anderson's resume.

Grade: B+

Catching up!

I know I have been neglecting this blog but no more! Here are some mini reviews to catch up on all the movies I've seen but didn't review. As of now, I will update regularly with reviews and more (think top ten lists, actor profiles, useless fun trivia, etc.). But first, mini reviews (from best to worst):

The Ghost Writer - First off, this film is completely and utterly predictable. I knew who the killer was almost instantly. Still, it's a well done, damn good thriller. Directed by the notorious Roman Polanski and starring Ewan McGregor, Pierce Brosnon and Olivia Williams, The Ghost Writer is a political thriller with a whole lot of conspiracy theory thrown in. When the ghost writer of an ex-prime minister mysteriously ends up dead due to an "accident", McGregor reluctantly takes over his job and starts to unravel a whole lot of secrets. He also finds out that the death wasn't so much an accident as it was murder. The closer he gets to finding out the truth, the more someone wants to murder him as well. However predictable the story is, the acting and directing are so damn good that it hardly matters. Plus, that ending is perfect. (B)

Piranha 3D - Seriously, the most fun I have had at a movie theater in as long as I can remember!! Remember when 3D first came out and the previews for My Bloody Valentine 3D started showing and I thought to myself, "A 3D horror movie? That's the third greatest idea of all time (after the snuggie and the microwave, obviously)." Then I saw My Bloody Valentine 3D and it was a bloody awful mess. Well, Piranha 3D does every single thing right! It's so trashy and so over the top and so damn fun! Just try to not have a good time at this movie. I'm not even going to tell you plot. Okay, how about piranha's go crazy during Spring Break at an idyllic lake. That's all you need to know besides the fact that the cast is actually all kinds of impressive: Elisabeth Shue as chief of police, Ving Rhames as her badass deputy, Adam Scott as a scientist, Steven R. McQueen as Shue's impressionable son, Jerry O'Connell as a sleazy porn entrepeneur. Then there are the super fun cameos from Richard Dreyfuss and Christopher Lloyd. Plus, the movie was directed by Alexandre Aja who did High Tension and the super great remake of The Hills Have Eyes. I really want to give this a higher grade but I'm afraid all my credibility will be stripped away. (B)

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World - In a summer of typical, awful movies, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World was a ray of sunshine, completely original and completely creative. From Shaun of the Dead / Hot Fuzz director Edgar Wright, this adaptation of a highly revered comic book follows Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera) and his quest to defeat the seven evil exes of his dream girl, Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead). The supporting cast is perfection: Allison Pill, Johnny Simmmons, Mark Webber, Anna Kendrick, Jason Schwartzman, Chris Evans, Brandon Routh. Kieran Culkin as Scott's sarcastic gay roommate Wallace steals every single solitary scene he is in. (Also, I'm a dork and I totally did pick out the Tennessee Thomas cameo!). It all becomes a bit plotting. The fight scenes are all well done and different but there are SIX of them! Then there's that comic book / video game feel the game has which is super original and creative but it does get a little overwhelming at times. I'm not sure I was in love with all aspects of the ending but overall, I would recommend this super fun, super well done movie to anyone. (B)

The Girl Who Played with Fire - The second installment of the Millenium trilogy, this Swedish film follows the best female character in recent history, Lisbeth Salander (Noomi Rapace) as she is framed for the murder of two journalists. She and Mikael Blomquist, her ex-lover / journalist friend (Michael Nyqvist) become involved in a trafficking story that involves a lot of very high powered men. While not nearly as engaging as The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, the second installment is still a damn good movie. It does seem a little more rushed than the first, introducing characters on a whim and skipping past seemingly important story lines. Still, Noomi Rapace is a revelation. She is amazing as Lisbeth Salander, perfectly embodying the hacker punk heroine. Rooney Mara is going to have a hell of a lot to live up to. (B)

Winter's Bone - First off, Jennifer Lawrence is amaazing in the lead role. She is a real find. John Hawkes is also damn good in his supporting role as her uncle but then he has been a stellar supporting character actor for years now. The movie is basically about a 17 year old (Lawrence) whose dad has been in and out of jail. Her mom is mentally ill so she must raise her two younger siblings all by herself in some barren wasteland somewhere in the midewest. She finds out her dad has skipped bail and put their house up for collateral so she must find her dad within a week or the house will be taken from them. So, that's what she does. And it's all very plotting and boring. She just goes from one crazy relative to the next trying to find her dad. You're not sure if her relatives want to kill her or hug her and sometimes they do both in a matter of minutes. The performances are the only real saving factor here. (C+)

Machete - Look, I'm not going to tell you that Machete is some amazing, future Oscar winner or anything. It is very typically Robert Rodriguez. If you like his other films, then you will probably like this one. It is a lot of fun but there's nothing new here. He has a knack for writing interesting, far out characters (think Cherry in Planet Terror). Here we've got Machete (Danny Trejo), She (Michelle Rodriguez) and Lindsay Lohan who at one point wears a nun's habit while killing a bunch of bad guys. There's guns and fights and sex and blood. But it's a lot of fun. And, I mean, look, I was just there for Jeff Fahey. Also, dear Hollywood, next summer I would like a Machete vs. Piranha movie. You're welcome. (C)

Eat Pray Love - I have the same exact problem with the movie as I did with the book (although it didn't seem to annoy me quite as much with the book which I actually liked very much) - the main character, Elizabeth Gilbert, who also wrote the book, is a whiny little bitch! Watch as she whines about losing her husband while she's sleeping with a hotter version of him (Billy Crudup / James Franco, respectively). Watch as she whines about how lonely she is as she trapses around Italy, India and Bali. Watch as she talks about all the "poor little rich white girl" problems she has while she's interacting with people who have actual problems!! It seems like it's the Elizabeth Gilbert world with everything revolving around her. We just live in her world. It's all just a bit much. I didn't like Liz when I was reading the book although I did enjoy the travel aspect of the book. Julia Roberts, who has an immense likeability factor, can't even make me like this woman. Plus, this movie went on and on and on and on. It may have been two and a half hours long but it felt like five hours. (D)

Precious / Fantastic Mr. Fox

Precious - In a word: devastating. Half of Precious is really as good as everyone is saying it is. The other half, well, we'll talk about that later. The story follows an illiterate overweight Harlem high school girl named Precious. She's currently pregnant with her second child, both fathered by her dad. Her mom is abusive, to say the least. She daydreams of being a blonde girl and starring in rap videos. The story itself is half gritty street tale and half lifetime movie. The movie, for me, lives and dies by the performance of Mo' Nique. Mo' Nique, Mo' Nique, Mo' Nique. My Lord, she is amazing. Even without that last knockdown dragout scene in Mariah Carey's office, her performance is amazing. But when she adds those layers onto her abusive character, well, it's really Oscar gold. If she doesn't win come March, it'll be a crying shame. Newcomer Gabourey Sidibe is solid as Precious as well. She has a level of honesty and realism that is refreshing and welcoming. Paula Patton as a sweet, caring teacher is a revelation as well. She just exudes warmth. Then there's Carey. Everyone is all a-twitter about how she uglied herself up (or down) for the role. She impresses with her small role as a social worker but she's really just there to play opposite the single best scene in the entire movie. Precious is depressing as hell but it's also strangely uplifting. Like I said, though, only half of the time. When I wasn't feeling emotionally wrecked, I was feeling like I was watching a made for TV lifetime movie. That's not necessarily a bad thing but when half of your movie is so damn good, the other half shouldn't feel like it's so inferior. Still, Precious is definitely worth watching if only for Mo' Nique's AMAZING, AMAZING, AMAZING performance. I can't sing her praises enough.
Grade: B / B+

Fantastic Mr. Fox - I'm finding Fantastic Mr. Fox to be a difficult movie to review. Everything I've heard about it has been so blaringly positive that I feel if I say anything negative about the movie it would be taken as treason. I am, indeed, a Wes Anderson fan (although I admit I'm a bigger fan of co-writer Noah Baumbach's work). I love his quirky, offbeat sensabilities. I think The Royal Tenenbaums and Rushmore are two of the most brilliant movies in recent years. Still, there's something about Fantastic Mr. Fox that didn't quite gel with me and I can't exactly place my finger on it. I mean, clearly this movie was made for Anderson fans. I can't imagine who else would go see it. It's too dark for children and too offbeat for most adults. As an Anderson fan, I think the movie is great - charming, witty, full of likeable yet terribly flawed main characters (voiced by George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, Willem Dafoe etc.). Visually, it's simply stunning. I've actually never read the book so I can't compare the two but I feel Anderson probably took some liberties and I hope he didn't take anything away from the original work. As a fan of movies, however, there was something lacking in the haphazard story telling and the painfully slow second act. Also, the whole wolf-phobia side plot thing just totally didn't work at all. Still, the movie was enjoyable and I definitely recommend it for fans of Anderson's other works. As cliched as this sounds, it was a little short of fantastic for me.
Grade: B-

Wednesday - Top Ten Best Supporting Actresses of the Decade!

The Darjeeling Limited, Paris je t'aime, Top Ten List

The Darjeeling Limited - Ah, Wes Anderson. The poster boy for quirky, indie, intellectual, hipster comedy-drama. My love for him knows no limits. I admit, he may not be for everyone. I mean, after all, not much really ever happens in his movies. But, I for one, love him. And The Darjeelinig Limited? Well, it's just the next in what I consider to be a stellar directing career. Sure, it's not as good as The Royal Tenenbaums or (especially) Rushmore. But it's slightly better than the superb Bottle Rocket and way better than the slightly (I said, slightly) disappointing The Life Aquatic. The Darjeeling Limited is a film occupied with moments. It's not so much concerned with, how should I put this, plot but for me (and probably for most Anderson fans) that doesn't ever get dull. These moments that fill up the movie are wonderful moments. They are well crafted and who just how much Anderson has matured over the years. The film is essentially about a spiritual journey. Three brothers who haven't spoken in a year (since their fathers hilariously tragic funeral) reunite on a trainride through India. Owen Wilson, Jason Schwartzman and Anderson newcomer Adrien Brody (who fits quite perfectly in Wes-world) star as the three brothers. The film is great from the very start with a hilarious and memorable cameo from the great Bill Murray, trying to catch the Darjeeling Limited train in slow motion. Still, he's outrun by Brody's Peter all to the tune of The Kinks' 'This Time Tomorrow' (oh, the music! Isn't music always another character in Anderson movies? Love the music). The film also features a small role from the great Anjelica Huston and a tiny cameo from Natalie Portman (who plays heavily in the short film prelude Hotel Chevalier which is highly recommended viewing before the film). In the end, this movie is just great fun. It's a fun ride through a world occupied by colorful characters and memorable incidents. The film is quite simply bright, random, happy, sad, funny, stupid, silly and wise.

Grade: B+

Paris, je t'aime - The tagline here is 'stories of love from the city of love.' Indeed. Paris, je t'aime is a collection of 18 short films by acclaimed directors and starring great actors (some well known, some not at all). It's a sometime bizzare, sometimes stupid, sometimes beautiful look at the language of love. A friend of mine described the film as being frustrating because it was like watching the first five minutes of 18 different movies. I disagree. I've always loved the short film as an art form and I think this collection is a great way to express 18 different ideas on one subject. It's terribly interesting. It's a creative and unique look at different directors each lending their own unique vision and interpreting love in the City of Lights. When you are dealing with 18 short films, obviously, there are going to be some films that are better than others. You have it all here, really. There is one short in particular that was just almost painful to watch. It was entitled Porte de Choisy and it was just strange and weird and stupid. It follows some sort of shampoo salesman who arrives in a Chinatown-looking place in Paris. I think perhaps the story was about inner beauty but I could be completely wrong. Of course, there are those shorts that are mediocre. There are quite a few of those. A few that are dull and forgettable. But, for the most part, the collection is mostly hits with only a few misses. There are quite a few memorable shorts. Of course, the short that stands out as being most different is the noir-esque vampire love story starring Elijah Wood called Quartier de la Madeleine. While that looked and felt the most different and was quite strong, it wasn't in my top 5 favorites among the shorts. The five I want you to pay most attention to when you watch this film (because you should) are (in the order they appear): 1) Tuileries - Directed by the Coen Brothers and starring Steve Buscemi, he's absolutely mesmerizing without ever saying one single word. The entire sequence is just hilarious. It kept me hooked through until the very end of the sequence. 2) Bastille - Probably my favorite among the shorts. A man meets his wife at a restaurant where he plans on telling her he's leaving her for his mistress. However, he soon gets some rather devastating news from his wife and he changes his mind. It's sad and simple and beautiful. 3) Tour Eiffel - Two mimes fall in love while spending the night in jail together. Plus, the kid is super adorable. 4) Faubour Saint-Denis - Tom Twyker's short film is the most beautifully done. It's stunning and lovely. A blind man picks up the phone and hears from his girlfriend (a beautiful Natalie Portman) that she is breaking up with him. He reflects on their relationship. It's short and stunning and it stays with you - everything a short film should do. 5) 14th Arrondissement - The final sequence is just hilarious and heartbreaking at the same time. An American woman tells her French class about her trip to Paris. Her French is terrible, but by the end of the segment, she realizes what Paris is really all about. A lovely final way to sum up a great collection of shorts. Check it out.

Grade: B

Top Ten List - Best Movie Endings

Spoiler Alert! Obviously, I'm probably going to spoil some stuff if you haven't seen these movies. You've been warned. This is inspired by the fact that I am currently watching Se7en. So, here's my list (what's yours?):

10. Hard Candy - You can argue that adding this to my list is just an excuse to talk about this movie that I love so much and to talk about Ellen Page who I love so much. Valid point. Talk about an ending, though. Ellen Page gives a master class acting performance (and she was, like, 18 when she made this move!). When Hayley reveals that she's known the truth all along, try not to let your skin crawl. Plus, you just know she's not getting rid of any evidence. Ellen Page - I love you.

09. The Village - You can take your 'The Sixth Sense' ending anytime you want. I will always prefer 'The Village.' Although, I'm not necessarily a fan of M. Night Shyamalan, this is my favorite of his films. The end is fantastic and intellegent and just plain surprising. Unlike The Sixth Sense which you could, seriously, see coming a mile away.

08. Closer - This is a movie filled with liars. All of the characters do is lie and lie and lie some more. Except Alice (Natalie Portman). It seems Alice may be the only emotionally honest person in the entire film. But, when we finally see her passport, we find out she's the biggest liar of all. Her name really is Jane. Thank you.

07. The Birds - First of all: Here's a little bit of a confession. This movie scares me to death! It just simply terrifies me. In the end it seems that our lovebirds (ha) are headed to safety. But then the camera pans out. And guess what? There are birds, birds, crazy I'll peck your eyeballs out birds EVERYWHERE. How far do you really think our heroes are going to get in that soft top convertible?

06. The Silence of the Lambs - I can't possibly think of a more perfect way to part ways with our dear old friend Hannibal Lector. The ever intelligent, witty and clever man has a little phone conversation with Clarice. His parting words? "I'm having an old friend for dinner." Perfection.

05. Planet of the Apes - An astronaut is in a strange, strange world filled with apes. But, in the end when Charelton Heston grabs his lady love and tries to run, guess what he finds? Lady Liberty buried in the sand. What have we done to our country? Social commentary at its best.

04. Fight Club - The destrction of capitalism all set to the beautiful music of The Pixies. Plus, the whole, I am Tyler Durden thing. Well, I'm sure you've seen it. You know.

03. Chinatown - Chinatown is everything and nothing all at once. In the end, (after the whole, 'She's my sister. She's my daughter. She's my sister. She's my daughter' fiasco - best. scene. ever.), Jake (my ultimate movie star boyfriend Jack Nicholson) solves the crime. And then he's told, "Forget it, Jake. It's Chinatown." God, I love this movie.

02. Se7en - Watching it again, I'm finding it a little hard to take seriously and I blame Andy Samberg for that. All I can hear is, "Step One: Cut a hole in the box. Step Two: Put Gwennie's head in a box. Step Three: Make Pitt open the box." But, still, this movie is simply great. Kevin Spacey always has the upper hand...

01. The Usual Suspects - Told you so! You think Chazz Palminteri is leading Spacey's Verbal Kint to the slaughter house. You think you've got it all figured out. But with the simple breaking of a coffee cup and the shaking off of a limb, everything you thought you knew completely changes. It's everything a movie ending should be.

The Kingdom, Hotel Chevalier, The Condemned

The Kingdom - I was hooked from the opening - a watered down time table of terrorism since the 1930's all told in about 4 minutes. Excellent opening. I wish I could say the same about the entire movie. The Kingdom definitely has its moments of solid, good story telling and filmmaking. Unfortunately, it has its bad moments as well, including a horrible ending. The cast is pretty solid and led by Jamie Foxx who is usually hit or miss for me. This time he's a hit. His character is charming and cocky... two things I'm pretty sure Foxx are as well. So he plays it easily. He's joined by the always wonderful Chris Cooper and the adorable Jennifer Garner. Also starring one of my movie star boyfriends Jason Bateman (let's not even talk about his few final scenes on film... my heart almost couldn't stand it!). Anyway, they go to Saudi Arabia to avenge and investigate the death of a friend even though the government tells them not to go. They aren't met with wide open arms and at first they can do nothing but look at the crime scene - no investigation, no touching of evidence, nothing. Director Peter Berg goes way overboard with the hand-held cameras and quick edits to simulate hyper action. There were way too many close ups where eyeballs took up half the screen. It wants to be Syriana but it's too watered down to be Syriana. Plus, near the end it turns more into a video game than anything else. Even though I was totally invested in the movie from the start, it lost me at the end and left me with a sour feeling. It absolutely feels like an anti-terrorist video game where the government is sent in to kill as many terrorists as possible. Dodging bullets, avoiding rockets, shooting terrorists in the head, frantic gun shots in a hallway. It was a bit much. As a filmmaker Berg could have redeemed himself and his message but instead he took the low road. The movie ends with a nugget of advice being passed down from both the Americans and the Saudis: "Kill all of them." Wonderful message. Still, it wasn't the worst movie I've ever seen. Still, the first half was solid. Still, I love Jason Bateman who is always funny and reliable, no matter how much the material around him sucks.

Grade: C

Hotel Chevalier - There's really not much you can say about a 13 minute short film. You may or may not know that it is the prelude to The Darjeeling Limited. It was written and directed by Wes Anderson and it stars Jason Schwartzman and Natalie Portman. It's a really wonderful little short that serves to introduce us to one of the main characters of Darjeeling, Jack (Schwartzman), a rich broken hearted man living in a Paris hotel. He's soon joined in his room by his ex-girlfriend (Portman) and they come face to face with their pain and feelings for each other. Anderson says its necessary to see this to understand Darjeeling... I don't really understand why but you should still see it anyway. It's short and sweet and shot beautifully. It's got a great tone, a great soundtrack and great dialogue. There's little actually said but there are a lot of hints at what the story might actually be. It captures a particular feel the way any good short story/film does. It's all pure Anderson - dead pan, melancholy, hurtful. It's like a perfect snapshot of a relationship. Schwartzman's performance is stronger than Portman's but she's still great as well. Plus, she gets mostly nude. I'm sure, if nothing else, that will entice some people to see this short.

Grade: B+

The Condemned - Again, I've seen worse movies. The story follows a rich television producer who decides to branch out and use the internet to show his new endeavor: 10 death row inmates and killers put together on an island. They all must try to kill each other because only one can win... and that person will be set free. It's not a terribly bad idea for a movie actually. Or a reality show. I sort of, kind of feel like I would probably watch it. Anyway, the idea isn't terrible but the execution mostly is. If you are a fan of wrestling or action movies then you'll probably like this movie. It's got a lot of Steve Austin and a lot of fights and action sequences. The movie isn't trying to be Shakespeare or intellectual. The fight scenes are sometimes choppy and hard to see. The plot is predictable. Oh, plus Vinnie Jones is in it and I love him! He's really wonderful even in a movie like this which is mostly crap. It's mostly a waste of time and money. Now, on to the acting. What acting?! Steve Austin should stick to wrestling. Again, Vinnie Jones is the only really doing anything remotely resembling acting. The cinematography is lacking. The violence is extreme and repetitive. Plus the movie is two hours long and it feels like 4, at least.

Grade: D-