Restrepo (2010)
Directed by Sebastian Junger & Tim Hetherington
This is the kind of movie that should be shown on TV, on all of the major stations-- ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX. They showed Schindler's List unedited on TV at one point, why not this? This is perhaps the most powerful documentary on men at war that I have ever seen. It takes the veil of secrecy off of what transpires in Afghanistan and shoves it right into our faces. The camera never stops rolling as the viewer is taken through multiple firefights, while at the same time capturing the tedium and boredom of holding a position.
What was particularly powerful about this movie was not the war footage (which was shocking) but really, it was the way in which the two directors were able to capture the way in which men behave together. It showed them as they discuss life, communicate, and have an impromptu dance party. While that might strike someone as being relatively insignificant, it shows the audience what these soldiers are- they are kids. They are all 18-25 year olds. They should be at home with their friends trying to figure things out and yet they are bravely serving our country to fight a war that they may not agree with.
I cannot sing this movie's praises highly enough. While simple in concept, it packs a wallop. Go see it as soon as you can.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Monday, July 5, 2010
The Best Movie of the Year?
Winter's Bone (2010)
Directed by: Debra Granik
Written by: Debra Granik & Anne Rosellini
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence & John Hawkes
I hate to declare this already, but I may have seen the best movie of 2010. It is wonderfully acted, directed, and scripted. It is one of the first movies in a long time that has managed to be both thrilling and at the same take up the call of "social realism." Winter's Bone is truly one of the best American movies I have seen in a very long time. It is as close to the Italian Neo-Realist movement as any movie I have seen that has come from the United States.
Winter's Bone tells the story of Rhee Dolly, a 17 year old who is caring for her younger brother and sister. Her mother is catatonic and spends most of her days sitting on an Eazy-Boy in their house in rural Missouri. Rhee's father has been arrested for cooking crystal meth and in order to post bond, he put the house up as bond. If her father does not come to court, they will be evicted. So, Rhee sets out to find her father and save her house and family. What ensues can only be described as an odyssey through the bizarre and not often seen world of middle America.
I cannot sing this movie's praises enough. It is well shot, well-edited, and well-directed. And from what I can tell, it looks as if Jennifer Lawrence may be the first serious actress of her generation. Whether or not she continues on that path, remains to be seen. This is a movie that I hope is seen by as many people as possible.
Directed by: Debra Granik
Written by: Debra Granik & Anne Rosellini
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence & John Hawkes
I hate to declare this already, but I may have seen the best movie of 2010. It is wonderfully acted, directed, and scripted. It is one of the first movies in a long time that has managed to be both thrilling and at the same take up the call of "social realism." Winter's Bone is truly one of the best American movies I have seen in a very long time. It is as close to the Italian Neo-Realist movement as any movie I have seen that has come from the United States.
Winter's Bone tells the story of Rhee Dolly, a 17 year old who is caring for her younger brother and sister. Her mother is catatonic and spends most of her days sitting on an Eazy-Boy in their house in rural Missouri. Rhee's father has been arrested for cooking crystal meth and in order to post bond, he put the house up as bond. If her father does not come to court, they will be evicted. So, Rhee sets out to find her father and save her house and family. What ensues can only be described as an odyssey through the bizarre and not often seen world of middle America.
I cannot sing this movie's praises enough. It is well shot, well-edited, and well-directed. And from what I can tell, it looks as if Jennifer Lawrence may be the first serious actress of her generation. Whether or not she continues on that path, remains to be seen. This is a movie that I hope is seen by as many people as possible.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
An Update
I have not seen a movie I would recommend to anyone since Kapo. Hopefully a movie worth mentioning will be released sometime in the future in the movie theaters. Otherwise, I'll stick with my Netflix queue.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Nothing
There has been absolutely nothing worth writing about for a long time. The movies that are in the theater are crap. The movies I have been watching on video have been very little more than recycled crap. Sometimes the dearth of worthwhile movies is so discouraging that it hurts.
On the brighter side, I did re-watch "Dead Snow" a few days ago. It's blissfully stupid, self-aware, and violent as can be. At least it allowed me to turn my mind off for a while. That was something of note.
I hope that my having written this short entry with little more than dripping cynicism will not detract from the previous entry about one of the best movies I have seen in a very long time.
On the brighter side, I did re-watch "Dead Snow" a few days ago. It's blissfully stupid, self-aware, and violent as can be. At least it allowed me to turn my mind off for a while. That was something of note.
I hope that my having written this short entry with little more than dripping cynicism will not detract from the previous entry about one of the best movies I have seen in a very long time.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Horror
Kapo
Directed by Gillo Pontecorvo
Starring: Susan Strasberg
This is perhaps the most effective and affecting holocaust movie ever made. The argument about whether or not movies about the holocaust qualify as nothing more than objectifying and glamorizing one of the most horrifying episodes in human history is not one that I'd like to make in this piece, rather, I'd like to remark on how well made the movie is.
The movie tells the story of Edith, a French Jew who is taken to a concentration camp and forced to watch as the rest of her family is sent to die. She is a weak and very young girl, no more than thirteen or fourteen. She cannot manage the rigors of the camp, but through good fortune is able to change her identify. She goes from being a Jew, destined for the gas chamber, to a common criminal who has the possibility of becoming a Kapo. After she becomes one, she begins a relationship with one of the guards and becomes a terror to her fellow inmates. However, once Russian POW's arrive, the situation changes and we watch as Edith is given the possibility to redeem herself for her sins.
The character of Edith is beautifully played by Susan Strasberg. She manages to take us from innocence to a hardened member of the camp and back again. She shows tenderness and anger, it is truly a masterful performance.
The movie is wonderful, horrifying, and by far one of if not the best movie about the subject I have ever seen. It manages to disturb as much as Schindler's List does, without showing any blood on screen. It is a movie that should be seen by all and hopefully will become increasingly available in the future.
Directed by Gillo Pontecorvo
Starring: Susan Strasberg
This is perhaps the most effective and affecting holocaust movie ever made. The argument about whether or not movies about the holocaust qualify as nothing more than objectifying and glamorizing one of the most horrifying episodes in human history is not one that I'd like to make in this piece, rather, I'd like to remark on how well made the movie is.
The movie tells the story of Edith, a French Jew who is taken to a concentration camp and forced to watch as the rest of her family is sent to die. She is a weak and very young girl, no more than thirteen or fourteen. She cannot manage the rigors of the camp, but through good fortune is able to change her identify. She goes from being a Jew, destined for the gas chamber, to a common criminal who has the possibility of becoming a Kapo. After she becomes one, she begins a relationship with one of the guards and becomes a terror to her fellow inmates. However, once Russian POW's arrive, the situation changes and we watch as Edith is given the possibility to redeem herself for her sins.
The character of Edith is beautifully played by Susan Strasberg. She manages to take us from innocence to a hardened member of the camp and back again. She shows tenderness and anger, it is truly a masterful performance.
The movie is wonderful, horrifying, and by far one of if not the best movie about the subject I have ever seen. It manages to disturb as much as Schindler's List does, without showing any blood on screen. It is a movie that should be seen by all and hopefully will become increasingly available in the future.
Monday, May 10, 2010
The Art World's Borat?
Exit Through the Gift Shop (2010)
Directed by: Banksy
Starring: Banksy, Shephard Fairey, Space Invader, & Thierry Guetta
I have absolutely no idea what to make of this movie. It is billed as some kind of mix of comedy and documentary, but a lot of made me think of Sacha Baron Cohen's movies like Borat and Bruno. Is this movie a fake? Is Mr. Brainwash a creation of Banksy so as to make some kind of a statement? I have absolutely no idea.
The movie tells the tale of Thierry Guetta, a French immigrant to LA who ostensibly stumbles into being the official videographer of the street artist movement. He ends up following around people like Space Invader, Banksy, and Shephard Fairey as he attempts to document their work. From here, the movie is the tale of what happens after Guetta gets his first taste of stardom. Guetta eventually becomes a pseudo artist, a man that does not create any of his own work and does insipid riffs on works by other artists.
I am torn on the veracity of this movie. While the story seems almost too bizarre not to be true, there were some very clear stabs at some notable artists and art patrons- and those make me believe the movie might be some kind of a hoax. The clearest stab of all is the discussion of Damien Hirst- where it is pointed out that he makes millions upon millions of dollars for his work and does not actually create any of it, he has a cadre of 100 people working on his ideas. A similar style is seen by Guetta (later calling himself Mr. Brainwash-- which would be such an apt name for satire it's almost astounding). The movie then pokes fun at Madonna and other such people who have since paid Mr. Brainwash for his derivative art. If this movie is not a hoax, then it's a movie designed specifically to destroy Mr. Brainwash's career. Either way- it's a well-made, interesting, and insightful look at the world of street art.
Did I like the movie? Yes. Do I think it's a hoax? I hope so.
Directed by: Banksy
Starring: Banksy, Shephard Fairey, Space Invader, & Thierry Guetta
I have absolutely no idea what to make of this movie. It is billed as some kind of mix of comedy and documentary, but a lot of made me think of Sacha Baron Cohen's movies like Borat and Bruno. Is this movie a fake? Is Mr. Brainwash a creation of Banksy so as to make some kind of a statement? I have absolutely no idea.
The movie tells the tale of Thierry Guetta, a French immigrant to LA who ostensibly stumbles into being the official videographer of the street artist movement. He ends up following around people like Space Invader, Banksy, and Shephard Fairey as he attempts to document their work. From here, the movie is the tale of what happens after Guetta gets his first taste of stardom. Guetta eventually becomes a pseudo artist, a man that does not create any of his own work and does insipid riffs on works by other artists.
I am torn on the veracity of this movie. While the story seems almost too bizarre not to be true, there were some very clear stabs at some notable artists and art patrons- and those make me believe the movie might be some kind of a hoax. The clearest stab of all is the discussion of Damien Hirst- where it is pointed out that he makes millions upon millions of dollars for his work and does not actually create any of it, he has a cadre of 100 people working on his ideas. A similar style is seen by Guetta (later calling himself Mr. Brainwash-- which would be such an apt name for satire it's almost astounding). The movie then pokes fun at Madonna and other such people who have since paid Mr. Brainwash for his derivative art. If this movie is not a hoax, then it's a movie designed specifically to destroy Mr. Brainwash's career. Either way- it's a well-made, interesting, and insightful look at the world of street art.
Did I like the movie? Yes. Do I think it's a hoax? I hope so.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
How Odd
Kick-Ass (2010)
Director: Matthew Vaughn
Starring: Nicholas Cage, Aaron Johnson, Christopher Mintz-Plasse
I have to admire Matthew Vaughn in his desire and ability to do a number of different genres in an effective manner. This is rare in movies altogether, even rarer in modern Hollywood. In his career he has managed to do three movies that are starkly different in subject matter and tone: Layer Cake (2004), a gangster movie about British thugs, Stardust (2007) a fantasy film featuring Robert DeNiro in a dress, and now this comic-book gore-fest. Each have their own tone and style and this one is just as effectively put together as anything else he has ever made. The problem in writing this review of it is, I cannot exactly explain why the movie melds so well together.
At its core, Kick-Ass is nothing more than a comic book movie. It's about one person who decides to try to be a super hero and what he is able to do by simply standing up to evil. He encounters real super-hero types in the process and then graphic violence ensues. The movie is unabashedly gore-filled, crude, rude, and in your face. But somehow, the movie remains an almost child-like innocence. I have no idea how it does this. The movie is sort of sweet and has a sweet message, stand up against evil, get out of your skin, and be confident in yourself.
Oh yeah, it also has an eleven year old doing horrifically violent acts for a good hour of the movie. While this has offended some people, I don't really care what she does or says, because most of what she does in those instances is for shock-value.
Kick-Ass is a pretty good movie and an enjoyable movie-going experience overall. It's one of the few movies I've seen in the theater lately that has not made me want to gouge my eyes out from boredom. I wouldn't say it's something that is incredibly important to see in the theater, but it's definitely something worth watching.
Director: Matthew Vaughn
Starring: Nicholas Cage, Aaron Johnson, Christopher Mintz-Plasse
I have to admire Matthew Vaughn in his desire and ability to do a number of different genres in an effective manner. This is rare in movies altogether, even rarer in modern Hollywood. In his career he has managed to do three movies that are starkly different in subject matter and tone: Layer Cake (2004), a gangster movie about British thugs, Stardust (2007) a fantasy film featuring Robert DeNiro in a dress, and now this comic-book gore-fest. Each have their own tone and style and this one is just as effectively put together as anything else he has ever made. The problem in writing this review of it is, I cannot exactly explain why the movie melds so well together.
At its core, Kick-Ass is nothing more than a comic book movie. It's about one person who decides to try to be a super hero and what he is able to do by simply standing up to evil. He encounters real super-hero types in the process and then graphic violence ensues. The movie is unabashedly gore-filled, crude, rude, and in your face. But somehow, the movie remains an almost child-like innocence. I have no idea how it does this. The movie is sort of sweet and has a sweet message, stand up against evil, get out of your skin, and be confident in yourself.
Oh yeah, it also has an eleven year old doing horrifically violent acts for a good hour of the movie. While this has offended some people, I don't really care what she does or says, because most of what she does in those instances is for shock-value.
Kick-Ass is a pretty good movie and an enjoyable movie-going experience overall. It's one of the few movies I've seen in the theater lately that has not made me want to gouge my eyes out from boredom. I wouldn't say it's something that is incredibly important to see in the theater, but it's definitely something worth watching.
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