I WANT MY NOVEMBER MINI-REVIEWS
ADVANCE SCREENING REVIEWS
Dreamgirls (US, 2006)
dir. Bill Condon
My friend and I were two of about 150 people who got to see Dreamgirls at their first round of press screenings. Yeah, I feel special. Maybe the musical "fad" that came about after Chicago was released didn’t really turn into such the fad they were trying to create. Phantom Of The Opera and Rent both practically bombed (though I’m sure they made a nice profit on DVD), and there was nary another musical in sight. That I can think of. Maybe that’s because musicals as a whole are utterly forgettable. Too much of the spontaneous song, which SNL made good parody of in a West Side Story skit from the 90s. Musicals only work if their music is memorable, and if it fits...or if there’s enough comedy or good story in between to keep you entertained. Dreamgirls, thankfully, succeeds on the music part. Like all musicals, there are a few numbers that scream out "bathroom break," but when it’s on, it’s ON. It’s quite the black ensemble cast, and everybody knows that black people can sing the hell out of a good song. This is the most soulful soundtrack to grace the screen since Little Shop of Horrors! The standout performances you’ve likely heard of are absolutely spot on. This is a big return role for Eddie Murphy, stuck for far too long doing safe family fare post-tranni pickup. Bowfinger was a step in the right direction, but not like this; as a James Brown-esque performer, he’s raunchy, he’s a womanizer, and he’s got soul. He’s also super-bad. Eddie’s own media reclusiveness could seriously hurt his chances at getting a supporting nomination for this, but I smell a Golden Globe at least. Nobody can refute how much of the film he carries on his back. But not all of it. Audiences will be stunned at the gale force wind that is Jennifer Hudson. An American Idol 3rd runner up from season three who has little acting training, but packs a huge voice. Her big moments and her character, not to mention the way she presents herself as Effie, sets this film up on a higher bar than it would otherwise stand. She’s got the award buzz, and she deserves it. And then there’s Beyonce, who has yet to remotely impress anyone with her acting skill. She takes a refreshing back seat for half of the film to showcase Hudson. By the time Hudson’s character is pushed aside a bit, Beyonce pushes to the forefront. At that point, it’s slightly downhill, but it's alright because we care even less. It's also a self depricating role for B, which I'm not sure she was aware of. It’s easy to recommend this, especially for Murphy fans who’ve been anxious to see some of that old charm return, and for Hudson’s knock-out voice. Oh, and a lovely NBC players cameo with John Krasinski and John Lithgow. Also note that Jamie Foxx is about two bad performances away from having his Oscar revoked. He faxed in his acting and his vocals here, and it’s completely underwhelming. It’s only a matter of time until a gay boat comes around to pick him up. If you got that reference, I love you.
The Fountain (US, 2006)
dir. Darren Aronofsky
Got to see this one about a week early in a free screening with fellow college students. Needless to say, there were many walkouts. If there’s going to be a film this year that divides its audience completely in half, it’s this one. Any film this slow, which doesn’t get around to any kind of narrative for at least 1/3 of the running time is going to do that. Any film where one must have some basic knowledge of metaphysics is bound to do that. It’s also a sweeping love story, and that’ll always divide most of the "manly men" out. As for myself, I’m not quite sure what the fuck I thought of it. To say the least, it’s absolutely gorgeous. Aronofsky has certainly matured since Requiem For A Dream. This isn't even similar in style. He's come into his own not just as a visual director, but also as a writer. Gone is the spastic MTV-style editing of Dream, and in is long shots, wide shots, sweeping shots. He’s become something akin to a visionary, which is a title I believe usually takes most filmmakers many years of a deep career to achieve. This is a very personal film to him, and one that took many years to get off the ground with much money wasted and a complete cast change. The end results almost look exasperated, and show the wear and tear on Aronofsky himself. He almost appears to be confused as to what version of his story he was actually shooting after all of the rewrites and restarts the production endured. So no longer does it feel as epic in scope, only in aim. I can feel what he was trying to do, but I don’t think it’s all there. It’s a scant 90 minutes, and almost feels as if it needed to be longer, if only it weren’t so bloody boring. So rushed is the final act that it becomes baffling and requires a second viewing to fully grasp the concept. The music helps quite a bit, though. It’s a wonderful score by The Kronos Quartet featuring some work by the awesome instrumental band Mogwai. Hugh Jackman deserves a lot of praise for his work done here, especially considering this was a role written with Brad Pitt in mind. Pitt couldn’t have pulled off the emotion that is essential to buy into the story, and Jackman is quite impressive. Though I don’t know if it was enough. I’ll need another shot of this one before I can make up my mind on it, but I suggest you give it a shot, if only so I have more people to talk about it with.
THEATRICAL REVIEWS
Let’s Go To Prison (US, 2006)
dir. Bob Odenkirk
As a giant Mr.Show fan, I made a pact to attempt to follow everything that David Cross and Bob Odenkirk have some part in. It’s a pact that’s been biting me in the ass. I’ve had to suffer through shit like She’s The Man. Thanks, David. Bob on the other hand has been more forgiving. His first feature Melvin Goes To Dinner was mildly amusing for a talking heads piece. This, on the other hand, is REALLY, REALLY hard to like. It’s simply not funny. How could any movie that turns sodomy into light comical fare manage to be so bad? Look at that still shot! How could THAT movie not be funny? I wanted to laugh, but I wasn’t compelled to. Will Arnett and Dax Shepard try their best to make something out of this, but it’s far too rigid and standard...shit, just way too poorly written to actually be funny. Hell, even Chi McBride, the most underrated black actor on the planet, can’t manage to make something of this. I place the blame on Ben Garant, Thomas Lennon and Michael Patrick Jann. These former members of The State comedy troupe and current members of Reno 911 have managed to fill their pockets writing terrible, terrible things. Their feature filmography since 2004 includes Taxi, The Pacifier, Herbie Fully Loaded and Night At The Museum. I understand you have to make money doing poor things so that you can do what you truly love. And I wouldn’t accuse any of them of being smart writers as most of the work they do the best is improvisational. Reno, as you probably know, isn’t remotely scripted. But I thought THIS was supposed to be that project you really WANTED to do, guys? The one that you sold out so many times so you could do it? How was I wrong??? Is it Reno 911:Miami instead? Or Balls Of Fury? I certainly fucking hope so. I’m losing faith in the team.
Casino Royale (US, 2006)
dir. Martin Campbell
I’m not going to say too much about this, but I LOVE this current Hollywood trend. Instead of focusing on remakes, you tweak the idea and turn it into a reTOOL. As in going back not to necessarily tell the same story again, but trying to get it right this time by starting the franchise over. Batman Begins worked well for me. Superman Returns did too, though in what capacity I’m unsure (I’ll find out when I watch it on the small screen this week). I even liked Miami Vice’s hard edged big screen turn. And the good news is that it worked WONDERFULLY with Bond! I’ve never been a huge fan of the series, especially anything they made in...about the past two decades. Daniel Craig doesn’t just fill the shoes of the past, he wears entirely different shoes altogether! Gone is the smarm, and up is the charm. The guy appears to be human, flawed. He’s dashing, he’s dark, he’s actually funny. Nothing feels forced! The gadgets are based in reality! The action is believable, and still thrilling! Craig is what I had envision Bond as being, and it’s the best attempt at realizing the character since Connery had the role on lockdown. I’d almost go as far as to say he’s the best Bond ever, though I also thought Goldeneye was a real humdinger and Brosnon was the shit. When I was younger. Not so much today. All subsequent Brosnon Bond’s were AWFUL. So we’ll see what Craig does with the next film, which should be the first direct sequel to a Bond film given how they set up another story at the end of this. Eva Green is also wonderful, and becomes the most believable Bond girl I’ve seen. Natural, even. She’s quite naked for about a solid hour in Bertollucci’s The Dreamers, which I still can’t manage to recommend. Anyway, SEE THIS. Ignore what you’ve thought of any other Bond film, and imagine this is the first. Awesome.
STL FILM FESTIVAL REVIEWS
Behind The Mask: The Rise Of Leslie Vernon (US, 2006)
dir. Scott Glosserman
I got to watch this with the director at the St.Louis International Film Festival...well, he wasn’t NEXT to me or anything, but he was in the theater. Also got to meet him and chat a bit. Great guy. This in no way influenced how positive I feel about his potential as a director in the future, nor how I felt about this flick. No, not at all. In all seriousness, it’s a great, low budget horror-mockumentary of sorts. Although I had wished for more from the last act of the film, I still feel that it’s every bit as biting as Scream was without the awful pop-culture dialogue that Williamson brought. It’s especially great to see a complete unknown like Nathan Baesel totally rock your socks off with his role. He’s fantastic, and he secures this as a must-see when it sees a 13 city theatrical release through Anchor Bay in January. Even if you’re not a fan of slasher films, you’ll find plenty to like here.
Candy (AUS, 2006)
dir. Neil Armfield
We’re addicted to addiction. It’s one of those themes that will never disappear from storytelling, no matter how overused every variation becomes. Be it alcohol, gambling, "the job", perfection, or even drugs, it will never be a subject which does not pique interest. However, drug addiction movies are the worst of the bunch. Often preachy, always predictable, and severely depressing. Yes, we know that drugs are awful. Yes, we know they ruin lives and kill people. For evidence, check out Requeim For A Dream, Rush, Thirteen, etc. So the question is, how do you take the subject of drug addiction and somehow manage to inject some kind of life into it (pun intended)? By getting Heath Ledger to do it! And Abbie Cornish! The two of them make a lovely pair on screen, even when doing something as unflattering as becoming addicted to heroin. It’s a poetic, beautiful film that doesn’t glorify drug use, but doesn’t preach to you as heavily as others. Ledger and Cornish do a great job with the subject material, and Geoffery Rush is fabulously gay as their "drug-father" figure. It’s not a great film, but it does handle the subject with a little more tact than some of its predecessors. And now, a pic of Heath looking ridiculous.
Severance (UK, 2006)
dir. Christoper Smith
Looking for horror-satire? Look no further. The Shaun Of The Dead comparisons shouldn’t be taken too seriously, first off. It is quite funny, but not in the same straight-up fashion that Shaun managed to do. It’s only comparable in the way that it manages to cross genres incredibly well. I haven’t seen a film walk as fine a line between torture-horror and flat out slapstick in all my life. It was refreshingly dark, black comedy...the kind that you’re uncomfortable to laugh at because under any other circumstances, many scenes would be mortifying. It blind sides you with the funny bits when you’re at your most tense, then disarms you with the laughs, and I’m not sure the people I saw it with were as prepared as I was, though they did enjoy it for the most part. This is one of my favorites I’ve seen this year, and I urge you to seek it out whenever Magnolia gets around to releasing it next year.
Rescue Dawn (US, 2006)
dir. Werner Herzog
Werner Herzog’s narrative telling of a documentary he made in 1998, Little Dieter Needs To Fly, is the true story of a Navy pilot who crashed and was taken prisoner in Laos right before Vietnam. His story is harrowing, inspiring and haunting. While I have yet to see the documentary, the narrative version of the tale is fantastic if not a little bit flawed. Christian Bale turns in another incredible performance, as does creepy Jeremy Davies, but Steve Zahn damn near steals the show with his portrayal of the man who escaped with Dieter. Many are surprised that Zahn is so impressive in it, while I’ve been singing his praises since I saw him in Safe Men. I knew the boy could act. As a side note, his solo commentary track on the Joyride DVD is fucking hilarious. Rescue Dawn is a surprisingly funny film, and quite memorable, and it should do quite well when it gets released in January. Seek it out.
The Host (KOR, 2006)
dir. Joon-ho Bong
Look for a full review of this sometime in the future. In the meantime, know that I fucking loved it. It’s the perfect combination of Little Miss Sunshine and monster flick, mixed with a Romero movie.
-M
ADVANCE SCREENING REVIEWS
Dreamgirls (US, 2006)
dir. Bill Condon
My friend and I were two of about 150 people who got to see Dreamgirls at their first round of press screenings. Yeah, I feel special. Maybe the musical "fad" that came about after Chicago was released didn’t really turn into such the fad they were trying to create. Phantom Of The Opera and Rent both practically bombed (though I’m sure they made a nice profit on DVD), and there was nary another musical in sight. That I can think of. Maybe that’s because musicals as a whole are utterly forgettable. Too much of the spontaneous song, which SNL made good parody of in a West Side Story skit from the 90s. Musicals only work if their music is memorable, and if it fits...or if there’s enough comedy or good story in between to keep you entertained. Dreamgirls, thankfully, succeeds on the music part. Like all musicals, there are a few numbers that scream out "bathroom break," but when it’s on, it’s ON. It’s quite the black ensemble cast, and everybody knows that black people can sing the hell out of a good song. This is the most soulful soundtrack to grace the screen since Little Shop of Horrors! The standout performances you’ve likely heard of are absolutely spot on. This is a big return role for Eddie Murphy, stuck for far too long doing safe family fare post-tranni pickup. Bowfinger was a step in the right direction, but not like this; as a James Brown-esque performer, he’s raunchy, he’s a womanizer, and he’s got soul. He’s also super-bad. Eddie’s own media reclusiveness could seriously hurt his chances at getting a supporting nomination for this, but I smell a Golden Globe at least. Nobody can refute how much of the film he carries on his back. But not all of it. Audiences will be stunned at the gale force wind that is Jennifer Hudson. An American Idol 3rd runner up from season three who has little acting training, but packs a huge voice. Her big moments and her character, not to mention the way she presents herself as Effie, sets this film up on a higher bar than it would otherwise stand. She’s got the award buzz, and she deserves it. And then there’s Beyonce, who has yet to remotely impress anyone with her acting skill. She takes a refreshing back seat for half of the film to showcase Hudson. By the time Hudson’s character is pushed aside a bit, Beyonce pushes to the forefront. At that point, it’s slightly downhill, but it's alright because we care even less. It's also a self depricating role for B, which I'm not sure she was aware of. It’s easy to recommend this, especially for Murphy fans who’ve been anxious to see some of that old charm return, and for Hudson’s knock-out voice. Oh, and a lovely NBC players cameo with John Krasinski and John Lithgow. Also note that Jamie Foxx is about two bad performances away from having his Oscar revoked. He faxed in his acting and his vocals here, and it’s completely underwhelming. It’s only a matter of time until a gay boat comes around to pick him up. If you got that reference, I love you.
The Fountain (US, 2006)
dir. Darren Aronofsky
Got to see this one about a week early in a free screening with fellow college students. Needless to say, there were many walkouts. If there’s going to be a film this year that divides its audience completely in half, it’s this one. Any film this slow, which doesn’t get around to any kind of narrative for at least 1/3 of the running time is going to do that. Any film where one must have some basic knowledge of metaphysics is bound to do that. It’s also a sweeping love story, and that’ll always divide most of the "manly men" out. As for myself, I’m not quite sure what the fuck I thought of it. To say the least, it’s absolutely gorgeous. Aronofsky has certainly matured since Requiem For A Dream. This isn't even similar in style. He's come into his own not just as a visual director, but also as a writer. Gone is the spastic MTV-style editing of Dream, and in is long shots, wide shots, sweeping shots. He’s become something akin to a visionary, which is a title I believe usually takes most filmmakers many years of a deep career to achieve. This is a very personal film to him, and one that took many years to get off the ground with much money wasted and a complete cast change. The end results almost look exasperated, and show the wear and tear on Aronofsky himself. He almost appears to be confused as to what version of his story he was actually shooting after all of the rewrites and restarts the production endured. So no longer does it feel as epic in scope, only in aim. I can feel what he was trying to do, but I don’t think it’s all there. It’s a scant 90 minutes, and almost feels as if it needed to be longer, if only it weren’t so bloody boring. So rushed is the final act that it becomes baffling and requires a second viewing to fully grasp the concept. The music helps quite a bit, though. It’s a wonderful score by The Kronos Quartet featuring some work by the awesome instrumental band Mogwai. Hugh Jackman deserves a lot of praise for his work done here, especially considering this was a role written with Brad Pitt in mind. Pitt couldn’t have pulled off the emotion that is essential to buy into the story, and Jackman is quite impressive. Though I don’t know if it was enough. I’ll need another shot of this one before I can make up my mind on it, but I suggest you give it a shot, if only so I have more people to talk about it with.
THEATRICAL REVIEWS
Let’s Go To Prison (US, 2006)
dir. Bob Odenkirk
As a giant Mr.Show fan, I made a pact to attempt to follow everything that David Cross and Bob Odenkirk have some part in. It’s a pact that’s been biting me in the ass. I’ve had to suffer through shit like She’s The Man. Thanks, David. Bob on the other hand has been more forgiving. His first feature Melvin Goes To Dinner was mildly amusing for a talking heads piece. This, on the other hand, is REALLY, REALLY hard to like. It’s simply not funny. How could any movie that turns sodomy into light comical fare manage to be so bad? Look at that still shot! How could THAT movie not be funny? I wanted to laugh, but I wasn’t compelled to. Will Arnett and Dax Shepard try their best to make something out of this, but it’s far too rigid and standard...shit, just way too poorly written to actually be funny. Hell, even Chi McBride, the most underrated black actor on the planet, can’t manage to make something of this. I place the blame on Ben Garant, Thomas Lennon and Michael Patrick Jann. These former members of The State comedy troupe and current members of Reno 911 have managed to fill their pockets writing terrible, terrible things. Their feature filmography since 2004 includes Taxi, The Pacifier, Herbie Fully Loaded and Night At The Museum. I understand you have to make money doing poor things so that you can do what you truly love. And I wouldn’t accuse any of them of being smart writers as most of the work they do the best is improvisational. Reno, as you probably know, isn’t remotely scripted. But I thought THIS was supposed to be that project you really WANTED to do, guys? The one that you sold out so many times so you could do it? How was I wrong??? Is it Reno 911:Miami instead? Or Balls Of Fury? I certainly fucking hope so. I’m losing faith in the team.
Casino Royale (US, 2006)
dir. Martin Campbell
I’m not going to say too much about this, but I LOVE this current Hollywood trend. Instead of focusing on remakes, you tweak the idea and turn it into a reTOOL. As in going back not to necessarily tell the same story again, but trying to get it right this time by starting the franchise over. Batman Begins worked well for me. Superman Returns did too, though in what capacity I’m unsure (I’ll find out when I watch it on the small screen this week). I even liked Miami Vice’s hard edged big screen turn. And the good news is that it worked WONDERFULLY with Bond! I’ve never been a huge fan of the series, especially anything they made in...about the past two decades. Daniel Craig doesn’t just fill the shoes of the past, he wears entirely different shoes altogether! Gone is the smarm, and up is the charm. The guy appears to be human, flawed. He’s dashing, he’s dark, he’s actually funny. Nothing feels forced! The gadgets are based in reality! The action is believable, and still thrilling! Craig is what I had envision Bond as being, and it’s the best attempt at realizing the character since Connery had the role on lockdown. I’d almost go as far as to say he’s the best Bond ever, though I also thought Goldeneye was a real humdinger and Brosnon was the shit. When I was younger. Not so much today. All subsequent Brosnon Bond’s were AWFUL. So we’ll see what Craig does with the next film, which should be the first direct sequel to a Bond film given how they set up another story at the end of this. Eva Green is also wonderful, and becomes the most believable Bond girl I’ve seen. Natural, even. She’s quite naked for about a solid hour in Bertollucci’s The Dreamers, which I still can’t manage to recommend. Anyway, SEE THIS. Ignore what you’ve thought of any other Bond film, and imagine this is the first. Awesome.
STL FILM FESTIVAL REVIEWS
Behind The Mask: The Rise Of Leslie Vernon (US, 2006)
dir. Scott Glosserman
I got to watch this with the director at the St.Louis International Film Festival...well, he wasn’t NEXT to me or anything, but he was in the theater. Also got to meet him and chat a bit. Great guy. This in no way influenced how positive I feel about his potential as a director in the future, nor how I felt about this flick. No, not at all. In all seriousness, it’s a great, low budget horror-mockumentary of sorts. Although I had wished for more from the last act of the film, I still feel that it’s every bit as biting as Scream was without the awful pop-culture dialogue that Williamson brought. It’s especially great to see a complete unknown like Nathan Baesel totally rock your socks off with his role. He’s fantastic, and he secures this as a must-see when it sees a 13 city theatrical release through Anchor Bay in January. Even if you’re not a fan of slasher films, you’ll find plenty to like here.
Candy (AUS, 2006)
dir. Neil Armfield
We’re addicted to addiction. It’s one of those themes that will never disappear from storytelling, no matter how overused every variation becomes. Be it alcohol, gambling, "the job", perfection, or even drugs, it will never be a subject which does not pique interest. However, drug addiction movies are the worst of the bunch. Often preachy, always predictable, and severely depressing. Yes, we know that drugs are awful. Yes, we know they ruin lives and kill people. For evidence, check out Requeim For A Dream, Rush, Thirteen, etc. So the question is, how do you take the subject of drug addiction and somehow manage to inject some kind of life into it (pun intended)? By getting Heath Ledger to do it! And Abbie Cornish! The two of them make a lovely pair on screen, even when doing something as unflattering as becoming addicted to heroin. It’s a poetic, beautiful film that doesn’t glorify drug use, but doesn’t preach to you as heavily as others. Ledger and Cornish do a great job with the subject material, and Geoffery Rush is fabulously gay as their "drug-father" figure. It’s not a great film, but it does handle the subject with a little more tact than some of its predecessors. And now, a pic of Heath looking ridiculous.
Severance (UK, 2006)
dir. Christoper Smith
Looking for horror-satire? Look no further. The Shaun Of The Dead comparisons shouldn’t be taken too seriously, first off. It is quite funny, but not in the same straight-up fashion that Shaun managed to do. It’s only comparable in the way that it manages to cross genres incredibly well. I haven’t seen a film walk as fine a line between torture-horror and flat out slapstick in all my life. It was refreshingly dark, black comedy...the kind that you’re uncomfortable to laugh at because under any other circumstances, many scenes would be mortifying. It blind sides you with the funny bits when you’re at your most tense, then disarms you with the laughs, and I’m not sure the people I saw it with were as prepared as I was, though they did enjoy it for the most part. This is one of my favorites I’ve seen this year, and I urge you to seek it out whenever Magnolia gets around to releasing it next year.
Rescue Dawn (US, 2006)
dir. Werner Herzog
Werner Herzog’s narrative telling of a documentary he made in 1998, Little Dieter Needs To Fly, is the true story of a Navy pilot who crashed and was taken prisoner in Laos right before Vietnam. His story is harrowing, inspiring and haunting. While I have yet to see the documentary, the narrative version of the tale is fantastic if not a little bit flawed. Christian Bale turns in another incredible performance, as does creepy Jeremy Davies, but Steve Zahn damn near steals the show with his portrayal of the man who escaped with Dieter. Many are surprised that Zahn is so impressive in it, while I’ve been singing his praises since I saw him in Safe Men. I knew the boy could act. As a side note, his solo commentary track on the Joyride DVD is fucking hilarious. Rescue Dawn is a surprisingly funny film, and quite memorable, and it should do quite well when it gets released in January. Seek it out.
The Host (KOR, 2006)
dir. Joon-ho Bong
Look for a full review of this sometime in the future. In the meantime, know that I fucking loved it. It’s the perfect combination of Little Miss Sunshine and monster flick, mixed with a Romero movie.
-M
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