Theatrical Release: Captain Phillips

People really need to think harder about posters before they make them. "From the director of 'The Borne Ultimatum'"? Really? Of course it is true, but this is not the Paul Greengrass of the second two Borne films or "Green Zone." No, this is the Greengrass of "Bloody Sunday" and "United 93." This is the Greengrass that brings us harrowing docudramas (shaky cam, included) that tell us something about people under pressure to survive. So why not sell the product in a way that's indicative of what we (the consumers) are getting into. Yes? Anyway, now that I've gotten that off my chest!

The other crazy-visceral, suspenseful, engrossing, unrelenting survivor story of this year (the other being "Gravity," of course), "Captain Phillips" by Paul Greengrass, is not only all that but highly, highly emotionally taxing as well. I can't really say the same for "Gravity" (though, damn, that movie was one hell of a thrill ride). This is why I now place it a notch above "Gravity" on my top movies of 2013 list. That slaps it at second place, a notch below "Upstream Color." Tom Hanks so deserves recognition for his role as Captain Phillips. His sad eyes! When the Somalian pirates latch their ladder to his ship, and the camera cuts to his face, we can see the hope melt away. About the ending, in particular: I will pay you money if you don't shed a tear. My god! It's as if we, like Phillips, had are adrenaline on high for so long that when he's saved we can finally break down with him. And boy, does Hanks really beg us to do so with such a talent for inducing empathy.

   

It should also be noted how Greengrass decided to tell the story. Really the story is two stories, both weighted equally. Both are about humans. Not bad guys (okay, maybe there's one really bad guy that I really, really wanted to die, but...) versus good guys. The Somalian pirates are given a back story concerning just how dire their living conditions are and concerning how they have few options to make such conditions better. In addition during the "meat" of the movie, though we do not empathize with the pirates (our empathy is completely with Hanks and crew), we can sympathize with them, in part, because they are mostly painted as complex human beings. How Greengrass manages to skirt this line despite the fact that the pirates have intentions that many of us will probably (hopefully) never have and despite the fact that really only one pirate seems to be pure evil, is beyond me. But he does it well, and the film is ten times better for it. The line uttered by Somalian overnight star, Barkhad Abdi, to Hank's Phillips, something like, "I've come to far. I can't just give up." is incredible in the way it makes the viewer see the pirate in a new light without forcing us to put on his shoes (which I doubt any of us would want from a director).

This is by far one of the most gripping movies I've seen in recent time. I wholeheartedly recommend watching it on the big screen. Its final sequence will haunt you long after you leave the theater. Finally, I should add that I do not care at all about the parting this film takes from actual events. It's a movie. And as a movie it succeeds extremely well. As I said at the end of my "Gravity" review: Don't be smug. Have an experience you'll hopefully never actually have. And don't rain on others' parade when they enjoy something that's not completely accurate and not a documentary. If it is facts you're interested in, why watch fiction? It's not Greengrass's job to inform you about what actually happened. It's his job to make you experience something and, perhaps, learn something about humanity at large rather than a particular event. Boom.

A Favorite: Pan's Labyrinth

Guillermo Del Toro's Spirited Away-esqu, "Pan's Labyrinth" is my 82nd favorite film of all time, my 6th favorite film of the 00s, and my favorite film of 2006. The film can be interpreted in a few ways, but I prefer the following one. During the Spanish Civil War a young girl, Ophelia, and her mother move to the country-side to live with her step-father Captain Vidal. Captain Vidal is hunting the Spanish Marquis who are fighting against him and the Francoist regime. Ophelia's mother becomes increasingly ill because of complications with her pregnancy. As all of this ramps up, Ophelia turns to fantasy to cope. We are taken along with her into her imagination, which appears to be more real and manageable than the real world events taking place around her. Ophelia meets a faun who gives her three tasks in order to leave this cruel world and return back to the underworld as princess. I don't think any of these imaginings are actually real, but this is why the movie has such a lasting impact. If it were real, the film would be good but it would be a mere fantasy film. When we take Ophelia's romps into fantasy as figments of her imagination we really begin to sympathize with this child amidst a horrendous environment of violence and stress. To me it's like a better, updated version of "Forbidden Games" by Rene Clement. You can interpret it in a different way (in fact, Del Toro himself does), but mine is better (hahaha).

The cinematographer Guillermo Avarro manages to capture Del Toror's vision exquisitely. The dark, yet beautiful, scenes are impossibly polished and, importantly, suggestive of my interpretation of the film. The colors, textures, and composition recall night terrors I had growing up. But, of course, it's not just the cinematographer and Del Toro who capture a child's confused, fevered hallucinations so well. Ivana Baquero as Ophelia is magnificent. I do hope she has an excellent career in her future. Sergi Lopez plays the evil Captain Vidal and step-father so well. His character wouldn't be believable unless we think we are seeing Ophelia's rendition of him. With her young, naive black and white view of the world, he can only be one or the other. Lopez plays pure evil well. Finally, Doug Jones (formerly a mime and contortionist) is fantastic as the faun and completely horrifying Pale Man of Ophelia's fantasy world. Jones is so good at becoming his other-worldly characters. He's a straight up chameleon. In short, Del Toro couldn't have had a better cast.

Everything from the script, the visuals, the acting, and the score come perfectly together to create a sad but beautiful film that might be termed "an adult fairy tale." Though I'm not a huge fan of Del Toro, he certainly got it right this time. If you haven't had the chance to see it, what are you waiting for?

Theatrical Release: Gravity

Alfonso Cuaron's gripping, completely immersive, survival, sci-fi tale "Gravity" is now playing in theaters. I fully recommend that everyone watch this film on the biggest screen you can find and in a theater with Dolby Atmos surround sound, if possible. If anything is necessary to make this movie the fantastic experience it can be, it is the sound.  It's not the 3D, not the story, not the acting, and not the visuals (of course all of those are fun and awesome too; more on some of these anon). The music (oh man, that music is still ringing in my ears a week later) and the sound effects take you into space and don't let you go.

The story is simple. Two astronauts played by Sandra Bullock and George Clooney are stranded in space after an orbit of debris hits and destroys their spaceship. How will they survive in space where sound does not carry, temperatures vary wildly, O2 is running out, fuel in just about every propelling system is dwindling, and just about everything else you could expect goes wrong? Though the story is minimal (I love this about the film, by the way) and there are only two actors in the film (aside from voice acting including Ed Harris reprising for the third time his role as Houston), the experience is not. This is a movie experience of a life time. This is not a novel or short story where psychological details and plot are of the essence. Rather we are living chiefly with and sometimes even inside the helmet of Sandra Bullock's character during the 5 or so hours she spends trying to survive in the inhospitable environment that is space.

This shot is the shot of the movie. It is terrifyingly brilliant and encapsulates the breathtaking experience provided by Cuaron throughout 90 mins. Though the film is less heady than, say, "2001" or Tarkovsky's "Solaris," the film still hints at interesting themes of rebirth and growth as we follow Bullock's astronaut through her incredible life and character changing experience. If she survives, she'll have one crazy story to tell, and she'll never be the same because of it.

Cuaron and his terrific DP Emmanuel Lubezki go back and forth between long, ever-moving tracking shots and in-close, claustrophic-inducing shots. The first shot has been talked about at great lengths already. I clocked it at 12 minutes and 41 seconds. It was superbly done and introduces everything you need to know for the entire ride. At 7 minutes Houston notes that a satellite has been shot down by Russia but that the debris's trajectory is not on their orbit. Then at 9 minutes, that all changes. The debris has caused a chain reaction and now other debris has been created which is very quickly going to hit the astronauts working on the Hubble space telescope. It's amazing how Cuaron and Lubezki manage to do this. In addition, every other shot in the film is magnificent. The use of reflections, in particular, is quite unlike anything I have ever seen in a film.

Though I typically either love or hate both of the main actors, I thought they did a very nice job here. Sandra Bullock, in particular, was extremely surprising. I hope she continues to surprise in her next roles. And George Clooney offers bits of humor to relax us a bit from the edge of our seats. Though the film itself is unforgettable and it will have your blood pressure on high long after you leave the theater, I do not think the experience will be the same on subsequent viewings. That's one thing that films that are equally unforgettable, like "2001" and this year's "Upstream Color," have that "Gravity" does not. In addition, though some have claimed that it's as much of an emotional experience as it is a purely physical experience, I disagree. The emotional resonance could have been stronger, but this is a minor criticism as the pure visceral experience is experience enough. This is a must-see of 2013; it's currently my second favorite movie of the year.

*Note there's no mention about how factual the movie is in this review. That's because how factual a science-fiction film is, ultimately doesn't matter to a movie experience. This isn't a documentary, folks. Don't be smug. Enjoy the thrills.  :-)

A Favorite: The Player

Robert Altman's 1992 satire, "The Player," is my 4th favorite film of his, my 21st favorite film of the 90s, and my 2nd favorite film of that year. The story is about a Hollywood studio exec (Tim Robbins) who murders an aspiring screenwriter because he thinks the screenwriter is sending him death threats. Perhaps the greatest thing about watching "The Player" is catching all of the inside jokes Altman lays out for his viewers. With around sixty celebrities making cameo appearances, Altman stated wryly that it was a mild satire that wouldn't offend anyone.

The opening shot---which references both Orson Welles's "Touch of Evil" and Alfred Hitchcock's "Rope"---lasts an outstanding 7 minutes and 47 seconds. It is fantastic how Altman moves his camera around a Hollywood studio lot, introducing many of the main characters quickly in short little episodes as they pass by the camera numerous times. This feat was harder to do before digital filmmaking became the norm as it essentially is nowadays. Apparently it took 15 takes, but everyone of them was worth getting the final outcome.

Like many of Altman's films, this film is an ensemble. And like many of his ensemble films the cast members feed off of each other perfectly. Everyone in this film is in one of their best roles of their career. Tim Robbins plays the slimy Hollywood exec, a very young Vincent D'Onofiro plays the down-on-his luck, piss on the world writer, and Greta Scacchi plays perfectly the mysterious and seductive love interest, just to name a few. Oh! Richard E. Grant is really terrific as the Brit who at first puts integrity before business and then succumbs to Hollywood ruin. Finally and, again, like many Altman films, the plot moves in strange and unexpected ways. However, he manages to somehow put all the pieces of a typical Hollywood film in: violence (though against the innocent), comedy (but at the expense of the main characters), and [spoilers] a Hollywood ending (even though the guy is guilty). If you ever get the chance to see it, do so. It was also (ironically) a commercial success, so, I'm sure you'll love it as much as I do no matter your taste.

A Favorite: 8 1/2

Having six feature films (including "La Strada," "Nights of Cabiria," and "La Dolce Vita"), two short films, and another film that he co-directed under his belt, Federico Fellini released "8 1/2" in 1963. "8 1/2" is my 13th favorite film of all-time, my second favorite film by Fellini, my third favorite film from the 60s, and my favorite film from 1963. The film is a series of vignettes. The main thread of the film is about a director with "director's block" named Guido (played by the immensely talented and charismatic Marcello Mastroianni). Not only is he having trouble with completing or even starting a grandiose science fiction film that contains obvious autobiographical references, but he's also having marital troubles. The other episodes consist of Guido's fantasies, memories, and dreams. The film captures what film can, perhaps, do better than any art-form: the visual mental experiences of a protagonist.

Though the star is the great Mastroianni, the film also has two of the best and most beautiful Italian actresses as well: Anouk Aimee and Sandra Milo. The two play Guido's wife and mistress, respectively. A big reason why the film is so beautiful to look at is simply because these three ooze so much charisma. One can hardly take their eyes off of any of them. Perhaps one of the greatest things about the film is the fact that it works for folks with either highbrow or mainstream sensibilities. Everyone will enjoy, at least, a bit of it. Personally, I can't say any single part is my favorite because the whole damn film is perfect. But I must admit, when I rewatch the film, I find myself in high anticipation for the beach prostitute sequence!

"8 1/2" is often cited as the definitive film about a director. It went on to inspire many films including Truffaut's "Day for Night," Woody Allen's  "Stardust Memories," and, recently, Charlie Kaufman's "Synecdoche, New York." It's ranked among the greats in all of the big film polls like Sight & Sound. It's also consistently cited as a favorite among directors such as Terry Gilliam, Martin Scorsese, and Neil Jordan. Lastly, I should say that the film has one of the best endings in all of cinema's history. Most of the players dance around the spaceship on a beach. It comes out of nowhere but feels so perfect and upbeat like the rest of the film. As the credits roll, one really does get the feeling that Fellini has made the true and honest autobiographical film that Guido is unable to make.

*It just so happens that as of the publishing of this review, "8 1/2" is streaming on Netflix!

Netflix Streaming: Chop Shop

Before Ramin Bahrani made (what appears to be the misfire that is) "At Any Price," he made a wonderful film, "Chop Shop," in 2007. The film is about a 12 year old orphan boy who lives and works in a chop shop in the gritty underbelly of NYC. Though that's essentially all the film is about, it's powerful in its exploration of days in the life of this unfortunate boy named Ale. The film uses the tired themes of many indie films in the states: dude works five jobs, the false dream that is the American one, etc. However, here our blue-collar hero happens to be a 12 year old boy. 

Stylistically, the film is incredible. Bahrani and his DP are meticulous in their creation of atmosphere and setting. No single camera angle or piece of background scrap was improvised. Though Bahrani didn't drill his non-actors, the lighting and setting were, in fact, extremely well-thought out. As is typical of art-house films, long shots are favored so that the actors can ignore the camera. The film is an example of the American neorealism scene that has been growing in popularity among indie filmmakers. It was filmed on location and used primarily non-actors, just as Italian neorealists Vittorio De Sica and Roberto Rossellini did in the 40s.

The character of the boy is quite interesting in his optimism despite the events he's experienced in his life. He and his sister suffer great hardships and yet, for the most part, he deals with the situation very well. In addition to his optimism, he's somehow managed to stay moral throughout his life. He does not steal, for instance. Rather, he simply scrimps and saves, working upwards of five odd jobs. Importantly, Bahrani does not try to paint an inner picture of Ale nor does he try to put him on a pedestal. This is behaviorist cinema, what cinema should be, at its best. We merely view Ale in times of "success" and failure and yet Bahrani and his crew manage to capture the viewer's sympathy. We celebrate those little stepping stones that help get Ale closer to his end-goal and lament all of those falling rocks obstructing it. It's on Netflix Instant, so, give it a try!