FilmGeekChronicles

Are You There God? Remember me? It's Ryan....Just Checking In, Thanks.

2009-05-17T18:17:00.001-07:00

Life is like that...you get caught up living it and you tend to forget to step back and reflect on where it's taking you....

So, like most folks in this country, or many people, i'm unemployed...I can work as a substitute teacher, but given how inconsistent and unpredictable it can be getting sub work (answered a call to sub, got to the school, then was told an hour later i would not be needed because the person who called off DECIDED she wasn't that sick and came in....said teacher is LEGENDARY for dong this...it is what it is).

yes, I am sending my resumes--ALL OF THEM--out everywhere I can...temping when jobs appear, etc.

so, i'm doing all the work necessary to ensure that i find a job SOON....

but, it still doesn't change the fact that i'm at a very REAL crossroads at my life...for the first time, in 33 years (soon to be 34), i don't have the answers.

I have no answers...I don't know where I want to go next...and you know what, I'm good with that.

For the first time, in a long time, i'm learning how to chart my own path in life. I've always taken the "safe" way to get what I want...and that's fine.

but, i'm not feeling challenged or pushed....so, i'm going to figure out what breathes life into me..what makes me creative.

I know it's writing and always has been...but I admit i've been terribly afraid to make that leap and really get what i produce out there. no one wants to be rejected or be harshly criticized. YET...we learn from negative feedback and make our work stronger...

I know I've always wanted to write for film and television, but I admit I've been hella conservative in getting there. I also know that I have not been READY to make that leap...

I am now and I'm making, no i'm TAKING those steps to get me to that point...

I've been writing scripts and teleplays these days..yea, they aren't GREAT but im putting my words down on paper and learning how to CRAFT what i write into something that IS a stepping stone to getting that foothold TO what i want to accomplish (writing and producing screenplays; creating tv shows that a) people want to watch and b)are GOOD...

it's a lot...i know it's hard to "break in" but i'm going to do my damndest to get there.

at the moment, i'm working on a spec, not only for that portfolio of work writers need to get noticed in Hollywood, but will serve as a hopeful sample that will aid me in applying for the Disney Writing Fellowship...ill talk more on that later...

and yes, moving to LA is in the cards...im hoping i can do it at the end of this year, but to be realistic, winter/early spring 2010 is the time period...

I don't know...I guess things are slowly starting to come to fruition for me.

I've never been THAT PERSON who's had a linear progression towards achieving what they want...My path in life has been bumpy, loaded with physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, etc. roadblocks, minefields, etc. that I've come to expect a windy road...

but, for the first time in a LONG ASS TIME, that's fine...it's more than fine that i'm getting closer to what I want out of life, etc.

so yea...i guess i'm just writing this to say that i'm present and thriving and not being deterred given my current circumstances...

i'm human...i have moments of anger, depression, sadness, etc. who doesnt. but, i know that those moments pass and i go right back to work, slowly getting closer to what I want...

and you know what...im going to get EXACTLY what I want also...end of story.

Welcome Back/The Oscars/Moving Forward

2009-02-23T10:10:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I haven't been here in ages. Life, work, writing and the pursuit of my individual happiness took precedence over the maintaining of this blog.

I have been watching a LOT of films though. But, since those films have past, and the chance to comment on them here have passed also, I will start a fresh and anew with the Oscars.

I do intend to watch all of the nominees for 2009 between now and June and comment on all of them. So many fantastic performances (Happy Kate Winslet won for Revolutionary Road/The Reader--why folk hated RR is beyond me--the book is devastating and powerful and Kate is luminous as April Wheeler. Sorry, but her performance in The Reader is BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS, not best. Get it right, kiddies!...but, Melissa Leo gave the strongest performance of this year in Frozen River (a must add to your netflix queue)) and so little time to watch when they were out.

Brief thoughts on the Oscars: still too long, but Hugh Jackman gets a LOT of props for hosting. Though, I feel like someone MUST hate him cause he got the shittiest bits for a host ever.

Dustin Lance Black: very moving and powerful speech...though I feel that MILK wasn't as strong as it COULD have been and did profit (as it should have) in the post-Prop 8 kaflama, but Black did give an emotionally valid and powerful speech, one that all LGBT youth and LGBT's in general can feel positive about--even if the movie basically whitewashed the presence of people of color from it.

I guess we'll still be waiting another ten years for an LGBT screenwriter of color to get up on the stage and give his OR her speech to the world about the movie he won an oscar for...no shade, just telling and speaking truth.

Sean Penn as Best Actor: I love sean--but, Mickey Rourke KILLED it in The Wrestler and should have won.

Best Supporting Actress: I guess black people should be thankful that the academy nominated TWO black women in the same category (shade of Oprah and Margaret Avery for The Color Purple 23 years ago, natch). I'm happy Penelope won, but that award had Viola's name written ALL OVER IT.

The rest of the show: Weaveonce was a hot mess as usual, why were the "young Hollywood" set in the show--they aren't spectacular nor will ANY of them even GET close to a nomination ever (Zac Efron, Robert Pattinson, Miley Cyrus and Vanessa Hudgens). ABC should really go about getting the young viewers another way.

Seth Rogen: will someone tell his UNFUNNY ass that his fifteen minutes of fame have been over--FOR TWO YEARS NOW. Pineapple Express wasn't even THAT good--just a very long and extended weed joke that went on for two hours TOO LONG.

Slumdog Millionaire: Let's be real...the film wasn't as good as all the praise it's getting. Give it a few weeks, and folk will start seeing the flaws that were rampant in that movie and just how contrived it really was. Dev Patel, Freida Pinto, and the rest of the cast (including the kiddies--LOVE THEM. Have Fox Searchlight done right by their families and given them some coin to live off of? Or, are they still playing that post-colonial, dimissive stance still?) were brilliant. And, Danny Boyle managed to have some moments of brilliance in an otherwise okay film with a very complex and powerful first hour, that collapsed into a very mediocre hour of contrivances and predictability...

And why are White people acting like Bollywood is that NEW ISH? Now it's trendy for folk to start doing the final dance number in the film? pssh....

Angelina Jolie: THAT's how you WORK a red carpet-dress and all. Please, tell these young hollywood starlets to watch Kate, Angelina, and Marissa Tomei this year on how to REALLY give status and presence at the Oscars.

Til next time...

Reasons To Watch TV: Lafayette Reynolds On HBO's True Blood

2008-10-01T16:29:00.000-07:00

Once again, the 2008-2009 network television season provides us with another year of bland procedurals, “quirky” character hybrid dramas that aren’t that well written—despite the pedigree of the executive producer on board (JJ Abrams—LOST is great, FRINGE-not so much), and the consistent old-timers and ratings “champs” who bring in steady ratings, but not much else in regard to originality, innovation, or quality (Heroes, anyone?).
Yet, there are networks that have been bucking the trend of mediocrity by giving viewers edgy, well-written, and thought provoking fare. HBO is a cable network that is doing this very thing in regard to their scripted comedies and dramas. The net reached out to an “old friend” to develop and run their newest breakout hit, True Blood. A mix of southern gothic drama, horror, suspense, mystery, romance, and comedy, the series is a character driven ensemble piece that chronicles the interactions the citizens are having with vampires in the small community of Bon Temps, Louisiana. Specifically, the series focuses on the relationship between telepathic waitress Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin) and centuries-old vampire Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer).
One of the unusual characters featured in this ensemble is Lafayette Reynolds, a short order cook at the town bar. He has wit for days and an equally colorful ensemble of fishnets, tight pants, and fabulous makeup. But, there is more to Lafayette than that. He’s quite intelligent and cunning. And, I am enjoying how Ball is peeling away his layers in every episode of the show. Critics haven’t warmed up to the character yet and have accused Ball of writing the black characters on True Blood as one- dimensional stereotypes. Yet, I question what it is they are seeing. Alan Ball has always been a master of creating flawed and original characters for his many film and television projects. Lafayette is a prime example of this. Lafayette more than fits in with the rest of the community and is not a stereotype at all. In every episode, you learn something new about him that makes you rethink and reconsider how you view him on True Blood. And, that’s great about Ball’s new show. The greatest characters are those that keep us wondering what they are going to do next: good or bad.
However, this isn’t enough. People demand that characters that look like us be noble and free of fault. Or, in the case of Black LGBT characters, expect them to be non-threatening or so extremely unrealistic that it was easier to stomach shows that allegedly catered to us but gave us the very stereotypes we abhorred being compared to. Of course, “mainstream” (read: White) gays aren’t that accepting of us either. For all of GLAAD’s and AfterElton.com’s cries for diversity in film and television, any and everything related to LGBT men and women of color was marginalized and relegated to the occasional “expose” every other year (After Elton), or yearly studies on the lack of LGBT characters of color on TV shows and films, yet no real critique or analysis on how to advocate for this needed diversity (GLAAD). Television isn’t perfect, and I don’t need it to be. I need my shows to be complex, ambiguous, messy, and fun. HBO has the corner of the market on this. And, True Blood, and Lafayette Reynolds is no exception.

Is TV the "New Film"/Fall Awards Season Approaches

2008-09-19T12:14:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone...absence DOES make the heart grow fonder...since I've been away from here since june.

I just wasn't impressed with th summer movie season: Save for The Dark Knight, the summer blockbluster season was underwhelming: Tropic Thunder was a series of satirical jokes that went on for way too long, Pineapple Express was yet another psuedo-innovative, yet ultimately vapid and disappointing take on the Aptow "bromance" character relationship vibe in all his films--either produced by him or directed by him. And, Seth Rogen is so NOT a leading man and it's really typical of Hollywood to treat him like one--would Hollywood be so loving if Seth was a fat, nappy haired Black guy named Sequan Rogen? or a Seanday Rogen? I mean, would they?

No shade against seth--people think he's funny; i just find him really irritating and so NOT funny. But, I still had to throw that out there...if only to provoke thought.

But, I'm back and with the onslaught of grad school apps (yea, im going back to school hopefully), screenplay and tv pilot writing (im going to make that happen also), i've been noticing that i'm seeing BETTER quality work on TV shows than on film..with shows like Alan Ball's True Blood (HBO), CBS's The Mentalist, etc. TV is really stepping up to become the go to place for talented actors and writers.

I mean, one of my NEW favorite shows, The CW's Privileged, has cast Anne Archer (arguably one of the MOST underrated and underutilized actresses to date in american film and television) as Laurel Limoge, the VERY fierce and VERY on point grandmother to two spoiled heiresses who need to get into Duke University in order to ensure they GET their inheritance...it seems paper thin, but the writing is very spot on (think Gilmore Girls since Privileged was creator by one of the former producers of Gilmore) and the character development has been great to watch week after week.....

But, is TV replacing film as THE medium to watch for quality acting and quality writing? With the end of The Shield, ER, and Mad Men close to capping ANOTHER brilliant season, with british and other foreign tv imports heading stateside (Little Britain is a must watch for me) and with some foreign tv shows getting airplay here int he states (nee Secret Diary Of A Call Girl--a well written guilty pleasure, did very well on Showtime after Weeds this summer),e tc.

Has TV finally overtaken film in regard to more progressive, well written, and thought provoking shows/films than film itself?

Secret Diary Of A Call Girl-TV

2008-06-06T20:15:00.000-07:00

Normally, I wouldn't post about a tv show here, since this blog is devoted to films. But, I had heard about this show through friends who'd seen it over in Britain last year or had seen it online.

After watching the entire series online, I was surprised to say that I'm hooked. And, I'm totally siked that Showtime is airing the entire first series starting 16 June 2008!!!!

Basic Premise: Based on the scandalous and steamy memoirs and blog of Belle De Jour, a notorious and famous British escort, Secret Diary Of A Call introduces us to Hannah Baxter, a brilliant, young, beautiful, and arrogant university grad who also moonlights as Belle, a high priced call girl in Britain.

British pop sensation Billie Piper (Rose from the revamped Dr. Who series and is in picture, opposite Iddo Goldberg-Ben in the series) is Hannah Baxter, Belle De Jour, and the series was quite popular on ITV2 in Britain. It was so popular that Series 3 (Season 3, for Americans) was greenlight for series BEFORE Series 2 started shooting last month. Talk about putting major hype behind a show!

But, I think it's worth it. It's not everyone's cup of tea (british humor isn't always picked up on by Americans and the graphic nudity and sex might be too much for many here), but its definitely worth a try.

Secret Diary Of A Call Girl Trailer (Click Link: courtesy of Youtube/Showtime/ITV2)

THE STRANGERS: A REVIEW

2008-05-31T22:55:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I came in with a VERY open mind and LOW expectations for the horror-thriller THE STRANGERS, a 10 million dollar home invasion film that has just NOW gotten released after being on the shelf for nearly a year and a half over at Rogue Pictures and Intrepid Pictures.

The basic plot line: A yuppie couple couple staying in an isolated vacation home are terrorized by three unknown assailants. (courtesy of imdb.com) The plot is paper thin, yes--It is a horror film. It would be ridiculous to assume something on the magnitude of STRAW DOGS (1971-a classic home invasion-like horror-thriller from the 1970's starring Dustin Hoffman and Susan George--points if anyone can tell me what controversial film she starred in which involved her having illicit relations with a black slave...:)).

But, so much could have been done. Honestly, more character development could have been added to at least make Kristen McKay (Liv Tyler) and James Hoyt (Scott Speedman) somewhat likeable, hell, at least realistic in how they individually and respectively would have acted. I couldn't stand either one of them, and I just prayed they'd die earlier and violently so I could justify the $6 matinee price and the 90 minutes I lost watching the movie.

But, the cast does what they can with what they are given, with Tyler especially managing to be resilient--even if her character is written as ridiculously weak and idiotic. Tyler managed to wring some sympathy and moments of strength as a woman who is trying to figure out how survive the night, knowing that that is becoming bleaker and bleaker by the hour...

The masked assailants (Gemma Ward, Kip Weeks, and Laura Margolis) were able to do so MUCH with little to no dialogue whatsoever. I credit all three of them with the ability to effectively convey murderous tension...without saying anything or little at all.

Scott Speedman: Eh, it was official back in his Felicity days that he's eye candy only, and not much else. His character was annoying and one note, and Speedman couldn't even achieve THAT level of banal mediocrity..of course, he'll be signing up for his next several million dollar plus role in his next project, so his acting skills really AREN'T going to be looked at much..but, his acting leaves a LOT to be desired....PERIOD.

The movie's biggest fault is with Bryan Bertino, the writer-director of this film. This is is first movie, and it shows. The first hour is filled with tension and the right amount of atmospheric aura needed for a film like this. He gets points for not showing violence on screen, and his sound man should SO get awards for utilizing the sound of the film (creaky floorboards, records skipping, etc.) for highest levels of fright and tension.

However, the writing was horrid and leaves a lot to be desired. Bertino could have done so MUCH more with 10 million dollars than the dreck he put out this weekend. Rogue Pictures and Intrepid Pictures should really slap the shit out of their development people who green lighted this picture.

Clearly, the audience knows this isn't going to be a true scare fest, because we're told at the beginning of the film that this is INSPIRED by true events....OK. Great...thanks for killing what little chance we as the audience had for suspension of belief which would have lead to a genuinely authentic horror-thriller experience...one that should have been given to us if the script was stronger....

Also, I won't even talk about the implausibility factor (Kristen is running around in the dark with NO SHOES ON? GIRL...the killers could have had bear traps all UP in the mix, and you're running everywhere, giving us Drew Barrymore with contralto theatrics before the credits in SCREAM?!?!?!?!?!?!..That's what you get for not having a flashlight and running right into a ditch and fucking your foot UP! I laughed when you fell, and I laughed when you slithered/crawled, booty all pooched up in the air giving us human snake like shenanigans...Those scenes were SO for the horned out straight boys in the audience)

Common sense would have been very KEY to making this film decent. I'm sure Bryan Bertino will do a better job on his next film...just about as sure as I am that John McCain is the BEST choice for President..NOT.

This is strictly a film you should see on HBO Demand..after being blown OUT on some good weed, two Large Supreme Pizza Hut pies, with buffalo chicken tenders, bread sticks and marinara sauce, which you wash down with $5 jug wine, cheap homemade gin and tonics, and old-school psychedelics...at least then you can pantomime what SHOULD have been a scary horror-thriller and get all "scared" when your cracked out friend with the lazy eye starts chasing everyone around the living room with a knife wearing a white latex rubber mask with his tongue caught on the mouth zipper because that amount of inspiration and "realness" would have been WAY better than what I saw earlier today.

If you want to see how home invasion horror-thrillers are done PROPERLY, get thee to Netflix and rent:

STRAW DOGS (1971)

Ils-Them (2006): A sublimely scary and enjoyable horror-thriller flick that is about home invasion but is WELL DONE with the violence and atmospheric tension. See it in French, because I am sure Fox Searchlight or some "indie" arm of one of the major studios will remake this and place the hot It Boy and It Girl of the moment in the main roles..or something awfully hideous to that regard.

Expect the obligatory Sex And The City movie review (you know damn well I'm going to comment on Jennifer "I can't act my way out of a paper bag and got my Oscar for giving histronics worse than Kathleen Battle before she was fired from the Metropolitan Opera in the 1990s and still got upstaged by Beyonce's weave and ass" Hudson's part as Carrie's assistant, i.e. the fill in black girl role), coming up this week...

as well as reviews of:

The Visitor (before it ends it run here)
Kung Fu Panda (WHAT? I loves the cliched, wire fu animated movies!)
The Happening (cause I love Zooey Deschanel--question, can anyone verify that she's the voice we hear in THE STRANGERS? It's not Gemma Ward at all...I'll have to check on that one)
engaging and worthwhile indie films....

GRADE:
Atmosphere and Tension: B+
Writing: C-/NE
Acting: B (for Liv Tyler and the killers)/NE for Scott Speedman
Overall Final Grade: C+

Josh Brolin as W (Coming October 2008)

2008-05-21T22:42:00.000-07:00

Here is a pic of Josh Brolin as George Dubya Bush, Oliver Stone's upcoming biopic on the nation's most controversial (and problematic) president to have ever lived...

I'm curious to see what Stone does with this. Let's face it--when he's on, Stone is ON: Platoon, Wall Street, Natural Born Killers. But, when he's off---he puts out ALEXANDER. Even with the added "gay" content in the director's dvd cut, the film still sucked of rusted, fermented, and centuries old, hairy baboon balls....

And, Stone is a hardcore liberal..so, expecting a balanced and objective portrait of Dubya isn't going to work. But, the cast he assembled for this is no short of amazing, and I am expecting to see some powerful, and Oscar winnning performances coming the Academy Awards in 2009.

W will be in theatres 17 October 2008 (!!!!!). It's shooting now in Shrevport, Louisiana (!!!!!)

At this moment, no word has come on the casting of the pivotal Bush Administration Cabinet Member Dick "I 'Accidentally' Shoot People With Birdshot Pellets and Aid in the Outing of Intel-Giving, Top Notch Covert CIA Agents named Valerie Plame Because I Hate Her Husband Named Joseph C. Wilson IV" Cheney...

Then Again, would YOU want to play the most reviled man in U.S. History...next to Dubya? Talk Amongst Yourselves...

Cast

Josh Brolin	...	George W. Bush
Elizabeth Banks	...	Laura Bush
Ioan Gruffudd	...	Tony Blair
Thandie Newton	...	Condoleezza Rice
Rob Corddry	...	Ari Fleischer
Scott Glenn	...	Donald Rumsfeld
Ellen Burstyn	...	Barbara Bush
James Cromwell	...	George Herbert Walker Bush
Jeffrey Wright	...	General Colin Powell
Noah Wyle	...	Don Evans (rumored)
Toby Jones	...	Karl Rove
Michael Gaston	...	General Tommy Franks
Paul Rae	...	Kent Hance
James Martin Kelly	...	NSC Official
Wes Chatham	...	Jimmy Benedict
Jennifer Sipes	...	Susie Evans

I'm Back...

2008-05-21T22:37:00.001-07:00

Sorry for the long absence...

To be honest, I haven't been jazzed about films lately...there's nothing playing now that makes me want to dish out several dollars to see it...

So, i'll still be posting here but, it will be for films that interest me or I've been curious about...

But, do expect reviews of these films for May and June 2008:

Prince Caspian (May 2008)
Iron Man (May 2008)
Savage Grace ( May 2008)
The Strangers (May 2008)
The Happening (June 2008)

Of course, indie films will be profiled here also...and DVD reviews also (I am determined to sit through David Lynch's Inland Empire and accurately review the ridiculous visual narrative assault--that was FUCKING BRILLIANT--one of the most underrated and little seen films of 2006. LAURA DERN WAS ROBBED OF AN OSCAR!!!!! GRRRRRRRR!!!! :( )

Also, I have my own life and writing is a major part of it so i haven't been watching much films, but have been creating my own....

But, do come back often...There will be reviews of summer films coming out this year here....just dont expect one or two a week...

TROPIC THUNDER ( 15 AUGUST 2008)

2008-04-09T23:00:00.000-07:00

Tropic Thunder is an upcoming 2008 action comedy film directed by Ben Stiller and starring Stiller, Jack Black, and Robert Downey Jr. as a group of actors filming a Vietnam War movie when their fed-up director and writer decide to dump them in the middle of a real war. It is due 15 August 2008.

I don't know. This should be an interesting movie. It's written by Ben Stiller (Zoolander, among other films) and Justin Theroux (1/3 of the talented actors {Naomi Watts and Laura Elena Harring being the other two stars in the film} in the UNDERRATED and UNDERWATCHED David Lynch surrealistic and intense classic film Mulholland Drive (2001)). I know the laughs and satire will be there--though not always consistent throughout the movie.

However, Robert Downey Jr. in blackface? I don't care how satirical people may think that is, but in 2008 and Hollywood is still giving us Step and Fetchit/Amos and Andy faux racial hijinks?

Tropic Thunder: satire skewering stereotypes in Hollywood or mishandled and ridiculous caricatures of Blackface? We'll find out when it comes out in August.

Doomsday (2008)

2008-03-28T21:27:00.000-07:00

The third film from Neil Marshall, director of the under-rated DOG SOLDIERS (2002) and the unexpected success hit THE DESCENT (2005), he returns with this messy homage to such sci-fi/horror/fantasy films like THE ROAD WARRIOR, ALIEN, and MAD MAX.

Basically, the film is about Eden Sinclair, a flinty female cop (RHONA MITRA) who is tasked to go in and find the human survivors of a virus that decimated most of Scotland in 2008 and has now crossed the border into LONDON, 25 years later (2033). The virus renders those who are infected as undead zombies (DAMN, can we get off the undead zombie virus as a plot point. Um, HI, Danny Boyle wore this OUT in 28 Days Later (2003), and executive produced the solid, critically ravaged, yet profound 28 Weeks Later (2007). Why are folks copying? And copying BADLY?) and London government higher ups believe that the blood of these human survivors is the key to saving London.

Nothing to say about the film: The entire cast was wasted, the writing was poor, and the attempts at a self-indulgent, "edgy" sci-fi update of such classic sci-fi films fell FLAT.

Memo to Neil Marshall: regroup, and give us unrestrained brilliance in sci-fi/horror with the sequel to THE DESCENT you are executive producing (woo hoo! Allegedly, this one will start six weeks after the end of the first film and Sarah will be forced to go BACK to the caves to investigate the species of creatures she narrowly escaped from. The new cavers will find the creatures--and an unexpected survivor from the first film. WOO HOO! JUNO is coming back to kick Sarah's ASS for leaving her to die! LOVE THIS STORYLINE IF IT HAPPENS!) and the Hugh Jackman project (supposedly) post Wolverine called DRIVE (2009/2010)

Grade: C-/NE

STOP-LOSS (2008)

2008-03-28T20:15:00.000-07:00

Stop-loss, in the United States military, is the involuntary extension of a service member's enlistment contract in order to retain them beyond the normal end term of service (ETS) or the ceasing of a permanent change of station (PCS) move for a member still in military service.

This is basically the idea behind STOP-LOSS, the new movie out this weekend by Kimberly Peirce, the director of Boys Don't Cry (2000). In the film, Ryan Phillippe is Brandon King, a decorated Iraq war hero and Sargeant who makes a celebrated return to his hometown from his second tour of duty in Iraq.

Brandon assumes he is "getting out" and is looking forward to life as a civilian. However, as all people know, war veterans have extreme difficulty returning to "regular" life. Brandon has nightmares about a routine mission of finding insurgents in an Iraqi turning foul as members of his squad are killed or badly injured while in the line of duty; Steve Shriver (Channing Tatum) digs ditches in his front yard every night, fighting imaginary insurgents, and hasn't yet realized that he's back at home in Texas. Brandon and his fellow war buddies slowly adjust to life at home.

Yet, that ends when Brandon is sent back to Iraq for a third tour of duty and is "stop-lossed"--essentially sent back to the war without his consent. Rather than go back, Brandon attempts to find a way to fight the stop-loss rule and takes a determined trip to Washington, DC to get help from the Texas Senator (Josef Sommer, criminally under-used here) who offered to give him anything he needed now that he is at home. The film chronicles a three day journey Brandon takes with Michelle (Abbie Cornish), Steve's girlfriend and Brandon's best friend, to find a way to get out of this policy and somehow manage to live his life.

Stop-Loss fictionalizes a policy most Americans dont know anything about, yet it is a policy that has affected the lives of over 80,000 soliders since the war began over six years ago. It is Peirce's details and determination to show the murky ambiguity this policy has for soliders fighting in the war is very evident in the film.

Kimberly Peirce is in top form, as usual. The film is well written and shot. The opening scenes of Brandon's last tour of duty in Iraq are powerful, graphic, and cinematically beautiful. You can't help but feel the tension the soliders are experiencing when tracking the insurgents who shoot at them during a routine checkpoint. Also, Peirce captures the small town feel of America in Texas, where the majority of the movie was shot.

However, the performances were uneven and all over the place and took away from the film as a whole. I will say that I am not a fan of Ryan Phillippe's: save for some exceptional work in Crash (2004), Gosford Park (2001), and Breach (2007), he hasn't shown a lot of range in his choices of film roles. However, he is spot on as Brandon King. Phillippe nails the anger and confusion King has in trying to do the "right thing" for himself. Phillippe managed to show much depth and complexity as the main character. Also, relative Australian newcomer Abbie Cornish (Candy, Sommersault, and Elizabeth: The Golden Age) is one of the few real standouts here. As Michelle, she conveys the kind of quiet strength and power one would have as a young woman who is holding down the fort, waiting for her man to come back from war, knowing full well she will never have her husband because he is married to the Army. Cornish gives a restrained, yet full-bodied performance--one that really should be remembered come awards season.

Joseph Gordon-Leavitt, who has become quite the adult actor these days, gives an equally award worthy turn as Tommy Burgess, a fellow war veteran in Brandon's squad who never fully recovers from life in Iraq. His downward spiral is quick, and the viewer is left watching this ticking time-bomb of a person eventually explode. As always, Leavitt gives a great performance.

The rest of the cast: Rob Brown, Ciaran Hinds, Victor Rasuk, Mamie Gummer, Linda Emond, etc. all give fine, supporting performances.

Unfortunately, the one dark spot on this film was Channing Tatum as Steve Shriver. Woefully miscast, he was wildly uneven the entire film. It was hard for me to fully invest and believe that he was this man who was blindly devoted to being a solider. When he had clear moments of dramatic heft (the funeral scene near the end of the film), I found myself laughing at his attempts to bring forth the emotions necessary. I don't know if he hasn't had chances to flex some dramatic chops or if he can't fully commit in his performances, but he came off as ridiculously wooden and flat. It is a shame, because in the hands of someone more experienced (ala Colin Farrell, etc.), that role could have been great. But, I am sure with his upcoming roles in GI JOE (2009), The Stanford Prison Experiment (2008 TBD), Fighting (2008/TBA), Tatum will get the chance to flex. Sure he will.

Overall, STOP-LOSS is a very good film that will hopefully encourage people to do more research about this murky policy and hopefully have a better understanding of what our soliders face when coming from Iraq.

GRADE: B+

The 25 Most Important Films On Race?

2008-02-11T10:31:00.000-08:00

I have to admit, this is a thorough list. But, I feel like there were some omissions:

Julie Dash Daughters of The Dust (1991)
Haile Gerima's Sankofa (1993)
Spike Lee's Malcolm X (they included Do The Right Thing and Bamboozled,but should have included this)
John Sayles Brother From Another Planet (sorry, but this film SHOULD be included for it's very direct and on point handling of race)

I wonder what their criteria was, or should there have been a criteria at all?

But, I am happy CRASH (2005) was not on the list.

Check the article out: 25 Most Important Films On Race

Any thoughts?

Courtesy of Entertainment Weekly....

2008-02-08T18:59:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I'm not sure if I'll be able to see ALL of these movies, but I can tell you which ones I have seen though: No Country For Old Men, Juno, There Will Be Blood, Michael Clayton, A Mighty Heart, Eastern Promises (have it from Netflix..will be watching it this weekend), Hairspray, Gone Baby Gone, Away From Her (taught my 12th graders the Alice Munro short story this film was adapted from and its in my netflix queue), The Assassination of Jesse James, 3:10 To Yuma, and La Vie En Rose (i need to rewatch it though). I am planning to catch a few others before the end of the month, and Persepolis (which isn't on this list), is playign in theatres out here in Pittsburgh.

Any other films on the list you think I should check out on DVD? Let me know....

The 25 Movies You Need To See Before Oscar Night

Check out nominated films like ''Juno,'' ''No Country for Old Men,'' and ''Atonement''

By Dave Karger

(Ranked in order of their likelihood to be nominated)

1. No Country for Old Men

2. Atonement

3. Juno

4. Michael Clayton

5. There Will Be Blood

6. Into the Wild

7. American Gangster

8. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

9. Sweeney Todd

10. Charlie Wilson's War

11. The Kite Runner

12. Away From Her

13. Eastern Promises

14. La Vie en Rose

15. I'm Not There

16. A Mighty Heart

17. Gone Baby Gone

18. The Assassination of Jesse James...

19. Lars and the Real Girl

20. Hairspray

21. 3:10 to Yuma

22. The Savages

23. Enchanted

24. Before the Devil Knows You're Dead

25. Ratatouille

Oscar Nomination Picks

2008-01-21T22:02:00.000-08:00

Best Picture:
There Will Be Blood 5
Juno 4
No Country For Old Men 3
The Diving Bell And The Butterfly 2
American Gangster 1

Best Director
Joel & Ethan Coen No Country For Old Men 5
Ivan Reitman 4
Paul Thomas Anderson There Will Be Blood 3
Julian Schnabel The Diving Bell And The Butterfly 2
Sarah Polley Away From Her 1

Best Actress
Julie Christie Away From Her 5
Ellen Page Juno 4
Marion Cotillard La Vie En Rose 3
Angelina Jolie A Mighty Heart 2
Jodie Foster The Brave One 1
Nicole Kidman Margot At The Wedding 1*

Best Actor
Daniel Day Lewis There Will Be Blood 5
Josh Brolin No Country For Old Men 4
George Clooney Michael Clayton 3
Ryan Gosling Lars and The Real Girl 2
Phillip Seymour Hoffman Before The Devil Knows Your Dead 1*
Denzel Washington American Gangster 1

Best Supporting Actress
Cate Blanchett I'm Not There 5
Amy Ryan Gone Baby Gone 4
Tilda Swinton Michael Clayton 3
Jennifer Jason Leigh Margot At The Wedding 2
Jennifer Garner Juno 1*
Ruby Dee American Gangster 1

Best Supporting Actor
Javier Bardem No Country For Old Men 5
Casey Affleck The Assassination of Jesse James 4
Tommy Lee Jones No Country For Old Men 3
Philip Seymour Hoffman Charlie Wilson's War 2
Ethan Hawke Before The Devil Knows Your Dead 1
JK Simmons Juno 1*

Best Adapted Screenplay
No Country For Old Men 5
There Will Be Blood 4
Atonement 3
Away From Her 2
Sweeney Todd 1

Best Original Screenplay
Juno 5
I'm Not There 4
Michael Clayton 3
Lars And The Real Girl 2
The Savages 1
Margot At The Wedding 1*

Here are my picks. The ones with stars next to them are dark horse picks...the nominations are in several hours, and these performances and films could slip in and take a spot given their buzz or star power , i.e. Margot At The Wedding was savaged by critics, but Kidman gave a ridicilously on point, severely comic turn as Margot. And, Noam Baumbach wrote and directed a, for the most part, a very good film (I loved the movie, even if it disturbed me in some places)

Let's see how this plays out in the morning. Will Ellen Page best Julie Christie at the awards? Will Jennifer Garner slip in as a Dark Horse candidate?

Will the Coen Brothers FINALLY get their just due with awards for adapted screenplay, best picture, and best director?

Will Diablo Cody bring home the gold for Juno in the best original screenplay category?

Will the awards even HAPPEN??? What do you think?

Post your comments here

An Advance Screening: CLOVERFIELD (01-18-08)

2008-01-15T21:32:00.001-08:00

Okay, so the hype on this film has been deafening. And, can you blame it? It was executive produced by J.J. Abrams (ALIAS, LOST, FELICITY, MI:3) and his BAD ROBOT PRODUCTIONS. The youtube, jaimeandteddy.com, etc sites as well as the leaked footage and various trailers/faux trailers would lead up to probably one of the most intense and mind-boggling films of the year, right?

NOT...JJ is 0 for 3 with CLOVERFIELD/1-18-08 in terms of product he's produced or directed that was worth the hype and turned out to fall VERY SHORT of expectations--both audience and not.

The basic premise of the story is this: Five New Yorkers throw their friend a going away party the night a monster the size of a skyscraper descends upon the city. Told from the point of view of a video camera, the film is a document of their attempt to survive the most surreal, horrifying event of their lives.

So, I walked in with no expectations. I knew the cast was comprised of virtual unknowns (with Lizzy Caplan from CBS' cancelled The Class and 04's Mean Girls as Janice Ian being the most known), which is a great plus. I do give JJ credit for finding talented actors to be in any of the projects he directs, writes or produces (Jennifer Garner from ALIAS, Kerri Russell from Felicity, etc.) And, I knew that SOMETHING was being shown in the movie.

But, I wasn't expecting the film to be a complete and utter disappointment. I guessed that the "something" that was part of the hype was a monster. But, I wasn't expecting it to be a cracked out Godzilla imitation. Yes, there were some clear homages to Godzilla and some of the more classic sci-fi films of recent note: One of the main characters, Rob Hawkins (Michael Stahl-David, is going to Japan for a job. Where did the original Godzilla take place? Japan. T.J. Miller plays Hud, the wisecracking and occasionally spineless "fifth wheel" that grows a pair of balls while documenting the carnage. Hud is a shortened form of HUDSON, the wisecracking, somewhat spineless, and ultimately bad-ass character Will Paxton played in James Cameron's classic, ALIENS (1986), and so on and so forth.

Don't get wrong...I LOVE the pop culture references and winks. But, don't rely on those at the EXPENSE of story.

There was no explanation of where the monster came from: Was it the result of a bad government experiment gone wrong? The result of centuries of pollution and waste being dumped into the East and Hudson River? Was the monster an alien from another planet and are there more coming? How was it able to birth "babies"? Was it male? female? both? neither?

I'm not saying give me an act explaining all of this. A simple shot of someone dumping radioactive waste and pollution into the river and it hitting some organism would have sufficed...It would have made my experience suspending disbelief and enjoying the film even more. This wasn't done, and I just couldn't feel for the story or the characters.

The characters were another issue. I will give JJ and his team this: They know how to write for women. Or, at least female characters that aren't as stereotypical as they normally are in sci-fi/horror films. Marlena (Caplan), Lily (Jessica Lucas, a Canadian actress who was added to the cast of C.S.I. as Ronnie Lake, a possible replacement for Sara Sidle, for the fans of the show), and Beth (Odette Yustman, currently a cast member of ABC's October Road) were all very strong women who, given the circumstances, performed and reacted very realistically. All three were wary of the choices made by the other friends in the film, and all three show serious strengths and guts when needed (Marlena cracking the baby monsters with a pipe in the subway tunnels--ONE-handed--STILL giving us "rising model actress with Lower East Side cred circa 2000 and beyond and WORKING a pair of thigh high wedges..FIERCE, I tell you! FIERCE! :); Lily also kicking ass in the subway and bravely (though irresponsibly) taking the lead to Beth's apartment to find her; Beth bravely handling what happened to her arm at her apartment when the others came to get her) I mean, the women in the film were great!

The men, not so much. I just felt that Hud, Rob, and Jason were annoying as hell. There's a monster attacking Manhattan what would possess you to a) crawl UP the bridge to get a better look JUST as the monster destroys a section of the bridge with YOU on it (Jason Hawkins, played by Mike Vogel), b) decide to blindly run to save the girl who broke UP with you and never loved you in the first place and walk right INTO the path of the monster (Rob Hawkins), c) decide to walk into a subway tunnel (the 6 train) with NO LIGHTS thinking the monsters who were attacking the city outside WOULDN'T be in the tunnel (Rob, Hud, Lily, and Marlena), or, my favorite, d) walk right into the path of the monster..and FILM it as it swoops down to EAT you for breakfast (Hud). I just felt that the decisions the characters made in the film could have SO been avoided. I get that they were there to prolong the action. But, they were boneheaded decisions. And, I just couldn't feel or care enough to be involved in these people's lives. So little was given about them that the viewer kinda wanted them to be eviscerated by the monster JUST so the movie would be better...

Overall, I wasn't impressed at all. Abrams didn't write this, but I just felt like so MUCH of what could have made this an intriguing film was either left on the cutting room floor or was deleted from the shooting script in order to focus more on the monster and the gore...

And, it was gory...Marlena's death was particularly gory (I mean, did you HAVE to make her EXPLODE from being bitten by the baby monsters? Couldn't she have gone out in a better way?), the carnage at the quarantine center was nasty, and the monster itself was very vile and scary in some places.

But. the inconsistences (If Marlena succumbed to the monster bites, why didn't the others, particularly Hud, who appeared to be bitten in the crotch of all places (OOOH, HOW YOU DOIN? ALL RIIGHT?) Like I didn't see THAT ONE! A very nice and OBVIOUS way of suggesting that Hud was TOTALLY emasculated in the face of a powerful woman he liked (Marlena) were just too much in a film that was only 90 minutes long.

I am probably in the minority, but I did not like this film at all. It was a very bad attempt at trying to update the monster flick and make it "edgy" with the shaky hand-held camera work, the monster theatrics, etc. Unfortunately, what was missing was fully fleshed out characters and a realistic story in a sci-fi/horror vein. CLOVERFIELD wasn't it.

For a better monster film, rent the Korean sci-fi/horror/thriller/comedy/drama THE HOST. This movie had many of the things Cloverfield didn't and it WORKED given that it covered issues as varied as race, class, the role of family, environmentalism, language barriers, pop culture.

Sidenote: Whoever did the special effects for the monster and did the set design for the film should get PLENTY of awards for the 2008 Oscars. On a budget of 30 million dollars, they sure as hell made a VERY on point and realistic Lower East Side (most of the film was filmed in studios in LA, but parts of it were done in New York City). Really...they should be.

GRADE: C

Happy Belated New Year!

2008-01-15T21:29:00.000-08:00

Sorry I have been away for so long. So much has been happening for me that I haven't had time to post lately...

But, I have been watching LOTS of films. So, expect a MAJOR update starting with the ridiculously overhyped CLOVERFIELD going up soon. And, expect reviews of these films to come up soon after:

GONE BABY GONE (2007)
MICHAEL CLAYTON (2007)
NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN (2007)
I AM LEGEND (2007)
JUNO (2007)
THE ORPHANAGE (2007)

Plus, a HOST of dvd reviews...of course, there will be coverage on the oscars..though who knows since the writer's strike is still going on...

Miss you all!

The 50 Best Films of 2007?

2007-11-30T02:37:00.000-08:00

This comes from a magazine called Paste Magazine
Now, I really can't agree or disagree that these were some of the best films of this year. The year hasn't ended yet, and we still have The Golden Compass, The Orphanage (another Spanish horror film produced by Guillermo Del Toro, who wrote and directed the 2006 CRIMINALLY UNDER-SEEN Pan's Labryinth), and ahost of other Oscar-caliber and studio friendly films. What do you think? Is this list accurate? Should anything be added? Omitted? Let me know in the comments section. The ones highlighted/boldfaced (or, should be): These are films I've either seen or plan to see this year.

1. Juno [Jason Reitman]2. Once [John Carney]3. Eastern Promises [David Cronenberg]4. Away From Her [Sarah Polley]5. Margot at the Wedding [Noah Baumbach]6. Michael Clayton [Tony Gilroy]7. The Wind That Shakes the Barley [Ken Loach]8. No Country for Old Men [Joel and Ethan Coen]9. The Kite Runner [Marc Forster]10. Syndromes and a Century [Apichatpong "Joe" Weerasethakul]11. Ratatouille [Brad Bird]12. Ten Canoes [Rolf de Heer/Peter Djigirr]13. Great World of Sound [Craig Zobel]14. Ghosts of Cité Soleil [Asger Leth/Milos Loncarevic]15. Offside [Jafar Panahi]16. My Kid Could Paint That [Amir Bar-Lev]17. 2 Days in Paris [Julie Delpy]18. Waitress [Adrienne Shelly]19. Manufactured Landscapes [Jennifer Baichwal]20. The King of Kong [Seth Gordon]21. Sunshine [Danny Boyle]22. This is England [Shane Meadows]23. Knocked Up [Judd Apatow]24. Hanna Takes the Stairs [Joe Swanberg]25. Bella [Alejandro Gomez Monteverde]26. The Darjeeling Limited [Wes Anderson]27. Grindhouse [Quentin Tarantino, Robert Rodriguez]28. Paris, Je T'aime [Various Directors]29. God Grew Tired of Us [Christopher Dillon Quinn]30. No End in Sight [Charles Ferguson]31. The Bourne Ultimatum [Paul Greengrass]32. Hot Fuzz [Edgar Wright]33. 3:10 to Yuma [James Mangold]34. Year of the Dog [Mike White]35. The Simpsons Movie [David Silverman]36. Hairspray [Adam Shankman]37. Sicko [Michael Moore]38. Rescue Dawn [Werner Herzog]39. The Short Life of José Antonio Guitierrez [Heidi Specogna]40. Forever [Heddy Honigmann]41. Persepolis [Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud]42. Talk to Me [Kasi Lemmons]43. Before the Devil Knows You're Dead [Sidney Lumet]44. Superbad [Greg Mottola]45. Zodiac [David Fincher]46. The Savages [Tamara Jenkins]47. Rocket Science [Jeffrey Blitz]48. The Signal [David Bruckner, Dan Bush, Jacob Gentry]49. The Lookout [Scott Frank]50. American Gangster [Ridley Scott]

Run, Don't Walk, To Movie Theatres 5 December 2007

2007-11-29T01:07:00.000-08:00

I can't wait. JUNO will be in theatres: Ellen Page (Hard Candy, X-Men 3), Michael Cera (Superbad), Jennifer Garner (Alias, The Kingdom, Catch and Release), JK Simmons (OZ), Allison Janney (West Wing, The Hours), Jason Bateman (Arrested Development and The Kingdom)and Olivia Thirlby (United 93) are all starring in this film.

Jason Reitman (Thank You For Not Smoking) is directing, and it's written by up and coming screenwriter, Diablo Cody--who writes one of my favorite blogs, The Pussy Ranch (YES! If you've missed out on some hilarious and spot on blog writing, do yourself a favor, check out Cody's blog. You'll thank me later).

Wicked and intelligent dialogue, well drawn out characters, and a premise that is sure to make you think and laugh....I think I know where i'll be next Wednesday before work (if I go at all that night :))....

Margot At The Wedding

2007-11-28T05:56:00.000-08:00

Okay...

I had VERY high hopes for this one, and I still do, in theory. Margot At The Wedding is Noah Baumbach's second film, after his wickedly funny and profound The Squid and The Whale.

In Margot, Noah treads the same, if not similar waters, as Squid: Margot focuses on the fractured and strained relationship between Margot (a cold, and prickly Nicole Kidman), a neurotic writer, and her sister Pauline (a free-spirited Jennifer Jason Leigh), a woman who is planning to marry Malcolm (a surprisingly dialed down and restrained Jack Black), and unemployed musician. Margot and her son Claude (newcomer Zane Pais) decide to visit her Pauline after she announces that she is getting married to Malcolm. In short order, the storm the sisters create leaves behind a a mess of thrashed relationships and exposed family secrets. (imdb.com).

The writing is superb--Noah is very good with words, and he uses them to FULL affect here--making very clear the impact words have on people and how those words can be used to hurt them and leave some very deep wounds. Kidman, who hasn't been this good since 1995's To Die For, is in rare form as Margot--a seemingly strong and piercing woman who is barely hiding her own mess of insecurities about her life--a failed marriage, a barely hidden love affair with another writer (Ciaran Hinds), a possible addiction to pills--Margot is a mess, but it is SO fun to watch Kidman inhabit this woman's life with such naked aplomb and glee. It has taken me years to warm up to Kidman and the gifts she possesses as an actress. But, it's films like this, To Die For, Dead Calm, Flirting, Moulin Rouge!, and even the underrated and MUST see Portrait Of A Lady, that show Kidman at her best. But, Margot is definite proof she's a ridiculously talented actress--who doesn't get ENOUGH chances to show what she can do.

The always on point and powerful Jennifer Jason Leigh actually plays "against" type as Pauline. Seemingly fragile and living in the shadow of Margot, Pauline barely manages to mask a seething mess of years of passive-aggressive bitterness and anger towards Margot. Leigh makes what could have been a one-note character come alive as you watch her literally come together and unravel at the seems every time she and Margot are in each other's presence or have one of their classic meltdowns (and the few that are shown in the film are CLASSIC--so much can be said WITHOUT saying much--or nothing at all...)

Jack Black is great as Malcolm, an unemployed schlub who means well, but clearly is out of his league with BOTH sisters--and knows it. Black was interesting to watch.

Newcomer Zane Pais was also very good as Claude, Margot's adolescent son who is entering that very awkward and uncomfortable period called puberty and isn't always sure how he feels about his mother and her outbursts sometimes. Margot loves her son and she spares him the kind of verbal daggers she gives everyone else around her. But, even he ends up in her crosshairs when she drops a verbal bomb on him towards the end of the film.

The rest of the cast is also great: John Turturro as Claude's studly father (!!!!), Fiona Cross as Malcolm's precocious and "adult ADD" having cousin Ingrid; Halley Feiffer as a Lolita-esque Maisy Koorsman, whose attempts to seduce Malcolm are hilarious. Ciaran Hinds rounds out the cast as Maisy's father and Margot's lover Dick.

However, this film isn't as funny as Squid. And, that will be the issue many folks will have with Baumbach's second outing. I wanted to like Margot At The Wedding, and I did. But, not because it was funny.

I enjoyed it, because of how brutal and visceral family conflicts can be. We have all known family members who have fallen out over ancient battles, sibling rivalries, etc. Baumbach's film is no different. Even though the viewer, and this is up for interpretation, is lead to believe that Margot and her sisters Pauline and Becky (who is referred to be only seen towards the end of the film) may have been sexually and physically abused by their father and most definitely neglected by their mother.

The film is hard to watch, because you are laughing at what appears to be the reasons behind why these two women are so fractured and screwed up. It is uncomfortable laughter, because the viewer only wonders just how autobiographical this is for Baumbach. And, also how autobiographical it could be for the viewer themselves. I know I did shudder over some of the scenes--I can remember very vivid conflicts between relatives in my own family that hid and speculated at the kind of abuse mentioned in Margot.

Overall, the film is very good and Kidman and Leigh will most DEFINITELY be mentioned during the upcoming awards season (though with JUNO coming out next week, their competition will be tough from the likes of Ellen Page {Juno} and Jennifer Garner {Vanessa Loring}).

But, this is a must see for fans of Baumbach's work. Though, don't expect to laugh much throughout the film. But, do expect to walk out thinking about family and how complex those relationships can truly be sometimes.

The Writing: A-/B+

The Performances: A

The Movie Overall: B+

Hey Everyone!/Back From Hiatus

2007-10-28T09:20:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone!

Sorry for the long "hiatus" of sorts. A lot has been going on in my personal and professional life, so I haven't been here that much, if at all.

I have missed a LOT of good films, and some really bad ones that merited a good deconstruction...

But, I will have reviews of BELLA, THE KINGDOM, and GONE BABY GONE up by week's end.

Til then, see you at the movies! :)

THE NINES

2007-09-04T19:42:00.000-07:00

Logline: The lives of a television actor, television show runner, and a video game designer converge in mysterious and unsettling ways.

Okay, so I saw this August 31st. A friend bought my ticket. Even though I had heard about the buzz on this film during its premiere at Sundance, I had my reservations.

It was written and directed by John August--great, but he did write the second Charlie's Angels movie, and that was RIFE with plot holes and low budget camp that feel flat most times (Though, Justin Theroux worked out and shirtless--oddly intriguing). So, I knew that it would be an interesting film to watch, but I was wary. But, he wrote GO. So, I was giving him the benefit of the doubt.

Ryan Reynolds on the other hand: He's a very competent and downright hilarious comedic, even if some of his choices in projects rant the gamut of being perfect (his comic timing in Blade: Trinity stole the show from Wesley Snipes, you KNOW it did! :)) to being ridiculously horrible and WRONG (The Amityville Horror--save for the shirtless scenes, what was the point?). So, the red flags were a-flying. But, Hope Davis and Melissa McCarthy were also the leads, so I gave it a shot and went.

And, I was amazed by what I saw. Filmed as three interlinking stories, The Nines asks questions about writers and the stories they create, and how many of us tend to take our creations very serious...even, in theory, believing we are God since we have the power to create these worlds for our own intended gain.

The film opens with THE PRISONER (PART ONE), and we are introduced to Gary, a popular tv show actor who, after a horrible break up with his girlfriend, sets her things on fire in a grill..and leaves the fire burning and burns down his own house. He then goes in a search for crack, picks up prostitute (Octavia Spencer), and ends up in a hotel room, cracked up and hallucinating. You he got a bad batch of crack when he calls 911 to tell them that he doesn't have a belly button. He leaves the hotel and drives off. As he's driving, his hallucinations become more pronounced when he starts to see other versions of himself in the backseat. He crashes his car and is arrested by the police. He is released from custody and placed on house arrest. He is taken to his place of residence by Margaret (Melissa McCarthy), his new publicist.

They end up at a huge mansion, where Gary is to stay for six weeks. Here, the viewer starts to notice very unusual things. For instance, Margaret seems VERY preoccupied with Gary, and threatens to break his ankles with a sledgehammer if he fucks up (MISERY, anyone? :)). Meanwhile, Gary starts to hear things in the night. One day, he meets his next door neighbor Sarah (Hope Davis), a very sensual and sexually vibrant married mother who is bored with her life and takes an immediate interest in Gary. The two hit off and the impending almost sexual tryst is done over Sarah singing the song "Is That All There Is?" (and done beautifully well by Hope). But, Sarah cuts Gary off and runs off to care for her child.

Mysteriously, Gary starts to notice that things aren't what they seem in the mansion. A message on a post, apparently in Gary's handwriting, just says Look at "The Knowing" is found on the kitchen table. Gary hears voices and believes rats are in the house and sets traps everywhere. One night, he is in the kitchen. He hears voices, and bumps right into---HIMSELF (!!!!!) He freaks out and the other "person" disappears. Gary steps in one of the traps and runs out of the house. He ends up at a bus stop where a young girl (Elle Fanning) seems to know him and is trying to get him to listen to her. Unfortunately, she is deaf and he doesnt understand what she's saying. Gary is arrested again.

This time, he is given an ankle bracelet and can't go anymore than 100 yards away from the house. Margaret illustrates this for hilarious effect when she marks a red line at the 100 yard mark. She decides to stay with him, and the two quickly connect. Sarah returns, and she is more cryptic and sinister. She tells Gary she can save him, and he doesnt understand what he needs to be "saved" by. Margaret, seemingly aware of who Sarah is, tries to explain what a "Nine" is and how Gary is so important. But, Sarah tells him she can get him out of all of this and save him. Gary, confused, confronts Margaret. Stepping across the red mark, everything around him dissolves into a mass of white light and slowly fades away to PART TWO: Reality

Here, the story focuses on Gavin (played by Reynolds), a popular screenwriter who is now directing the pilot "Knowing", a supernatural drama basically sold as "Rosemary's Toddler" (a polite riff on horror-suspense classic, Rosemary's Baby). The pilot is also being filmed as a part of a reality tv show following Gavin's journey getting the pilot on the air. It stars Gavin's best friend Melissa McCarthy (playing herself), the former star of Gilmore Girls who leaves her show (pre-dating Gilmore's cancellation in May 2007. Or, was it a prediction August made in his script?) to be a part of Knowing. The two have been best friends for fifteen years, with Melissa being Gavin's friendly "hag" (gay lingo for a straight woman who's best friends are gay. For the slow folk, Gavin is "family") and confidant. The pilot is running smoothly, save for one thing: The network head (a Big Brother type tha tno one sees or hears from in the story) isnt jazzed about Melissa as the lead actress. Melissa is talented, perky, and overweight--a No-No in television. So, Gavin goes to battle over Melissa as the start with the network. On his side is Susan (Hope Davis), his boss. She is okay with Melissa as the lead

They have a focus group for the pilot to generate fan interest. In the male focus group, the men make it clear that they dont like Melissa as the lead. One particular man, a bearded guy who seems to see Gavin on the other side a two sided mirror. Gavin is freaking out and the guy walks to the mirror and continues to stare at him, screaming he's not real. Gavin leaves. Later in the story, the network makes it clear they don't like Melissa and convinces Gavin to look at Dahlia Salem, a popular tv actress who left a pilot that was in limbo. He likes her, and decides to cast Dahlia as the lead, and also keeps his job since the network was going to fire him if he kept Melissa. Facing the inevitable, he tells Melissa over drinks and the two have one of the ugliest confrontations in recent history on film. She lets him know how fucked up he is for not standing by her and basically having her give up a steady gig on Gilmore Girls for his show. All Gavin could say is he made a decision--it was either him or her. He chose himself.

Weeks later, Gavin is at the upfronts--where all the new pilots are shown to basically drum up interest from network executives to get them on the air for the Fall. Gavin is there to promote "Knowing". On the way to a reception in the hotel, he runs into Dahlia. She gives him some unexpected news: She left "Knowing" to return to her original pilot, which was picked up by the network. No one told Gavin, so he is understandably crushed. He confronts Susan at the reception and she basically tells him that the "Knowing" has been shelved indefinitely. Angry, the two argue and Gavin slaps Susan in the face. Smirking, Susan asks him if he felt like a man for slapping her. She told him he didn't and left. Defeated, Gavin runs outside. He's telling the reality tv crew about what happened and how he felt. Then, he notices bright objects (reminiscent of "The Sims") above people's heads and realizes that things clearly aren't what they seem. A woman (Octavia Spencer) asks Gavin what's wrong. He says nothing is wrong. Then, she asks him: "Then who are you talking to?" It's apparent that the reality crew is a figment of Gavin's imagination--more characters he "created" in his life. The scene fades to black and we end up with "Part Three: Knowing".

It is here that things sorta come together. In this story, the pilot Gavin created actually becomes real. Gabriel (Reynolds again) is a video game designer who is out with family in the woods. His wife Mary (McCarthy) and daughter Noelle (Elle Fanning) are having a good time. They come back to their car and realize that the engine shut down. Gabriel goes to get help, leaving the other two at the car. Getting to the highway, Gabriel meets Sierra (Davis), a hiker who shuns him when he asks her for help. He runs into her further up the highway. She offers to help him and the two walk to an area where Gabriel can use his phone.

Once in the woods, Sierra tells him the story about her ex-boyfriend, a gamer who was obsessed with Gabriel's games. He preferred those games to her, and in anger, she decides to kill him by giving him water laced with lots of GHB. Gabriel drinks the water Sierra gives him, and he starts to convulse. Sierra laced his drink with GHB, as he is "dying", Sierra tells him to accept the truth: That he is "God" and that he needs to accept the power he has. Turns out, Gabriel is a kind of "god" who created this world and ninety other versions of the world. ALL PEOPLE are his creations, and he rids himself of them everytime they fall apart. He is approached by other followers of his--Octavia Spencer (the prostitute in Part One and the woman on the sidewalk in Part Two) and Dan Dehman (the security installer-Part One; the agitated focus group man-Part Two)--who tell him to let it go and move on.

Eventually, he does and he tells Mary, his wife. Mary has always known who Gabriel truly was, and she feared the day that he would leave her forever. Noelle knew also. Come to find out--Mary was Gabriel's favorite creation and one he would miss. He leaves and the film ends with Mary and Noelle at home with a new husband, moving on as life would.

I know this review is probably confusing as hell, and it should be...The Nines raised so many pointed and interesting questions about the writer as creator and how that power can be intoxicating and poisoning. The performances were outstanding by EVERYONE.

Hope Davis and Melissa McCarthy both showed they are more than the quirky characters they play in the many films they have on their resumes. Both women showed complex and illuminating layers of strength, sensuality, and power. Both were perfectely cast, and their names will definitely be thrown around come awards seasons.

Ryan Reynolds shows that he has acting chops aplenty and has a dramatic presence that should net him more meatier roles in the future.

The first two parts were amazing. It is clear that Part Two is autobiographical. After the success of the first Charlie's Angels, John was given the chance to write and create his own TV show, the ill fated on the W.B. Only lasting seven episodes, the show was marked more for the turmoil going on behind the scenes. August was fired by HIS BOSS, the infamous Dick Wolf, the "demi-god" of the Law and Order franchise (Wolf has his own problematic history in tv. I did laugh when he predicted that ALIAS wouldn't last after its first two years and ALIAS laid a smack down on Criminal Intent the two seasons the shows completed against each other. And, I'm sure Wolf is PRAYING for "24" to leave the air..:))

The third part of the film collapses for a host of reasons, but overall, The Nines is a very good film and an excellent first effort by writer-director John August.

It's unfair that August is being compared to David Lynch and Charlie Kaufman. Lynch and Kaufman have made a career of making films with twisted, non-linear narratives, characters swapping identities, and just multi-faceted and layered plots and characters. They have both produced some great works that will most definitely stand the test of time (Lynch--Mulholland Drive and sublime, underrated, and under-seen Inland Empire--a MUST see and a film that will be reviewed here in the coming weeks; Kaufman: Being John Malkovich, and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind were two amazing films that are STILL talked about to this day for their innovations and powerful and profound questions they raise). August shouldn't be compared to them--YET. Someday, he will be there if he makes films similar to The Nines and other, more innovative work. The Nines is a symbol of what is to come for John August. And, I am definitely waiting anxiously for his next project.

Sites to Visit related to the film:

The Nines

John August

Composer Alex Wurman

GRADE: A/A-

WAR starring Jet Li and Jason Statham

2007-08-25T06:42:00.000-07:00

Logline: An FBI Agent seeks vengeance on a mysterious assassin known as "Rogue" who murdered his partner.

Basically, War is nothing more than an extended 100 minute visual assault, without the Kung Fu/Wire work mastery we know Jet Li is famous for (and can ACTUALLY DO without the aid of wires).

The plot is very paper thin: Special Agent Jack Crawford (an oddly attractive yet aging gracefully Jaston Statham, the British Vin Diesel, only smarter with his film choices, a little more talented and is AWARE of what his fans want. Sorry Vin, we're still waiting for greatness--that you can ACTUALLY prove and not boast about) becomes obsessed with "Rogue", a mythical assassin that kills his partner and his family because of revenge.

Crawford goes on a three year mission to find Rogue and kill him for what he did to his partner Crawford looses his marriage, his family (Andrea Roth, fantastic and amazing on F/X's Rescue Me has NOTHING to do here..NOTHING!), and, in theory, his soul.

The movie focuses on his journey to find "Rogue" and all of the double-crossing and shenanigans that go on when "Rogue" (played gamely and surprisingly, with a touch of understatement by Jet Li) starts taking out members of the Yakuzas (Shiro Clan, led by rising star Kira-san (Devon Aoki), daughter of Shiro (Ryo Ishibashi).

You would think that a film like this would be RIPE with the kinds of shrewd and complex plotting, action theatrics, and turns and twists ala John Woo's Face/Off, or any film by any of the current, past, and even future Asian film directors (Tsui Hark, Kar Wai Wong, Taashi Miike {exploitative or not, he turns it OUT with the theatrics}, Chan-wook Park {Oldboy}, etc.). And, the film DOES have that potential.

But, it just falls apart quickly, because the film wasn't written well at all. Why are we supposed to care about Crawford? He willingly gave up his life and home to avenge his partner's murder? Okay, fine. But, Jack Crawford was written so one-dimensionally that it was hard to care.

And, the last minute twist at the end? SHAAADE. You mean to tell me with all of the mediocre action set pieces, the LACK of bullets and ku fung (the film should have had nonstop action..it didn't), this is how you end it? Wow, thanks for insulting the audience's intelligence, Lion's Gate. THANKS.

Both Li and Statham are credible action stars that are credible ACTORS who can handle a well written and paced complex action/drama. War was NOT that film.

I think this pairing, if given a well written script, could work in future films. It just didn't work in this one.

Grade: Performances: C-/Action: C-/Writing: NE/Audiences being duped into making this one of the top films of the weekend(WATCH): NE Overall Grade: C-/NE

The Rating System

2007-08-25T06:25:00.000-07:00

So if many you have noticed, I give letter grades for my reviews: A, A-, etc.

Besides the fact that it's just easier, it's actually a throwback to my time as an undergrad at Oberlin College. We had letter grades, but there were degrees of them.

So, we have the A grade: A+/A/A- Essentially, if a review has this, then you know it was very good or was very strong on the writing, performances, etc. I'm very particular, so a film would have to BRING IT on so many levels to get one of these grades. I don't give them out, but you'll see them here on occasion :)

B+/B/B- These are good films, decent acting, good writing, and the overall film was fine.

C+/C/C-: The film wasn't great, plot holes, spotty acting, just poorly executed in general. Now, before you say that only Hollywood films will get this rating (If you notice, there tends to be a more "indie" mindset here), i will give this rating to ANY film that is horrible.

NE: No Entry...:) basically, in undergrad, grades BELOW a C- were NOT counted nor acknowledged on official transcripts. No Entry means that your overall performance was lacking, beyond spotty, and just downright a mess.
For films, if a movie is SO shitty, so horribly acted, written, etc., you WILL see a No Entry.

So, there you go...not that any of you care..:)

DVD Corner: Something New (2006)

2007-08-23T11:43:00.000-07:00

Something New isn’t new at all. In fact, it follows the same tried and true formula for most romantic comedies.

What’s different is the fact that the lead characters are a White landscaper, and a Black accountant.

Directed by video director Sanaa Hamri, and written by Kriss Turner (Co-Executive Producer and Writer for some episodes on Everybody Hates Chris), the film is about Kenya Denise McQueen (Sanaa Lathan), a hard working career woman who is up for partner in her accounting firm.

She has it all: a great job, friends and family who love her, top-notch education (Stanford and Wharton), etc However, Kenya lacks the one thing she craves and doesn’t have: An equally successful Black man on her arm. It’s been two years since her last relationship (A man named Rashid Muhammad, who is basically referenced in a conversation over drinks at a bar, and a phone message at Kenya’s house), and Kenya is quite guarded and wary of love.

She is single, lives in Los Angeles and bought her first house. Kenya is a woman who wants a social life, but never has time to have one. But, she does have an endless (!!!) mental checklist of what she’s looking for when she meets Mr. Right.

After spending Valentine’s Day with her girlfriends Cheryl (Wendy Raquel Robinson), Nedra (Taraji P. Henson), and Suzette (Golden Brooks), Kenya agrees that she needs to “let go, let flow” and be more open to getting out there and dating.

Reluctantly, Kenya goes on a blind date courtesy of her coworker Leah (Katherine Towne), a soon to be married Jewish woman whose well-meaning, but meddlesome ways irk Kenya. Leah sets her up with Brian, who is clearly everything Kenya wants: tall, handsome, perfect, and an architect. So, Kenya agrees to meet him at a Starbucks in Crenshaw (!!!!) one day.

And, Kenya does meet Brian (Simon Baker-Denny)...a White (!!!!), landscape architect who happens to work for Leah’s family. Shocked and flustered, Kenya is NOT feeling Brian and cuts him off. But, she runs into him at Leah’s pre-wedding party. Not deterred by Kenya’s rudeness, he offers to help landscape her backyard. Grudgingly, she agrees.

Kenya’s coldness and reservations are eventually worn down by Brian’s charm and free-spiritedness and a romance develops.

Something New is “new”, because the story is told from the perspective of an intelligent and hard working Black woman. Clearly, this rarely happens in Hollywood since you can count the number of Black actresses who can carry a film on one hand.

Of course, you would expect this point of view since it was written, directed, and produced by Black women.
Kriss Turner’s script does discuss the kinds of pressures facing Black women when considering a partner, be he Black or otherwise. It is a romantic comedy, and it is light on the heavy subject matter. But, it is well written and works most of the film.

Unfortunately, the film falls flat in a few areas. Questions that came up while viewing this film in theaters and on DVD: Why would Brian be attracted to Kenya? Why would Kenya be so willing and so quick to fall in love with his man? Who is Brian?

Clearly, this is a movie and these questions may never be answered. But, after viewing this film on DVD, I was expecting a little more discussion around the issue of interracial relationships. The last film to go there was Zebrahead, a classic 1991 romantic drama starring N’bushe Wright (Where is she?), and Michael Rappaport as high school students who fall in love at a Detroit high school.

Though not as profound and thought provoking as Zebrahead, Something New is a light, superficial romantic comedy that does bring up some interesting questions about race, class, and dating. It just doesn’t go further when exploring these intriguing questions.

The DVD offers a couple of featurettes. The soundtrack, done by Prince collaborators Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman (producers who have worked with Me’shell Ndegeocello, have composed for TV Shows Crossing Jordan and the upcoming Heroes: Origins episodes, etc.) is a powerful mix of hip hop, slow jams, and light yet complex small piano/string arrangements that add to the light, yet slightly complex mood of the film.

GRADE: B+ (for the performances)/B+(the writing)/B+(for the musical soundtrack and score)
Rating: PG-13

The Nines--Limited Release August 31st

2007-08-23T06:30:00.000-07:00

Not much has been said about this film, which is a complete shame. Since I haven't seen it yet, I just want you to take a trip over to the films website. :)

It's written and directed by John August ( Screenwriter of the films Go and Big Fish), and stars Ryan Reynolds (Blade: Trinity, Smoking Aces), Hope Davis (American Splendor, Proof, and recently on the canceled ABC show Six Degrees and February 08 release of Charlie Bartlett), Melissa McCarthy (Sookie St. James on Gilmore Girls {*sigh* RIP}), and Elle Fanning (most recently in Babel, younger sister of Dakota Fanning, and an in demand actress in her own right).

The synopsis: A troubled actor, a television show runner, and an acclaimed videogame designer find their lives intertwining in mysterious and unsettling ways.

Hmm...I think I'll be in line when the film comes out next Friday.

Sites:

The Nines Film Website

John August
Note: John's site is QUITE informative and a very useful resource for any aspiring or working screenwriter, especially his post regarding the subject of Race and Screenwriting

Check it out. This could either be a classic, or a very experimental blunder. But, with the talent behind and in front of the camera, I'm thinking the former.

See you in line 31 August 2007.

The Nines will be playing at oh-so trendy Landmark Sunshine Cinemas in the even more trendy Lower East Side (insert bountiful moments of sarcasm here! :))

Not A Film Post/Veronica Mars done good!!!!

2007-08-20T18:41:00.000-07:00

But a very good detour...

120 Minutes

*Some of the videos that MTV played--when they played music. Artists as diverse as Liz Phair, Moby, Tori Amos, Orbit, Violent Femmes, etc. it's over 25 pages of videos and not all work, but TRUST ME, those of you who were "striking a beat to a different drummer" or just liked different kinds of music, will reminisce when you see these videos. And, they have "How Soon Is Now?" by The Smiths--I piddled!!!! ;)
*Courtesy of Whitney Matheson at Pop Candy (Thanks Whit!)

And, this IS a film blog, but there will be discussions around tv shows. You may see blogs about some of the more buzzed about tv shows: Bionic Woman, Gossip Girl, Pushing Dasies, Women's Murder Club, etc.

One of the BETTER shows to be on television, Veronica Mars was cut ridiculously SHORT. But it's star, Kristen Bell, is ON DEMAND. Being courted by several studios for film and tv work, she will be in a multiepisode arc on NBC'S HEROES. The Variety blurb about her:
Kristen Bell on HEROES:

DVD Corner: THE DESCENT (2006/2007)

2007-08-20T12:26:00.000-07:00

A Repost from an older blog I had online.

The Brits Rule Horror: A Review of The Descent

So, let's face it. Horror films today are pathetic. They aren't very scary, nor do they elicit the kinds of shock and awe that sci-fi/fantasy/horror films of the 70's and 80's did (anyone here remember or even watched: Alien, Aliens, The Exorcist, the original Friday the 13th and Nightmare on Elm Street, The Thing, Hellraiser, The Entity, Halloween, etc.)

Horror films today are extremely violent, to the point of being cartoonish. Save for a few films like 28 Days Later (which was more sci-fi/thriller), and the Russian indie horror-thriller Night Watch that came out earlier this year, horror movies today aren't scary at all. They're quite boring.

So, you know I was quite skeptical when I heard about and saw early trailers for the British import, The Descent. I was a little intrigued: most of what I saw took place in darkness...all you see are lights flashing and girls screaming. But, it didn't really give much away. But, I was curious so I put it on a list of summer films to see. The cast was mostly British, and the brits seem to have a lock on doing a good horror film with suspense.

The Descent came out August 4th, and damn it, I was stunned! The film was QUITE GOOD! No, SERIOUSLY!!!

The basic plot: A group of female friends led by Juno (Natalie Mendoza) encounter bloodthirsty creatures when they get trapped in a mountain cave due to rockfall. Worst of all they their friendships sour and they discover their real fear is from each other... (from imdb.com)

That's it. But, The Descent was more than that. Suprisingly, it touched upon some very interesting dynamics in regard to gender, morality and even faith.

****SPOILER ALERT*****
So, wasn't it totally cool that the ENTIRE cast was female??? I felt that was one of the more original things about the film. Rarely, do you have a horror film in which the main "beacons" of masculinity are conceptualized as women. What I mean is that in horror films, the guys are usually the ones who save the day or protect everyone. In The Descent, the women are fending for themselves and they are KICKING ASS.

Natalie Mendoza is a particular standout as Juno, a no-nonsense caver who is one of the first characters to fight when she battles one of the creatures over Holly's body, the first (and honestly, the MOST annoying character in the film and i was glad she went first) character to get offed by the cave creatures. It's rare that you would have a woman take on a role that we would normally see a man play and be so natural at it. It's even rarer still that you would have a woman of color (Mendoza is Filipina) in this role also.

Shauna McDonald, as the "heroine" Sarah, was also effective as a grief ridden widow who became a bad ass in her own right fighting to survive in the caves. McDonald played her role very well.

Alex Reid (Beth), Saskia Mulder (Rebecca), My-Anna Burning (Sam), and Nora-Jane Noone (Holly) were also very good.

Did anyone get that Rebecca and Sam were sisters???? I didn't..I totally thought they were a couple. But, I checked the film's website, and the synopsis said they were sisters. I REALLY couldn't tell when they were hugged up on each other as one the creatures crawled past them in the tunnel (UNNN HUNNNHHH...HOW YOU DOIN? :))

Wasn't it fucked up how Beth did Juno towards the end? Juno was wrong for fucking Sarah's husband, but did Beth have to wimp out and bust her that way? Did she do it because of how she felt Juno left her to die (which I didn't see as a bad thing: in the circumstances they were in, Juno probably felt she did what she could for Beth. But, Juno also could have dragged her to safety or took her life like Beth asked Sarah to do later.) That dynamic was played out in an interesting, albeit, irritating way.

The ending: What Thee Fuck??? I saw the British alternative ending and felt that it was FAR superior to what you will see in the theater. I felt the ambiguous questions that ending posed (Did Sarah get out alive? Is Juno really dead? Has Sarah gone crazy or is she actually "seeing" her daughter?) were actually good ones and I wish American audiences don't have to wait until the DVD comes out here in the states (it's already out in the UK and Europe)

The plot holes: Why were those creatures there? Were they an offshoot of man, who were developed enough to live underground and in the darkness? How do they breed? I wish these questions were addressed during the film. I think that it might have been interesting to reconfigure the fates of some of the characters. Like, what if the creatures took some of the women to be breeders? We only see one female creature in the film. How to these beings procreate? Or, do they? Where do they procreate? The "Pool of Blood"? The film could have gone MANY places with these questions. But, I guess Neil Marshall (A superb filmmaker who directed the VASTLY underrated and rarely seen werewolf film Dog Soldiers (2002)) did not have the budget or time to go there.

Overall, I give The Descent a grade of A/A-

Welcome to FilmGeekChronicles!!

2007-08-19T23:58:00.000-07:00

Okay, so this should have been the FIRST post of this blog. But, it's damn near 3am in the morning. Sue me.

This blog will be about all things film: indie, Hollywood, foreign, etc. I love film and I finally get a chance to wax poetic about some of my favorite films, directors, and review current films and comment about films in production, etc.

Of course, I will definitely bring a nice little 'ol intellectually sound perspective to the intersections of race, class, sexuality, and identity and how they are/are not accurately portrayed in films....

Eventually, when I can sum up enough courage, I will even post parts of scripts in progress of my own.

Who am I? Just an Ivy league educated, Black man whose vivid memories are as a six year old, sitting with my Dad, watching ALIEN on HBO, a couple years after it coming out and telling him "I wanna do that". Now, here I am, after several years of starts and aborts, I'm determined to do this and see where it takes me.

I hope you come along for the ride and enjoy what you read and learn along the way.

-Ryan

DESCENT: A REVIEW

2007-08-19T23:38:00.000-07:00

Rape is about power. It is about the domination of the physical body, mental state and emotional psyche.

“Descent”-starring Rosario Dawson as Maya, an intellectually gifted undergraduate honors student at a nondescript, academically rigorous small liberal arts school in the Northeast (insert Wesleyan, Swarthmore, Amherst, Oberlin or Haverford for emphasis) who barely survives a brutal sexual assault-makes this vividly obvious and clear, dramatizing the act with level of stark vividness I have never seen in any film, American or otherwise.

Maya is attacked by someone she knows. It is Jared: an All-American, former pianist turned second-string football player (Chad Faust). He flirts with Maya at a party one spring, clearly in awe of and taken by her mixed-race beauty and, after a couple of tries, eventually convinces her to go on a date that ends in a candlelit, makeshift love shack in the basement of his apartment building.

The ordeal is over in minutes. Maya never reports it. But, during the Summer (the film is broken into sections that follow the changing of the seasons) her rage over what happens grows, and is acknowledged and transformed into an act of extreme sexual violence in which Maya sinks to Jared’s level.

But, “Descent” is not just about power. Directed by Talia Lugacy, a first time filmmaker who met Dawson when both were students at The Lee Strasberg Institute, seems very committed to exploring the psychic violence associated with rape and how Maya attempts to rebuild her life and move on from it. But, Lugacy also explores how this rape destroys Maya’s perspective on race and sexuality and her own freedom, all of which is violated by Jared when he calls her vile and racist names (“baboon”, “bitch”, etc.)

This is where “Descent” becomes more than a rape-revenge fantasy. What Lugacy (and writing partner Brian Faust) have done is to place this film in the academic, yet very real space of the intersections of race, class, sexuality, and identity. Up until now, one can assume that the issue of race was something Maya never addressed in her life. This rape awakened (in a very brutal and difficult way) Maya’s consciousness as a woman of color—a woman who is both objectified and reviled because of the very potent and real space she lives in and navigates as a woman of mixed-race (presumably, the viewer assumes that Maya is Black and Latina, but even then, this treads into an area of unfair and equally as damning and problematic labeling that many individuals who are mixed-race face by those who are not willing nor able to understand how “fluid” racial identity can be and is in this society).

This new racial consciousness is symbolized by Maya’s visits to a dance club in the city and her relationship to Adrian (British musician turned actor Marcus Patrick), an Afro-Latino DJ she meets after a night of hard partying. Even though it is implied, this consciousness is seen when Maya finally finds the courage to dance among the writhing bodies on the dance floor, and starts to experiment with drugs all in an effort to reclaim what Jared stole from her.

But, this attack makes it clear that Maya will never be able to go through life being judged on her intelligence and character. Maya (like all men and women of color) will be judged on her racial and sexual identity as well her beauty. She figures this out by hanging with Adrian, an extremely physical and sexually potent man who gives her bits of advice and “street wisdom” while slowly introducing her to cocaine and other drugs. Adrian is a bit of an anomaly himself: while clearly positioning himself as “straight”, it is obvious that Adrian is, more or less, omni/pansexual. He is a fan of the ladies and men, as evidenced by an “all-American” White boy whose racial and sexual desire of Adrian is played up for humiliation and laughs when he makes the boy smoke a cigarette from between his toes. It is here that power comes into play for those who are “oppressed”; Maya becomes more assertive when playing out and playing up her racial and sexual identities for White people who are obsessed by her looks: two particular scenes speak to this when Maya forces a White girl to wear makeup, and when Maya blindfolds (flirting with aspects of bondage) the very boy Adrian humiliated in an early scene, conceptions of power and how it can be interchanged become an additional space in this movie.

It is here that “Descent” transcends the rap-revenge fantasy motif (done for laughs and exploitation in such films like Irreversible (2002), The Last House On The Left (1972), and I Spit On Your Grave/Day Of The Woman (1978), and countless other Hollywood films in which women are subjected to various forms of objectification and rape—both physical and emotional) and becomes more about the ways in which is both a very sobering and ripe metaphor for racial, sexual and cultural domination, and how the consequences and retribution for this is always inhumane and extremely callous.

Rather than go into Jared’s “karmic undoing” and ultimately telling the truth of who he truly is, Maya’s retribution makes the nine-minute anal rape of Alex (Monica Bellucci) in Irreversible seem like a soft-core joke, and the graphic rape and murder of the girls in The Last House On The Left seem like a bad comedy. The scene is graphic, disturbing, extreme, and infinitely expected. But, it leaves the viewer with the question: Was it worth it? Did Maya really get her “vengeance” and “freedom” from what Jared did to her? This is left up to the viewer when the camera holds on Maya’s face during the final minutes of the film, and she is crying, silently, and in theory, back in the same place she was at the beginning of the film.

This film could not have worked without the powerful and ridiculously engaging performances by Dawson, Chad Faust, and Marcus Patrick. To say that this is a career-making performance for these actors is tame. All three DESERVE the right to be considered and INCLUDED in all nominations for the upcoming awards season.

Rosario, finally able to show the dramatic chops she rarely gets a chance to show in past films (with The 25th Hour, He Got Game, and Kids being exceptions), truly gives a bare, revealing, and very profound performance as Maya. In Maya, Dawson gives the viewer an insight into the perspective a woman who has been violated by rape, and the difficult attempts she makes to overcome it and heal. I think Maya also speaks to the small numbers of men who are also victims of sexual violence and don’t have the voice to “speak” about their assault because of cultural and societal mores. Maya also embodies the countless students of color who attend colleges just like Maya’s: lily-White, “All-American” environments where those who are “different” or “other” are rendered invisible, or reduced to being nothing more than racial and sexual objects for consumption by White men (and women) who are both unknowingly and actively objectifying their peers who are of color.

Extremely hard to watch and difficult to see and take in, “Descent” is a film that is needed to not only start and expand the current dialogue on rape and sexual violence, but to also have a very honest discussion about power and how it influences the intersections of race, class, sexuality, and identity in very negative and frightening ways. Both realistic and theoretical, “Descent” takes you to an uncomfortable place. But, a place that is honest and raw and one that we all need to be in order to fully address and combat sexual violence against men and women in society.

DESCENT is rated NC-17 and is currently playing in a limited-engagement run at CC Village East Cinemas (181 2nd Avenue on 12th Street).

GRADE: A- (for the performances)/B+ (for the writing)