Grease

Title: Grease (1978)
Director: Randal Kleiser
Genre: Musical
Lead Actor(s): John Travolta, Olivia Newton-John
Rating: PG-13
110 minutes

There probably isn’t a musical better known than this one. For the view of you who haven’t ever heard of this musical, Goodie-Two-Shoes Sandy (Olivia Newton-John) moves to the states and remeets her summer fling, Danny (John Travolta), at her new high school. The Danny she met though was much kinder and softer than this Danny. The two try to rekindle their romance but find they both must change to get close to each other again.

Olivia Newton-John is probably my least favorite of the actors in the cast. Her purer than snow Sandy is often grating and unrelatable. I know that the celebrated “Hopelessly Devoted to You” is her big ballad, but it was always one of my least favorite songs. I just found the performance and character bland. She needs more personality and spunk. I find it hard to believe that there was a strong initial connection between the two leads.

John Travolta is much more on point as Danny Zuko. I think he understands this type of character better than Newton-John understands hers. He played a rather similar character in “Welcome Back, Kotter.” I also think he just had more fun with his character and the movie in general. Danny does have a good heart, but he also has a good reputation and sometimes one trumps the other. He is far more believable than his costar.

My favorite characters though are the supporting ones, particularly Kenickie (Jeff Conaway), Rizzo (Stockard Channing), and Marty Maraschino (Dinah Manoff). Kenickie is just a great foil for the characters around him. Whether he is interacting with Danny or Rizzo, he is always giving the support the other actor needs to perform to his best. He also is always acting even when he is in the background. Marty Maraschino is just funny. She is a not always purposeful vixen. She is at her funniest during the dance-off when flirting with the host. Rizzo is my favorite character in the movie. She is head of the Pink Ladies and a very strong character. Although far older than her teenage character, Channing is very strong in her characterization and finds humor in moments that could have been stale. I would argue she is the strongest character both in believability and personality in the movie.

Several of the songs are fun and catchy. The movie is well-directed even if I disagree with the casting of the female lead. After 30 years, the movie is just as beloved as it was then. I don’t know that it will ever fade from the pop culture’s radar. It is not my favorite musical or my favorite high school movie, but it isn’t bad.

****** 6/10

Evita

Title: Evita (1996)
Director: Alan Parker
Genre: Musical, Biography
Lead Actor(s): Madonna, Antonio Banderas
Rating: PG
135 minutes

This movie probably has some of the smallest amount of actual dialogue of any musical I have ever seen. According to imdb, Madonna only speaks 140 words and Antonio Banderas only 85. The movie tells the rise and fall of Eva Peron (Madonna), first lady of Argentina. Banderas plays a narrator of sorts. There are a few shots of Eva’s childhood but the majority of the film consists of the time between when she was 15 to her death.

Madonna campaigned heavily for the role. I would think she saw some comparisons between herself and the character. Both rose from the lower class. Both rose to such a position as to be both adored and reviled. It is a good thing that the majority of Madonna’s screen time is her singing. She can emote much better when singing than when straight acting. I would argue that Madonna is better as the young, hungry, reaching Eva than the politician’s wife Eva.

Banderas is supposed to be an everyman named Che. He tries to ground the ambitious Eva. There is not a lot of characterization for Che as can be expected given his role. This is both helpful and hurtful. There are times where his presence is needed and enjoyable, but there are also times that he is distracting and annoying.

This an Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, but it is not as ornate as Phantom or Cats. There is, of course, an insane amount of theatricality, but it is much more realistic than those two. Since Parker did not have the constraints of the stage, I would have liked to see some more inventive angles and manipulations of the camera. It is not the best or most inventive or most entertaining movie adaption of a musical, but Evita has an interesting story behind it all. Eva Peron is a unique person in history.

****** 5/10

The Rocky Horror Picture Show

This is my 100th post! As such I choose a special movie to celebrate this occasion. I also am going to change my update schedule to MWF. This is because I feel rushed to find a new movie to write about everyday. I have seen hundreds more than what I have listed here, but this will give me a chance to review movies I haven’t seen in a while and watch some more new movies.

Title: The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
Director: Jim Sharman
Genre: Comedy, Musical
Lead Actor(s): Tim Curry
Rating: R
100 minutes

I adore this movie. Not everyone will. I have a particular friend who ran from the room when another friend and I suggested it. The movie happens in one night at a house in the middle of no where. Janet Weiss (Susan Sarandon) and Brad Majors (Barry Bostwick), newly engaged, get a flat tire on the way to their mentor’s house one night. They stumble upon an old house that seems to be hosting a party. Once they go inside, they are dragged into a foreign world involving aliens, transvestites, homosexuality, homicide, cannibalism and the like.

Tim Curry plays the part of Dr. Frank N. Furter, the owner of the house and a cross-dressing, mad scientist who has built himself a boy toy. First off, Curry has amazing legs. I am very jealous of him. He also has a wonderful voice that perfectly fits the character. He has this fabulous confidence and swagger that allows the audience to like him despite the various horrid things he does. This is an example of when an actor and role are made for each other. Curry is fantastic in the role and I can’t really imagine anyone being better.

Susan Sarandon and Barry Bostwick are also quite funny as the prudes that wander into a den of debauchery. I particularly love Bostwick’s performance in “The Floor Show” scene. It’s also nice to see Sarandon in a comedic role since she recently takes mostly dramatic. Sarandon also has a good voice for the character. Her inflection in “Damn it, Janet” is particularly good.

I utterly adore Little Nell as Columbia. Her adoration of Dr. Furter is palpable. She is the only human that works for Furter and they had a previous affair. Despite being from Earth, she fits in with the weird aliens that she works with. This character wears her emotions on her face and Nell is great at it.

The movie is just fun. It has great songs (my favorite being “Sweet Transvestite). The movie makes me want to get up and do the Time Warp over and over again. As I mentioned there are going to be some people who are just plain uncomfortable with the subject matter. I think I have given a description that will allow you to make your own conclusion. All the actors in this movie are good in their roles and seem to enjoy the parts they are playing. If you are a fan of Tim Curry, you have probably already seen this, but if you haven’t, do.

********** 10/10

Chicago

Title: Chicago (2002)
Director: Rob Marshall
Genre: Musical, Crime
Lead Actor(s): Renée Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones
Rating: PG-13
113 minutes

This is the movie credited with the resurgence of the musical genre. The original play premiered in 1974 with a revival in 1996. The movie follows the circumstances of the murder of a woman’s, Roxie Hart (Renée Zellweger), lover in the 1920’s. She kills him and is put in jail with the infamous Velma Kelly (Catherine Zeta-Jones) who is accused of murdering her sister and husband after finding them in a compromising position. Roxie dreams of working in vaudeville and has musical fantasies in that style.

I have the same problem with the star of the movie as I do with the star of the Broadway show, which I saw while in New York two weeks ago. I just don’t buy them as the character. I think Zellweger was the completely wrong choice. First off her energy doesn’t fit the time period. There is something about her that seems awkward during the jazz age. I also am not a fan of her singing, although I admire her for doing it herself.

I, however, love Catherine Zeta-Jones as Velma Kelly. She is fantastic in every way as Velma. Her singing and dancing are meticulous. She also seems to deeply understand the character. She is able to turn it on when performing and shows her weakness when the paparazzi are no longer interested in her. She is absolutely wonderful in this role.

Richard Gere as Billy Flynn and Queen Latifah as Mama Morton are both very good in their parts too. Queen Latifah is able to belt it out in “When You’re Good to Mama” and seems to have fun in the scene. Gere is quite surprising as Flynn. I never would have thought that he had this musical ability in him, but he is great as the smarmy lawyer. The supporting character I really like though is John C. Reilly as Amos. His rendition of “Mr. Cellophane” is almost heartbreaking. While not as homely as Amos generally is supposed to be, he plays the gullible husband quite well.

I am also not a fan of the musical in Roxie’s head idea. There were moments where it worked, “Cell Block Tango,” and moments where it really didn’t, “Roxie.” Unfortunately the low points of the movie out-weigh the high. A lot of this is the failure of Zellweger and to an extent, Marshall. It is a fun movie that is both dark and comedic with excellent performances by Zeta-Jones, Gere, Queen Latifah, and Reilly.

****** 6/10

Moulin Rouge!

Title: Moulin Rouge! (2001)
Director: Baz Luhrmann
Genre: Drama, Romance, Musical
Lead Actor(s): Nicole Kidman, Ewan McGregor
Rating: PG-13
127 minutes

This is probably another one I am slightly biased on. David Bowie had a lot to do with the movie including singing the opening song. I also just love the movie. For those who don’t know, McGregor stars as Christian, a writer who when first introduced looks savage and tortured. The movie is a flashback as he writes a novel based on his experiences. The bohemians, including Toulouse-Lautrec, who live above him recruit him to write a musical for Harold Zidler, the owner of the Moulin Rouge. When they go to the Moulin Rouge to arrange a meeting through Satine (Kidman), Zidler’s star, Christian is mistaken for a Duke who is also pursuing the prostitute. This mistaken identity leads to Christian and Satine falling in love with each other.

Both stars do their own singing as do most of the other cast. The movie takes classic songs, such as “Like A Virgin,” “Roxanne,” and “Rhythm of the Night,” and uses them to further the story line and arranges them in a more musical fashion than originally done. My personal favorite is the powerhouse “The Show Must Go On.” The astounding Jim Broadbent is the larger than life Harold Zidler and his amazing voice brings the drama to the song. He also is utterly ridiculous playing the virgin in “Like A Virgin” opposite Richard Roxburgh as the evil Duke. McGregor and Kidman also have wonderful voices. Kidman is especially good at conveying her emotions in her singing. There are times her singing is almost heart-breaking.

Kidman is just exceptionally good in this part. Often she seems out-of-place or robotic in her roles. As Satine she is full of life and vibrant. I think she is choosing the wrong kinds of movies. She is at her best when her characters have life in them and are a little wild. When they are too prim and proper it just makes her look robotic. There is a wonderful way of being prim and proper and not being robotic. This character is rich and deep and Kidman is always on point.

McGregor is fine as Christian, but I definitely don’t find the character to be as interesting or intriguing as the others. In my opinion the two scene stealers in the movie are John Leguizamo as Toulouse and Jim Broadbent as Zidler. Leguizamo had a hard role play Toulouse. Leguizamo is 5’8″ and Lautrec was 4’11.” After the movie he had to go to physical therapy due to the positions he had to stay in for long periods of time. Leguizamo plays Lautrec not just as a crazy bohemian who liked to hang around with whores. He is aware of the ridiculousness of his life and situation. There is a wonderful sense of self-humor about his Lautrec. Zidler is also a bigger than life character. He is the ringmaster of a circus of whores. His career is to placate and pleasure the vices of those who visit his club. Broadbent plays Zidler as both king and fool and he does so wonderfully. I love Jim Broadbent and unfortunately for my friends, I tend to say that whenever we watch a movie with him in it. He is not well-known, but he is an excellent actor in everything I have ever seen him in. He understands his characters in a way not many are capable of.

This is apparently going to be a long post because I have not yet gotten to the directing. Baz Luhrmann has a unique and intelligent way of directing. Every piece of scenery was built on a sound stage. Luhrmann creates beautiful images and manipulates them with lighting and effects so that they completely change. His vision for this movie is unlike anything I can think of. This movie had to be big. The subject matter was big. The setting was big. The characters were big. This is not a movie that calls for calm subtlety. It would have been a horrible failure if Wes Anderson or Woody Allen or even Christopher Nolan had taken charge. It needs a big director with a bit of an ego.

It is a great movie if you love musicals, the type of songs I have described, the director, or the actors I have mentioned. The soundtrack is wonderful and each song is a new telling, not some awful karaoke or poor attempt at mimicry. I really do believe that this is Nicole Kidman’s best performance. I do wish, however, that McGregor or Christian were stronger. He is the male lead and has the most screen time, but he is often overshadowed by the female lead or the supporting characters.

********* 9/10

Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog

Title: Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog (2008)
Director: Joss Whedon
Genre: Comedy, Musical
Lead Actor(s): Neil Patrick Harris, Nathan Fillion
Rating: UR
42 minutes

I realize this was officially released on the internet and imdb lists it as a television show, but I don’t care. It is out on dvd. It could be  movie. An evil scientist (Harris) details his attempts to take over the world. His arch nemesis, Captain Hammer (Fillion), constantly ruins his plans and ends up stealing his would-be girlfriend (Felicia Day). It is told over three acts and through dialogue and songs. The songs are all very catchy and written by Joss Whedon.

Harris is remarkable as Dr. Horrible. He is both sympathetic and emotional. He is meant to be an evil scientist trying to get onto a board of evil led by Bad Horse. Harris has a magnificent voice as most people have seen on an award show or his television show.The last song, which I can’t say too much about without giving away the ending, is especially strong.

Nathan Fillion really seems to enjoy his role as the brash, egotistical Captain Hammer. He makes it so easy to hate Hammer and love Dr. Horrible.  Felicia Day is also very good as the bleeding-heart Penny. The audience can see why Horrible is attracted to her and she is just a very likable character.

This is a Joss Whedon creation and as such it has the typical Whedon wit. He wrote the songs and dialogue and also directed it. I personally love Joss Whedon and most of his creations. This one, however, I think is one of his best. It is kind of dark which shouldn’t come as a surprise given that the protagonist is an evil genius. This is a “movie” perfect for those who love musicals, dark comedy, Joss Whedon, or just a fun and enjoyable story.

******** 8/10

Sweeney Todd

Title: Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)
Director: Tim Burton
Genre: Musical, Drama
Lead Actor(s): Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter
Rating: R
116 minutes

This movie features three of my favorite men in film: Tim Burton, Johnny Depp, and Alan Rickman. It has the acting brilliance that almost always accompanies the latter two and the cinematic brilliance of the former. As the titular character, Johnny Depp displays the pain needed for a man bent on revenge, but it never impedes the development of the story or the actor. He is just as adept at portraying a happy Benjamin Barker in the flashbacks as he is the cold-eyed Sweeney Todd bent on revenge. Despite the intensities of the settings and the costuming and make-up, Depp is always able to shine.

Despite some grumblings of nepotism, I think Carter as Mrs. Lovett is wonderful. She brings the right dementedness to a woman who suggests putting murder victims in meat pies to serve to the people of London. Mrs. Lovett is also supposed to present a bit of comedy, most obviously seen in “By the Sea,” to keep the plot from being bogged down in its darkness. While Carter will likely never be queen of romantic comedies, it is in roles like these where she excels.

There are few current actors who are so good at being villains that the audience can so firmly get on the side of a homicidal barber promoting cannibalism, but Alan Rickman is one of them. His Judge Turpin, seen doing such awful things as sentencing a 9-year-old to death and sending his ward to an insane asylum because she isn’t attracted to him, stands out in his cruelty amongst a movie that features someone’s head being bashed in my a teapot.

Tim Burton is probably my favorite director. I love the dark humor and detail he brings to all his movies. Sweeney Todd excels in his style. Every scene could be frozen and identified as his world. Everything about the film screams in Burton in a very good way. His London is dirty and gritty and corrupt, except in Todd’s flashbacks where it is more fanciful while still maintaining the style of the movie. Is there any other director who could so deftly deal with the story line of Sweeney? I doubt it.

A lovely surprise is the small role of Senior Pirelli, remarkably done by Sacha Baron Cohen. His role is so unlike any I have ever seen him in. His cocky charlatan barber sets off many of the events of the movie. He is more a depraved version of Tom Cruise’s motivational speaker in Magnolia than any of his own characters. This role proves that Cohen can be more than a funny one-trick pony.

There were some disappointing aspects of the movie. While I understand the reasoning, I would have loved to have had “The Ballad of Sweeney Todd” in the movie, and not only because Anthony Stewart Head would have been one of the singers. I also find the character of Anthony grating and almost more creepy than Turpin. I feel like the character could have had a more developed or stronger personality. He is supposed to be the optimist that Barker was and Todd has lost, but that doesn’t come across. Instead he seems like an annoyingly naive, lovesick sap.

The fact that the movie is a musical, something I was warned of when buying my ticket, should not set a fan of the above off. Despite the problematic ad campaign, the songs help the story. Without them the movie would most likely become an overly depressing tale. Despite the storyline and the examples I have given above, the movie does have a wonderful dark humor to it. There are times where you can laugh out loud. IMDB does include horror as a genre for the movie and in some respects it is, but I feel listing that would put incorrect implications on the movie. It is not the same as the hack-and-slash Halloween types or the more psychological horror of Silence of the Lambs. In summary, this is a wonderful movie with many different facets and a shining example of the styles of Burton, Depp, Carter, and Rickman.

******** 8/10