The East

Sarah (Brit Marling) works for a private security firm in Washington DC that gathers intelligence against eco-terrorists. Her agency is employed by big corporations under fire for endangering the health of people and/or the environment. This includes industries like oil refineries, pharmaceuticals, etc. Sarah is selected as an undercover agent to infiltrate an anarchist group known as The East. Posing as one of them she endeavors to gain knowledge and report back to her bosses at the bureau. The subsequent information will be used to make arrests.

A majority of the cast have fully developed personalities. What makes The East so captivating is the perceptive screenplay.  Credit  star Brit Marling who co-writes and produces with director Zal Batmanglij, the same duo responsible for 2011’s Sound of My Voice. As our lead protagonist Sarah, she’s an appealing presence, smart and attractive, capable of handling herself in rough situations . She prays for guidance to do what is right and acts with her conscience. We experience the faction through her eyes, judging everything she experiences. It’s a carefully modulated window into a world not many have experienced. As she extracts information / develops friendships, these characters become complex individuals. Alexander Skarsgård is their cultish leader. To emphasize the point, he sports Jesus-like hair and beard. We’re first introduced to him at a dinner scene involving straitjackets. It’s a memorable introduction to his methods. He has earned a dedicated loyalty from his followers. These include Doc (Toby Kebbell) and Izzy (Ellen Page), both of which offer detailed backstories to explain why they’re part of this collective.

When I originally saw the trailer for The East, I figured it would be a “horror” film recounting violent revenge “The East” exacted on evil companies they determined should be taken to task. But the way the plot unfolds it’s more of a character examination balancing the principles of environmental terrorists with those of a corporate spy concerned about their “eye for an eye” mentality.  It’s natural to champion the environment, but hardly anyone would go to the limits of these radicals.  We see these activists operate on the far end on the protester spectrum. They break into a gasoline mogul’s mansion and dump crude oil through the air-conditioning vents. Later they lace the champagne of employees at a drug manufacturer’s party with their own questionable medication. Their extreme behavior is not something most people would advocate. Yet we grow to understand their motivations and their viewpoint. On this converse side, we also appreciate Sarah’s dilemma as she starts to sympathize with her criminal zealots and their alarming objectives. There are some issues. You might say that Brit Marling as Sarah ingratiates herself into the group a bit too easily. Also, the narrative is tidied up at the conclusion in a couple hastily presented scenes that don’t do the nuanced story any favors. But more often than not this portrait is a brilliant study that handles multiple characters with deft and precision. Few films have accomplished this so skillfully in 2013.

Frances Ha

Greta Gerwig, star and co-writer of Frances Ha, is a good influence on Noah Baumbach. They met when she co-starred in his 2010 film, Greenberg and their collaboration has now yielded something I can actually recommend. I have always had difficulty warming up to the director’s misanthropic view on life. Except for his work with Wes Anderson, his characters have largely been rather repellent. That’s what makes Frances Ha such a nice surprise. Our lead is a comparatively upbeat oddball, albeit infused with an undercurrent of woe. Baumbach’s pessimistic attitude is still there, but you have the feeling that there’s a light at the end of this tunnel.

Frances is a 27 year old living in Brooklyn. She’s an apprentice for a dance company but hasn’t accomplished her dreams to become a full blown dancer. She has a boyfriend, to whom she cannot commit. Conversely she has a very close relationship with her best friend Sophie. However Sophie has recently gotten engaged and is moving out. Now Frances has an apartment which she cannot afford on her own. She attempts to rectify these setbacks with little to no success. Gentle and self-effacing, she charges ahead undaunted by all the curve balls thrown her way. The story is made up of fragmented pieces that yearn to create a fully formed whole, much like our protagonist.

Frances Ha is an amiable slice of life drama detailing a totally realized personality. Baumbach has decided to shoot the action in digital black and white. It lends a picturesque polish to an unforgiving portrait of New York. Her daily frustrations take on a whimsical quality. These problems almost seem like fantasy. At times Frances is endearing, and at others, you just want to shake her until she finds some focus. She exists passively going through life with a certain fatalism that can occasionally grow a little annoying. But on the flip side, there is an awkward charm to Frances. Her conversations defined by the actress’s effortless delivery as if she’s making up her dialogue on the spot. Her date Lev, whom she is treating to dinner, asks what happened when she disappears to get cash from an ATM after her credit card is declined. “I’m so embarrassed; I’m not a real person yet,” she sheepishly replies. She is still a child flirting with adulthood, but at least she is forging an attempt. For once Baumbach offers us a sympatric individual. Greta Gerwig has everything to do with Baumbach’s kinder, gentler direction.  I give my stamp of approval on this romantic and creative partnership.

Kon-Tiki

Kon-Tiki, the Inca god of Sun and storm, was the name of the balsa-wood raft used by Norwegian explorer and writer Thor Heyerdahl. The primitive vessel was instrumental in his 1947 expedition across the Pacific Ocean from South America to the Polynesian islands. The purpose was to show that the South American people could have settled Polynesia in the pre-Columbian era using only the simple materials and technologies available to them at the time. I kept thinking that just because they could doesn’t necessarily mean they did but that’s never addressed. Incidentally most anthropologists now believe they did not but that‘s another discussion entirely. There’s no denying that Heyerdahl was a brave and admirable trailblazer who basically just wanted to prove that you couldn’t rule the possibility out. Their mission was presented in a non fictional account in 1950 that actually won the Academy Awards for Best Documentary Feature the following year. Now it’s been made into a historical drama, which was subsequently nominated for Best Foreign Language Film (Amour received the award).

Kon-Tiki is a pleasant but very conventional movie. The plot is mostly made of the 4,300 nautical mile-journey from Peru to Polynesia aboard a flimsy raft. Heyerdahl is a tall blonde tanned Norwegian. His staff is also made up of the same, well four Norwegians and a Swede, but they all posses the same handsomely pale features, indistinguishable from each other. These characters are really generic. That even includes the intrepid star who should’ve been more exciting. Over three months, the team’s scientific voyage is met with a few small setbacks but it’s largely uneventful. Oh there’s storms, a shark gets on the boat, a whale almost topples the raft. Those developments are gripping so those moments engage. The cinematography is pretty too. But more often than not, the action focuses on the humans. Unfortunately their humdrum conversations are boring. The occasional infighting amongst the team does not a film make.

The Great Gatsby

From a sensory standpoint, The Great Gatsby is an unqualified success. Director Baz Luhrmann has once again married a modern soundtrack to a retro setting in another anachronistic move that also highlighted Romeo + Juliet and Moulin Rouge! I don’t mind the contemporary soundtrack produced by Jay-Z. In fact the hip-hop songs help heighten the excitement of the party scenes. Each soiree is a sensational wonder of Art Deco style. Digitized glitter and streamers fill the screen in a hyperactive techno dazzle display that is a visual and audible overload for the senses – a heady cocktail of debauchery, flowing booze and loud music. The camera swoops and dives amongst the glittering party people. Cuts are fast and furious. Two people talk and there are 10 edits to fortify the exchange. But the flamboyant choices give the production the emotional depth of a commercial advertising Moët & Chandon.

The pace is frantic. We’re never really offered a chance to breathe and given the dramatic time needed to understand what makes these individuals tick. That party at Gatsby’s mansion is perhaps the most invigorating set piece in the entire movie. Although our main protagonist hasn’t even appeared yet. That’s a bit of problem in a drama called The Great Gatsby. Even when Leonardo DiCaprio finally does make an appearance, he feels more like a supporting character in his own story. Daisy Buchanan, as played by Carey Mulligan, is supposed to have inspired Gatsby in his lifelong quest to win back her heart. Unfortunately the narrative never presents a compelling reason why this woman has consumed his life.

What works in a book does not always work on screen. Luhrmann’s slavish devotion to the novel hurts its cinematic chances to engage. Tobey McGuire as Nick Carraway is not the protagonist, but rather the first person narrator. He, in fact, occupies more screen time than anyone. He registers his approval, disgust, admiration to the audience on everyone. His constant narration is observing and commenting on what he sees. In the book he’s a poetic way to frame the chronicle, but in a movie, he’s a killjoy. He seems more like an interference than as someone who is helping the drama along. Baz has decided to have Nick writing the story of The Great Gatsby from inside a sanitarium while being treated for alcoholism. See F. Scott Fitzgerald’s words literally jump off the screen in 3D as Nick types them! It would be a perfect way to illustrate song lyrics for a pop music video. In this context, the static effect only serves to remind us we’re watching a dramatization from a distance. The device does nothing to draw us into the saga.

The Great Gatsby seems destined to remain one of those unadaptable books. The beauty of Fitzgerald’s prose never seems to translate properly to the silver screen. Filmmakers have tried. This is the fifth adaptation of the classic work of American fiction. Published in 1925, The Great Gatsby is considered by many to be The Great American Novel. It details the acquisition of the American dream and the hollow facade behind those that have acquired it. Fitzgerald beautifully captured a cross-section of American society. He delights in capturing a time and place, namely the Jazz Age of the 1920s in Long Island, New York. Director Luhrmann certainly captures the look of an era. The art direction is beyond compare. The costumes are extraordinary. It’s without a doubt a technical marvel of resplendent opulence. But the attention to superficial details comes at an expense. The spectacle IS the story. The amplified style lacks any meaningful insight that would make these people interesting. It isn’t until a heated confrontation between Gatsby and Tom in a hotel that we form any connection to them as well as Nick, Daisy and Jordan – the rest of the primary cast. Sadly it’s near the end of the film. The production seems more concerned with minutiae like the large curl in Jordan’s black hair, than in what she is saying. “I just heard the most shocking thing. It all makes sense!” the golf pro coos early on at a party before disappearing without explanation. We’re supposed to care what she’s talking about. Strangely we don’t.

Mud

Matthew McConaughey’s name is ‘Mud’ in writer/director Jeff Nichols’ musing on southern life along the Mississippi River. Ellis and Neckbone are a couple of Arkansas teenagers who happen upon the drifter in an exiled status. Covered in a mixture of soft earth and water, Mud is aptly named. He’s a cursed man living a solitary existence, but he’s also a charismatic individual full of stories to tell. Ellis is intrigued with the strange plight of this homeless man and they embark upon an agreement whereby he swaps the promise of his boat in return for their help.

Mud’s biggest selling point are the captivating performances. Matthew McConaughey can act. He’s been on a winning streak ever since 2011’s The Lincoln Lawyer. This role is up to the same high standard as every portrayal he’s given in the last couple years. He’s matched by two teens, the skeptical Neckbone (Jacob Lofland) and idealistic Ellis (Tye Sheridan). This is only Sheridan’s second credit (he played the youngest of the 3 boys in The Tree of Life). The authenticity of his work makes him a memorable actor. In the midst of Ellis’ interactions with Mud, we come to discover the tension between the teen’s  parents at home is escalating. Ostensibly it’s “something to believe in” that causes Ellis to be so taken with his circumstance. Mud’s desire to reunite with his girl Juniper also becomes a mission of sorts for the young hopeless romantic. That a young boy would take on the problems of a stranger in the name of true love is not particularly believable, but it is curious at least. Juniper, on the other hand, is so nondescript it’s inexplicable why the role attracted a major star. Incidentally, Reese Witherspoon adds nothing to the underwritten character.

Mud is a nice little slice of Americana and it’s got some beautifully written dialogue showcasing McConaughey and the two boys. It’s not obvious initially, but turns out the movie’s main purpose are the exchanges that Mud has with the boys. The boys are articulate and McConaughey is charming, as usual. I was captivated for the first half. But as things progress, the pervading sluggishness becomes tedious when contrasted with the script’s flirtation with thriller elements that never really transpire into anything significant. It’s an adolescent coming of age story with the stereotypical thrust into adulthood. The derivative ingredients ultimately prove to be too insubstantial to support a film that runs over two hours. As we learn more about Mud and the boys, the less intellectually satisfying things become and we realize it’s the conversations themselves that are supposed to captivate us, not some revelatory event. The seemingly unending discourse makes the genre action climax all the more puzzling. It’s almost as if the screenwriter felt compelled to punctuate a mood piece of southern charm and flawed characters with something lively.

Disconnect

A news reporter delves into the world of a video chat room worker, a high school teen is the target of an online prank, and a couple coping with the loss of their child, fall victim to identity theft. Disconnect is an emotional character study that details how the people in a trio of interconnected stories are influenced by increasing technology. The method in which social media has infected our existence has rarely been scrutinized with such dramatic intensity.

Disconnect examines affinity amongst people, or the lack thereof. These crumbling lives are handled in a similar fashion as films like American Beauty or Paul Haggis’ Crash. The script details their collapse through social media and its influence in the Information Age. Modern technology has so infiltrated our daily routine it has an almost insidious hold over us. The way it affects our close relationships is masterfully exploited. Given the prevalence of Internet chat, digital cameras and smart phones, it’s a topic that I’m surprised isn’t studied more often in film. Perhaps the so called “threat” occupies such a pervasive place in our habits it doesn’t even seem dangerous anymore. What once was science fiction is now reality.

That people are able to connect with complete strangers online is a psychological phenomenon that is more pervasive than is ever publicly acknowledged. The girlfriend hoax that involved football player Manti Te’o in the fall of 2012 is one public example. But I suspect there are many more examples of similar occurrences we never hear about. That feeling of closeness with an unknown entity on the other side of a computer is a fascinating subject. It’s an idea ripe for drama and examined in all three of these stories.

If this was merely another cautionary tale of the dangers of technology, it might not have been so successful. After all, that concept is nothing new. What makes this account so real is the depth of human sorrow explored. Disconnect does a brilliant job of presenting individuals and their human failings. Loneliness is a pervading theme. There’s a lot of melodrama here and for the most part it presents these people with honesty and believability. In an equation where the sum of the individual vignettes must add up to the power of the overall experience, Disconnect scores very high. There are profound moments of despair. A daughter’s sobbing realization she did nothing to support her younger brother is heartbreaking. A childless couple confronted with each other’s online histories is discomforting. The online conversation between a teen bully and the victim’s father is insightful. That father is ably played by Jason Bateman in a serious turn that showcases a dramatic talent seldom seen in his comedic roles. He’s exceptional but so is everyone else in this reflection of converging lives. There isn’t a false performance in the entire lot. There’s genuine feeling on display. That’s what makes this portrait so effective.

Trance

British director Danny Boyle’s latest creation is a mind-blowing heist movie in the world of hypnotherapy. Our story concerns a selling agent of fine-art named Simon (James McAvoy) who works at a prestigious auction house just like Sotheby’s but not Sotheby’s. Some thieves led by crime boss Franck (Vincent Cassel) attempt to steal Francisco Goya’s Witches in the Air after being sold for $27 million. Simon, who is actually in cahoots with the criminals, attempts to double cross his cohorts and hide the artwork for himself. But he suffers a blow to the skull in the ensuing fracas. Now he can’t remember what he did with the painting due to his amnesia. Needless to say, Franck is more than a little displeased and forces Simon to visit a hypnotherapist in an effort to jog his memory.

The importance of memory has been a common theme in Boyle’s films. Trance is the latest example. As Elizabeth (Rosario Dawson) probes deeper into Simon’s subconscious, the developing story takes on a depth that becomes more twisty than was initially apparent. The pacing is brisk and the personalities are fascinating. The mood is particularly exhilarating. The style exhibits the joy of a filmmaker that is relaxed. His fun is infectious and I was ready to be taken on an exciting trip. Once again Boyle taps longtime collaborator Rick Smith of the band Underworld for the pulsating score. The music throbs with a life that energizes the plot. All of this lays the groundwork for a head-scratching finale.

Trance is a well acted thriller. The narrative is surprisingly straightforward for the majority of the drama.  It’s not hard to follow. So that makes the developments of the final third a bit troubling. A chaotic eleventh hour action sequence flips everything completely on its head. You‘ll question what you’ve just witnessed. It plays fast and loose with the motivations of the characters. Assumptions are dashed. It tinkers with the conventions of hero and villain. If you’re content to rest in the hands of an auteur and allow yourself to go where he takes you, you should enjoy this film. As a self avowed fan, I was willing to put my faith in the director’s vision. You’ll end up debating the specifics though. Was a particular event real, a dream, a recollection or a suggestion? And who did what and to whom? To be honest, I’m still not sure how to interpret what happened, but for some reason I didn’t care that my expectations were destroyed. I think the journey was sufficiently entertaining that I didn’t mind the misdirection. In fact I kind of enjoyed it.

42

The life of Jackie Robinson gets the treatment you’d expect in Warner Brothers’ perfectly serviceable biography. The chronicle is a suitable document of the first African American to play Major League Baseball (MLB) in the modern era. Director Brian Helgeland (Payback, A Knight’s Tale) beatific depiction of Jackie Robinson is befitting of how Disney handles their sports pictures. It’s reverent, didactic and compelling. However given the magnitude of Robinson’s breakthrough, I was expecting a bit more grit. Perhaps in the hands of a more contentious director, the action would have seemed more controversial. There’s a brief moment of that in one particular scene involving actor Alan Tudyk as Ben Chapman, the manager of the Phillies who vociferously opposed Robbins’s presence in MLB on the basis of his race. The scenes in which he taunts Robinson with racial epithets was even more disturbing than the many uses of the N-word in the movie Django Unchained. Perhaps that’s because this is a true story but also because of Robinson’s pacifist approach to the abuse that was forced on him. It’s is one of the few instances where you genuinely get a feel for the weight of his struggle.

42 is a polished biography. It’s got beautiful music, bright cinematography and is populated by some nice performances. Chadwick Boseman notably underplays Jackie Robinson in a way that doesn’t feel like he’s grasping for the Academy Award. He’s quite effective. As is Nicole Beharie who plays “the wife” but with an effervescence that made me want to see more of her in future films. Harrison Ford reminds us that he doesn’t always just phone it in. As Branch Rickey, the General Manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers that signs Robinson to the team, he is truly engaging. 42 hits all the dramatic notes you’d except in a memoir such as this. It’s not particularly deep or insightful, but it is inspiring. Robinson becomes more a symbol through which other people unleash their racial hatred against. I would’ve appreciated a little more detail in the script about the man himself. More vignettes involving his personality as well as his athletic accomplishments in the world of baseball would‘ve been welcome. The lesson appears to be talent and money speak louder than hate. 42 is an admirable addition to baseball pictures that dutifully dramatize the subject in a way that is both pleasant and entertaining.

The Place Beyond the Pines

It starts with a shot of a guy displaying his impressive skill with a butterfly knife. As the tracking shot continues, it follows him as he walks through a carnival fairground. We discover he’s on his way to a show where he proceeds to mount a motorcycle and ride it into an enclosed spherical cage made of steel. He’s joined by two additional men on bikes and the resulting display is greeted with applause from the small audience. The guy is Luke Glanton and he’s a stuntman. Haphazardly covered in tattoos that almost look like doodles, he is a man of few words. It’s a brilliant start because it establishes so much about this man simply from visual clues. After that deceptively simple opening we are introduced to a former acquaintance, Romina (Eva Mendes) and her boyfriend Kofi (Mahershala Ali). The two are taking care of her infant son. This cluster of individuals is a fascinating subject for a picture. Ah but that’s merely the beginning.

The Place Beyond the Pines is a stunning multi-generational saga that has two other stories in addition to the one that makes up the film’s first third. This dramatic triptych continues on to detail the life of policeman Avery Cross (Bradley Cooper) and two teens (Dane DeHaan and Emory Cohen). The latter two struggling to keep their head above the tricky waters of high school. All the aforementioned actors pull off incredible performances worthy of mention. Newcomer Cohen is like the re-incarnation of Brad Renfro. He’s surprisingly good given I’ve never even heard of him. Who these various people are and how their lives fit together is something best discovered by experiencing the film. Director Derek Cianfrance‘s script which he co-wrote with Ben Coccio and Darius Marder, does a masterful job at managing multiple parts. Despite an ever-shifting narrative, each person is a fully formed human being with a separate focus. Even a role as seemingly one-dimensional as Cross’ wife Jennifer (Rose Byrne) has a distinct purpose that we can identify with in the one major scene she has. Ray Liotta and Ben Mendelsohn further contribute in key supporting parts that significantly alter the story. It’s only April, but this should rank high amongst the ensemble casts of 2013

The Place Beyond the Pines is an ambitious tale you’ll remember long after the credits have rolled. Cianfrance masterfully presents a carefully balanced epic of guilt, sin and redemption amongst fathers and sons. But he also provides car chases, guns and cop corruption. It’s got it all in a magnificently sweeping chronicle. The script’s handling of good vs. evil isn’t too subtle.  However the morally questionable motives of these people often belie honorable intentions. That’s what gives these characters a depth that makes them compelling. At times it’s a bit overwhelming to process all the themes that are being addressed. If Cianfrance’s Blue Valentine could be called an elaborate composition then The Place Beyond the Pines must be considered a grand opus of breathtaking proportions. If this is a logical progression, I can’t wait to see what the director does for an encore.

Spotlight on Scorsese: Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (Fast Film Reviews)

Reblogged from Rorschach Reviews:

Mark Hobin is the man behind Fast Film Reviews and the second contributor to my Spotlight on Scorsese guest review series.  The second blog I ever clicked "Follow" on, Fast Film Reviews remains one of my go-to sources for reviews of new releases and more.  You can follow Mark's blog here or check out our blogger interview here.

Alice Hyatt, a recently widowed mother with a 10 year old son, is on the cusp of starting anew.

Read more… 627 more words

I've been a loyal reader of the nifty film review blog that Andy Swinnerton maintains over at Rorschach Reviews for some time. Recently he decided to spotlight director Martin Scorsese and invited his readers to contribute reviews on his films.

I made the somewhat unpredictable choice of Scorsese's fourth film Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore. Still well regarded, it's rarely included on the shortlist of his greatest films these days. Yet I still consider it one of his finest achievements. I think I make a pretty good case for it. Please check out my review on his site by clicking on the link above.