Mini-Review Round-Up March 2012

Posted on by bernardovillela

I had quite a review drought to end 2011 so I think the remedy for this kind of post would be to have the post be cumulative monthly. Therefore, after each qualifying film a short write-up will be added to the monthly post. The mini-reviews will be used to discuss Netflix and other home video screenings. Theatrical releases, regardless of how they are seen whether in an auditorium or on VOD, will get full reviews.

For a guide to what scores mean go here.

The Snowtown Murders

Lucas Pittaway and Bob Adriaens in The Snowtown Murders (IFC Films)

Note: Potential spoiler below. The ending is discussed but not in detail.

Next to nothing in this film works, that’s just the sad fact. I will discuss them with as much brevity as humanly possible and brevity would’ve helped this film. Typically when I’m discussing pace it refers to certain scenes and shots being truncated and rendered more quickly to allow the totality of the film to flow better in this film the first issue you have is that there are scenes of little to no narrative necessity or consequence that not only are allowed to occur but at times repeat themselves (see the bull sessions about stomping out pedophiles).

Characters are very poorly introduced and the population of the tale is too large. Some of the struggles of this film can be attributed to attempting to remain true to the real-life story upon which its based but not excused. A huge cadre combined with indirectly acquired information and at times implied incidents is not an easy road map to success. The protagonist in the tale is a bit too passive such that it would’ve almost been better told from a different perspective especially since it became clear who the perpetrator would be though the film took a while to formally announce it. The score designed to be grating ends up being just annoying. The film also seems to show where it ought not and have restraint where it ought not. This tact adds importance to the MacGuffin and exacerbates the delusional vigilante angle that’s really just a cover for psychosis. Granted that’s important to convey but once demonstrated that needn’t be reinforced.

The film despite all its massive flaws still keeps on a decent trajectory in terms of narrative build but then meanders irrevocably when it should be building towards some sort of concrete conclusion but instead decides it’s shown us enough horrors such that it’s decided enough is enough and rather than finding an artistic way to convey the deserved downfall of these people they’ll just give us the information in cards. This is information I could’ve acquired in a web search but I’d have preferred to have seen it now that my time’s already been wasted. Finish the job! Give me the epilogue visually. It’s not quite the slap in the face that the end of The Devil Inside is but considering the start this one had the totality may have been worse.

Furthermore, as if that wasn’t bad enough, I really needed convincing in this film and I didn’t get anything to sway me. I thought of This is England while watching this film which has perhaps an even more vile ‘charismatic antagonist’ but both in writing and performance is far more believable as someone who would be followed perhaps even against one’s will. It seems that things occur and are shown here just because they actually happened and no thought was given to narrative propriety and almost seems deliberately sensationalistic at times and never interesting.

2/10

Amador

Magaly Solier and Celso Bugallo in Amador (Film Movement)

In last month’s post I wrote at length about the Film Movement Film of the Month Club so you can read that to get more insight on it. This film as opposed to the prior I have no ambivalence about whatsoever it is absolutely beautiful and brilliant, there’s an effortless grace and artistry to it all that permeates every frame. There are some astoundingly good cuts in thematic terms and a visual language throughout. Themes weave in and out of the story and never really leave, they illuminate a small truth that is part of a larger whole. All this aside with a perfect ending would be enough but then you have the performance of Magaly Solier. It is the first great performance by a female lead that I saw all year, it is captivating, layered and nuanced. Both in her expression and delivery she carries the film. A film which would’ve been good without all its craft is lifted to greatness by it. The premise is simple; a woman in need of work is hired to take care of a bedridden, dying old man. He dies as does her source of income, with the family away she tries to maintain the illusion that he’s alive. It’s a story that’s also a little more light and humorous than one might expect. There’s drama to be sure but it’s not as dour as all that. It truly is a great film and likely to be amongst my favorites of the year.

10/10

The Announcement

Magic Johnson (ESPN Films)

Last year there was a rash of ESPN films such that they all kind of canceled each other out in my year end awards, though they are usually very good. Now they are more sporadic and this one gets to standout. While I admit that these docs where I experienced the event as a spectator spark my interest more this one is more important and more meaningful than that bit of trivia. I, like America, was in the infancy of my understanding what HIV and AIDS were when Magic Johnson announced he was positive. Being a well-reared child I never fell into any erroneous or ignorant notions about how it spread but I still really understood little. This documentary frames the backdrop to Johnson’s announcement very well, and leaves it as a backdrop. It, surprisingly to me, involves Johnson as narrator and main interview subject. He is as candid as he needs to be and makes important points about how we must remain vigilant about prevention. I learned or was reminded of much and I was more moved by this film than any in the series so far. It is well worth watching.

10/10

Dine-In Movies an Introduction and Review

Posted on by bernardovillela

My view of the adjacent row at the AMC 24 in Orland, FL

While I was in Orlando I wanted to try and take advantage of as many things as I possibly could. Seeing as this trip was very Disney-centric and I hadn’t been in eons (there were only two parks when I went) I wanted to try and take advantage of everything that park had to offer.

One thing I wanted to find out more about was Downtown Disney, which seemed on my knowledge to be Disney’s answer to CityWalk at the Universal Parks. To a large extent I was right and I discovered that there at Downtown Disney there was an AMC 24, which I was likely to attend regardless, however, what was surprising and unique about this one is that four screens were siphoned off to a separate section of the theater and offer a dine-in experience.

Eating and the movies have been linked since the very beginning but never had I heard of such a literal take. I was so intrigued I had to try it. To be honest I was surprised once I was introduced to the notion why it isn’t more prevalent as concessions are where exhibitors make most of their money. Yes, I was are of places like the Alamo Drafthouse but it’s not set-up like this.

Sadly, we were getting informed very late and deciding on the fly so it was a rushed arrival and film choice was limited at that time of night but it needed trying.

Essentially you book your seat (much like in a restaurant or in a theatre where they have reserved seating) and there is a bar-table across your row. There’s salt and pepper already there, ketchup, cutlery and a napkin. The seat is incredibly comfortable like the finest stadium seating has to offer. An added bonus is that there’s a footrest underneath to improve the reclining experience.

What I had was a fruit salad, which was rather fresh and big (it’s easy to do but doesn’t often happen with fruit salad), an order of French fries (generous portions and above average in quality) and cake lollipops for dessert (a first so I have no frame of reference but the cake was incredibly moist and the coating delectable). The soda sizes, since it’s a movie theatre whose large is a tub-o-soda, are also plentiful and I believe refills are free. The wine list is rather good considering the kind of joint it is, however, what must be taken into account are pricing (it’ll add to your per-head total) and do you want to drink during said film, usually my answer to that is no.

I might suggest you do two courses if you’re watching your spending, as it was a vacation it wasn’t as much of a concern. I have a tendency to love the first row, which had my party nicely isolated from the crowd but it did make viewing/eating more challenging. You are accustomed to a box and a soda in an armrest when you factor in utensils and plates there are more machinations that divert your eyes. However, it was a very pleasurable experience overall, regardless. It’s one I’d recommend anyone try once and that I’d like to try anew.

For information such as menu and locations please visit AMC’s site.

Home Alone Again, Naturally

Posted on by bernardovillela

Christian Martyn strikes the classic pose (Christian Martyn Facebook Fan page)

I like to when possible post an update on a prior story. It seems nearly impossible in this day and age to make a speculative list because anything is fair game from the inspired to the ridiculous. Even when joking the sensitive movie fan has to be careful because every thing is possible.

I say all that as a brief introduction to this factoid: a while back I did a list of franchises which could use a reboot. On this list I included the Home Alone series. It was included mainly for two reasons: one, it was largely conceptual to begin with once the McAllister family was no longer in the mix and two, because the third installment proved rather enjoyable.

A while back I heard randomly on Twitter that there was a casting announcement out for Home Alone 5 and much to my surprise it started filming soon thereafter. So yes, it’s on its way and that one can come off the list.

What’s good to hear is that there seem to be some good names attached Peter Hewitt directing (Thunderpants, Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey) and very importantly in the cast the underrated and underutilized Debi Mazar and as the kids who are alone there is Christian Martyn a talented and affable actor I first saw in Snowmen and Jodelle Ferland whose had brilliant turns in Case 39 and on the Hub Network’s The Haunting Hour.

Now with the element of having two kids stuck and the subtitle Alone in the Dark this installment seems like it’ll add a few more wrinkles to the equation but come closer to the its original roots than part 4 did. This film is slated to air on TV in December of this year. This post will be updated if and when developments occur.

10 Keys to a Better Life as a Fanboy: 10. Be Open

Posted on by bernardovillela

One of the many adaptation of this classic tale. (Paramount)

This series of articles is designed to help you, the fan, try and divorce yourself from your attachment to source material and judge a film on its own merits and not in comparison to another work. These tips come from my own experience. I hope they are helpful.

Typically if I like a character I want as much of that character as I can get in as many possible incarnations as I can get and clearly there are some who feel this way just look at film franchise and the entire comic book world, which is based on characters crossing-over and being attached to multiple titles. If you want to see a character as much as possible wouldn’t it stand to reason you want to see them more than one way?

Not necessarily misrepresented but rather reinterpreted? Ultimately, the question boils down to: do you savor variety?

Of course, you want the movie to be as good or better than the source but why on earth should it be identical? If you want the same story, read it over again. Be open a change or to a different vision. If all you want is regurgitation you’re just feeding the sequel and remake machine. If a film takes a risk and re-envisions a character or story go with it. Give it a chance it may surprise you and you may surprise yourself.

10 Keys to a Better Life as a Fanboy: 9. Remember What it is You Liked

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Gracie Films

This series of articles is designed to help you, the fan, try and divorce yourself from your attachment to source material and judge a film on its own merits and not in comparison to another work. These tips come from my own experience. I hope they are helpful.

I mentioned this in a previous entry but it deserves its own entry because it deserves to be addressed almost like an aside. Here’s the deal: sometimes it seems like people like to complain just to hear themselves complain and then they go back to the box office over and over again just to be disappointed all over again. The first tip is if you’re really that irate stop going.

All this nit-picky complaining certainly didn’t get the source material beloved so again there seems to be some of a higher bar set for the film, as if should it not match the source material it’s a sin. At the end of the day it’s just a movie. There are plenty of bad ones out there, terrible ones too but rarely am I angered. If I am angered it’s usually the film has reached incomprehensible levels of godawfulness.

Now granted sometimes complaints or issues are what stick with us even after a good film but if you keep going back for more like a glutton for cinematic punishment you should stop or refocus your energy. If you don’t see what it is that made you like a given story in the first place then fine, however, if you admit the spirit of the tale is still there but you’re obsessing over the omitted minutiae then you’re missing the forest for the trees.

Short Film Saturday: The Brothers Quay

Posted on by bernardovillela

Here again I present to you one short, somewhat representative work of brilliant, bold, experimental, surrealist animators. This short is the results of a BBC commission that was subsequently rejected. No doubt it was a case of not truly understanding who the artist are.

For more information on them visit their Wikipedia page. If interested there are several collections of their work. You can purchase, rent or look them up online.

10 Keys to a Better Life as a Fanboy: 8. It Won’t Change a Thing

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Jeremy Sumpter and Rachel Hurd-Wood in Peter Pan (Universal)

This series of articles is designed to help you, the fan, try and divorce yourself from your attachment to source material and judge a film on its own merits and not in comparison to another work. These tips come from my own experience. I hope they are helpful.

The problem I think a lot of people have, and it’s a nasty trap that I’ve seen ensnare many, is that people seem to think that films are somehow definitive; as if that’s the final word on the work and that’s how it will be remembered for all eternity. While it’s true in a theoretical sense that film may be the most concrete and immutable art it by no means claims to be the coda, furthermore the verdict on the worth of a given piece of narrative.

Your favorite book or comic is being adapted into a film and you are pissed? Why bother? What for? I’ll explain why and this even works for remakes to an extent. It still doesn’t change an iota of the written piece that you love so dearly. If you disliked the mini-series based on Stephen King’s It the words in your copy won’t smear.

That’s an extremely hyperbolic example but surely you catch my drift. It’s all about perception and those can change as much as anything. So while it will be next to impossible for the film adaptation of The Catcher in the Rye to match the book in terms of acclaim I won’t deny it’d be interesting to see.

Not only is it waste of your ire to rail against an adaptation of something you love, it also is to an extent pointless, that piece you hold so dear is still there.

I’ve seen The Little Prince butchered on film. It’s still one of my favorite books and I can always turn to it and know that the story will turn out in my head just the way I see it. Just the way I interpret Exupéry’s words.

And that’s another thing: every adaptation is just an interpretation of a director’s vision regardless of how involved a studio is. It is by no means definitive, lest you agree, it’s just a variation on a theme. I personally think P.J. Hogan perfected Peter Pan and Spike Jonze got Where The Wild Things Are, others may disagree.

We all have baggage; it’s best to check yours before entering the auditorium lest it weigh you down.
 

10 Keys to a Better Life as a Fanboy: 7. Suspend Disbelief (aka Get Into It)

Posted on by bernardovillela

This series of articles is designed to help you, the fan, try and divorce yourself from your attachment to source material and judge a film on its own merits and not in comparison to another work. These tips come from my own experience. I hope they are helpful.

Many of these topics do overlap one another but attack problems from different angles. This tip really comes into play if you’ve already managed to ignore number four. So here’s how:
You’re sitting in the dark of the matinee and you’ve got your 80 oz. soda and obese-family-size Twizzlers and you’re watching the same lame slides come across the screen repeatedly. The trailers for blockbusters-yet-to-be keep you only mildly amused. All this idle time has got you anticipating the film more than you had been before and you start thinking about how this director will handle the material? Or how such-and-such will do in this part and how the casting of character X will pan out. Boom. All the things you were supposed to ignore are back and suddenly the film starts and it’s distracting you.

This is where you have to grab the bull by the horns and just lose yourself in the story. Remember what it is that drew you to this material in the first place and look for it. If you find great, if not the film failed to an extent. Again this is not an attempt to excuse the film but just setting yourself up to try and judge the film before you and not measuring against another kind of work entirely.

10 Keys to a Better Life as a Fanboy: 6. The Perils and Merits of Series

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Vista Library

This series of articles is designed to help you, the fan, try and divorce yourself from your attachment to source material and judge a film on its own merits and not in comparison to another work. These tips come from my own experience. I hope they are helpful.

The aforementioned tips are all well and good when you are the fan of a standalone piece in another medium and it is being adapted into a standalone, for the time being, film. Things get more complicated when your book or comic or what have you is part of a series. Any series will have its own arc and structure in its greater tale aside from just the structure of the single volume.

This is where you might have to breathe deep and learn some relaxation techniques. If an element, say Hermione’s quest to end the enslavement of House elves, is left out of one film it will be left out of each subsequent film until it becomes absolutely, positively crucial to the structuring of the story. So some of the subplots that enrich a book will invariably fall by the wayside, which is why comparing mediums is dangerous.

I don’t want a novel that reads like a screenplay. I want detail, inner monologue, I want it to be possible to take two pages to describe five seconds of a character’s life. Each medium has its strengths and to expect a film to be a pictographic facsimile of a book is unrealistic. Sticking to the Harry Potter theme The Deathly Hallows is 759 pages long. If those pages were screenplay pages you’d be looking at a 12 and 1/2 hour movie. So even with two films telling the tale of one book you’re looking at roughly 40% of the material in the book covered.

So it’s a fact of life that the movie by necessity can and will leave things out and change things.

Conversely, you need to look at the film within the context of the series. You can compare it to past films but also bear in mind: how did it advance the story, did it up the stakes, is it leaving the table set nicely for a subsequent edition should there be one?

10 Keys to a Better Life as a Fanboy: 5. Forewarned is Forearmed?

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Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 (Warner Bros.)

This series of articles is designed to help you, the fan, try and divorce yourself from your attachment to source material and judge a film on its own merits and not in comparison to another work. These tips come from my own experience. I hope they are helpful.

This may be the most difficult of my guidelines in which to practice what you preach but it is completely possible. Basically, what this means is that if you find yourself to forming prejudicial opinions when hearing news tidbits about an upcoming films try and avoid them. Granted this is becoming increasingly difficult in a wired world but it is possible.

For example, I wrote about the split in the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows films. Curiosity got the better of me and I looked into what they picked and thus opined on it. However, none of the headlines I saw gave it away had I not clicked the link I’d be none the wiser.

Now, of course, casting news is usually a giveaway. It’ll be in the headline that so-and-so was cast in a given role but what I’ve learned in those scenarios is that I have been surprised many times by such decisions so I no longer read too much into those.

This feeds into the blank slate argument but basically the less about the production you can manage to absorb and form an opinion on before you see the film the better off you will be.