Hey! We Saw... LOTS of Movies!

Ugh. Kind of got back-logged with these movie reviews... so much so that one of them is already out on DVD! So here is a few movie reviews all in one big wallop.

Warning: There are a few spoilers... but not so much that it will ruin the movie.

Inside Llewyn Davis

So... Inside Llewyn Davis... I didn't really like it. That assessment really just comes down to opinion. Like most Coen Brothers films, it was virtually flawless from a movie-making standpoint. It had a great soundtrack (I was especially happy to see Justin Timberlake perform folk music!) and they found a cast with great voices. That was the one standout of Oscar Isaac's performance, he can sing really well. The guy's got some great talent. I also must point out how great Carey Mulligan is as an actress. I have never seen her give a bad performance... she continues to amaze me. I didn't even know she could sing!

I think my biggest problem with the movie was that I found Isaac's character Llewyn Davis extremely unlikable. He was a total asshole. (I want to take a moment here to point out that I have never seen Oscar Isaac not play a dick on some level... Drive was the least asshole role in which I have seen him, yet he was still a bit of one.) 

The issue is that Llewyn was part of the blossoming folk scene in early 60's Greenwich Village of New York City. It was shown to be a community where friends helped get each other gigs or to scrape by when times were tight. And repeatedly Llewyn Davis acted to burn bridges and treat everyone like shit. Any sympathy I had for him, as he tried to be a solo act after the suicide of his partner, was squandered as he would behave like a self-absorbed, privileged jerk to everyone who tried to help him.

I also think the film missed a large opportunity with a subplot that ended up going nowhere. Davis discovered that a girl he had impregnated didn't go through with the abortion that he paid for. She never told him and was at that point living with her 2 year old offspring of Llewyn Davis in Akron, Ohio. So logically you would think that Davis would confront her and try to connect with his child... but no. He came close in one scene when he was driving through Ohio, but chose not to go to Akron. What was the point of including that, then? To me, that's just bad storytelling.

Furthermore, the climax felt underwhelming. Despite dealing with a myriad of bullshit and disappointments (which I will again add that he brings on much of it himself), I kind of feel like Llewyn Davis should have addressed his partner's suicide. I envisioned a scene where he was standing on the edge of the same bridge his musical companion had hurled himself from. Davis contemplates doing the same for a moment, but instead speaks to his dead partner, saying that he is stronger than him, he won't give up. Something along those lines. It would have shown me that there is something more to him, that keeps driving him to be a better person.

Instead, the movie has a cyclical plot, and in turn accomplishes something similar. It ends where it began. In doing so, you get the impression that each go around, Llewyn does a little bit better than the time before. This time he didn't let his friend's cat escape the apartment where he had crashed the night before. (Something that became a theme throughout the film that he was always trying to get the cat back... SYMBOLISM!) At the club, he sang the same song as at the start of the movie, but this time his performance was much better. You get the feeling that each time he takes this journey, Llewyn Davis learns from some of his mistakes and in turn does a bit better in his life. That aspect of the story I do like; there is an artistic element at work there that is relatable to all of us, even evoking the old adage that 'those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it'... and maybe someday he will learn the lessons he needs to be successful both as a musician and a person. But until then, Llewyn Davis will still be an asshole.  

And now for Jonny Prophet's contribution... heaven help us.

Jonny's Contribution - The entire time I had to watch this whiny asshole, I kept asking myself... what is that cat up to. You know, the cat that escaped the apartment? Man, I bet that cat went on some amazing adventures... and how could he not? It was New York City? Maybe the cat went to the Statue of Liberty or learned to drive a taxi! That was a great cat. So much better than that Llewyn asshole. I bet the cat was also a great folk singer too. I wish I could have seen those feline adventures, chasing squirrels and running from dogs and getting it on with other cats. That would have been a great movie. For shame, Coen Brothers, on throwing away such an amazing oppurtunity to make a movie about a cat.  

I like cats.

Thanks for that Jonny... wait, did you say you wanted to see a movie where cats do it? 

****

The Lego Movie

I freakin' loved The Lego Movie. It's about time we got another good movie in February (the first since Coraline!). The movie was really funny, had an original story, a great twist and a fantastic voice cast featuring Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks, Morgan Freeman, Charlie Day, Liam Neeson, Alison Brie, Nick Offerman and Will Ferrell.  

The animation was really good. I am a fan of anybody doing stop-motion animation, which sadly feels like a dying art. I can't imagine how long it took to shoot the movie, but the animators did an impressive job. There were also a lot of great little inside jokes about Legos themselves, such as the main character, Emmet, trying on different "looks" like new hair or hat accessories or different bodies until he finds the right attire.

The overall plot was amusing. The main characters traversed various Lego 'worlds' such as City, The Old West, Pirates, Space and the cleverly named Middle Zealand! There were lots of character cameos from the many Lego licenses like Ninja Turtles, Lord of the Rings, Star Wars,  Harry Potter and of course the DC Superheroes (as Batman was one of a main characters). I guess Disney didn't allow them to use any of the Marvel characters.   

See, this is the problem with reviewing a movie that I like... outside of a few sentences of praise, I don't have much more to say. I don't want to give away the twist, but I did think it was brilliant and fit extremely well with the very concept of Legos.

Could there be a sequel? I guess... the movie did leave it open for a sequel, but that could have been more of a joke than anything else. My guess is that there will be more Lego movies given the huge success of this one, but in a way I hope this one will be it. If another Lego movie has to be made, I hope they go with something completely original... new characters and new worlds. The Lego Movie was self contained and great for what it was... but unnecessary half-hearted "make-a-buck" sequels could ruin the franchise and sour the taste of the original. Making sequels to comedies run the risk of re-using jokes and wearing the very premise so thin that nobody cares anymore. (Sort of like what happened with Austin Powers.) Sometimes Hollywood just needs to know when to tell a joke and then leave the stage. 

And here is the Jonny response...

Jonny's Contribution: Legos are awesome.

Really? That's it? That's your review?

No. Also... What the hell is a Kre-o? 

Moving on. 

****

The Wing Rises 

So I have caught the latest final film from Hayao Miyazaki. I mean no disrespect by that, the man is a genius. It's just that he has said repeatedly that such and such film was his last, but his workaholic style always kept him returning to the drawing board. But who knows, maybe The Wing Rises will truly be the final one? So how was it?

I think The Wind Rises was uneven. It had the amazing animation you come to expect from Studio Ghibli, some great characters, good dialogue with plenty of humor thrown in... all of that was good. The problem is The Wind Rises suffers from the same problem that most biographical films are afflicted with... trying to cover too much with too little time.

You see, the lifetime of a person, broken down into the most important events and passions to drive a narrative, is still usually a lot longer than 120 minutes can adequately explain. So what you end up with is a choppy, jumbled mess of a plot. This one was better than some biographical plots I've seen, but it had some major problems.

The movie centers on Jiro Horikoshi, the man who pioneered Japanese aviation and invented the Zero plane, which ended up being used in the Second World War. But the story doesn't glorify war in any way, but instead the freedom, beauty and imagination of flight and the creation of the machines to take one into the sky. Most of the plot revolves around the rise of Jiro's career as well as the trial and error of designing a working aircraft. 

The subplot is what I have the biggest problem with. This of course is about the romance between Jiro and his love Naoko. The two plots really have no balance with each other. The love story feels stunted and skimmed over. It seems Jiro barely knows Naoko when he declares his love and desire to marry her. The script writer tried to tie both plots together, using her as the inspiration for Jiro's eventual success, but Naoko really seemed like an after-thought compared to the amount of time spent on Jiro's education and early years in aviation. 

There was one odd character. A German man, who came across very creepy, whom bad-mouthed Nazi Germany to Jiro while in Japan. He disappeared from the story almost as quickly as he came. I don't get his purpose to the overall story, except maybe to counter balance the idea that our hero was designing planes for use by the Japanese Empire, who would end up on the wrong side of history. I think the German was unnecessary. Jiro makes it clear his distaste for war and laments that the only way his creations will have enough funding to be built is if the military funds their enterprise. I will also add that Miyazaki has never been one to glorify war, represented often in his other films such as Princess Mononoke and Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind. 

One important thing that The Wind Rises got right was the imagination and wonder that has made Studio Ghibli's so cherished. Even this film, based on reality, found a means to create amazing dream sequences and fantastic imagery. Through these fanciful moments, one could understand the drive, passion and inspiration that Jiro felt about flying and creating works of brilliance to take to the skies. Despite my criticisms, this aspect alone makes The Wind Rises worth a viewing, as much as any other film Hayao Miyazaki has blessed us with. 

Jonny's Contribution: What was up with that German guy? He had these weird eyes. He haunts my nightmares! Germans are all creepy people! 

What the hell, man?! I'm German!

And furthermore, the very basis of this movie was flawed! Everyone knows that zeppelins are the way of the future! 

Please note, Jonny's comments are his alone and don't represent mine or any sane person's point of view.

There will be more reviews to come... soonish. Until then, Stay Strange.

Live Action Casting: Trigun (Part One)

I have considered for a while what a Trigun live action might look like and what actors would best portray these anime characters. I personally would aim for a trilogy to tell the tale of Vash the Stampede as completely as possible on the big screen. But who would I cast?

Vash the Stampede/Knives: Right off the bat we have a very tricky casting decision. Whoever plays the Humanoid Typhoon must also play his evil twin brother Millions Knives. We need an actor that can be goofy, badass and psychotic, plus look the part. I have three possibilities:

Josh Hutcherson: He has gotten some popularity now from his role in The Hunger Games and with some bleached hair, he could easily look the part. I know he has some acting talent from his performance in The Kids Are Alright. He's done comedy and action before. The big question I have is how convincing of a psychotic mastermind he could be.

Liam Hemsworth: Another actor from The Hunger Games, I dare say Lima looks almost spot on to Vash from his chin, his ears and his blue eyes (something I would miss from Hutcherson). The only problem is I haven't seen much of Liam. Can he play the goofy moron, the bad ass and the psycho? I have no idea but I would totally get him to audition.

Orlando Bloom: This was my original pick and in many ways he is perfect. We know he can do action and play a bad ass. He was a decent villain in that subpar Three Musketeers from last year and I do think he could pull off Knives. I also remember an interview with Kirsten Dunst (who starred with him in Elizabethtown) that Orlando would make her laugh by acting all goofy. Plus, unlike my other two picks, he is a big name able to carry a movie. I just have two problems. First, he has brown eyes. That can be fixed with contacts, though. The other bigger problem is that he is 35 years old. Not that 35 is old, but Vash looks young... perpetually young. He doesn't age. If there were a trilogy I would be concerned that his march toward forty might bring him some unwanted wrinkles.

Meryl Strife: I only have one actress in mind to play Meryl Strife, the insurance agent who gets swept up into Vash's journey as she tries to determine just how dangerous the "Humanoid Typhoon" really is.

Carey Mulligan: She looks the part, she's a great actress... I think she is perfect for the role. Remember that Meryl isn't action oriented; she is mainly an observer and in that regard she is the "ordinary" perspective to this story.

Stay Tuned for the Second Part of the Live Action Casting of Trigun!

The Under-Rated

This is the first installment of an ongoing series. Once a month I am going to spotlight of a movie, television show or album that I feel is great or brilliant but for whatever reason has been overlooked or forgotten.  Don’t worry, I will try to give as few of spoilers as possible since my intention with all this is to give the underrated work attention and convince you, the reader, to watch (or listen to) it for yourselves. This review will focus on a truly underrated science fiction drama that came out last year entitled Never Let Me Go.

The film takes place in a world where advances in medical science have allowed the human life expectancy to exceed 100 years. The secret to this miracle of science is the use of harvesting organs from clones. Now the sci-fi savvy among you will probably be asking “Say, Toaster, wasn’t that the central plot from the Ewan McGregor and Scarlett Johansson movie The Island?" Yes, it was. However, Never Let Me Go isn’t about clones fighting the system for survival. It’s about what it means to live.

Never Let Me Go is adapted from a novel of the same name by Kazuo Ishiguro (The Remains of the Day). It is directed by Mark Romanek, who previously directed the thriller One Hour Photo as well as a slew of acclaimed music videos including Nine Inch Nail’s “Closer” and Johnny Cash’s “Hurt.”  The film stars Carey Mulligan (An Education), Andrew Garfield (The Social Network) and Keira Knightley (The Pirates of the Caribbean), who are three of the best young actors out there. 

The story centers around three friends attending a boarding school called Hailsham in England. Kathy, Tommy and Ruth grow up together and attend classes at the odd institution that focuses more on creativity than academics while making an emphasis on “keeping yourselves healthy inside.” Eventually the children find out their fate; that they have been cloned from the bottom dwellers of society and that in their twenties they will undergo a series of operations to donate their organs until it inevitably kills them.

What I find fascinating about the movie is that the children don’t rebel. They accept their fates and choose to make the most of their lives. As time passes, Kathy falls in love with Tommy, but Ruth swoops in and begins a long relationship with him. So throughout the film you watch Kathy spend what little time she has in life watching the boy she loves in the arms of another.

One of the details I love about the movie is when these clones interact with regular humans. The humans look at them and treat them with a measure of guilt, not unlike how farmers look at cattle that one day they will slaughter and eat. In one amazing scene earlier in the film, the children are excited because a man is coming by to deliver their “prizes” for good behavior. If the children were good they received tokens that can be traded in for the prize of their choice. Several children cheerfully greet the delivery man, asking him if he does, in fact, have their gifts. The man, in a nervous and almost guilt-ridden way, confirms that he does. As the children cheer the delivery man quickly goes about his business so he can leave as soon as possible; not wanting to face the cruel reality of what consequences everyone else’s health brings. The prizes, it turns out, are society’s garbage, the kind of crap that Goodwill can’t even sell. Of course, in the sheltered world of these cloned children, it is an amazing treat.

The film continues to follow the lives of Kathy, Tommy and Ruth into their young adult years. Tommy and Ruth’s relationship takes its toll on Kathy. She signs up to become a carer and subsequently leaves rather than continue to watch Tommy with someone else.  At some point in his/her late 20’s, a clone will receive notification that they are to make a donation for some sort of needed transplant be it a kidney, liver, lung, or even an eyeball. After this donation, they are sewn up and allowed to keep living until the next donation surgery. Usually a clone survives the first donation, often the second, but the third has a high mortality rate and nobody survives the fourth operation. Once the clone dies, it is considered “completion.” As a carer, Kathy watches over fellow clones and helps them during the many operations until completion. In return for these services, a carer is given a temporary reprieve from making organ donations. In the final act of the film, Kathy seeks out Tommy and Ruth ten years later, once they both have already begun donating their organs. 

Be warned, this is not a happy movie (and if I described it as such I have failed as a writer). Never Let Me Go is both sad and extremely haunting. Over a year after sitting in that theater, I am still left thinking about the characters, themes and ideas presented within, which to me is the sign of a cinematic triumph. It’s just sad to me how little attention this film received in the United States. Both brilliantly acted and amazingly poignant, I implore all of you to watch Never Let Me Go.