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Trance (2013)
Hypnotically Stylish Noir
Seldom is a director so talented a stylist that he can practically carry a movie all by himself. Danny Boyle does this magnificently in his visually stunning, mind bending, neo-noir film, "Trance".
Simon (James McAvoy), a fine arts auctioneer, participates in the heist of a Goya classic painting valued at over 40 million dollars. In trying to double cross his partners, he receives a smash in the head from gang leader Frank (a fine Vincent Cassel) When Simon awakens, he can't seem to remember where he put that darned painting. Frank and company have no problem helping him remember by pulling out his fingernails. When that won't work , they enlist the help of hypnotherapist, Elizabeth Lamb (Rosario Dawson) to get our boy to recall what happened.
What follows is a twist-a-minute story that Boyle keeps moving at a brisk and entertaining pace. Elizabeth (Dawson, who has never been better), uses her skills to slowly coax more and more information from Simon, though when she finds out what they are really after, has no problem cutting herself into the deal in exchange for her services. Her hypnotic ways go way beyond therapy as she manages to seduce Frank and begins to play him against Simon.
Boyle is the rare director who is able to move between genres with seeming ease, and does an excellent job with each. Whether it be sci-fi as in "Sunshine", third world melodrama "Slumdog Millionaire", or drug drama as in "Trainspotting", he is clearly a force to be reckoned with. Here he moves back and forth seamlessly from reality to very imaginatively depicted hypnotic suggestions. The hypnotic sequences are extremely creative and entertainingly done. At one point, Simon seems to drift through a sea of Van Gogh sunflowers, at another, a seemingly dead character talks with half a head.
One might get lost and confused with all the switching from fantasy to reality; this can be a positive or a negative depending on the viewer. At first I was miffed at the disorientation I felt about what was really happening, but then I appreciated having the same feeling as the lead character, whose disorientation and confusion is so well handled by McAvoy.
The script was adapted by Joe Ahearne and John Hodge, based on Ahearne's 2001 made for TV movie by the same name. They handle the noir genre well- with a solid grip on all the conventions, but also with a real freshness. Suffice to say, this is a real "R" movie; there are some gory moments indeed.
A well publicized glimpse of Dawson's nether regions unfortunately pulled me out of the story for a couple of minutes, as I imagined Boyle in a trailer, convincing Dawson of the need for her to go "full frontal" for the sake of the story. I laughed, thinking what else could he convince her of? Then I learned that Boyle and Dawson were indeed an item for a while after shooting. Live and let live--no matter, for Boyle doesn't slow things down enough for you to get too distracted, as his editing style is delightfully brisk.
The throbbing soundtrack by Rick Smith also lends itself well to the proceedings. The final conclusion is a bit disappointing and a bit derivative of other "dream" films like Christopher Nolan's "Inception", but overall this is not an epic, but sheer entertainment, and mesmerizingly done at that.
The Place Beyond the Pines (2012)
Depressing Legacies
You can't escape your legacy. No matter what you do, you are doomed to reap what was sown by your fathers. That's the overall message of the depressing "A Place Beyond the Pines", where the bad choices of cops and robbers come back to bite them in the bum.
Director Derek Cianfrance of "Blue Valentine", once again makes great use of Ryan Gosling who plays Luke--the epitome of the cool carny. In a wonderful, single take, opening tracking shot, we follow Luke--donning a leather jacket over his ripped, heavily tattooed body as he strolls toward the circus big top. Gosling exudes charisma as a daredevil motorcycle rider who is currently in Schenectady with a traveling circus.
Things change when a haggard looking Romina (Eva Mendes) appears during one of Luke's post-show autographing sessions. They had a fling when the circus was in town last year and he offers her a ride back home. Apparently that's all she wants-- she's moved on and has a "new man". When Luke stops in to see her again before the circus shoves off, he finds out that the baby boy in Grandma's arms is his.
Inexplicably stricken with new responsibility (isn't this an occupational hazard for carnies?), Luke gives up his circus gig to try to win back his girl and his baby. He moves in with a deadbeat mechanic (Ben Mendelsohn) who convinces him of the easy money to be made robbing banks. Naturally, Luke is ready for a piece of the action. The circus is gone and he has a mouth to feed doesn't he? Still with us? The stupidity continues unabated.
Unfortunately, this is the best part of the film. For we are soon "treated" to two more vastly inferior stories. The first is of college grad cop, Avery (Bradley Cooper) who has a baby boy of his own and whose path crosses with Luke's. Avery then finds himself dealing with the corruption on the police force when a squad of bad apples (led by Ray Liotta) start forcing him to do cliché,"bad cop" things. The result is predictable and boring.
The third narrative in this overlong melodrama takes place 15 years later as the sons of Avery and Luke implausibly meet in high school, only to deal with the demons in their past, or the "sins of the fathers" if you will. If absolute stupidity in life choices is somehow supposed to endear us to these characters, Cianfrance fails miserably. In fact, they are stupid beyond credulity. I mean can you believe for a second that the clean cut, college educated son of a supreme court judge (Avery) has a son who talks and acts like a ghetto hood? No? Neither could I.
If you have teenage sons, don't see this movie; your palms will itch with the desire to slap someone, as you observe the sheer inanity of these characters. Cianfrance certainly has taken on too much with these three stories. He would have been much better off, dealing with the first story line alone. Unfortunately the promise of the opening narrative dissipates quickly and we are left with an unconvincing melodrama of foolish choices and regrets, that is surprisingly banal.
The photography is wonderful and the actors perform admirably but not even Gosling can save the cloddish script written by Cianfrance, Ben Coccio and Darius Marder--whose pessimistic view of humanity is neither original, nor is its presentation inspired.
No (2012)
Selling Democracy Like Mentos!
In elections, people seem less moved by the truth than by their desires. A point made very well in Pablo Larrain's excellent drama about the Oct 5 1989 referendum that ended the 15 year reign of military dictator Augusto Pinochet in Chile.
Pinochet's government, compelled by international pressure, is forced to hold a referendum or plebiscite, on whether the government should continue. Gael Garcia Bernal plays Rene Saavedra, a cynical ad man who is tapped to head the "NO" campaign, which is allotted 15 minutes of TV time per night, for a month to make their case on why Chileans should vote "NO" to another 8 years of Pinochet. Meanwhile the Pinochet government follows with their 15 minute "SI" campaign, and in reality the control of the rest of the media
From the outset Bernal rocks the boat as he dismisses his group's desire to air their grievances about Pinochet's political kidnapping, torturing, and executions, in favor of the political equivalent of a Mentos commercial. Bernal is not received well by his compatriots, who accuse him of trivializing, but Bernal is convinced that the Chileans don't want to dwell on the negative past, but want a positive vision of a future of liberty and happiness. Yet this vision, comically, is reduced mostly to musical montages of people dancing, singing, mimes, and kids running through fields. Larrain expertly captures the silliness of 8o's style ads. When Bernal seeks a musical theme for the movement, he insists to the songwriter that he's not looking for an anthem, he wants " a jingle".
In the meantime, Bernal's boss is working against him in the Pinochet campaign;his estranged wife is in and out of jail as a political activist; and he cares for his young son. Things begin to get dangerous when pro-Pinochet thugs begin to harass and intimidate the NO campaigners.
Larrain holds our attention in this taut drama. He enters in and out of what could be cumbersome political dialog deftly. Though surely the whole story of the Pinochet demise is not told here, the particular way in which the ad men help take down a dictator is riveting. Seldom has a birth of a democracy been more inspirationally depicted.
Using video cameras made to deliver images that bleed like the early video cameras of the 80's was an unfortunate choice though. In trying to capture the essence of the time, presenting a documentary feel through video, or perhaps the ugliness of the time, Larrain has only succeeding in distracting and making an exceedingly ugly-looking film. Too bad, for so much else here is superlative.
Bernal's character is very detached. We never get a real sense of his emotional involvement in the campaign and its significance to him. This seems to be the point. He comes off like the quintessential , detached professional. From the beginning, he seems more like a careerist who is more into the challenge of the "sale" than any ideology. This detachment is frustrating but ultimately fascinating. Can it be that modernism itself, and the professional cultural manipulators were and are more effective than the ideologues?
When Bernal turns it around and uses hard news techniques to sell a soap opera, the irony is thick. In selling democracy or anything else, it seems the only thing that matters is what works.
The We and the I (2012)
Bumpy Bus Ride In Da Bronx
Have you ever been riding along peacefully on the good old MTA, when all of a sudden at the next stop, a mob of kids just out of school fills the subway car or bus with raucous noise and energy? Often this can be quite an unnerving experience, to say the least. It was a similar experience that led French director, Michel Gondry, to make the fresh and original, dramedy, "The We and the I" which opened March 8th.
It's the last day of school, and a quiet city bus is transformed into a quasi detention center as it is filled with a gaggle of inner city teenagers getting ready for summer vacation. Gondry does not paint a glossy picture here. A group of bullies occupy the back row, where two elementary school kids are threatened, and an elderly woman is ordered to give up her seat. Near the front of the bus, a self absorbed princess (Laidychen Carrasco) agonizes over her sweet 16 party invitation list, and soon what seems to be a troubled young lady (Teresa Lynn) appears with a new blond wig only to encounter the relentless mockery of her peers, as she pines for one of the mean kids (Michael Brodie) . Vignettes make up the bulk of the largely plot less film. Save for the flashbacks, most of the action takes place on the bus.
The unsympathetic framing of the students works very well at first. Gondry cast real life New York teenagers from The Point, a community center in the Bronx, to give us a non judgmental glimpse of the world of these teens. Apparently Gondry spent three years work-shopping the story with the kids and it shows. Gondry's facility with the teens is impressive. The cast seem very relaxed and natural, and it almost feels as if we are fellow passengers on the bus as we eavesdrop on the various goings on. Gondry's visual style, used to such effectiveness in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is used to great effect here as well. The exploration of the teens use of video, texting and cell phones is done imaginatively in various flashbacks. The film has comic, almost magical realistic moments, for instance, when Laidychen's brother comes, Jesus like, onto the bus to settle a dispute, or when one of the nerdier kids lays it on thick about partying with Donald Trump.
Not all is sure footed here. With all of the jumping around between stories, many of the characters seem only partially realized and even cartoonish. More reflective scenes seem forced in the third act. Gondry also treads dangerous racial waters (a la Birth of a Nation) when all the kids lasciviously eye a beautiful white girl, riding her bike in slow motion. Also, I couldn't help but feel uneasy when I found out at the screening that a pivotal scene, where one of the boys breaks up with his lover, was actually an unscripted, and all-too-real moment captured on film. Ethical questions of exploitation did cross my mind--which begs the question if this could not have been more affecting, if it had been a straight documentary.
The attempt to connect us to the characters ultimately falls flat, and we, notwithstanding the attempts of the filmmakers, still feel like the "other"-- unable to relate to the stereotypes that are left on the screen. Perhaps this is what motivated Gondry, (very awkwardly) , to put a narrated letter at the end credits from the mother of some of the students, expressing gratitude for the kids participation.
Yet still, the energy and freshness of the teens, and the ambition of Gondry to communicate the journey from peer identity to self direction make this bus ride very worthy of the swipe.
The Grey (2011)
"Live and Die This Day"---feels more like the latter..
The Grey (Two and a half stars)
If you've ever wanted to know what it's like to get ripped up by wolves, here's your movie. "Once more into the fray!" So quotes Liam Neeson, as he remembers his father"s favorite poem. It comes in handy as he finds himself leading a pack of men against a pack of wolves in this bleak survival drama. The always likable Neeson once again proves himself so in The Grey. Directed by Joe Carnahan based on his co-written script, we are along for one dark and cold ride.
Neeson shines as an oil driller whose job with the company is to keep those pesky wolves from the other workers with his high powered rifle. But he's haunted as he tries to compose a letter to his wife, from whom he's been separated. As depressing as that is, it's compounded by the fact that he's among "men unfit for mankind", hard bitten roughnecks boarding a plane for some god-awful frozen zone. The plane goes down with frightening realism, leaving only Neeson and 6 other survivors. Now it's a battle to the death against Mother Nature. And by golly, death we shall have!
The survivors try to gather themselves when they realize that they are surrounded by a pack of wolves. Damned if these wolves aren't as determined as hell to kill these boys across miles of terrain. If only Carnahan and his fellow writers were as determined to give us more than an endurance test. C'mon man, if only the lobos knew how little a threat these guys were, they would've gone to the warmth of "Grandma's" house to await the hottie in red. It begins to feel like a disaster movie where you play "Who dies next?" Neeson's experience with Canis Lupus seems to come in handy, or does it? Seems to me when you are being swarmed by blazingly fast carnivores , in eight inch snow, there is something better to do than "run!" which Neeson bellows to his hapless companions. The Wolves vs. the Roughnecks begins to feel like a blowout Superbowl: after a while, it's just not a challenge anymore, it becomes pathetic.
The parallels of the behavior of a pack of men vis a vis a pack of wolves is interestingly contemplated, but only for a moment. No sooner does the Alpha Male of the Wolf pack put down a challenge, than Neeson finds himself putting his boot to an upstart's rear. In their journey back towards civilization, some interesting conversations occur, as the men discuss the nature of death, the afterlife, and spirituality. Albeit briefly, these thoughts effectively puts us in the same frame of mind as we contemplate the life and death struggle of these men. Receiving no answer when Neeson bellows skyward to help from God, Neeson says "F--- it. I'll do it myself!"
Liam Neeson one again earns his well deserved pay check by elevating what could have amounted to a wilderness slasher film into something a little deeper. Likability surely is a strong commodity, and if Neeson could bottle it, he'd make a whole lot more than this film probably will. He is perfectly cast. The rest of the actors do a good job, but they are hampered by the dour script, although several scenes are quite arresting in their starkness and realism.
Though the performances, and photography are well done, you'll be doubly glad that winter is almost over after watching this depressing tale. Unfortunately, the characters and the interesting ideas regarding death and survival are not as developed as they should have been. There is not much redemption here, just what amounts to ultimately pointless and ironic suffering. Are we supposed to be shocked that these men fight to survive? There has to be more than just the fight, (what are they fighting for?) but we don't have that here. The film ultimately leaves one exhausted and unenlightened. When Neeson quotes his father's poem with "Live and Die this Day", it feels more like the latter.