Am I Imagining Doctor Parnassus?

Confusing, confusing, confusing.

I remember where I was when I found out about Heath Ledger's passing. I was sitting at my desk working and found out from my colleague who works in film here in Vancouver. I found out before people.com even. I know....impressive. You can't review this film without talking about the loss of Heath Ledger. You cannot deny that he was an absolutely fearless actor, intent on taking risks and reveling in challenging roles. OK. I have done my duty...Heath - what the hell were you thinking when you took on this role? Who knows....

You know, I appreciate that I may not be the deepest person in the ocean of intelligence but I really, really, really don't understand Terry Gilliam. I can't argue that he is a talented director/ film maker but I have seen many of his films, and honestly I really can't remember one that I understood without significant assistance from others. This movie was no exception. It was strange, weird and funny. Gilliam who wrote it as well, created some very bizarre story lines and characters. Here's what I think...it's a story about a man that joins a traveling group who's Dr. Parnassus is able to send people through a special time/space/travel thingy (yes, people that's the technical word for it). Now sometimes people go through this time/space/travel thingy on purpose to for a positive outcome but sometimes people went through by accident and ended up in a little hot H2O.

One thing you can't deny with this film is that the calliber of actors who are a part of this complex story is very high. Heath, Lily Cole, Christopher Plummer to name a few of the original actors and then of course Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell jumped in once Heath had passed away to help Gilliam complete this crazy two hour film. The writing was witty, even though I didn't always understand it. The colors and cinematopghy were excellent and I enjoyed the musical aspect of it all.

My mother always reminds me not to give away any of the story lines when I do my reviews...well Ma - you don't have to worry about this one. I can't give it away even if I tried! I can't explain it regardless.

Let's sum this up...I saw this movie. It amused but confused me. I can't explain it but I did enjoy the two hours that I spent being in the theatre. Don't ask me why, but I did.

Twilight, needs a new moon and add in some sun

So, really? Another movie about vampires, werewolves and teenagers.

Yeah.

When the first installment of this movie franchise came to theatres, I took my teenage son and it was fine. Fine enough to at least give me some inkling of wanting to go see their number two, just to see how the story turned out of course...strictly professional interest here.

Now before I continue, I have to say first and foremost, I love the fact that they film these movies in the Vancouver area. Yay for YVR and Yay for BC film in general. That being said, it would be great if they would film movies here with decent story lines, character development and good script. This of course does not apply to our Twilight Installment Numero Deux.

How do I write this....hmmm.... I have to be nice, my son reads my blog...this film was very, very - what's the word...not good. The acting was dull. The story was ridiculous - well not like the first one was any better - and the teenage drama was childish. It's the story of this girl Bella, who falls in love with Edward who happens to be a vegetarian vampire. The ever cool Edward ends up moving away from Bella - to keep her safe, of course - and so Bella's friend Jacob is there to help her pick up the pieces and mend her broken heart. Jacob, however wants some of this Bella action himself and falls for her too. Much to everyone's surprise his special ability is that he can turn into a werewolf. I must ask...was anyone surprised given extraordinary amount of promotion that went into this movie. I don't think so...but I digress....now poor, poor Bella must choose. It's poetic. Yeah...whom do you go for the vampire or the werewolf?

Now here is the big question....why doesn't Bella not have any human boys that are interested in her? I don't understand why anyone would put themselves in such danger all the time as this girl. Seriously, this is a ridiculous character, whiny and unreasonable and quite frankly a little stupid.

On a different not, the acting was another aspect of this film that didn't impress me. I was happy to see that my Anna Kendrick whom I loved in Up in the Air had a small role here, so hopefully that won't tarnish her 'up and coming' reputation. There is way too much being written about these characters and the actors who play them. I am not impressed with Kirsten Stewart or Robert Pattinson (who will always be Cedric Diggory to me - ha!) Taylor Lautner...really, my big question for him would be `why did you and Taylor Swift break up...my daughter was soooooooo sad.'

I always thought that if you had a good book, you can pretty much make anything into a decent movie...I have been proven wrong. Arrgh. Now we have two more movies that are being made in the Vancouver area and thousands of teenage girls are thrilled about it. Me....not so much.

A Single Man singled out by Mr. Firth

As I have been ticking these nominated films off my list, so that I am ready for Academy Awards season 2010, I've been interested in seeing this film. Colin Firth has been a pretty dependable actor over the years, you know sweet, sensitive and cute...here he takes a walk on the emotional, dark and troubled side of being a gay professor in California in the 1960's. A bit of a departure for him, don't you think?
Firth plays a college professor riddled with the sudden loss of his long time partner. As George, his grief is so raw, that there were times in the theatre where it was hard to watch him. It felt like you were intruding on his own personal, private time. His performance is believable, tender and yet incredibly powerful. He captivated me completely and held my interest throughout the entire film. He was strongly supported by the rest of the cast.To name just a few, our Julianne Moore was fantastic too. As beautiful as ever, she plays George's old friend Charley, em passioned, dynamic and sad. George's partner, Jim is played by the charming and handsome Matthew Goode. They have a wonderful sweetness together, I really enjoyed watching both of them on screen.
The film shows how George goes about his day to day life once hearing the news that Jim had died. He struggles to make himself continue acting normal and carry on about his life, even though it's quite clear that for him there is nothing normal about a life without Jim. His interactions with his students, other staff, Charley or the frustrating family who live next door are all essentially distractions from the inevitable truth that he is now alone.
This film is wonderfully directed by Tom Ford, fashion designer extraordinaire. He took control over the story and lets the audience in only a piece at a time. His screenplay is understated and touching yet witty and smooth. I thought that he captured life in the 60s for a gay professional very well.
The reason that I was interested in seeing the film was for the performances. The reason I am recommending this film is for the performances. I think that this was the best performance by a male actor for 2009. Unfortunately, I don't think that Firth will take home the Oscar next month, but if I was voting...and really people shouldn't I be...he would.

The Fine Young Victoria

This past weekend, Nat and I took our girls and her mother in law to see this movie. I wanted to see it as I heard that Emily Blunt was wonderful in this role and I wanted to see her in something a little meatier than Sunshine Cleaning. Nat and I chatted about it and decided that we would bring our 9 year olds to the movie to show them how "princesses/queens" looked like in "real life" which is really nothing like Barbie at all. I also wanted them to have some understanding of the incredible tasks that Victoria and her husband Albert were able to do for England.
Sometimes I find period pieces a bit daunting. Sometimes they are filled with over drama. Sometimes you get lost in a story so filled with history that you can't remember why you went to see the film in the first place. I found The Young Victoria, to be a reasonable and realistic tale of the first few years when Victoria came into power in Britain. It shows her being pulled and manipulated like a pawn by everyone, family, politician and foe alike. Since she was so young, her mother, the Duchess wanted her to sign a regency act, which would allow the Duchess to govern England for her until she was old enough. I have to say that with Miranda Richardson as Victoria's mother...well, how do I put it...this woman scared me. She was powerful and arrogant. She was tough as nails and yet you could sense the vulnerability of the character.
Victoria was played tenderly by Emily Blunt. She captured the essence of this young queen beautifully. She was lovely, sweet and naive. Charming but thoughtful and very bright. She wanted to think for herself and answer to no one but her country. I really enjoyed watching her on screen. Her husband, Prince Albert from Germany, was played by Rupert Friend...was enchanting. Watching the two of them on screen, when they were beginning their love affair was thrilling and they had fantastic chemistry. I loved watching them. It was hard to pull my eyes away.
Additional supporting cast includes Paul Bettany as Lord Melbourne - the current politician at the time who also vies for Victoria's support and Jim Broadbent, who played King William, Victoria's uncle. These additions were fantastic. The actors were charming and like able...even when you knew they shouldn't be.
The Young Victoria, shows how a young mind or rather two young minds in England were able to do great, great things. Welfare, education and housing for the poor are issues that Victoria and Albert fought for. That is all fine and dandy and yay for England... but really. This film is just as much a love story. It's about Victoria, of course, but it also shows such a loving tender side of both of them. It shows what happened when these two people fell in love and what they were able to achieve to better a nation.

Nine...or was it ten...nope maybe it was three

Hmmm, "Nine"...the musical starring such big names as Daniel Day Lewis, Penelope Cruz, Nicole Kidman, Marion Cotillard, Judi Dench, Kate Hudson, Sophia Loren and Fergie. What did I expect from the director of the much loved "Chicago"....more. I expected more.
Oy, Guido! You have some serious issues with women. Every woman that you come into contact with. haunts you - Your dead mother returning in your daydreams, the prostitute that you found when you were a little boy, your lusty mistress ready whenever you are, your delicate muse anticipating your new film endeavour, your trusty costume designer assistant dishing out advice, the American fashion writer desperate to become another notch on your bedpost and the wife desperate for attention from her philandering husband.
This movie disappointed me. It was too long. It was very, very choppy. For me it was basically like this...scene one: Guido can't find inspiration to create a new script, a woman arrives, she sings, there's a little dancing and cut to the next scene. Scene two, Guido can't find inspiration to create a new script, a woman arrives, she sings, there's a little dancing and cut to the next scene. Over two hours of this! You know when you have a film filled with actors who can sing, act, dance and are so electrically charged on the big screen it almost seems a disservice when you don't use them to the best of their abilities. This film lost my interest in the first quarter and never got it back.
There were small parts of the movie that I did enjoy. For instance Penelope Cruz and Marion Cotillard were absolutely my favourite ladies. Emotionally driven and filled with love, pride and intensity - both women grabbed my attention as soon as they were on screen and never let go. The music of the film was good. There were lots of songs, but only a couple that really resonated with me. Fergie's "Be Italian" was excellent. I would have loved to have seen more of her, but the role was small. Thank heavens her musical number was fantastic. I loved the song. Kate Hudson had a fun filled, high energy number that she did which was also quite good. But I don't want to mistake a fun dance number with a decent song. Sophia Loren, eh. Judi Dench - good as always but never stole the show.
Daniel Day Lewis. Daniel Day Lewis. I expected more from such a picky and established actor. Surprisingly, he sang better than I had anticipated but he was always so moody and egocentric, it was hard to watch him make all these poor choices. He acted like such a spoiled child with all the adults around to pick up his dirty socks...that's really how I felt. This was not the movie that I thought he would pick. He really didn't turn it on for me here. It was a sad situation that he had created for himself...quite self destructive. Maybe if it hadn't been filmed like MTV in 60's Italy, I would have found it more interesting. I needed more story in the storyline, not just song fillers.

Mr. Fox was Fantastic

Finally!
An animated film that kept me captivated and interested. This was a different type of animated film. My daughter was a little worried when I told her that we were going to see this movie. I don't know what concerned her but the lack of princesses, singing frogs or dancing cows intrigued me to go and see this movie. Now that being said, I do understand that Mr. George Clooney voices the title character of Mr. Fox...and still I saw this film...and dare I say it - gasp - I enjoyed it.
This movie which is based on a children's book is absolutely wonderful. Smart and witty, the script is great. Wes Anderson, the director of such wacky films as The Royal Tenenbaums and the Life Aquatic of Steve Zissou, does a great job of bringing this film a strange and yet youthful quality. It was such fun to watch and the character actors that gave their voices to this film are brilliant.
Meryl, Meryl, Meryl...can this woman do no wrong? She plays Mrs. Fox and her sweetness and likability compliments Clooney's charming and cheeky character. There are so many brilliant actors in this film...Bill Murray, Michael Gambon (Harry Potter's Dumbledore), Owen Wilson and Jason Schwartzman just to name a few. Their energy comes through their voices and the audience feels it and it's infectious.
The story is simple enough...Mr. Fox is a thief and promises the Mrs. that he will never steal again...of course when they move they end up close to three farms...this proves too much for Mr. Fox who enlists the help of his friends to hit all three farms. Once the farmers are on his trail they stop at nothing to put an end to all this thieving. Simple but not basic. Fun and very entertaining.
It really was a pleasure to sit in the theatre and watch this film. It's not for very young children as the humour would be too advanced for them. My daughter ended up loving it and my 14yr son, enjoyed it very much as well. I looked at it as an animated film for adults without all the X rated crap that South Park puts out.
This was an original concept in animation. It was an innovative film and renewed my faith in animated films. Thank heavens...this woman can't live on Disney alone.

The Frogger Princess

I took my daughter to go see the new Disney film, The Princess and the Frog a few weeks ago. I don't really know where to start with this movie. My daughter loved it. I have to say in all honesty. She really did...well - she is 9. I however am older than 9 and paid to see this film and again, another animated film fell flat to me.
I have to give kudos though to Disney for creating a story with the first African-American Princess. I know that this was a long time coming and good for them for taking the plunge.
This was a strange movie for me. It was filled with black magic, food from the Bayou and music trying to be similar to the Beauty and the Beast. They tried...they really did. I just didn't connect with this film. I found that the lead character was sweet enough and she had side kicks that were supposed to be hilarious...but it wasn't enough to keep me interested. The music was OK, nothing special and certainly no songs that made want to jump up and add to my ipod. You know the typical story...if you've heard it once you've heard it a thousand times...prince turns into frog, girl finds frog, girl kisses frog, girl becomes frog, both frogs head out to find cure and encounter many woodland creatures while singing...it is a Disney film for heaven's sake! The voices were fine, the animation was fine...nothing was spectacular.
Maybe I am just expecting too much for an animated film. Who knows...I used to enjoy animated films when I took my kids to see them and now, not so much. I really expected to love this film and be touched by it...but I wasn't. Maybe it's because I'm not black. Maybe it's because I'm not southern - though I was born in South Carolina. Maybe it's because the music wasn't phenomenal. Maybe it's because parts were quite scary with witch doctors and I couldn't relate to it. I don't know what it was, but this film didn't do it for me.
Maybe it's time for Disney to make a Jewish Princess from Montreal in one of their films. I'm pretty sure that I'd relate to that.

Is It Complicated? Or Just Hilarious...

Nat and I ended up in "It's Complicated" last week, the new comedy for mature adults. This is yet another vehicle for the ultra incredible Meryl Streep to show off how fantastic an actress she really is...and she really, really is. Now, Meryl was in some great company with this film. Steve Martin, playing a subdued, vulnerable architect, love interest and Alec Baldwin, playing her emotionally challenged and egocentric ex husband.
First, I have to acknowledge that the script written by Nancy Meyers is fantastic. Not overly fluffy or sentimental, but realistic, charming and so, so funny. It was like being a fly on the wall of their home/hotel room/bathroom whatever and watching this craziness take place. While I understand that it's a challenge to find decent stories for actors/actresses who are over 50 years old in Hollywood - this was such a wonderful surprise and exception to that. There are scenes in the film that I still replay in my mind which makes me laugh out loud and I saw the film over a week ago.
The actors who play the three adult children in the film are also great. Meyers created good supporting roles in a really great comedy. The one addition that I must mention that stands out is John Krasinski, who plays the older daughter's fiance - he steals the show sometimes and standing out next to Meryl, Steve and Alec is quite a feat.
The story is about Jane (Meryl), who's been divorced for 10years from her cheating ex husband Jake (Alec). She has just become an empty nester, with her last daughter leaving the house, her son graduating from college and is now ready financially and emotionally to do some much needed renovations on her home...in steps Adam (Steve). When Jake's second wife can't make it to the graduation, Jake and Jane end up in a "complicated" situation which then throws the poor woman into a bit of a tizzy. What does she do? How does she handle it? It's not only complicated...it's incredibly hilarious.
I really enjoyed this film. I enjoyed it so much that I saw it a second time with my husband....and I have to say...it was still hilarious the second time around. The chemistry between the leads is electric and they play off each other in a very relaxed manner, as if they have been doing this together for years and years. This is one of my favorite comedies this year. Not blatant and in your face as The Hangover, but it challenged me to think of how funny regular life with normal people can be without crazy, over the top situations like The Hangover. Life is complicated, overwhelming, unfair, sweet and different for everyone. Sometimes all you need is a decent chocolate croissant when you are stoned and then it really becomes hilarious.