The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Title: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
Director: David Fincher
Genre: Drama, Romance
Lead Actor(s): Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett
Rating: PG-13
166 minutes

I think the premise is extremely intriguing. Benjamin Button (Brad Pitt) ages backwards. He is born a creepy old baby. His mother dies in childbirth and after briefly considering infanticide, his father leaves him on the steps of an old folks home. He is raised by the black caretaker, Queenie (Taraji P. Henson). He meets Daisy (Cate Blanchett) and through their lives their paths cross again and again. Daisy grows older while Benjamin looks younger and younger.

Brad Pitt makes this movie. He is able to hold a child-like curiosity and maturity, while still looking like an old man. Then he has to have an old soul while appearing 22. The most convincing element, in my opinion is when Benjamin surprises Daisy in New York. You can see his heart breaking and yours almost breaks with it. He exhibits some of the carefree ease he did in Thelma and Louise. This is one of Pitt’s best performances in a long while. Despite his condition and his turmoils in love, he always see the beauty in what he has been given and the opportunity that could be wasted. He is able to travel the world like a young man, but still retain the wisdom of age.

I would not say this is Cate Blanchett’s best performance, but there are great points to it. Particularly when Daisy is pushing Benjamin away or trying to drag him closer. I don’t think her performance as the old Daisy is particularly intriguing. Blanchett does great in extremes and well in the in-betweens.

The cinematography is utterly gorgeous as well. There are several shots that would make gorgeous and expressive photographs. It enhances the beauty and meaning of the film in a way that makes the plot and actors the stars. The camera angles and positioning are also deliberate and compelling. There is a particularly beautiful scene in Paris in one of those butterfly wing sequences.

My biggest problem was Tilda Swinton. I have never really found her to be an entertaining actress. Here she plays a woman Benjamin meets in Russia named Elizabeth Abott. I never really believed her or the chemistry between her and Benjamin. Who can’t have chemistry with Brad Pitt? Luckily she is the movie for a brief time, especially considering how long the movie is. I would argue the only performance I really enjoyed was as the White Witch. She can’t express emotion with any conviction or believability.

The movie is beautiful and has wonderful acting from Pitt. He makes Benjamin heart-breaking and inspirational and tragic and beautiful Fincher used the story in the best way possible. These two are the shining stars in this movie. The rest for the most part is good. Swinton is not. Still this is a movie that is worth seeing. I understand, however, that some dislike movies this long and some may find the pacing boring. If it went faster, it would disrupt the simplicity Fincher somehow managed.

******** 8/10

The Bachelor

Title: The Bachelor (1999)
Director: Gary Sinyor
Genre: Romance, Comedy
Lead Actor(s): Renee Zellweger, Chris O’Donnell
Rating: PG-13
101 minutes

This is an example of a romantic comedy I hate. The plot centers around Jimmie Shannon (Chris O’Donnell). He is a 29-year-old commitaphobe. He finally decides to settle down with his girlfriend, Anne (Renee Zellweger), and botches the proposal. Anne decides to leave and Jimmie’s grandfather dies leaving Jimmie $100 million inheritance on the condition that he is married by his 30th birthday, which happens to be the next day. Jimmie catches Anne as she is about to get on a plan and again lets his fear of commitment get between him and his inheritance.

O’Donnell is stiff and awkward in a stiff and awkward character. None of the delivery was believable and at times it was almost painful to watch. He never connected with the character and I can’t blame him. If I had a character like this, I would have tried very hard not to connect with it.

Zellweger is trying to recreate the character she had in Jerry Maguire. This character is not as well written or similar in style. This doesn’t stop her from barreling through like it is. I can’t think of a single scene that has an original feel to it.

This is an awful movie. The plot is insulting. The acting is atrocious. The only redeemable thing is that in a scene toward the end, the secret of the inheritance gets out and brides in dresses chase Jimmie down the street. A good portion of these brides are men in drag. This movie gets a bonus point for that aspect. Otherwise it would be a 1.

** 2/10

Vicky Cristina Barcelona

I just want to mention that last night I saw the touring company of Beauty and the Beast last night and highly recommend anyone who has a chance to do so.

Title: Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)
Director: Woody Allen
Genre: Drama, Romance
Lead Actor(s): Scarlett Johansson, Rebecca Hall
Rating: PG-13
96 minutes

This movie is not as good as Beauty and the Beast, but still enjoyable. Also the title is ridiculously fun to say. Two American best friends travel to Barcelona for very different reasons. Vicky (Rebecca Hall) goes to further her studies on Catalan culture and specifically the work of the artist Gaudi. Cristina is a restless soul who hasn’t found what she wants in life. They meet a celebrated and sexy artist Juan Antonio (Javier Bardem) who still feels responsibility for his ex-wife, Maria Elena (Penelope Cruz), whom he still loves. Both Americans fall for the painter and Cristina develops a relationship with the painter, while Vicky marries her fiance.

I enjoy Johansson’s performances in Woody Allen films. In some instances she has been the best aspect of the movie. She is really comfortable in the role. Cristina wants to feel like her odd triangle of a relationship is right for her, but isn’t. She loves the idea more than the reality. She wants to be more of the European sensibility, but still doesn’t know where the hell she fits in.

Javier Bardem is wonderful as the sexy, Latin painter. The last movie I saw of his before this was No Country For Old Men. He convincingly went from a homicidal, asexual psychopath to a seductive, talented artist. He is very much defined by the women he is with. With Vicky he is particularly cerebral. He is far more calculated in his interactions with people and his behaviors. With Maria Elena he is reckless and wild. Almost feral at times. He is overwhelmed by passion for anything he is doing. With Cristina he is a mixture of both that I would define as more artistic. He sees the angles and beauty of things, but is not so filled with it as to lose himself.

Cruz and Hall are the utter opposites of each other. Cruz’s Maria Elena is brash, impatient and all id. Cruz loves those characters because, in my opinion, she understands them. Halls is conservative, critical, crushingly down-to-earth. Cruz is strong in these wild women. Hall seems unsure of herself. I don’t know if this is due to the strong talent surrounding her, her lack of connection with the character, or something else. Another rather weak point in the movie is the narrator. I think it detracted from the film in a way that took the audience out of the experience of watching the movie.

I love how the movie ended. It is very Woody Allen and a good return from some of his more recent missteps. This is a unique and interesting romantic movie. There are some scenes involving homosexuality, subtitles, and large amounts of sexuality. As always if you are not comfortable with any of these things, this movie may not be for you.

******* 8/10

Roxanne

Title: Roxanne (1987)
Director: Fred Schepisi
Genre: Romance, Comedy
Lead Actor(s): Steve Martin, Daryl Hannah
Rating: PG
107 minutes

I have mentioned before that I love the story of Cyrano De Bergerac. It is a beautiful tale of real love. Roxanne is the comedic retelling of this old epic. Steve Martin takes the role of Cyrano and turns it into Charlie “C.D.” Bales. Instead of soldier, he is the chief of a fire department full of bumbling volunteers. Daryl Hannah takes the part of Roxanne, C.D.’s love interest. This Roxanne comes to a small town in Washington to follow a comet she discovered. She eventually confides to C.D. that she is attracted to a new firefighter in town named Chris McConnell (Rick Rossovich) instead of the play’s Christian de Neuvillette. He is a bumbling, crude idiot and so to woo the intelligent Roxanne, Chris begs C.D. to use his skills as a wordsmith to help him in his quest.

Steve Martin wrote the script as well as taking the lead role. He is utterly excellent in it. My favorite part is probably when a drunkard in a bar makes fun of C.D.’s nose with the ever original epithet “Big Nose.” C.D. criticizes his lack of originality and bets the drunk that he can come up with as many original insults as the guy can hit on a dart board. He hits 20 and C.D. actually comes up with 25 and Martin delivers each one with personality and conviction. I think that would be a really fun scene to take part in. He is funny and charming and sweet. His acting is more subtle than most of the films he made in the 80’s. Martin really is surprisingly good in more romantic role.

Daryl Hannah is also fairly good as Roxanne. She is an incredibly smart character and Hannah seems to embrace that. When she says that she loves the guy who wrote the letters, it seems believable. She doesn’t just love that this guy is cute. She likes his ability with words and the thoughts he is able to express so beautifully. Her interactions with C.D. before the reveal are still sweet and Hannah seems to have a real connection with Martin.

I hated the actor who played Chris. There is a way to play dumb intelligently and this guy hasn’t mastered it. A great example can be seen in Zoolander by both Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson. This guy is so heavy-handed and exaggerated, it actually became annoying to watch. His character was also tragically one-dimensional. With the right actor, he could have been a very fun character.

There were elements of the directing that were quite odd, as well. There were some extreme close-ups that reminded me more of a scene where a character is drunk or stoned, when that had nothing to do with the scene. I also thought that there were some scenes that were too dark and some that were rather bright. I would say the close-ups were rather distracting, though the lighting wasn’t.

The movie is a much lighter version of a great story. It has two great leads and an extraordinarily annoying supporting character. It is a cute rom-com that is actually funny unlike most in the genre. This is also one of the first Steve Martin movies that feels like a complete movie rather than a collection of stand-up bits. Also it can get a bit raunchy. I wouldn’t advise anyone that isn’t double digits to see it.

******* 7/10

Dirty Dancing

Title: Dirty Dancing (1987)
Director: Emile Ardolino
Genre: Romance
Lead Actor(s): Patrick Swayze, Jennifer Grey
Rating: PG-13
100 minutes

For someone who loves movies, it took me an oddly long time to see this one. I only saw it a year ago as I was packing up my dorm room. I think part of my hesitance stemmed from my confusion over the popularity of the most famous quote. I still don’t really understand why that line in particular caught on. For those of you who haven’t seen the movie, it takes place over the summer of 1963 at a summer getaway in the Catskills. A girl everyone calls Baby, though her real name is Francis, (Jennifer Grey) stands in for the dance partner of Johnny Castle (Patrick Swayze) and they overcome the vast economic differences to fall in love. Yes, that is a very corny two-sentence summary.

Jennifer Grey does quite admirable as Baby. She has fun with the part but is able to handle the more serious bits as well. It is obvious that she enjoyed the people she was working with and just had a good time on the set. Baby also changes quite a bit from the beginning to the end and Grey handles the transition well. Toward the beginning she is an idealistic, well-to-do, daddy’s girl but through her involvement with Johnny and her interactions with Penny Johnson (Cynthia Rhodes), Johnny’s original dance partner who got pregnant and had a back alley abortion, and Robbie Gould (Max Cantor), a ivy league student who after dumping Penny tries to get with Baby’s sister. Grey is just as good as the idealistic Baby, talking about joining the Peace Corp and majoring in the economies of third world country, as she is with the more realistic, yet lighter-spirited end Baby.

Patrick Swayze does great with the dancing and the comedic and romantic parts. He is definitely attractive in the film. The complicated part of his performance is when he gets serious, discussing his life style and his interactions with the guests at the resort. It could be viewed as Swayze being uncomfortable with the more revealing and more dramatic parts of his role or it could be viewed as Swayze showing that Johnny is uncomfortable and unused to someone caring about his life and thus awkward when discussing it. I choose to believe the latter, mainly because it makes the movie better.

I must say I love Jerry Orbach, who plays Baby’s father, Dr. Houseman. I love Orbach anytime though. He plays Lumiere in Beauty and the Beast for those who didn’t know. He helps Penny after the awful abortion and at the same time, loses his conception of his perfect daughter.

This movie is a different type of classic. It so defines a generation, despite being set before most of that generation was born. It doesn’t have utterly astounding acting or directing or even a profoundly original screenplay. It is a classic because of the feeling it gives those who watch it. Again it is more of a girl movie than a guy one, but that doesn’t mean that men should be discouraged from watching it. I think there are elements both sexes can enjoy. It is a fun movie with a very good soundtrack and is just as enjoyable 23 years.

******* 7/10

The Ugly Truth

I apparently forgot to actually publish my review for yesterday. I had written it earlier that day. So there are actually two posts today.

Title: The Ugly Truth (2009)
Director: Robert Luketic
Genre: Romance, Comedy
Lead Actor(s): Gerard Butler, Katherine Heigl
Rating: R
96 minutes

I never really desired to see this movie, but I had had a bad day and wanted to escape to a movie theater and there was really nothing in theaters anyway. It is a typical chick flick and is not particularly inventive. Katherine Heigl is a tight-laced tv producer, Abby Richter, who has no luck with men. Gerard Butler is a pompous, chauvinistic radio host, Mike Chadway, who is given a  segment on Abby’s morning show. Abby is having trouble getting the attention of her doctor neighbor and makes a deal with Mike to teach her “the ugly truth.”

I personally can’t stand Heigl. I feel she often plays annoyingly weak and stereotypical women characters. This character is no different. I realize that Heigl didn’t write the character, but she could have used the character differently or declined to take such an insulting role. In her performance, Heigl only furthers the stereotypes of the character and adds utterly no depth or personality to it.

Gerard Butler at least seems like he is having fun in the character. His is also annoying and insulting. He was, however, the only character that I found the least bit funny. His physical humor was at least believable in contrast to Heigl’s. Yes, he could have done more with the character and no, I don’t think there was any great need to put such a character on screen, but at least he did more than Heigl.

There are ways to use the characters in ways that are fun and interesting. An instance that comes to mind is that of Jack Nicholson’s character in As Good As It Gets. The characters displayed in this movie are one-dimensional and incredibly offense to its core audience. The only thing that is truly funny is the slapstick comedy and even then it has definitely been done better. It was nice though to get out of the summer heat and it didn’t make me hate it as much as Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull or The Krays.

*** 3/10

27 Dresses

Since I wrote such a long and completely geeky review yesterday, I thought I would right a short review today.

Title: 27 Dresses (2008)
Director: Anne Fletcher
Genre: Romance, Comedy
Lead Actor(s): Katherine Heigl, James Marsden
Rating: PG-13
111 minutes

Despite my incredibly geektastic tendencies, I am a girl; I have girl friends; I sometimes watch bad chick flicks. I admit it. The movie is about a pushover girl, Jane, who has been a bridesmaid 27 times (a total shock, I know). Her sister, Tess, becomes engaged to the man of her dreams, George, and the commitments writer Jane worships is sent to write about Tess and George’s wedding. The writer, Kevin, ends up being really snarky, but Jane ends up falling for him (another amazing twist).

Generally I despise Katherine Heigl. There is just something about her that irks me. I didn’t completely hate her in this, so that’s a bonus. On the other hand I generally like James Marsden. I continued to like him. He has a very amenable personality that is present in just about every character he plays. I know he has a great voice, but I am not sure that he has to sing in every non-comic book movie he is in. Granted it was pretty awesome to see him on a bar singing to Elton John of all people.

My favorite character was the sassy friend of Jane, Casey. Judith Greer is an underrated actress in my opinion. She was kind of a bitch and kind of a drunk and a little bit of a slut, but at least she had some personality.

This is no Pretty Woman or Shopgirl or even Devil Wears Prada, but for what it is, it is successful. It is a rather formulaic chick flick. It is the gooey romance that girls like to get together to watch while drinking strawberry margaritas. If I were judging it compared to classic or well-done movies, it would not get anything over a 3. I am not comparing it to those, I am judging it for what it is. By the way, I hate the poster.

***** 5/10

When Harry Met Sally

Title: When Harry Met Sally (1989)
Director: Rob Reiner
Genre: Romance, Comedy
Lead Actor(s): Billy Crystal, Meg Ryan
Rating: R
96 minutes

Remember when Meg Ryan was cute? Before she had her face stretched to the point her lips look lizard lips and she made decent romantic comedies? This is one of the ones she made during that era. Billy Crystal was never cute. The two of them are probably one of the weirdest couples that actually works. The movie spans 12 years and starts with the first meeting of the two main characters. She is friends with his girlfriend and they were both headed to New York so they carpool. Sally is a somewhat staunch, stick-in-the-mud who takes far too long to order. Billy Crystal is kind of a man slut, which is weird. Although their first and even second meetings don’t go so well, through each other they are able to grow as human beings and examine what it means for a man and a woman to be friends.

You wouldn’t know it from her recent slew of movies, but Meg Ryan used to be quite good. I think this is probably my favorite of her movies. Firstly, she goes through probably 5 different hairstyles, some of them quite horrific. Secondly she has a hard character. As I mentioned above, Sally begins as a rather stalwart individual, but in the most famous scene in the movie, she fakes an orgasm in the middle of Katz diner. Her growth from the idealistic college grad to the more balanced, if still a little stiff adult is completely natural and believable. Sally has a rather distinct way of standing and walking in my opinion and it betrays her inner nature. I can’t imagine anyone else as Sally. Ryan really is wonderful in this movie.

Crystal is less believable. I like him far better as Miracle Max. Despite the numerous other movies they shared, I think this would have been a far more interesting movie with Tom Hanks as Harry. It would be a wonderful stretch for Hanks who still is more likely to play the lovable hero than an asshole character. He begins as one I suppose in Castaway, but he is nothing like Harry. This is not to suggest that Harry has no redeemable qualities. His personality comes more from his insecurities and ignorance to human nature. Crystal is decent in the role, but at times Harry feels disjointed. There are times where he is too far of an extreme to be the character we see later.

One of my favorite aspects of the movie is the short interviews with old couples about how they met. I do think the final interview would make more sense if some younger couples had been interspersed. The script is probably one of the best of the eighties. Nora Ephron developed the script with Reiner. The dialogue is interesting and can be enjoyed by the most basic movie watcher or the most neurotic movie watcher. It has interesting and true elements about the nature of relationships/friendships between the sexes.

The supporting actors are quite good too, especially Carrie Fisher. As I say on my about page, I dislike most romantic comedies because they are vapid and too similar. This is one of the most intelligent romantic comedies made. It is just as smart and well-made now as it was in the 80’s. I do recommend seeing it despite my dubiousness about the casting of the male lead.

******* 7/10

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

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Title: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
Director: Michel Gondry
Genre: Drama, Romance
Lead Actor(s): Jim Carey, Kate Winslet
Rating: R
108 minutes

I am not a big fan of most of the romantic comedies/dramas that are turned out today. I find most of them stale and formulaic. This is not one of those films. The story, acting, directing, editing, and score are fantastic. The simple story is that Joel and Clementine have broken up and Joel decides to erase Clementine from his memory.

I adore Kate Winslet. She is my favorite actress and I think she is amazing. It should then be little to no surprise that I think she is phenomenal in this. She had a tricky job. She has to be Clementine, be Joel’s happy Clementine, and be Joel’s unhappy Clementine. The majority of her performance in the movie falls into the latter two categories. She made these distinct from her performance as the actual Clementine. I think that doing that is incredibly important in this movie. Joel remembers Clementine differently than the actual Clementine. She also does not seem to ever get lost in the wildness of Clementine. Instead she maneuvers the pitfalls of the character with style and grace.

I often am not a fan of Jim Carey. I have a very different type of humor than the movies he usually makes. I was shocked at his sensitivity in portraying Joel. There are still elements of his comedy, but Joel is much stronger than his usually one-note characters. Carey also manages to navigate the strange and complex story with surprising skill. The relationship between the two main characters also seems natural and realistic despite the big differences between the actors and characters.

I don’t want to give away too much of the story because it is beautiful how it is laid out and how it develops. The direction and editing do so much to enhance the star of the movie, the story. Again without giving too much away, the direction goes into Joel’s head and makes the hurt and destruction that happens after a serious break-up appear on screen. The editing is just as adept at that as well.

There are several other wonderful performances in this movie. Kirsten Dunst is remarkable as the receptionist of the memory erasing doctor’s office. Tom Wilkinson is especially wonderful as the doctor who invented this procedure. Elijah Wood is geekier than I have ever seen him and it works better than almost anything I have seen him in.

This really is a great movie. It is sweet and deep and emotional and remarkable and strong and sad and presents some interesting questions and ideas about love. The story is unlike anything seen in movies, which is no real surprise given that the movie is written by the same author of Being John Malkovich and Adaptation. It has amazing performances and is just a touching movie.

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