There have been many attempts in film to make a movie about time travel and even though many have survived the inevitable argument of creating more problems than they solve by keeping the film light it has been possibly the one most difficult plot device ever conceived for film.  Many have always had the thought “if I could go back and do things differently” and therefore we have always dreamed of time travel.  However, it’s something that raises so many philosophical and logical questions.

Imagine for a moment that something horrible happens.  You have figured out how to stop this horrible thing from occurring and you go back in time and stop it.  Therefore this horrible thing never happened.  So why did you go back in time?  It’s a paradox.  Because of this horrible thing, you go back in time.  So if this thing didn’t happen did you ever go back in time?  Every action is a reaction and therefore without the action one cannot react.

A staple in the time travel genre is the “don’t mess up the continuum” shtick.  In which characters accidentally do something in the past which causes a chain reaction of events which change the future (i.e. their present).  However, what I like even more is when they decide to claim that what happened has already happened.  Therefore in their present, the past was that they came back and did what they did.  Therefore all they need to do is hang tight and act natural, or whatnot.  This therefore begs to question: can one mess up the time continuum?

One of my favourite films of the last decade to use time travel and have so many paradoxes that your brain almost explodes is Timecrimes.  The film begins by a man being chased into a capsule which turns out to be a time machine, only to find out that he is the one who chased himself.  So the question is raised, why did he enter the capsule in the first place?  You are forced to try and trace back every reaction to its originating action and therefore finding more and more illogical actions in the film.  So once again I beg to question, can time travel work?

A film that I am yet to see but I hear takes this concept seriously is Primer.  Is this the film that tops the genre?  Or another science-fiction film that is forgiven just because it gives its audience what they think they want?

What’s your favourite time travel movie?

After Jimmy (Bruce Willis) and Paul (Tracy Morgan) ruin a massive undercover investigation through their usual antics they have been suspended from the force.  With Jimmy strapped for cash right before he has to pay for his daughter’s wedding he heads out to sell his mint condition rare baseball card.  In a turn of unforeseen events the card is stolen from him and this sends Jimmy and Paul on the case of the stolen baseball card which becomes something else entirely.

This is Kevin Smith’s first film that he hasn’t written the script.  It was originally titled A Couple of Dicks and at the last minute was changed to Cop Out for marketing reasons.  It stars one of the most recognizable on screen cops, Bruce Willis, along-side one of the stupidest comedians I’ve had the joy of seeing, Tracy Morgan.  And it sucks.

Kevin Smith is one of those directors that I love, because he writes his films.  Yes his last movie, Zack and Miri make a Porno, wasn’t good, but that was his first failure from a list of pretty good foul mouthed comedies.  He actual makes some of my favourite comedies because it’s always more about the character moments and banter than any huge massive plot device and that is always funny.  It feels always like he’s created a world of best friends and these friends are always just having a fun moment with each other joking around.  Here Smith is forced to direct a comedy about two of the worst cops in a completely plot driven comedy.  The comedy is supposed to be what these two are doing as opposed to just being stoners hanging out and being dumb and he fails to produce those laughs for me.

Proof in the pudding, is that if I had to say something good about this film it would have to be for the character Dave (Seann William Scott).  In almost every scene that Seann William Scott is there it’s hilarious.  Dave is this crazy thief that happens to love to do parkour.  He also happens to love some creepy ass knock knock jokes, which are just cool.  Dave’s character is just like one of those odd things that keep you laughing like a giddy school-child and you can barely understand why.

Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan didn’t seem too bad together as buddy cops.  Bruce definitely knows how to hit those comedic notes in the film perfectly, the only problem is that 90% of those jokes just weren’t that funny.  And I continue to believe that Tracy Morgan is the biggest comedy mistake since Dane Cook.  The only difference between the two is that Tracy Morgan has 30 Rock, so as long as stays in that show I’m happy.  However, ever other thing I’ve seen him in just makes me not laugh and remains retarded more than funny.

This is a not funny movie that reminds us all the time that Kevin Smith might just be a better writer than a director.  It tries to reach for that Beverly Hills Cop style and fails to make it by so much.

IMDB says 6.2/10

Rotten Tomatoes says 19%

I say 3.0/10

It’s time to discuss what’s hitting theatres this week.

Our Family Wedding

Directed by: Rick Famuyiwa

Written by: Wayne Conley & Malcolm Spellman

Starring: Forest Whitaker, Carlos Mencia, Lance Gross, America Ferrera & Regina King

Synopsis: The weeks leading up to a young couple’s wedding is comic and stressful, especially as their respective fathers (Whitaker and Mencia) try to lay to rest their feud.

Trailer:

My Thoughts? While watching the trailer for this film my one and only thought was “that’s why people are racist“.  Now don’t misunderstand.  I’m not saying that this movie is racist, or any of the characters are.  However, looking at some of the characters (especially Whitaker and Mencia’s characters) it felt more like charicatures of the hispanic and african-american culture than anything else.  C’mon, the electric slide and speedy gonzalez??? This is just a fluff film which people flock too just because it’s a story about multi-cultured society, rather than a good story and I’m not sold.

Dear John

Directed by: Lasse Hallstrom

Written by: Jamie Linden & Nicholas Sparks

Starring: Channing Tatum & Amanda Seyfried

Synopsis: While John is on leave in his hometown, he finds Savannah, a college student visiting the town. Although love was unexpected, it doesn’t mean they didn’t find it. With the knowledge of John having to leave for the army, their love still lives, until his re-signs on due to the 9/11 attack. Troubles invade and their love put on hold. One cannot bear it anymore; can the other?

Trailer:

My Thoughts? Do you really want my thoughts on this??? I know I’m doing the Romance Marathon, but starring Tatum and Seyfriend means that I can’t even see any good acting.  My testosterone makes this an automatic skip.  I hope all you married men enjoy the film.

Brooklyn’s Finest

Directed by: Antoine Fuqua

Written by: Michael C. Martin

Strarring: Wesley Snipes, Don Cheadle, Ethan Hawke & Richard Gere.

Synopsis: Three unconnected Brooklyn cops wind up at the same deadly location after enduring vastly different career paths.

Trailer:

My Thoughts? I wasn’t a huge fan of the trailer when it first hit the internet and I still am not sold at all.  However, the film has gotten some good reviews and with the above mentioned films as my only other choices it seems like this is the pick of the week for me.  Hopefully Fuqua returns to his Training Day form rather than make another failing like King Arthur.

What are you seeing this week?

So this upcoming Sunday will be the Academy Awards.  Unfortunately this week we were unable to get together and record our usual podcast.  We were planning on revealing our predictions for the awards.  So here are our predictions for the awards in written form for you to enjoy.

Best Picture

• Avatar (James Cameron & Jon Landau)
• The Blind Side (Gil Netter, Andrew A. Kosove & Broderick Johnson)
• District 9 (Peter Jackson & Carolynne Cunningham)
• An Education (Finola Dwyer & Amanda Posey)
• The Hurt Locker (Kathryn Bigelow, Marl Boal, Nicholas Chartier & Greg Shapiro)
  
• Inglorious Basterds (Lawrence Bender)
• Precious (Lee Daniels, Sarah Siegel-Magness &Gary Magness)
• A Serious Man (Joel Coen & Ethan Coen)
• Up (Jonas Rivera)
• Up In The Air (Daniel Dubiecki, Ivan Reitman & Jason Reitman)

Andrew, Douglas & Damion agree: The Hurt Locker

Actor in a Leading Role

• Jeff Bridges (Crazy Heart)
• George Clooney (Up In The Air)
• Colin Firth (A Single Man)
  
• Morgan Freeman (Invictus)
  
• Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker)

Andrew says: Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker)

Douglas says: Colin Firth (A Single Man)

Damion says: Morgan Freeman (Invictus)

Actor in a Supporting Role

• Matt Damon (Invictus)
• Woody Harrelson (The Messenger)
• Christopher Plummer (The Last Station)
• Stanley Tucci (The Lovely Bones)
• Cristoph Waltz (Inglorious Basterds)

Andrew, Douglas & Damion agrees: Christoph Waltz (Inglorious Basterds)

Actress in a Leading Role

• Sandra Bullock (The Blind Side)
  
• Helen Mirren (The Last Station)
• Carey Mulligan (An Education)
  
• Gabourey Sidibe (Precious)
• Meryl Streep (Julie & Julia)

Andrew says: Carey Mulligan (An Education)

Douglas says: Sandra Bullock (The Blind Side)

Damion says: Carey Mulligan (An Education)

Actress in a Supporting Role

• Penélope Cruz (Nine)
• Vera Farmiga (Up In The Air)
• Maggie Gyllenhaal (Crazy Heart)
  
• Anna Kendrick (Up In The Air)
• Mo’Nique (Precious)

Andrew says: Mo’Nique (Precious)

Douglas says: Maggie Gyllenhaal (Crazy Heart)

Damion says: Mo’Nique (Precious)

Animated Feature Film

• Coraline (Henry Selick)
• Fantastic Mr. Fox (Wes Anderson)
• The Princess and the Frog (John Musker & Ron Clements)
• The Secret of Kells (Tomm Moore)
• Up (Pete Docter)

Andrew, Douglas & Damion agree: Up (Pete Docter)

Art Direction

• Avatar (Rick Carter & Robert Stromberg (Art Direction); Kim Sinclair (Set Decoration))
• The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (Dave Warren & Anastasia Masaro (Art Direction); Caroline Smith (Set Decoration))
• Nine (John Myhre (Art Direction); Gordon Sim (Set Decoration))
• Sherlock Holmes (Sarah Greenwood (Art Direction); Katie Spencer (Set Decoration))
• The Young Victoria (Patrice Vermette (Art Direction); Maggie Gray (Set Decoration))

Andrew says: Avatar

Douglas says: Avatar

Damion says: The Young Victoria

Cinematography

• Avatar (Mauro Fiore)
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Bruno Delbonnel)
• The Hurt Locker (Barry Ackroyd)
• Inglorious Basterds (Robert Richardson)
• The White Ribbon (Das Weisse Band) (Christian Berger)

Andrew says: Inglorious Basterds

Douglas says: Avatar

Damion says: Avatar

Costume Design

• Bright Star (Janet Patterson)
• Coco Before Chanel (Catherine Leterrier)
• The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (Monique Prudhomme)
• Nine (Colleen Atwood)
• The Young Victoria (Sandy Powell)

Andrew says: Coco Before Chanel

Douglas says: The Young Victoria

Damion says: The Young Victoria

Directing

• James Cameron (Avatar)
• Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker)
• Quentin Tarantino (Inglorious Basterds)
• Lee Daniels (Precious)
• Jason Reitman (Up In The Air)

Andrew says: Kathyrn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker)

Douglas says: Lee Daniels (Precious)

Damion says: Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker)

Documentary Feature

• Burma VJ (Anders Østergaard & Lise Lense-Møller)
• The Cove (Louie Psihoyos & Fisher Stevens)
• Food, Inc. (Robert Kenner & Elise Pearlstein)
• The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers (Judith Ehrlich & Rick Goldsmith)
• Which Way Home (Rebecca Cammisa)

Andrew, Douglas & Damion agree: The Cove

Documentary Short

• China’s Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province (Jon Alpert & Matthew O’Neill)
• The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner (Daniel Junge & Henry Ansbacher)
• The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant (Steven Bognar & Julia Reichert)
• Music by Prudence (Roger Ross Williams & Elinor Burkett)
• Rabbit à la Berlin (Bartek Konopka & Anna Wydra)

Andrew says: Music by Prudence

Douglas says: Rabbit à la Berlin

Damion says: Music by Prudence

Film Editing

• Avatar (Stephen Rivkin, John Refoua & James Cameron)
• District 9 (Julian Clarke)
• The Hurt Locker (Bob Murawski & Chris Innis)
• Inglorious Basterds (Sally Menke)
• Precious (Joe Klotz)

Andrew says: Avatar

Douglas says: Inglorious Basterds

Damion says: Avatar

Foreign Language Film

• Ajami (Isreal) (dir. Scandar Copti & Yaron Shani)
• The Milk of Sorrow (La Teta Asustada) (Peru) (dir. Claudia Llosa)
• A Prophet (Un Prophète) (France) (dir. Jacques Audiard)
• The Secret in Their Eyes (El Secreto de Sus Ojos) (Argentina) (dir. Juan José Campanella)
• The White Ribbon (Das Weisse Band) (Germany) (dir. Michael Haneke)

Andrew, Douglas & Damion agree: A Prophet (Un Prophète)

Makeup

• Il Divo (Aldo Signoretti & Vittorio Sodano)
• Star Trek (Barney Burman, Mindy Hall & Joel Harlow)
• The Young Victoria (Joe Henry Gordon & Jenny Shircore)

Andrew says: Star Trek

Douglas says: The Young Victoria

Damion says: Star Trek

Music (Original Score)

• Avatar (James Horner)
• Fantastic Mr. Fox (Alexandre Desplat)
• The Hurt Locker (Marco Beltrami & Buck Sanders)
• Sherlock Holmes (Hans Zimmer)
• Up (Michael Giacchino)

Andrew says: Up (Michael Giacchino)

Douglas says: Up (Michael Giacchino)

Damion says: Fantastic Mr. Fox (Alexandre Desplat)

Music (Original Song)

• The Princess and the Frog – “Almost There” (Music and Lyrics by Randy Newman)
• The Princess and the Frog – “Down in New Orleans” (Music and Lyrics by Randy Newman)
• Paris 36 – “Loin de Paname” (Music by Reinhardy Wagner, Lyrics by Frank Thomas)
• Nine – “Take it All” (Music and Lyrics by Maury Yeston)
• Crazy Heart – “The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart)” (Music and Lyrics by Ryan Bungham & T Bone Burnett)

Andrew, Douglas & Damion agree: Crazy Heart – “The Weary Kind”

Short Film (Animated)

• French Roast (Fabrice O. Joubert)
• Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty (Nicky Phelan & Darragh O’Connell)
• The Lady and the Reaper (La Dama y la Muerte) (Javier Recio Gracia)
• Logorama (Nicolas Schmerkin)
• A Matter of Loaf and Death (Nick Park)

Andrew says: Logorama

Douglas says: Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty

Damion says: Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty

Short Film (Live Action)

• The Door (Juanita Wilson & James Flynn)
• Instead of Abracadabra (Patrik Eklund & Mathias Fjellström)
• Kavi (Gregg Helvey)
• Miracle Fish (Luke Doolan & Drew Bailey)
• The New Tenants (Joachim Back & Tivi Manusson)

Andrew says: The Door

Douglas says: Instead of Abracadabra

Damion says: Kavi

Sound Editing

• Avatar (Christopher Boyes & Gweldolyn Yates Whittle)
• The Hurt Locker (Paul N.J. Ottosson)
• Inglorious Basterds (Wylie Stateman)
• Star Trek (Mark Stoeckinger & Alan Rankin)
• Up (Michael Silvers & Tom Myers)

Andrew says: Star Trek

Douglas says: Avatar

Damion says: Star Trek

Sound Mixing

• Avatar (Christopher Boyes, Gary Summers, Andy Nelson & Tony Johnson)
• The Hurt Locker (Paul N. J. Ottosson & Ray Beckett)
• Inglorious Basterds (Michael Minker, Tony Lamberti & Mark Ulano)
• Star Trek (Anna Behlmer, Andy Nelson & Peter J. Delvin)
• Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers & Geoffrey Patterson)

Andrew says: Star Trek

Douglas says: Avatar

Damion says: Star Trek

Visual Effects

• Avatar (Joe Letteri, Stephen Rosenbaum, Richard Baneham & Andrew R. Jones)
• District 9 (Dan Kaufman, Peter Muyzers, Robert Habros & Matt Aitken)
• Star Trek (Roger Guyett, Russell Earl, Paul Kavanagh & Burt Dalton)

Andrew says: Avatar

Douglas says: Avatar

Damion says: District 9

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

• District 9 (Neill Blomkamp & Terri Tatchell)
• An Education (Nick Hornby)
• In The Loop (Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci & Tony Roche)
• Precious (Geoffrey Fletcher)
• Up In The Air (Jason Reitman & Sheldon Turner)

Andrew, Douglas & Damion agree: Up In The Air (Jason Reitman & Sheldon Turner)

Writing (Original Screenplay)

• The Hurt Locker (Mark Boal)
• Inglorious Basterds (Quentin Tarantino)
• The Messenger (Alessandro Camon & Oren Moverman)
• A Serious Man (Joel Coen & Ethan Coen)
• Up (Screenplay by Bob Peterson & Pete Docter; Story by Pete Docter, Bob Peterson & Tom McCarthy)

Andrew says: The Messenger

Douglas says: Inglorious Basterds

Damion says: The Hurt Locker

]]> http://www.gmanreviews.com/2010/03/06/tumps-82nd-academy-award-predictions/feed/ 0 http://www.gmanreviews.com/2010/03/06/1001-films-se7en-1995/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=1001-films-se7en-1995 http://www.gmanreviews.com/2010/03/06/1001-films-se7en-1995/#comments Sat, 06 Mar 2010 21:08:07 +0000 Andrew Robinson http://www.gmanreviews.com/?p=2733

note: this is a repost of one my Reviews from Aug 9th, 2008.

Detective David Mills (Brad Pitt) is a youngster that has just transferred into the New York City’s homicide division. Detective Lt. William Somerset (Morgan Freeman) is the experienced homicide detective that has been partnered with Mills for his final week before he retires. As Mills enters the city and starts work at the same time a new serial killer starts his work using the seven deadly sins as the overall theme for his murders.

Here is one of those movies that I am semi-embarrassed to say that I am yet to see. It is so amazing, and it features so many great themes, visuals, dialogue, and a great plot twist that not many people will see till a couple moments before Fincher shows us. I’ve been a David Fincher fan ever since a friend of mine who forced me to sit through “Fight Club” a few years ago. And when I told him “I don’t get it” he made me watch it again the following day and I loved it.

Personally I think this movie is Fincher playing target practice for his more subtle direction style, which we saw a much better version of with “Zodiac”. I wasn’t too amazed with the movie at first. It made me feel like a much better filmed police movie, which had a lot cooler idea for a serial killer. And when I use the word “cooler” I really mean flashy, it sticks out and makes you feel like you need to keep watching.

One thing I must say though is that this movie did not hit that high note for me until Kevin Spacey comes on screen. Kevin Spacey has recently become one of my favourite actors to watch, since he always does such a great job of delivering lines, and making the character’s more subtle pieces work in the movie. And this performance is no different from all his others that I love.

Another reason why I think I loved this movie so much is the villain in this movie is just so interesting. It takes me back a fortnight to when I was going crazy over The Joker in The Dark Knight. I guess I have an affinity to get drawn into these psychotic and somewhat unexplained and villains that are we are not able to understand. The only way I think you could understand this guy [without of course having a PhD in Psychology] is to let him walk you through every thought he has every moment of the day for maybe a couple of years.

This movie did touch on some social issues that are very interesting [and somewhat obvious]. The biggest one is should we really be tolerant of people who are falling to these deadly sins [even when they don’t directly affect us]? For example, one of the deadly sins is gluttony. So should we be okay with all these men [and women] who weigh so much that they become shut-ins? When you look at them you laugh and make jokes saying that they need a crane to move them from their couch to the toilet and back. Why do we believe in being quiet about these things? Just because people deserve their space, should they be able to do what they want with their own personal space without any restrictions? Even when they affect someone else, as long as it isn’t me [or anyone directly/indirectly connected to me] we just let it pass, and label them as crazy/sick/sad.

A great thing that was made clear is the similarities between the three characters [the killer, Pitt’s character, and Freeman’s character]. The killer is just a version of Pitt who does what Pitt keeps thinking should be done, Pitt is the younger and non-numbed version of Freeman’s character. Morgan Freeman’s character has worked for the police in the city for so long that he isn’t affected emotionally by these people anymore. He is numbed from it all, suppresses all of his feelings about all of the degenerates that live in the sick dark city. While Pitt’s character is coming from the cleaner and much smaller town where all these depraved people and level of crime is new to him and he can’t do much more than keep going “WTF!!!” and shouting how he wants to shoot the guy. While the killer has skipped the “WTF!!!” moment and the consideration, and just kills the people in such a dramatic way so as to gain peoples’ attention.

Overall this movie lives up to its left over hype, and is a must watch for me. I’m glad that people kept suggesting it to me, so that I finally got around to it. I worry how many more of these gems I’ve missed out on I need to see right now while I wait for something amazing to see in the theatres.

IMDB says 8.6/10

Rotten Tomatoes says 84%

I say 9.0/10

note:  I’ve decided to go back to doing individual reviews for each film in my marathons.  Please continue to enjoy.

Having decided to marry, Bror Blixen (Klaus Maria Brandauer), Karin (Meryl Streep) migrates to Africa to do so and run a farm while she’s there.  Eventually she finds that she meets Denys (Robert Redford) and falls madly in love with him after discovering that this marriage she wanted turned out to be nothing like she expected.  The film chronicles Karin’s time in Africa.

I chose this marathon to follow my past for the reason that I intended to do it in February, and therefore make it all seasonal and all.  Now it is feeling more and more foolish and will probably end up being more work than anything else.  I’ve never denied that I am a bit of a sap.  I can love a lot of sappy love tales, however there are few that just don’t sit well with me.  When walking back in time to when men were men and women still remained all pretty and pampered and romanticised love into this thing that isn’t more than two people finding a way to live together and still enjoy each other.  However, it’s time for a month of grand gestures by men and women crying on screen because it’s time for romance.

My biggest problem with this movie has to be with the main character, Karin.  As great a performance Streep gives us, the character herself is foolish at so many times throughout the film. She migrates all the way to Africa to marry her friend, and she never really knew what she was getting into.  She probably guessed it would be like a crash course in love, where she would be best friends with Bror and eventually it would become love.  Except the man knew exactly what it was, he married her for the money and his freedom, and she married him for the title.  So she complains bitterly of how she’s left alone for time on end with this farm that she never really wanted when in truth she’s the one that is to blame.  So I can’t feel sorry for her at all when her marriage ends in disappointment.  Not to say that Bror had treated her like he should’ve.

I found myself enthralled in the romance a bit though as soon as Redford entered the picture.  It was almost as if, just like Karin, the intrigue of this larger than life character was what the story needed.  We’re given a dull Baroness from Denmark who has no idea of how to really do things in Africa and as soon as we’re about to nod off figuring that there won’t be anything to enjoy from this movie we’re introduced to this hunter who’s out and about the plains living on the land and I couldn’t take my eyes off of him because, like Karin, we want to know more instantly.

Sydney Pollack takes his time to make sure that we learn what Africa was, and how slowly but surely it changed under the British colonization.  Even though we are a bit isolated from the biggest changes that happened in Africa during this time, since we spend most of the film on Karin’s farm where she takes the approach that she is the one encroaching on the native’s land, you still get the odd feeling that something bad is happening out there in the world.  However, even though this slow pace is done for purpose, it didn’t help me sitting there wondering how much longer I’d have to suffer with Karin’s whining about how she doesn’t get it how she wants it.

It’s a movie that I get why people love it, but definitely not anything game changing for me.  Worth a look if you’re the target audience, but something to fear if you’re not.

IMDB says 7.0/10

Rotten Tomatoes says 61%

I say 5.5/10

Next Film: The Notebook (2004)

Last week there were some technical difficulties (i.e. I was a lazy bum).  So here are the links for the past two weeks.

What I’ve Written

DVD Picks of the Week Feb. 23rd

Top Ten Kevin Smith Scenes

DVD Picks of the Week for Mar. 2nd

Posts Across the Internet that I think are cool

For Science: The Start of Something Kurosawa from Film School Rejects

I know, I didn’t do much reading these past weeks… lost most of the cool artciles I read.  Check back next week for more lame postings here at gmanreviews always .

PEACE.

It’s been two week since my last update on my Kurosawa watchings and I’m here to report that I have since then completed my planned marathon.  I did finish a month later than planned, but really who cares?  In the last two weeks I’ve watched High and Low (1963), Stray Dog (1949) and Seven Samurai (1954).  Here are my thoughts on each.

High and Low (1963)

On one evening before Gondo (Toshiro Mifune) is about to buy a controlling share in the company he works for, so as to ensure that he continues to do the work he believes in, there is a kidnapping.  However, after discovering that the kidnapper had accidentally grabbed his driver’s son rather than his we begin the film in a tense discussion as to whether he should pay the ransom money that will surely bankrupt him and lose him his job.

This is quite possibly the best film about a kidnapping I’ve ever seen.  I love it for so many reasons.  Not only is the acting brilliant and the story well handled but it never treats you like a child.  It’s about people making the hard decisions knowing exactly how they will affect them and reminds me that good people remain in the world.

This film might just be structurally my favourite of all the Kurosawa films I’ve seen during this marathon.  It’s broken up into three easily distinguished sections. First is the kidnapping and the discussions between Gondo and the kidnapper, second is the police following every possible lead and hunch to find the kidnapper, and finally is about the kidnapper trying to cover his tracks while at the same time fleeing the police which are hot on his tail.  I loved how Kurosawa was able to handle each of these sections with such care that we got to understand and enjoy each part of the story equally and get to know each of it’s members.

The film is brilliant and gripping from opening to end. Definitely a must watch if you’re looking to educate yourself or just need something to entertain you.

Rating: 10/10

Stray Dog (1949)

After a an exhausting work day rookie Detective Murakami (Toshiro Mifune) has his pistol picked off of him.  He admits filled with guilt  for the mistake and is paired up with veteran Detective Sato (Takashi Shimura) from homicide to try and discover what happened to it after dead bodies start to pile up with bullets from his pistol.

Akira Kurosawa has entered so many film genres it’s astounding.  It’s almost so jaw dropping that you almost forgive him for that misstep.  I found this movie to be a serviceable ‘cop’ film, but didn’t find myself as engaged as I’ve come to expect from a film from Mr. Kurosawa.  It definitely had some great touches to it, like when Murakami spent the first twenty or so minutes searching for the pick-pockets and showing how ‘green’ he really is.  It was enjoyable to see Murakami interact with his higher ups, especially Sato.  Sato’s style as a veteran who knew who to squeeze, who to arrest and who to just sit down and talk to whether or not they are criminals.

I kind of found it laughable how with every dead body that came into the hospital that Murakami and Sato would say ‘one less bullet, now only 5 left’.  I found myself sitting there thinking, ‘what if he had bought more bullets and reloaded it?’  It would just be hilarious if at the end of the film Murakami confronted the murderer and was like ‘no more bullets’ and then he shot Murakami and said ‘i reloaded it bitch!’  While at the same time I knew this was the kinds of conventions that stories went by in the 40s cinema.

In the end nowhere near my favourite film by Kurosawa or this genre but definitely a worthwhile watch for Kurosawa purists.

Rating: 6.5/10

Seven Samurai (1954)

After two months I come to the end of my marathon with Kurosawa’s most famous film ever made.  The residents of a poor farming village are being terrorized by bandits and end up hiring seven samurais to protect them from the bandits.

Now, I must handle this topic with care.  I’m about to discuss one of the biggest films in ever made.  It sits #15 on the IMDB top 250 list.  I found myself asking myself when the movie was over what it was I actually liked about it.  I definitely knew watching this film that it was going to be epic and it was.  I however, was disappointed, as I find you can only be when finally watching a film as over-hyped as this.  I loved the first two hours of the film when we were getting to know the samurais that were coming to save the village.  The final hour which was a long battle after battle action segment of the film felt drawn out for me.  I believe that it could’ve been cut in at least half.  It’s surprising with how well Kurosawa handled the action sequences in Yojimbo which was less than two decades later, but seemed to struggle with it here.  I do believe that the grandness of the battles may have hurt its effectiveness in for me.

What this film did perfectly and did so greatly was bringing me another movie about a group of more or less strangers who came together by the end for a common cause.  I loved especially watching Mifune playing the role of Kikuchiyo, which was more or less the comedy relief for the viewer.  He was brilliant as the court jester for the film.  Shimura also fit the role as the much older Kanbe, who led the samurai and villagers in battle against the bandits.

So in the end I’m disappointed but not by much.  I liked it but didn’t love it.  There are so many other films I’ve seen by Kurosawa that are so much better than this movie, and I can’t believe this is the one people have chosen as THE film.

Rating: 8.0/10

Next Marathon:

The Romance Marathon

Dr. Zhivago (1965), Out of Africa (1985), The Notebook (2004), Romeo & Juliet (1968), Love With a Proper Stranger (1963), The English Patient (1996), The Graduate (1967), Gone with the Wind (1939)

This week in cinemas in Jamaica is:

Cop Out

Directed by: Kevin Smith

Written by: Robb Cullen & Mark Cullen

Starring: Tracey Morgan, Bruce Willis & Seann William Scott

Synopsis: A comedy about a veteran NYPD cop whose rare baseball card is stolen. Since it’s his only hope to pay for his daughter’s upcoming wedding, he recruits his partner to track down the thief, a memorabilia-obsessed gangster.

Trailer:

My Thoughts? As much of a fail as Zack and Miri Make a Porno was, Kevin Smith remains as one of my favourite comedic directors out there today.  Even though I think his strengths tend to come from his writing more than his direction I’m still willing to give this film a chance.  Bruce Willis is playing a hilarious looking police officer and hopefully he smacks Tracey Morgan a lot in the movie.

Extraordinary Measures

Directed by: Tom Vaughn

Written by: Robert Nelson Jacobs & Geeta Anand

Starring: Harrison Ford & Brendan Fraser

Synopsis: A drama centered on the efforts of John and Aileen Crowley to find a researcher who might have a cure for their two children’s rare genetic disorder.

Trailer:

My Thoughts? The film looks like a lifetime movie that had a budget big enough to afford it’s cast which is why it’s on the big screen as opposed to being made for TV. Brendan Fraser hasn’t been good since the first Mummy film as far as I’m concerned and I’m tired of people wanting to see Harrison Ford again just because he was Han Solo, or what not.  The movie looks bad and will make all of you saps cry at the end I’m sure.

Hush 2

Directed by: ?

Written by: ?

Starring: ?

Synopsis: Mikisha thought she had it bad…an unwanted pregnancy. But…She didn’t know what was awaiting her in HUSH 2. Follow the thrilling eventful story of Mikisha, her mother Darlene and her supposed friend Angie. Can Troy ever amount to anything or can Tanya change her colours….and to crown it off, meet a man you will never wish to meet in real life…Morris.

Trailer:

My Thoughts? First let me explain why I have so little information about this film.  It is because it is a locally produced film and I can’t find any information about it.  No production photos, no posters, no details whatsoever.  There is however a trailer available on youtube (as you see above).  It’s been almost proven as a certainty that Jamaica doesn’t make good films, but I can’t help but think even through all the bad acting I can see in the trailer above that there might just be a bit of interesting story offered here.  I’m sure it’s going to pander to this highschool crowd and preach a lot about the greatness that is abstinence, but in the end.  It might just be worth a look see, but I’m not holding out for much to be very honest.

What is it you’re going to see this weekend?

Lawrence [Benecio Del Toro] returns home to try and solve the mystery of what beast killed his brother.  While out in the night searching for answers he happens to come in contact with the beast and is wounded.  He is now cursed.  Lawrence must now come to terms with his new self while at the same time learning more about this life under the pale moonlight.

Nowadays we watch movies that are filled with Computer Generated Images (CGI), and every time those graphics aren’t up to scratch people all complain and holler with comments like, “what’s wrong with the good old days when everything was practical, like in Raiders of the Lost Ark?” And even though I don’t disagree with everyone who has this sentiment at the same time I feel that that isn’t an excuse for just wanting to be nostalgic and just make a movie completely with practical effects just for the sake.  I always say that every decision on a film has to be justified by the story and the vision that the director wants to portray in the end product of the film.  So while I didn’t completely hate the guy in the wolfman suit (and deep down I want to wish it was Benecio in the suit because that would be pretty hilarious), at times it seemed way too out of place in the film.

This film worked for me on few levels. It gave me a feeling of complete and utter self-gratis with ever moment that there was the wolf on screen thrashing people to death.  The gory mess that this film was whenever there was a full moon was just too much for me to contain myself.  As much as I dug the design of the wolfman when I was seeing production photos coming out early last year, it was a laughable thing to see on screen at times.

Acting wise I found myself flabbergasted at how much I disliked Benecio Del Toro in this film, while at the same time loving Hug Weaving and Anthony Hopkins.  Benecio has been one the shining lights in film of recent years, barely giving anyone an excuse to complain, even when he ended up starring in overall poor films.  While in recent years I’ve found more and more reason to dislike Anthony Hopkins (All the King’s Men and Alexander), but here he was able to portray the horrible father role perfectly.  He somehow was able to let you know from the moment he entered the film how distant and cold a father he was to Lawrence as a child, and even now.  Hugo Weaving on the other hand had the trouble of playing the role of the British detective who felt almost like he was channelling Robert Downey Jr.’s role in Sherlock Holmes.  He had an air of arrogance to him at first, looking like he didn’t care for the case that seemed simple enough.  Then he met the beast and his response to the case was just unimaginably great.

In the end this isn’t the best film you will see at the theatre, but it may be perfect for a gory Thursday night when it eventually hits DVD.  Anthony Hopkins and Hugo Weaving save the movie from being a boring reimagining of a genre that deserves to remain in our memories.

IMDB says 6.4/10

Rotten Tomatoes says 32%

I say 5.0/10