G l a s n e r O n F i l m

New Digs

2011-03-18T08:35:00.000-07:00

Howdy folks. Sorry the blog's been fossilizing while I've been busy writing reviews over at cbc.ca/arts.

If you'd like to see a more recent collection of my stuff just follow the link.

Otherwise, kick off your shoes and take a look around. You could start with my top twenty list from 2010. Or my anti-retro rant inspired by Where the Wild Things Are.

See ya soon.

"Does it? Bollocks!"

2011-01-03T18:30:00.000-08:00

Good god, what a face.

We've lost another great one.

Pete Postlethwaite.

Anyone with those lines, those nooks and crannies could have been a great character actor.
But there was a fierceness there, behind his eyes that made him more than just another interesting face.

Thanks to those Norman Rockwellesque looks Pete was often slotted into a lot of salt-of-the-earth type roles. Although his range was much wider.

Take a look at the Brassed Off video below. Yes, it's one of those "we're all in it together" charming British pics they do so well. Pete played Danny, the conductor of a coal miner's brass band. Like he did with so many movies he took a simple little role and gave it gravity.

"Aye, they can knock a bloody good tune, but what the fook does that matter?"

So long Pete.

Top Twenty of 2010

2010-12-25T10:50:00.000-08:00

Every year it's the same; as January washes over me in a grey mid-winter gloom, I look ahead at the year on film and wonder, what will be the one? What magical film will give me that spark of awe. A crinkle of a smile. A knowing nod. A film where I'll see myself or even a glimmer of something otherworldly. The kind of experience that makes up for sitting through the latest Nicolas Cage trash-sterpiece.

Now here we are, another year has gone by and below are 20 plus films. Each great, many in different ways. The film industry continues to simultaneously shrink and bloat. Producers worry, studios shift, and somewhere someone is making the next Great Thing. A writer or director has convinced a Hollywood mogul to throw millions behind her demented fever dream. Here's 20 of those fever dreams committed to celluloid for our mutual pleasure.

TOP TWENTY OF TWENTY TEN

20. The Town

Directed and starring Ben Affleck The Town was an action film that was far better than expected. In some ways a return to the no-nonsense action films of the 70s. I figure if The Departed hadn't happened, The Town would have been an Oscar contender. Nevertheless it's a great gritty heist flick, with muscular performances, a strong cast and fine work all around by Benny boy.

19. Tangled

Simply an enchanting movie that allowed Disney to do what it does best. A fairy tale that doesn't try to smother us in pop culture references. It lives in its own world and is populated with smart self-aware characters (including a Princess you won't mind your daughter emulating). Mandy Moore and Zach Levi both delivered great performances. Donna Murphy was divine as the witch, Mother Gothel, and fits in nicely with Disney's long line of classic villains. "Mother Knows Best" should have been a contender for song of the year at the Oscars. Why it hasn't made the list is beyond me.

18. Tales From The Golden Age

From the writer and director of Four Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days comes this absurd tale of life in Communist Romania. A series of short films spun from urban myths of the life during the 1980s. The stories are populated by grifters and romantics, bureaucrats and average Joes. Life in a country governed by committee where having a healthy sense of humour is essential.

17. The Wild Hunt

Done for pennies, The Wild Hunt, similar to Fubar II, is an example of ballsy filmmakers putting to rest the stereotype of boring Canadian films. Set in the world of medieval reenactments or LARP, The Wild Hunt starts a little slow but once it gets going it gallops at a furious pace. Gritty, funny and an original take on a tired genre.

16. True Grit

Take a Western. Peel off the excess emotion, the bigger-than-life characters. Leave in the dirt, the scruffiness. Add in a generous measure of language. Eloquence and Oratory the way only the Coen's can. Stir with a grizzly Jeff Bridges, a cocky Matt Damon and a shooting star of a performance by Hailee Steinfeld. "Go Little Blackie Go!"

15. Easy A

If only all Hollywood comedies were as smart and subversive as this high-school fable about rumours and promiscuity. Yes Emma Stone is a great wit, spilling off lines like a modern Elizabeth Bennet. Credit is also due to the parents, great supporting work by Patricia Clarkson and Stanley Tucci.

14. Megamind / Despicable Me

A tie here for the two great animated films that mock super heroes and villains. Both as smart as the super-villains they focus on. Excellent work by Steve Carell as Gru and Will Ferrell as Megamind. Bonus points for the lovable sidekicks, the minions (both David Cross and the funny yellow-pill shaped dudes.)

13. Stone

Stone is here for two main reasons. One, as a reminder Robert DeNiro can be a cinematic force when he isn't playing poor parodies of himself. Two, for how director John Curran used the prison drama to say something bigger about post-911 America's hollowed out post-industrial wastelands. Empty factories, farm fields and prisons are the primary colours of this film.

12. Get Him To The Greek

I guess after his performances in Get Him to the Greek and I'm Still Here we all have to take P.Diddy/Puff Daddy/Sean Combs a little more seriously. In fact, this movie made me reassess my opinions of Russell Brand, Jonah Hill and Puff. Seriously funny, wacky, dozens-of-jokes a minute kinda stuff.

11. 127 Hours
The "guy-who-had-to-cut-his-arm-off" movie found director Danny Boyle returning to the adrenalized energy of Trainspotting. Remember the terror of the toilet scene? Boyle still has that ability to put us THERE, in the moment. Digging deep into his filmmaker's toolbox. Macro and micro shots. Time lapse, split screen and more. Whatever it takes to put us in the canyon with Aron the giddy hippie making peace with himself as he faces his final days. Franco is unforgettable and almost too charming in a movie about life, not death.

10. Blue Valentine / Cyrus
A tie for two films about performance. About small moments. About giving actors space. Blue Valentine is a bittersweet love letter to a failing marriage, cutting the sour with the sweet as we watch the couple falling in and out of love. Sweet without pretension. Cyrus, a small comedy of manners and strangeness. John C. Riley gets lucky for once, Marisa Tomei sparkles and Jonah Hill gets to stretch (a little.)

9. Mid-August Lunch

If Mid-August Lunch was a story it would be a novella. As size goes, it's just right. A man, his mother and some unintentional house guests. A leisurely ride on a scooter through Rome. And many many glasses of wine. Nothing more or less than it has to be. Salut! to Gianni the director and actor in this charming follow up to Gomorrah.

8. The King's Speech

After all the hype, I was a slightly disappointed with The King's Speech. Only because I'd expected something akin to the second-coming of Christ on screen. Still, once I'd adjusted my expectations it was easy to savour this beautifully told buddy movie. The awkward friendship of King George and Lionel Logue. Colin Firth is getting a lot of attention for this role but it was the idiosyncratic performance of Geoffrey Rush that won me over. Plus, once again Tom Hooper brings a keen eye to Britain's most upper-class family. Hooper is half Australian and it's his skeptical gaze that elevates The King's Speech above a typical period piece.

7. The Kids Are All Right

The Kids captures a lot of beautiful moments of how kids and parents, gay or straight relate to one another in 2010. This is very modern smart stuff filled with earthy characters. Mark Ruffalo as the organic restaurateur/sex god. Julianne Moore as the confused free-spirit and conceptual gardener. It's a movie about love, about family and the danger of making assumptions. Great subtle stuff by Mia Wasikowska. Ruffalo is at his most magnetic. The script is super sharp and yes, a damn fine turn by Annette Bening.

6. Exit Through the Gift Shop

Is it a hoax? A brilliant meta-prank? A wry comment on the modern art scene, the hyperspeed hype factory ready to leap on the Next Big Thing? A guerrilla style doc on the graffiti scene? Yes. Yes. Yes. Whether you believe it or not, Exit Through the Gift Shop was a brilliant remix of the traditional doc. Hijacking the form to continue Banksy's practice of manipulating the media for the message. If you're looking for more, check out these behind the scene notes from Producer Jaimie D'Cruz that only deepen the mystery.

5. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World

A personal pleasure but a complete one. Maybe you don't like Michael Cera. Maybe you could give a damn about comic books and 8-bit video games. But if you do, and you're like me then you were in heaven from frame one for this witty pixel-powered romance/21st century battle royale. Triple Score Awesomeness.

4. Incendies

Denis Villeneuve crafts an origami-like story that folds back on itself as a brother and daughter delve into the secret life of their mother. The final scene is a silent, earth shattering thud. Heart breaking and never failing in courage, Villeneuve is one of Canada's treasures.

3. I Am Love

Like Il Divo, it was the marriage of music, motion and emotion that won me over completely. A movie of manners, high society and Italian Style but different, due to the rawness of the actress so good she's almost alien, Tilda Swinton.

2. Inception

Far too appropriate in the year when we lost Benoit Mandelbrot, the father of fractals, Inception arrived. In the middle of the summer, in between happy-meal ready movies like Marmaduke and Prince of Persia, Christopher Nolan gave us a movie that wasn't quite sci-fi but far too strange to call a typical action flick. A heist film to end all heist films. Movies are often the realm of dreams and so Nolan crafted a caper set in the dreamscape. Dreams within dreams. The closer you look, the deeper you fall. Inception isn't perfect. The vocabulary of the action set pieces, (the downtown car chase, the Swiss Alps fortress) is dissapointingly conventional compared to those early moments of architectural chaos. But Inception was a film that made the audience work and rewarded us for our efforts. In the middle of a season of loud sounds and empty moments, Inception was a statement. Yes we like action and car chases and things that go boom but we want it to mean something. We want a uniting idea. We want to be teased and provoked. We want beauty, fine acting, quick quips and an amazing experience. We want it all. (And Joseph Gordon Levitt's wardrobe. Could we have that too? )

1. The Social Network

(click to see in youtube)

Honourable mentions:

A-Team, Barney's Version, Fubar II, Defendor,

Black Swan, Get Low, Morning Glory (except for the last 20 minutes),

Splice (except for the swamp battle), The American, Winter's Bone,

Shrek Forever After

Meta Montage (Year in Film 2010)

2010-12-14T07:39:00.000-08:00

Best parts are at the beginning and end and I wonder how he/she gets all those clips, but a great overview of 2010.

Big Box Filmmaking

2010-10-01T14:13:00.000-07:00

Buried, the new movie starring Ryan Reynolds was one of those legendary scripts that floundered on the "black list." The list of amazing screenplays that are considered un-filmable. Until one day, director Rodrigo Cortes got in touch with Reynolds and showed him how it could be done.

Given the story, you can see how the script would be intimidating. The entire film takes place inside a coffin. The cast, one man - Paul. A truck driver who is working in Iraq for a private contractor and wakes up in a wooden crate. (There's also a couple voices on the cellphone with excellent reception.) Soon his captor is calling with their demands. 5 million dollars or they leave him there. Oh, and there's a snake.

The biggest surprise is how cinematic Buried becomes. Sure it's claustrophobic at times. In fact, be prepared to listen quite carefully since occasionally there's nothing but black and panicked breathing. Kudos to Cortes and his cinematographer for constantly finding ways to vary the setting. Changing light sources and using everything from macro to crane shots.

Of course none of this would be worth it, if the story and Reynold's performance didn't work. Luckily the script is rather tight, with the exception of one silly flashback episode. When your entire film takes place in real time...don't go for the flashback montage.

As Paul, Reynolds has no trouble holding our attention. I've always liked Reynolds, who has a sly funny streak that seems to pop up in most of his roles. Buried isn't exactly Van Wilder (not that I wanted it to be) but if not humorous, there's a sincerity which helps pull us even deeper into his predicament.

(somewhat minor spoiler)

Finally, after a number of wishy-washy films about Iraq, this is one film that takes a stand with a finale that won't soon be forgotten. Buried is a film that almost feels like a short story in the way that it had the potency of a simple, well told tale. Enjoy.

(Minor Update: saw the trailer for Reynold's upcoming Green Lantern superhero spectacle and it's as I feared. Looks like a galaxy of bad CGI with Reynolds' typical charm wedged into an outfit built to show off his best assets. Alas)

Recommended Listening for Never Let Me Go

2010-09-26T20:58:00.000-07:00

Among some of the many new movies you should try to catch (Fubar II, Easy A, The American, I'm Still Here and Machete) you should also check out Never Let Me Go.

Never Let Me Go takes a well worn sci-fi trope and holds it up as a mirror on the human condition. Or perhaps mirror isn't the correct word, because the situation faced by the characters simply magnifies something we all share. I wont spoil the details, although they're getting increasingly impossible to avoid.

(I saw a trailer for Never Let Me Go that just about revealed every single important moment, not to mention critical lines of dialogue....but that's another rant for another day.)

This is beautiful meditative movie that take places over the span of 3 decades. Three friends Ruth, Kathy and Tommy grow up together and confront their uniquely limited destiny.

At the very least it is a heartbreakingly beautiful film, shot with a palette of soft mustard yellows and earthy greens. The setting, a seemingly arrested version of 1950's Britain.

And the cast, well this is mainly Carey Mulligan's film. Watching her piercing gaze made me realize just how much intelligence was missing from her Blogger Barbie role in Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps. Also, Keira Knightley does a fine angry scared girl and Andrew Garfield made me sit up and think, "Who is that guy?" (Answer: The Guy who is the next Peter Parker and now I understand why.)

Anyway, all of this was all just an excuse to suggest if you enjoyed the film, or the book it was based on, there's a terrific discussion with the screenwriter Alex Garland and the original novelist Kazuo Ishiguro at the creative screening magazine podcast. Enjoy!

Post TIFF Recap

2010-09-24T13:38:00.000-07:00

Howdy! TIFF is done and I'm here to share what has been an extremely busy season of cinema.

So here are some of the highlights from my time at the Toronto International Film Festival. Don't miss 'em when they return.

The Trip

It's the British Odd Couple on a road trip, except that it feels like a documentary and we're in the hands of the subversive director Michael Winterbottom. A relaxed, droll and silly ride, this is highly recommend for fans of Steve Coogan or James Bond. (That will make sense after you see it.)

13 Assassins

From the director of Ichi the Killer comes a classic samurai tale. A Japanese spin on the "one last job" genre. 13 Assassins finds a group of samurais on an impossible mission, to kill the sadistic emperor who is ruining the country. 13 men versus an army. Makes 300 look like the cartoon it was based on.

NEDS

One of the strongest films I watched and a film that totally caught me off guard. NED is short for Non Educated Delinquent. Set in Glasgow in the 1970s, the movie follows the tale of John. A bright kid with a brother in a bad spot of trouble. Soon he's on the same path, running with the wrong boys and getting shunted into the slow class at school. Think Gommorah meets Lord of the Flies. Very strong stuff, look for it.

Cave of Forgotten Dreams

Werner Herzog serves up the best 3D experience since Avatar. A lyrical, whimsical trip into the Chauvet Caves of Frances. This made my fest.

Stone

You'll be hearing more about this later this fall. But let me just say, this prison drama starring Edward Norton and Robert De Niro is a better movie than the trailer suggests. Will surprise you.

Biutiful

Tough to watch yes, but worth it, not just for Javier Bardem's performance as a struggling father in Barcelona, but also for the unvarnished look at life below the social safety net. A world of street vendors and sweatshops, but it's also populated by real people as director Alejandro González Iñárritu reminds us. A more tightly drawn web than Babel with some haunting set pieces.

Easy Money

From Sweden another look at the criminal underground. Drug runners, the upper and lower class all meet in the middle of this wild ride. A snappy little flick which will no doubt be remade into a movie starring Paul Walker any day now.

Gorbaciòf - The Cashier who Liked Gambling

Il Divo's Toni Servillo knocks it out of the park again playing this sweet and sour little tale of Gorbaciof, a nearly mute prison cashier who falls for the waitress at the local Chinese restaurant. Servillo is a strange cross between a gangster and a clown, but such sadness in those eyes.

Rare Exports

Your new favourite Xmas movie.

Projector on CBC

2010-08-02T08:46:00.000-07:00

I'm happy to announce Projector, my movie show on CBC Radio debuts today. The two part program airs today at 4 PM. If you miss it there's also a fantastic website where you can hear the entire show for yourself, not to mention some great bonus content (trailers, longer interviews etc).

You can find it all at

http://www.cbc.ca/projector/

Projector is a true labour of love. It began as a radio pilot and grew into this summer special. The first part explores heroes and in the second part we look at fear on film. It's not a film review show per say, but more about how we see ourselves on film and how films see us.

Enjoy!

Taking Inception For Another Spin

2010-07-26T20:55:00.000-07:00

Inception isn't a masterpiece.

But it is a great, great film and a reminder of the difference between the films we watch passively and films that ask something more.

Having rewatched it recently I can say it's much more enjoyable the second time.

There are themes, motifs and clues spread throughout the film I missed (the first time) because frankly, I was struggling to keep up.

Inception is certainly an elegantly constructed movie. Director Christopher Nolan has carefully thought out the rules for this universe of dreams. The exposition littered throughout the film does a decent enough job of explaining it. But if you, like me, still have some lingering questions, here are some great links to explore.

The Ultimate Inception Guide. Over at Salon, Sam Adams begins with a very detailed recap of the film and goes on the explore the various levels and the rules.

Interview with Dileep Rao. On the always entertaining Vulture blog Dileep Rao answers some of the questions surrounding the rules of the Inception world. Dileep would know because he plays Yusuf, the chemist on the team. Read the interview and you'll see he doesn't look too kindly on the "it's all a dream" interpretation.

A Chart! If you're still confused the pretty colours provided by the fine folks at Cinemablend might help.

Interview With Chris Nolan On the always excellent The Treatment show, host Elvis Mitchell puts Christopher Nolan under the microscope in an extended interview.

Multi-layered Muisc. Hans Zimmer talks about how the Édith Piaf song was altered to suit the
fractal nature of the film. Sooooooo cool.

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ALL ABOUT WOBBLE

(Spoiler Spoiler, Good God Man for the love of Mary go see it first, SPOILER)

So, is Cobb dreaming in the final scene?

On my first viewing of Inception I was convinced the entire final scene, Cobb returning home, seeing his children, was an extended dream. The evidence: the top/totem was still spinning, the kids looked identical to the previous flashbacks, even the way the scene was lit seemed to suggest a dream-like state.

Now, having watched it again, I have to say I was wrong. But in my defence Nolan has put a lot of red herrings into Inception, ammunition for the "it's all a dream" team. (For example the dream-like chase sequence with the closing walls in Mombasa.) Why did I change my mind? Well, in the end it's all about the wobble.

Cobb returns home. He looks around. He's agitated. He takes out his totem and begins to spin it. Just then he sees his children. Their clothes are similar but slightly different. (Confirmed here.) They turn, we see their faces and he's finally reunited.
Then we cut back to the top, still spinning, spinning. Then just seconds before we fade to black, the top begins to wobble.

It's not much of a wobble. But it's certainly the beginnings of a top that is going to give in to gravity. Ergo, top falls = real life.

However, as Sam Adams and others have suggested in a way it doesn't matter. The ambiguity is part of the larger theme Nolan is playing with as he explores the reliability of perception and the power of memory. Listen to the interview from The Treatment and you'll hear these are themes that have followed Nolan throughout his career.

In the end that's what makes Inception so satisfying. It takes a universal theme (is this real?) or perhaps the oldest of film cliches (it was all a dream?) and builds an entire movie on that quandary. And his way of exploring these concepts? Using the cinematic language of action films. In fact my single biggest critique with Inception is how it abandons the surreal landscape of the dream and instead serves up something like an extended G.I. Joe action sequence featuring an army of Snow Jobs.

That said, what makes Inception so engaging is the way Nolan embraces the basic language of film, and reminds us the difference editing, music and motion can make. Time stretches and compresses. We flash back and forth between levels. The van falls and falls. It's a beautiful ballet of space and time, a dance of booms and buildings falling and in the centre, a haunted man trying to escape his past, but refusing to let go.

A Summer Film That's Good For You (Cyrus)

2010-06-25T06:11:00.000-07:00

Stuck in the middle of this summer of junk food cinema Cyrus is fresh garden mix of funny. It's simple movie filled will subtle moments. Little micro bursts of emotion we so often miss in larger louder films.

The plot is rather simple. A sad schlub of a man finds his second wind when he hits it off with Molly. But Molly's 21 year old son Cyrus is threatened by the new man in his mother's life.

In other hands this would have become a run-of-the-mill Hollywood comedy starring Gerard Bulter and Jennifer Aniston. But it's more than off-kilter casting that makes Cyrus different.

It's about watching John C. Reily arch his eyebrows ever so slightly. It's the way Marisa Tomei's eye crinkle when she smiles. It's the quivering lower lip of Jonah Hill. It's a movie filled with generous close ups and awkward pauses. It's a movie that breathes.

If you have any interest in writing or directing I implore you to go listen to latest Creative Screenwriting podcast. It features a long interview with Jay and Mark Duplass, the writing directing duo behind Cyrus.

Like their movie, the Duplass brothers are endearingly honest. As they say on the podcast it took them years, years of making crap to find their voice. Here's a few of the gems from their interview.

$3.00 - That's what it cost to make their first successful short This is John (watch it here). Just their parent's video camera and the cost of a tape. But it was that short film (shot unrehearsed) that got them into Sundance, and led to the films The Puffy Chair, Baghead and Cyrus.

Story and Characters - That's all that matters for the Duplass brothers. Technical stuff, the set, the lighting and all the rest come a distant second.

The Vomit Draft - When they sit down to write their first script they have a unique method. You could call it the Vomit Draft. The brothers first agree on the basic structure of the film. They have a series of cue cards. Then Mark sits down with a dictaphone and talks his way through the first draft of the script. That's correct, he "writes" the movie orally. This has a couple advantages. One, you can't go back and fixate over anything, so the process keeps you moving forward. Two, your body naturally tells you when to move on.

Don't Fixate Over Dialogue - Since the Duplass brothers use a lot of improv in their films, they never get too hung up about the words, since the script is just a starting point.

Long Walks - When they hit an impasse during shooting, they leave. The two brothers walk off the set and talk, until they solve the problem.

Don't Move On Until You Feel Comfortable - As one of the brothers says, "If you don't know if you got it, you didn't get it." He's talking about the pressure to keep moving to the next scene during shooting. But he says, you know if you've got something and you can't let the pressure to keep on schedule to affect your movie. (Of course when you operate with lower budgets it's easier to stay in control. More money = more pressure.)

"Fuck all the noise and ask yourself what do you want to see next?" That's Duplass philosophy on filmmaking.

Don't Direct the First Take - No direction or blocking for the first take. The surprises that occur are about 25% of the film.

Shoot Chronologically - More expensive but works better for the actors who are improvising.

No Marks - No blocking for the actors, the action is shot documentary style.

"Are you Gung-Ho and brave enough, to come and say 'we don't know' with us and try and figure it out together?" - What they ask of the actors.

Skinny Movies - The Duplass brothers like skinny movies. 5 characters. 86 minutes.

The Script Isn't a Piece of Art - The Duplass brother spoke about how when they were working with Fox Searchlight, their screenplay began to change from a subtle comedy to something more overt. Part of the process was how the studio execs were influencing them to write scenes that read well on the page. But the Duplass style of comedy doesn't read well. The really subtle moments that ring true don't work on paper. So it's worth remembering, the script is not a piece of art. It's just a blueprint to get you to the point where you're making the movie.

Pity the Fool (A-Team and MacGruber)

2010-06-11T20:51:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking a lot, far too much about the new A-Team film. Now let's be clear. This is a film based on a show that was about as realistic as the GI JOE cartoons of the same time. And the new A-Team continues the legacy of lunacy.

There is a memorable scene (SPOILER) where the guys attempt to slow a plummeting tank by firing at the rapidly approaching ground. Now I'm no Mr.Wizard, but I don't think that's the way the law of physics work. And then again, who cares? Because instead you get Jessica Beil muttering "They're trying to fly that tank." And it's funny. But ridiculous. Which is the essence of my A-Team conundrum.

There is a lot of fun stuff in the A-Team. Bradley Cooper as "Face" has the kind of charisma that could grow into Clooney-esque proportions. The same cock-sure attitude, the man who smirks in the face of fireballs. Another high point is Sharlto Copley. This is his first big role after playing Wickus in District 9. No Afrikaner accent here. Sharlto is playing "Murdock," the court jester of the bunch. His energy is manic and like Bradley it's infectious.

These guys make the A-Team fun. The team clicks, the back and forth, the cross talk make being in the middle of the crew a fun place to be. But the action is insane. The set pieces feel like they were hatched by the bastard love child of Michael Bay and the demented geniuses behind the Crank series.

Which is what frustrates me. The A-Team looks like an action pic. They're using the same vocabulary (car chases, fireballs, firefights) but there's no tension. It's a Noel Coward play drenched in Redbull and topped with gunpowder.

But then last night, I figured it out. The A-Team is a remake, but what they've created isn't an action drama....it's a sitcom. An incredible expensive (& loud) sitcom. Call it Four's Company.

Once I made that mental adjustment, all my issues; the lightness of tone, the unbelievable finale...they all melted away.

Really in a way the A-Team is the kind of movie MacGruber wished it could have been. Look at the similarities. The both start in the desert. Both feature heroes who excel at making elaborate devices out of

scraps. Both use familiar action cliches to amuse the audience. It's just that the A-Team is actually funny.

Song Remains the Same...

2010-06-06T15:55:00.000-07:00

Pure from Jacob Bricca on Vimeo.

How I learned to Love Liza (Sex and the City 2)

2010-05-28T13:40:00.000-07:00

So I've been on CBC TV and Radio for the past couple days cataloguing all the things that are wrong with Sex and the City 2. The never-ending tide of brand-name goods. The guileless zeal the fab four display for their divalicious lifestyle. The colour-blind avalanche of designer disasters.

But....there are a couple things I liked about the sequel.

So in the name of positivity here is (semi spoiler warning...)

A SHORT LIST OF SOME GOOD THINGS IN SATC2:

It's funny. Occasionally. I will say the writer/director Michael Patrick King has a knack for staging the outrageous. Two scenes stick in my mind. First, Carrie and Mr. Big in bed listening to a screaming baby in one room, and Samantha's wild animal sex in the other. Watch the trailer if you want to see the punchline.

Speaking of Samantha, my other favourite moment comes as Sam has just finished proselytizing about the power of vitamins for fighting menopause. Then she sees Charlotte's new nanny, (played by Alice Eve) a voluptuous vision, bounding bra-less towards them. Samantha's mouth hanging wide open crammed with vitamins is classic.

Carrie. I hate to say it but Carrie is still the best character Sarah Jessica Parker has played. When SATC works it's like the best of Woody Allen crossed with Nora Ephron. But I think part of the problem with the sequel is that Carrie's got it all. In the TV series she was still a scrapper. Sure she had the shoes, but only one apartment and hadn't hit it big as a writer. (At least not at the beginning.) Now Carrie has her man, the swanky NYC digs, she's a best selling author with presumably an unlimited credit card. Hard to feel her pain when it's whether to wear Dior or Dolce to dinner.

Liza. Yup, Liza Minnelli. The queen of Carbaret shows up at the ultimate and I mean ultimate gay wedding to officiate. (There are swans!)

Now when she first appeared and spoke, well to be honest, I felt a little sorry for her. But then Liza performed a cover of Beyonce's "All the Single Ladies." Now I'm not a fan, or at least I wasn't. But I gotta say Liza owned that song. She rocked it. Great performance from a real woman that almost, almost made Sex and the City 2 worth seeing.

Summer Alternatives

2010-05-22T19:49:00.000-07:00

Long time no update, blah blah blah, is there anything worse than a blogger apologizing?

Right then, as I look back on the list of movies I've watched recently I see there's a number of little gems that might go unnoticed next to the season's swath of blockbusters. So here is a short list of some of the smaller and dare I say smarter alternatives out there.

The Secret In Their Eyes

If it sounds familiar it's because The Secret won the best foreign feature at the Oscars. At the time I couldn't see how anyone would fail to pick The White Ribbon, but having seen Secret I understand the decision. (I don't agree, but I think I can see why.) The Secret In Their Eyes has a lot of things voters look for in an Oscar-Caliber movie. An epic love story. Dark themes. Restrained but effective acting. This is a movie about the dangers of desire. About being consumed by it or haunted. It has touches of film noir. It's also a very subtle look at the many lives of Argentina. And, as a murder mystery The Secret makes most Hollywood films feel like an episode of Law & Order.

Exit Through The Gift Shop

This is an extremely frustrating movie only because I greatly enjoyed it, but I'm afraid if I explain what makes it so satisfying I'll spoil it. So, I will only say this is much more than a movie about the street artist Banksy. This is movie about what happens when you invite the anarchists into the art gallery. It's quite consistent with Banksy's raison d'etre and one of the most provocative docs I've seen in years.

The Trotsky

This is a high school comedy that posits the question "Boredom or Apathy?" Which is why I love it. (Well they already had me at the Battleship Potempkin parody.) But for the rest of you let me say Jay Baruchel is all the reason you need to watch this film. Like Che Guevera crossed with Buster Keaton, Jay's conviction brings Leon Bronstein (aka Trotsky) to life. The Trotsky is as close as Canada has gotten to making a movie like Rushmore but director Jacob Tierney did it, by creating his own unique spin on the high-school hero genre.

Mid-August Lunch

From the co-writer of the searing Gomorra comes a zesty,

light-as-air comedy of mild-manners: Mid-August Lunch. During a holiday in Italy a good-natured mama's boy Gianni gets stuck watching his mother and a couple other ladies.

Watching the suave, calm and collected Gianni deal with these clucking, complaining women is a master class in coping, not to mention an excellent advert for powers of white wine. A gentle, affectionate comedy that brings to mind Big Night at moments, Mid-August Lunch doesn't oversell its story and knows sometimes a little is enough. (Written, directed and starring Gianni Di Gregorio who based it on his own real-life experiences with his Mama. Awwwwwww.)

Wild Things, With Fangs

2010-04-09T15:03:00.000-07:00

LARP (Live Action Role Play)

Lord of the Rings

THE WILD HUNT

See it, it's good. Worth your time. Bloody good fun, a nice twist on the dungeons and dragons genre. Great example of the new wave of Canadian cinema, like Pontypool, Fido and Ginger Snaps. Smart slick takes on genres, fun films that don't depend on stars to succeed.

More here: http://www.wildhuntfilm.com/main.html

3-Duped

2010-04-01T11:25:00.000-07:00

I got a little glimpse of the future last night.
And it involved a lot of people wearing funny glasses.

I happened to see two different 3-D experiences. First, Samsung’s new 3D TV, and then the 3-D film Clash of the Titans.

Care to guess which was the better experience?

It was the TV.
The screen was crisp and the graphics hovered out in front of the set like something out of Minority Report. The content wasn't much, a loop of sporting events, but 30 seconds of a soccer game was all I needed to understand the potential.

Of course, for the full 3-D experience you'll need a new TV, a new Blu-Ray player, and don't forget the special 3-D glasses. A steal at $249 a pair.

Well now, perhaps the movie is looking a little more affordable eh? An extra 3 dollars a ticket doesn't seem so bad if you get a 3-D experience in return… Except this isn't real 3-D. This is a 2-D film, converted into 3-D.

Seems the producers of Clash of the Titan decided they'd spend an extra 5 million to convert the flat 2-D film into 3-D. Or almost 3-D. Call it 2 and half.

Now, I’m not a fan of 3-D but I’m know when it’s done right. Avatar. Coraline. Up.
Of the new breed of 3-D films Clash of the Titans is the worst viewing experience I have seen in years. Some scenes have no depth at all. Take off your glasses and you'll see little or no difference. Often one or two characters appear to hover in front of the background. The effect is basically that of a children’s pop-up book.

Many film blogs have relished sharing the details that the producers actually outsourced the 3-D conversion to a shop in India. Meanwhile SFX wizards are pointing out that most theatres aren't equiped to properly project 3-D films. The polarized sunglasses you wear darken the image and hurt picture quality. One can imagine the animators who worked on the new and improved Kracken crying when they see the muddy results.

Now, let’s be clear. Without or without 3-D, Clash of the Titans is no future classic. It’s the Showgirls of action films. A quick and silly sword and sandals adventure, (regarding Medusa, our hero says “Don’t look the bitch in the eyes”) with a plot that belongs in the Mighty Hercules cartoon.

But who cares right? We just want to watch Sam Worthington slash stuff!

Meanwhile movie theatres are converting to 3-D capable systems as fast as they can. Far from being a novelty, 3-D films are beginning to clutter up the multiplex forcing theatre owners to make tough decisions. The charming How to Train You Dragon barely got a foothold before Clash of the Titans came along.

But the worst effect of the return of 3-D is how it brings out Hollywood’s shallow side.
Now more than ever it's not about how good a picture is, it's about the spectacle.

The industry considers movie like State of Play or Duplicity failures. All that money for big movie stars and nothing to show for it? So why waste time writing something smart and hard to sell? If you have a movie with a great visual component just slap a 3-D on that title and you’re set!

So get ready for Tron 3-D, Smurfs 3-D, Piranha 3-D, Harry Potter 3-D, and Erector Set…3-D.
(Really. )

A now in honour of the next ten years of squinting through sunglasses, a classic from Timbuk3.

*Update*
The Big Picture has an interesting take on why Movie Stars should fear 3-D the most.

Revisiting Up in the Air

2010-03-03T12:35:00.001-08:00

There's no doubt Jason Reitman's Up in the Air is a contender for Oscar glory this year.

Sure it probably wont win best picture, but best adapted screenplay is a safe best.

And already the Great Recession love story has appeared on dozens of “best of” lists (mine included.)

But not everyone, it seems, agrees about what happens to the main character: the modern man in grey, Ryan Bingham as played by George Clooney.

***Fasten Your Seatbelts, plenty of SPOILERS below***

For me, one of the great pleasures of Up in the Air is how it grows from a slick and smarmy love story to a tragedy. In the beginning, George Clooney's character is the master of his domain. He's not only comfortable in the alien artificiality of an airport, he revels in it. Perhaps it’s because the cold comforts of air travel mirror his life.

But by the third act the frequent flyer has been cruelly grounded. He made the ultimate sacrifice, taking a direct flight to his lady love only to find himself stuck in the snow; the door quickly closed in his crumpling face.

To me, this is the point of no return.

Like a bubble boy stepping outside for the first time, the character Ryan has lost his ability to enjoy the freshly sanitized pleasures of air travel. When his boss tells him they're sending him back on the road indefinitely (“send us a postcard when you get there”) there's a weary look in Ryan's eyes.

And so here's the question: Near the end of the film, (George Clooney's character) Ryan arrives back at the airport. We see him staring up at the departure board; carry-on luggage at his side. There's a close-up of his face. His hair is less than perfect. His eyes are wide. And he lets go. Lets go of his perfect-traveller’s suitcase as he stares up at the sea of destinations.

What is he thinking? For me, there's a sense of resignation there.

He doesn't want to be there. Having felt some real warmth in his life, going back In The Air is the last place Ryan wants to be.

Yet he does – which is the beauty of the film. And then there's the final line:

"Tonight, millions of people will come home to screaming children, barking dogs. Their spouses will hug them and ask them how their day was. The stars will wheel forth from their daytime hiding places; and one of those lights, slightly brighter than the rest, will be my wingtip passing over".

Now to me, those are the words of a man in exile. Sure it's artful but there's a sense of sadness there. Of course, not everyone sees it that way.

A friend of mine had a very different interpretation of that moment in the airport. When Ryan is looking at the departure sign, my friend felt he was happy. Ryan was returning to a place where he felt safe. After giving a real relationship a try and getting burned, he's running back to his refuge in the sky.

And there’s one more interpretation to stoke those fires. Another friend believes Ryan is looking at the departure board and planning to use all of his remaining frequent flyer miles (he should still have about 9 million or so) to plan his very own trip around the world.

Of course I believe it's option A. Sure the final shot is a heaven of sorts… with it beautiful sun-kissed clouds. But again, it's a false paradise. Outside, the air is freezing and the wind howls.

What do you think?

*UPDATE*

Watch this deleted bonus scene from the DVD.

More fuel for the fire!

Pretty Poster, Nice Movie

2010-02-25T06:46:00.001-08:00

Saw this at TIFF, was lovely.

Ghost World

2010-02-19T11:20:00.000-08:00

SPOILERS ABOUND, BEWARE

I’ve haunted by Hollywood lately.

Or to be specific, hack Hollywood writers.

This week marks the third film I’ve seen this year where ghostly daughters visit their grieving fathers.

First there was Creation where the adorable Annie Darwin caused her Papa (Charles Darwin) to be reduced to tears, chasing a phantom across his estate.

Then there was Mad Mel Gibson playing a bereaved father on mission of revenge in Edge of Darkness. As Thomas Craven, he can shed blood with the best of them, but he’s not above calling out for Emma, his recently dispatched daughter. And while the movie is aiming for Dirty Harry status, the Hallmark Card ending with father and daughter arm in arm would make the hard-boiled hero want to swallow his Magnum.
(Spoilers, remember?)

Which bring us to today and Martin Scorsese’s pretzel-plotted thriller Shutter Island.
Here we see US Federal Marshall Teddy Daniels visited by not just his daughter, but also his dead wife. As Teddy, Leonardo DiCarprio copes as best as he can with these chalk-coloured phantoms, but there’s a fine line between ghoulish visions and The Ghost Whisper.

So Hollywood hear my plea. Enough with the ghost writing already. Surely you can find another way to show the father’s grief. I know “Show Don’t Tell” is screenwriting 101. But some things are better implied than described.

Saint Steve

2010-02-05T07:56:00.001-08:00

My cbc radio reviews for this week are Dear John and From Paris With Love. In that film John Travolta plays one of the strangest characters you've seen in a while. Charlie Wax. A bald, biker-dude turned secret agent. (right)

If you want to see him and Jonathan Rhys Meyers blow up Paris good, go nuts. But I think you'd be better off rewatching any of the Bourne identities.

For a great stab at what's wrong with From Paris With Love, check out this review by Roger Ebert.

And for a movie that's actually worth watching, try Saint John of Las Vegas. It's a rare treat for Steve Buscemi fans giving him ample space to do his trademark slow burn.

Saint John of Las Vegas is a road movie of sorts. Steve plays John, a reformed gambler turned insurance investigator on the case of a suspicous car crash. With his no-nonense partner Virgil, they set off to visit the scene of the crime and interogate witnesses. Along the way you'll meet Tim Blake Nelson, Sarah Silverman and John Cho.

What I liked about this film is that it didn't try to oversell the comedy. This isn't going for a in-your-face laugh attack like the overhyped The Hangover. Saint John is a gentler, more grounded brand of funny. John is just a guy, trying to do a job and get back in one piece. And who better to play the sad-sack hero than Buscemi, a man whose face was built for pain. Like watching Charlie Brown trying to kick the football, you can help but root for him.

As a opposed to John Travolta's over-sized Mini Me character, John fits Steve Buscemi as well as the simple suits he wears. You might say he's typecast from his Mr.Pink days of Resivor Dogs. But I think he's just playing to his stregth.

More Mel

2010-01-29T06:52:00.001-08:00

This week's radio/podcast review is Edge of Darkness.

In short it's a mess. Cramming the plot from the original BBC miniseries (right) into a 2hour flick just doesn't work.

The big question of course is just how Mel would do, returning acting after an 8 year absence.

I have to say the results are disappointing. The new Mel just seems angier. It's Mel against the world, nothing new.

If you're looking for a little more context on the return of Mel, let me suggest two links.

This is an interview with Mel done by a local entertainment reporter who had the temerity to bring up the whole racist drunk driver episode. The results are uncomfortable and I'd suggest illustrative.

The Shadow in his smile, is an excellent article by Geoff Boucher of the LA Times. He actually got to spend some time with the man and gets a sense of how he's struggling to put the past behind him.

As for reasons to watch Edge of Darkness? Danny Huston plays a great piece of corporate scum. Ray Winstone is fine, but really why wouldn't you just rent Sexy Beast instead?

THE SECRET OF THE TOOTH FAIRY

2010-01-22T14:04:00.000-08:00

The secret of The Tooth Fairy is that it doesn't suck.

Here's 3 reasons why.

1) Dwayne Johnson remains a likable cross of Guy Smiley and Godzilla. Also he has the whitest teeth on Earth. Like a thousand suns. My God Man, drink some coffee, smoke a cigar, turn those things down.

2) Billy Crystal wanders on for a 5 minute cameo as the tooth fairy stock room guy, and he's actually funny. It's fun, fast and even a little naughty. Makes me wistful for when Billy Crystal movies were worth watching.

3) Stephen Merchant. If you don't know him, he's the tall skinny guy from the British The Office. He plays Tracy, a fairy administrator with "wing envy." Stephen can actually stand up to the former wrestler, he isn't easily intimidated and has a great time sniping the big buffoon.

Great stuff, too bad he's almost invisible in the trailer. But trust me, if you end up taking the kids to this one, Stephen is the one who makes it worth sitting through.

Also in other news I liked Creation and The Last Station. Check out my podcast for more info. And if some reason you'd like to actually see me, there's now a video version on the CBC site. Keep an eye on my twitter feed for links.

See ya in the dark!

20 for 2009

2009-12-26T20:28:00.001-08:00

It's been a rough year for the big boys in Hollywood. DVD sales are weak, downloading is still a cause for fear and strangely audiences refuse to reliably go see pre-manufactured pablum like Land of the Lost. 2009 was the year when big stars couldn't guarantee a film's performance (Julia Roberts in Duplicity, Russel Crowe in State of Play to name a few..) and when
other stars came back with a bang (Hello Sandra Bullock).

Still, look long and hard and you'll see signs of hope. From Fantastic Mr. Fox to Paranormal Activity and yes even Avatar, filmmakers proved that all audiences really want are artists with vision. Someone who knows how to move the camera and has something to say.

As for the industry, both blu-ray and 3D are here to stay, which means more money for people to play with. Expect more spectacles and pray for some smarts.

From 2009 here are 20 films that stood out.

20 A Town Called Panic

It's hard to describe a film which stars a toy Cowboy, Indian and a Horse. The stop-motion animation style is primitive, the voices are just above the level of Pingu and it's freakin hilarious.

I watched this at TIFF, truly it hasn't come out in theatres in Canada yet but I couldn't leave it off my list. A Town Called Panic is one of the funniest and most inspiring films I saw this year. Silly and absurd, a blast of play-doh coloured craziness.

19 The Necessities of Life

An Inuit hunter. A case of tuberculosis. What starts as a mission of mercy becomes an act of cruelty. There are many pleasures in this moving film from Quebec. Set in the early fifties it's a bracing look at what was done to aboriginal populations in the name of good. It's also a movie about survival, even in the most unlikely places.

18. The White Ribbon

If I had to pick a single film from this year people will still be talking about two decades from now, this would be that film.

Set in a small German town on the eve of the first world war this is a movie about power, about fear and the folly of fascism. Stunning work by the director who also brought us Cache.

17. Whip It

I loved this movie perhaps more than I should have for a simple, girl-gains an-attitude-and-puts-on-some-skates, kinda film. But perhaps it was about all the things that Whip It wasn't. Whip It didn't make the heroine into some type of patsy. She didn't moon over her man (hello Bella) and it contained a nice grungy mix of gals. Good actors, great soundtrack and some body blows to cap it off. No princess in this teen wonderland. Rock on Drew.

16. Tetro

Two brothers, a woman and Buenos Aires. As I said when I first wrote about Tetro, this is a time capsule of a film. A rich sip from the pre-AVID age of cinema. It's not that Coppola has made something dated, but like The White Ribbon there's a timeless feel here, which makes up for many of the great director's indulgences.

15. The Cove

The second best documentary of the year works on many levels. As an activist film opening your eyes to a horrible crime. As a personal journey, watching a man tied to the image of the domesticated dolphin trying to make amends. And finally, as a caper, a mad mission-impossible type scheme involving high tech gizmos and daring feats. Watch the film to the end and you'll see how the director never rests on his laurels. Always finding new ways to stimulate our senses.

14. District 9

Let us now sing the song of Wikus. The regular Joe. To be honest a bit of a jerk really, with his easy smile and that late seventies mustache. Played with verve by Sharlto Copley, it's just one of the many differences that helped set District 9 apart. A heck of a first film for Neill Blomkamp. So glad Halo fell apart.

13. The Damned United

The story of a soccer coach makes it here for two reasons: 1) The amazing performance of Michael Sheen as the swaggering Brian Clough. You would think the arrogance would cancel out the charisma but instead it almost has a multiplying effect. 2) The beautiful structure of Peter Morgan's script, almost Shakespearean in the way he dissects and displays Clough's fatal flaw.

12. Crazy Heart

Another movie on the list mainly because of one performance. Somewhere around the 20 minute mark I lost sight of Jeff Bridges. He slipped entirely from view, replaced by "Bad Blake" the tarnished country star at the centre of this tale. And I aint what you'd call a country music fan, but I sure as heck was humming some of those tunes by the end. (more on the music here)

11. Fantastic Mr. Fox

Not much to add about this film except that I think it's interesting that the occasional excesses of Wes Anderson's style work perfectly in this children's tale. Although what put this on my list over Up, over Coraline, were the very adult themes Anderson managed to smuggle into this film. Something about that dance in the supermarket at the end really stuck with me. There's a subversive quality there, and the fact that Anderson cribbed it from Roald Dahl's notes makes it all the better.

10. Up in the Air

Sure it's slick. It's stylish as all hell. From the second the opening credits begin you know you're in the hands of someone with something to say. But there's also some courage there. From Reitman, willing to make a movie about the collateral damage of the Great Recession. (That empty office with the receptionist crying should be the image of the year.) And credit too, for George Clooney on taking a role that plays with his own image. Or maybe he just did it to share scenes with Vera Farmiga. Yowza!

9. Inglourious Basterds

I.B. is one of those films that has gotten better as time passed. Immediately I was disappointed with the lack of battle scenes. Sorry but you say WW2, I have certain expectations. Now I appreciate it for everything else. The glorious dialogue. The slow burn of the set pieces. The farmer's table. The German bistro. And the sheer balls of Tarantino who plays tribute to his idols while smashing them to pieces.

8. In the Loop

The best movie about the Iraq War wasn't about the war. It was a comedy about the run up to the war. And it was made by a bunch of Brits. If Col. Hans Landa is this year's villain, Malcolm Tucker is a close second. The crown prince of cursing. A master of vigorous vulgarity. No amount of alliteration can prepare you for his foul-tongued fury. (Check out my interview with him here.) Lovely stuff.

7. Moon

We long suffering Sam Rockwell fans finally got the movie we were waiting for. A movie to showcase Rockwell's jittery genius, in all his manic glory. Moon is a future classic with little flourishes that cement its place in the sci-fi canon. The vibrating soundtrack. A kindly robot. (Kevin Spacey!) Flawless mise en scene. And a plot that swallows it's own tail. Plus those final shots.... Such economy in storytelling. Perfect.

6. Hunger

It's beginning to look like the next couple years will belong to Michael Fassbender. But this is the film that got him there. An amazing performance, I don't want to say much more since this was my number one last year. Well now it's actually out and in your video store so I'm putting it on my list again. It's that good.

5. Collapse

The best doc of the year is about a man in a meat locker explaining the way the world ends. Whether as character study or a warning, it's fascinating stuff. Suddenly the X-files feel like fairy tales. (More here and TIFF coverage here.)

4. A Serious Man

Let us all now pause and give thanks that we live in a world where a movie as bleak and as twisted and funny, yes funny, as A Serious Man could be created. And give thanks to the Coens who aren't afraid to make movies with questions but no answers. Also, ending of the year.

3. Star Trek 2. Bright Star

Two of the most beautiful films of the year, each in their own way of course. (What? You don't find exploding starships beautiful? Well then you're reading the wrong blog.)

Also two films where the director is in total command. Each are rewriting history in a way. One a revisionist version of Star Trek, the other a famous poet wooing his neighbour (or was that the other way around?) Each succeeds entirely. These movies took me away and I want to go back.

1. Il Divo

You take the energy of Snatch, the drama of The Departed and add the epic quality of The Godfather and you have Il Divo. A movie about the mob. About politics. About a man, who believes above all in himself. Watch the trailer here. Then go rent it on DVD. Enjoy.

2009 - 7 Minutes

2009-12-23T13:22:00.000-08:00

I'm aiming to get around to my best of list but in the meantime this is one masterful montage.
I recommend watching it in HD and full screen.
Enjoy

(Well done keesvdijkhuizen whoever you are...)

2009 on film

2009-12-21T08:45:00.000-08:00



FILMS I SAW THIS YEAR:

Act of God
Adoration
Adventureland
Amelia
Angels & Demons
Antichrist
Anvil! The Story of Anvil
Astro Boy
Avatar
Away We Go
Bride Wars
Bright Star
Broken Embraces
Bronson
Bruno
Che
Collapse
Confessions of a Shopaholic
Coraline
Couples Retreat
The Cove
Crazy Heart
The Damned United
Disney’s A Christmas Carole
District 9
Il Divo
Duplicity
Easy Virtue
An Education
Fanboys
Fantastic Mr. Fox
Fast & Furious
Fifty Dead Men Walking
Fired Up!
(500) Days of Summer
Flame and Citron
Food, Inc.
Funny People
G-Force
Good Hair
Gomorrah
The Hangover
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
He’s Just Not That Into You
Humpday
Hunger
The Hurt Locker
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
I Killed My Mother
I Love You, Man
The Informant!
Inglourious Basterds
The International
In the Loop
Invictus
Julie & Julia
Land of the Lost
The Last Station
The Limits of Control
The Lovely Bones
The Men Who Stare at Goats
Monsters vs. Aliens
Moon
The Necessities of Life
New in Town
New Moon
Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian
Nurse. Fighter. Boy.
O’Horten
One Week
Paper Heart
Paranormal Activity
Pirate Radio
Polytechnique
Pontypool
Precious: Based on the Novel « PUSH » by Sapphire
The Private Lives of Pippa Lee
The Proposal
Public Enemies
Push
The Road
A Serious Man
Sherlock Holmes
A Single Man
The Soloist
Star Trek
State of Play
Summer Hours
Surrogates
Taken
The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3
Taking Woodstock
Terminator Salvation
Tetro
This is It
The Time Traveler’s Wife
Trailer Park Boys: Countdown to Liquor Day
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
2012
The Ugly Truth
Under the Sea 3D
Up
Up in the Air
Watchmen
Whatever Works
Where the Wild Things Are
Whip It
The White Ribbon
X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Year One
The Young Victoria

AT TIFF (NOT YET RELEASED)

Cole
Cooking With Stella
Daybreakers
Defendor
The Trotsky
Suck
Kelin
Max Manus
My Year Without Sex
Youth in Revolt
Colony
The Art of the Steal
Google Baby
How to Fold a Flag
Bunny and the Bull
The Frontline
Angel
Accident
The Good Heart
Vahlallah Rising
Chloe
The Wild Grass
Symbol

Something like 130 so far. Many missed, much loved.

Blue Man Group (AVATAR)

2009-12-11T06:01:00.000-08:00

There's a battle going on right now as film critics who went to see Avatar struggle not to spill. Most reviewers such as myself saw the film under an embargo. Reviews are supposed to be held until the 18th. But the big papers are pushing the studio hard and the damn is breaking.

If you're looking for an early taste two good places to get a sense of the film are David Poland's excellent blog and Jeffery Wells' website. There's a boyish enthusiasm emanating from both of those reports and I say that in the most positive way possible.

I'll hold off on my full review for now. But let me say this. It is an experience. It will do quite well. It will become (or already is) an event movie that you have to see to be part of the conversation. The difference between Avatar and James Cameron's Titanic is that we didn't see Titanic coming. The movie disappointed critics and was being compared to Waterworld.

Already I can feel the industry getting on side with this one. It's going to change the business. How, is hard to say.

All Fall Down

2009-12-04T06:13:00.001-08:00

Finally rolling out across Canada, Collapse is the documentary of the year and here's why.

Collapse is story about how the world ends, as told by "independent journalist" Michael Ruppert.

In an empty room (an old meat-packing plant) Ruppert sits and smokes and describes the shape of doomsday.

This is a warning, a rant about peak oil, climate change, the economic crisis and literally end of civilization as we know it.

Marshaling facts and figures, aided by campy newsreel footage Ruppert explains why this generation will be the last to enjoy SUVs and long drives to the mall. And according to Ruppert we don't have long, so start stocking away those canned goods and organic seeds now.

It may sound paranoid, but the film is surprisingly persuasive. Director Chris Smith helps by staying out of the way. It's just Ruppert, a dark room, and enough smoke to kill the Marlboro Man. Occasionally Smith challenges Ruppert from off camera but it's not much of a debate.

Smith wisely leaves Ruppert's personal details until the end of the film. That and what Smith leaves out would undercut the impact of the tale. But in the end the movie works on two levels; either as a warning or an examination of the storyteller.

Forget 2012, here's your real disaster. Don't miss it.

Yay for Yuri (2012)

2009-11-13T10:46:00.000-08:00

So I liked 2012. (mild spoilers follow)

I know it's disaster porn of the highest order, the characters are as paper-thin as the buildings appear to be and the dialogue is atrocious. But come on... no one's going to this one for memorable moments. We're going to watch big things fall down and go boom.

And measuring 2012 on the boom-a-meter it gets an 9.5 out of 10. Until someone makes the movie where Earth goes kablooey Emmerich takes the prize for mind-numbing spectacle.

And as is the disaster-film tradition there are a couple campy performances to savor.

Yes there's John Cusack, who does the usual Cusack. It was kind of the producers to allow him to play a writer who wears black the entire time, thereby allowing us to believe in someway he's still the guy from High Fidelity/Say Anything.

But a little-known Croatian actor steals the show. His name is Zlatko Buric and he plays Yuri, the Russian billionaire Cusack's character just happens to work for. Zlatko has a voice like a bass woofer with a vodka-soaked accent to match. Lots of fun.

Also hats off to Tom McCarthy. You know when you're playing the guy competing against John Cusack you're not long for this earth. But considering he's playing a plastic surgeon from Los Angeles he's surprising likable. (If you're trying to place Tom, think of The Wire and don't forget he directed The Visitor.)

Sympathy for the Devil

2009-11-13T10:24:00.000-08:00

Antichrist by Lars von Trier opens today. It's obvious from the interviews that the director was in a disturbed state when he made this film. A nervous breakdown perhaps.

This is certainly a shocking film filled with moments of horrific violence and yes mutilation. Let me just say this poster is a good hint of things to come.

Antichrist may be a lot of things, but it isn't mindless. Instead of gore for gore's sake, there is a seed to the sickness. A monster driving the mutilation. I won't call Antichrist a masterpiece, but it is art. Art can be disturbing, unsettling and at times even repulsive. Although it can be difficult to watch, Lars von Trier deserves credit for seeing his demented vision through. This is story about sickness told by an auteur in full command of his medium. (And for the guy who gave us the Dogme movement this is filled with lush luxurious cinematography.)

I would never, never recommend this to a broad audience, and if you are the squeamish type stay far far away. But there are some rewards there for those who enjoy bold filmmaking. Just don't say I didn't warn you.

You Should See

2009-11-06T05:58:00.000-08:00

I'm waiting for a study that shows the impact that twitter has on blogging. Needless to say things have been sparse at GOF central. But there's a bounty of beautiful, moving films out there for those who want them. Here's a rundown of some fine films in theatres.

* * *

A Christmas Carol: Jim Carrey is great as Scrooge and the animation is amazing. A surprising faithful and dark morality tale updated with spine-tingling visuals. A little overboard in the thrill-ride department, but worth it for the dose of Dickens.

A Serious Man: See it now so you wont be surprised when it cleans up at the Oscars. The Coen Brothers best film in years. A return to the absurdity of Barton Fink. A movie that takes no prisoners.

An Education: It's hard not to watch Carey Mulligan and not think of Audrey Hepburn. She has the grace and maturity of woman beyond her years. A great little time capsule of Britain before the Beatles.

The Damned United: Michael Sheen scores again as Britain's much loved footie coach Brian Clough. Script by Peter Morgan who gaves us The Queen and has another winner here. Don't be put off if you're not a soccer fan, this is more about buddies than sports. Clough is a classic character, brilliant, cocky and fatally flawed.

Good Hair: Chris Rock brings us a surprisingly honest conversation about being Black in America and it all starts with hair. Plus, why is Ice-T so funny?

Enjoy!

(Not recommended would include Amelia & The Men Who Stare at Goats.)

Sorry Spike

2009-10-19T11:59:00.000-07:00

I’m sorry Spike.
You see I really want to like Where the Wild Things Are.
The idea of matching skater-boy genius Spike Jonze to the beloved kid lit classic seemed the perfect collaboration. Those monsters were like the grubby teddy bears we all shared. And who better to direct then Spike Jonze? He who taught us to how to be John Malcovich. He who predicted the hipster moustache, when Mike D and the boys shot Sabotage.
So I really wanted to like it.

But, I can’t.
Yes it’s beautiful. The monsters loom large and lovely. It is exactly as I imagined it, well that is until the monsters open their mouths. Suddenly these mud-caked mascots sound like the cast of Felicity. Carol doesn’t like Bob and Ted. K.W. spends too much time with her friends. Judith is always picking on Ira and no one listens to Alexander.

Is this really the fantasy world we envisioned? Where the Wild Things Are author Maurice Sendak anointed Spike Jonze because he seemed so boyish himself. Certainly watching Spike and his young surrogate Max get along I can see there’s a part of the director that’s still hiding under the bed with his flashlight.

Childhood is a beautiful thing. But we’ve been living the past for so long Hollywood should be charged with smothering its inner child. You know before Jonze inflated the 20-page book into a blockbuster he’d been working on an adaptation of Harold and the Purple Crayon?.
And heck, why not?. The past couple years it feels like we’ve done nothing but playing in the past. GI JOE, Star Trek, Land of the Lost. How did we get here where nearly every piece of mainstream entertainment is a version of something else?

I remember a number of years ago when I was running a film club for a group of high school students. After watching a couple clips one of the students remarked how lucky I was to have grown up in the 80s when all the great movies were made.

It’s hard to look at the decade that brought us Police Academy 1 to 6 as a renaissance, but then again as least the good filmmakers were making something out of nothing. E.T. Back to the Future. Ghostbusters. All classic, entertaining films with inspiration to spare. What can we look forward to now? Ghostbusters 3 . Fantastic. Flabby phantom versions of the original.

Time to stop looking backwards.
I think I can survive without the next remake of Clash of the Titans, Thundercats and whatever else is in the pipe.
It’s time to see something new at the movies again.
As the boy king says, "Let the Wild Rumpus Start!"

RETREAT! RETREAT!

2009-10-09T06:03:00.000-07:00

My Couples Retreat review?

Meh.

No it's not the worst comedy in the world.

But it certainly is lame.

Lame, predictable and with about as much bite as a Friends sitcom.

Surprised? I doubt it, but I was disappointed considering the talent available for this one.

As I've being talking about on air, Jon Favreau and Vince Vaughan made a big splash with Swingers in '96. They put their heart on their sleeves, poured their own money into it and made something real, something funny and touching.

You may not have liked the guys hitting the clubs in Swingers but I think you believed them. Do you believe Vince Vaughan as the henpecked husband? Not for a second. It's because Swingers came from a place of truth. Couples Retreat? The place of "Wouldn't it be flash to shoot a film in Bora Bora?"

Alack and alas.

Although I do want to draw your attention to one of my particular hang ups. Trailers That Don't Match Their Movies. If you watch the trailer to Couples Retreat you'll see some shots making it incredibly obvious Jon Favreau and his wife Kristin Davis are cheating on each other.

Now, unless I dozed off it seems those two little moments of infidelity are missing from the movie. Gone. Deleted.

The not-so-happy-couple still act like a couple of cheaters, so why snip out the evidence?

My theory is that when they tested the film audiences didn't like the couple's behaviour. So, bam, it's gone. Although most of us saw it in the trailer anyway. Silly and gutless.

And what about Vince Vaughan? Remember when he first burst on the scene? Sure there was the swagger, but there's was also an edge there. An actor not afraid to push the audience.
So what happened? Well here's his buddy Jon Favreau with the answer. This is from the great show Dinner for 5. It starts with Tony Shalhoub talking about actors who take risks.

(Follow the link or skip ahead to 1.42 in the video below.)

There you go. "Protecting the franchise." Now, of course Favreau wasn't talking about Vaughan there, but it's perfectly applicable. And we all know what the Vince Vaughan franchise is: The smart-ass friend. The angry tall dude with a penchant for put downs. What kills me with something like this is I know Vaughan can be funny. I watched him joshing with the cast during the promotional interviews. He's a naturally charming guy. But not the best choice for a puffy comedy about husbands and wives.

Garden State + Slap Shot

2009-10-02T07:30:00.000-07:00

Roller Derbies!

Who knew they were such fun?

The past couple days I've been spending a serious amount of time reading up on the skater-gal subculture. I've been learning the lingo (fresh meat = new recruits) and making a list of my fav derby names. (Axles of Evil, Nutcracker, Mack Truck Mel & Vega Vendetta)

The new movie WHIP IT, starring Ellen Page, is the reason for my new-found obsession. I liked Whip It when I saw it and I'm liking it more as time passes.

Part of my hesitancy was when I first watched Whip It was I focusing perhaps a little to much on Drew Barrymore's directorial debut. Was the music mixed too low? Should she have gotten better coverage of the action scenes? Why did you bother to set this in Texas when the actors sound as Southern as Woody Allen? All true, but those are small quibbles.

As I've had some distance, I'm growing impressed with what Drew was able to do here. Here's an actress that is no Megan Fox. Her look is a little more off-kilter, and that's a good thing because it forced her to develop other talents. Comic chops. A unique voice.

Then Drew finds this screenplay based on a book about RollerDerby gals, written by someone who put on skates herself. Drew tells the screenwriter, keep it messy, keep it raw. The result, a grrl power movie with some guts. The mother character isn't a total caricature. The loose ends are left hanging.

In a world of crappy remakes like FAME and plastic preachy flicks ala HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL, Whip It is a rallying cry, filled with real gals who are strong, smart and happen to look fine in fishnets.

By the way, keep an eye out for Ellen Page's teammates in the Hurl Scouts. Seems Drew called in a lot of favours for this film.

Zoe Bell stuntwoman/actress is there, as it SNL's Kristen Wiig, R&B star Eve and Andrew Wilson is their coach Razor. He's the bearded brother of Luke and Owen Wilson.

See you out on the rink!

Stargazing

2009-09-25T07:27:00.001-07:00

This week one of my favourites from the Toronto International Film Festival comes out. Bright Star is directed by Jane Campion, who gave us The Piano and other fine films.

In the past Campion's films have had an edge to them, she's been described as a feminist filmmaker, whatever that means.

But it's been a number of years since we last heard from her and her tone, her approach has somewhat softened. Bright Star isn't a film with an agenda, other than to pay tribute to a luminous love story.

You'll see a lot of reviews with words like "luminous" for Bright Star. It' s not just because we're trying to be punny. It's because this is a film where light is spilling off the screen. Set in 19th-Century Britain, Campion contrasts the bleak English countryside with the colour-wild costumes the characters wear. It's a feast for the eyes and soul.

Bright Star tells the tale of the relationship between poet John Keats (a thing of beauty is a joy for ever) and his neighbour Fanny Brawne. Keep you eyes out for Paul Schneider as Charles Brown, Keat's partner-in-poetry who tries to keep his friend from Fanny's clutches.

Although the movie is filled with memorable images, (a hand pressing a note against glass) it's also a movie about words. You wouldn't think that a movie about writing poems could sustain itself for two hours, but it does. Consider it a love letter to language.

Once you do go see Bright Star may I recommend you listen to the podcast The Treatment. Elvis Mitchell recently interviewed Jane Campion and you can hear why Campion took a break from directing and how her fascination with needlework dovetails into Fannie's character.

Enjoy.

TIFF UPDATE

2009-09-11T10:55:00.001-07:00

Hi there. The blog's going to the dogs right now while I go crazy at the Toronto International Film Festival.

The festival is already underway and I'm spending most of my days in the dark.

If you're interested the best thing to do is to follow me on twitter for links to articles and instant reviews.

I wrote a cheat sheet to help get the fest started right. You can find a whole bunch of reviews at CBC Toronto's Metro Morning site.

Otherwise I'll be contributing to the CBC TIFFpage at cbc.ca/TIFF.

Some of the films I'm looking forward to include: A Serious Man, The Informant, Up in the Air, Colony, Google Baby, The Art of the Steal, The Damned United and The Wild Hunt.

See ya in the lineup.

(thanks to TIFF insider for the photo.)

1000% Cinema (Taking on Tetro)

2009-08-14T06:08:00.000-07:00

There's a small film from a big director that might get lost in the shuffle of this weekend's flurry of new releases.

Tetro is filled with bold, brash and at times boisterous filmmaking, directed by none other than Francis Ford Coppola. And once again the man who gave us The Godfather is bringing us back into the land of brothers. But this is no ordinary pair of siblings.

There is Ben, the sailor, well really a waiter from a cruise ship, who longs to reunite with his volatile older brother Tetro.

Actor Vincent Gallo does his thing, simmering through this movie. His sharp angular face is a good match for the playful cinematography, filled with light shimmering like a reflecting pool.

Coppola has not directed since 2007 and Youth Without Youth . He's said of Tetro, "Nothing in this movie ever really happened, but it's all true." And we are swimming in Coppola's passions here. There references to obscure films, operas and masquerades.

This is a rich film, perhaps too rich for some, but it's also refreshing, like discovering a time capsule, uninfected by the BPM editing style of the 2000s.

True it does go a little off the rails in the last act, Coppola throwing in jabs at critics while Gallo struts around like a greased up groupie for ShaNaNa.

But all in all, I say it's a worthy immersion into the land of pure cinema. A tale of family and art locked in combat set on the cobblestone streets of Buenos Aires. Bravo Maestro, take a bow.

Embracing Your Inner Child

2009-08-06T13:52:00.000-07:00

I'll be on air today dishing the goods on the Julie & Julia. (Oh food-related puns, where would I be without you?)

10 second verdict. Disappointingly fluffy film, but worth seeing for Meryl Streep's performance as Julia Child. No surprise there, but Streep's Child is great fun, the most comedic character she's played in years. (Quiet down about Mama Mia, it doesn't count and I didn't believe her as the hotel-running hippie.)

In the process of boning up on all things Julia I've uncovered a couple links to compliment your viewing experience. Below you can watch Julia making eggs. A simple taste of the chef's charms.

Also in case you've seen the film, and you're wondering what the real Julie Powell thinks of her on screen incarnation, you can read it here on Julie's real blog.

And finally after watching Stanley Tucci hold his own with Streep I had to go find a photo of the real husband of Julia, Paul Child. So there he is up top on the right in case you're curious. Bon Appetit.

Great Bit from Fifty Dead Men Walking

2009-07-31T09:03:00.001-07:00

A searing chase scene above from Fifty Dead Men Walking.

If you live in Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Calgary, Edmonton or Winnipeg there's a great little thriller you should make some time for. Set in Belfast as the height of "The Troubles" Fifty Dead Men Walking is a tale about a young man caught in the middle of a war. Based on a true story, Jim Sturgess plays Martin, a two-bit thief who becomes a British spy as he rises through the ranks of the IRA.

The movie is about the lies each side tells each other, about the men thrown on the funeral pyre for the greater good. Directed by Canadian Kari Skogland, it can be at times generic, although the street battles are riveting. The image of a young girl, her bright knee socks flashing as she picks up a brick to lob at the soldiers, still sticks in my mind. Shot on location in Belfast and it shows.

But the performances are what make this one. Sturgess does a great job of a young man who is slowly slipping into an inescapable situation. And leading him along the way as the British handler is our modern-day Olivier, Ben Freakin Kingsley. Say no more.

Standing Up for Funny People

2009-07-31T07:37:00.000-07:00

I' m talking about Funny People on air today. All in all I'm recommending the film. It's not without some faults, mainly the length and a distracting subplot about a failed relationship.

I say distracting because the best stuff of Funny People comes from the comedy. The craft of comedy. A love letter to the dented souls that decide to get up on stage and make other people laugh. This is director Judd Apatow's most personal film because a lot was taken from his own path. He was the guy, trying to break into the biz. And it was another famous name, Roseanne Barr, who gave him a leg up.

For comedians there's a smorgasbord of stuff here. The cameos are endless. At times it feels like the movie The Artisocrats . Sarah Silverman, Andy Dick, Ray Romano, Norm MacDonald, Paul Reiser (remember him?) and a even a blistering Eminem. No he's not a comedian, but he has one of the funniest moments in the film.

Now the movie is being advertised as an Adam Sandler film. There he is in the middle of the warm and fuzzy poster. But for me this was a Seth Rogen film. Yes, he's funny. There's a scene in a restaurant, where he tries to stop crying, scrunching up his face in a way that had me crying with laughter myself.

But it's also Rogen's mix of vulnerability and intelligence. He comes off as a smart but decent guy. Watching him slowly find his voice and grow as a performer is the best part of the film. Compared to that, Adam Sandler's bitter old rich guy falls a little flat.

One more thing, don't be fooled by the title or trailer, this is a movie with a serious side. With a soundtrack featuring Neil Diamond and James Taylor, you feel Judd Apatow is getting a little melancholy. With my preoccupation with trailers I find it interesting how the original trailer featured Sandler's character jamming with Wilco. The feeling is joyous and celebratory. In the movie we learn Sandler's character has actually paid Wilco, effectively renting them for a couple hours. It's small moment, but heartbreaking and a hint of the some of the darkness hiding under these Funny People. (By that way, the song Sandler's singing in the trailer is actually "Photograph" by Ringo Starr.)

Although it's lopsided, Funny People is worth seeing. For a big Hollywood release Judd Apatow has snuck in a lot of his own life on screen. Talking someone to sleep. A brush with death. The cruelness of crowds. All based on Judd Apatow's own experiences.

Hopefully the fans fall for Funny People the way I did.

Insert Bromance Joke Here

2009-07-24T05:55:00.001-07:00

While I'm on air trashing the limp love story that is The Ugly Truth, I wanted to take a moment to recommend a very different kind of love story: Humpday.

Love might be a way of over-selling it, but it's certainly about a bond. It's a guy thing, two friends, still connected who through one night of drunken dares find themselves taking their relationship to another level.

Ben (on the left) is a regular guy whose a traffic systems analyst. He and his young wife are trying for a kid, their life is pretty stable, until Andrew (on the right) drops in. Andrew is an old friend from years back. Now he's a bit of a vagabond, trekking through South America, trying to refashion himself as an artist.

The two guys still have a connection, and the film, with it's relaxed mumblecore style catches the uncomfortable feeling of friends who are still linked, but have also grown separate ways. Ben doesn't want to be seen as a sellout, with his perfect house and coffee table books on the coffee table. Andrew is all-too-ready to taunt and tease, but also not as easy going as his comb-free look suggests.

After on night with bit of drink and bit of pot, the two guy back themselves in a corner. Somehow they propose to make a porn film for the alternative film festival Humpfest.

The catch, it will be a porn film featuring two straight guys, Andrew and Ben. The morning after each try to let the other back out of the project, but Ben in particular is tired of being boxed in. In a mix of bravado and bro-ness they stumble forward.

The quiet brilliance of this seemly unworkable concept is the final 20 minutes that takes place in a dingy hotel room. Part of you is rooting for boys, as this event becomes something bigger than the two of them. Another part really really doesn't want to see them do it. And that's where the comedy comes from. You know they don't want to do it, but giving up is a failure neither of are willing to face.

If you're a fan of small films, simple scripts and honest performances, take a gander at this one. Keep in mind director Lynn Shelton wrote the script but it was mainly an outline. So what happens in that hotel room? That's all the actors. Smart small stuff worth your time.

Wild About Harry

2009-07-17T09:19:00.001-07:00

Yup, it's Harry Potter week here at G.O.F. The poster to the left features the lovely Luna Lovegood. A sadly wasted character in the new film. I hope she gets a bigger part in the final two flicks. (Does she? Tell me, no wait, don't tell me.)

So the movie that's smashing box office records is Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. It's pretty good overall. This is a high quality series, as Nikki Fine put it, it's better than it has to be. Meaning that there's a quadrillion or so Potter fans out there, box office potency is pretty much guaranteed . But regardless, the HP crew go out and do their best to make solid, entertaining movies.

Set design? Lovely. Costumes? Enchanting. Does anybody not believe Hogwarts is a real place? Maybe if we found the right train we could be walking those hallowed halls.

The acting is top notch, someone give the casting director who found Daniel, Emma and Rupert a bonus will ya? My MVP for this movie is Rupert Grint, maybe it's because he was set up to be the odd fish, but seeing Ron Weasley coming into his own is very satisfying. Grint's a great comic actor, able to be goofy and ground the magic wunderkinds at the same time.

My only quibble with the new movie is that ... well it doesn't feel like a movie, more just an installment. Following the outline of the book, the entire film has the feel of an extended set up. The story lacks a true villain, instead of battles there are skirmishes. I can't help but feel the more satisfying way to enjoy this series would be as a mini series or waiting for the Hagrid-sized box set.

Still, for fans, this is a good film, filled with the type of craft we just don't get consistently in the film biz anymore. It'll do, as Farmer Hoggett once said.

Oh, and about that record breaking midnight screening? Well that's what happens when a generation of kids, grow up reading the series. They were 8 or 10 years old when they first cracked open the first book. Now they're certainly old enough to enjoy a late night screening. So it's not that surprising HP raked in 22 million in one night. How many Potter readers are there anyway?

The challenge going forward will be make the next two movies in a way that satisfies the maturing audience. The final two films will screen in late 2010 and 2011! It will be an audience of 20 year olds watching those. Chaste kisses in school hallways and scary spells wont cut it. But I'm looking forward to seeing how the filmmakers raise their game.

THE BEST POTTER SO FAR?

As I had to refresh my memory, it's been so long since the last Potter pic, so I've been thinking about what's my favourite film in the series.

In the end I'll have to go with Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Alfonso Cuarón only directed one film, but he was able to push the series to the limit. It was darker and stranger. Gorgeous, gloomy and truly gothic. Remember the triple decker bus? Remember the cast? David "Naked" Thewlis as Prof. Lupin. And Gary Oldman as Sirius Black. Oh, and I almost forgot Emma Thompson.

POST-POTTER BLUES

So what to do now that's you've seen the Half Dead Prince and it's over a year until the next film.
We'll here's a couple suggestions to tide you over.

If you like Rupert Grint. Look for lovely little film called Driving Lessons.

It's about a quiet boy who befriends a retired actress (Julie Waters channeling Katharine Hepburn)…quite charming.

If you like Alan Rickman, and come on, who doesn't? Look for Snow Cake. A Canadian/UK co-production starring Rickman and Sigourney Weaver. A small town story about loss and lust.
If you want to see Prof. Snape caught off guard, this is the one.

(WARNING, TRAILER CONTAINS A SPOILER)

And finally, as always the Potter pics are a smorgasbord of talent. The newest recruit is the droll Jim Broadbent who plays Prof. Slughorn, an expert on potions. If you want to see more of him, in a less fidgety roles, try, Topsy-Turvy. There he plays Gilbert of Gilbert and Sullivan. Directed by British treasure Mike Leigh in one of Leigh's most accessible and colourful films. You can find that trailer HERE. "Laughter, tears, curtain." as one character says.

Divine Il Divo

2009-07-10T09:53:00.001-07:00

A car falls silently into a gravel pit.
The only sound, the chirping of birds.

Cut to: The face of Giulio Andreotti, impassive, frozen, his eyes hidden behind his massive glasses, like two flatscreens tuned to a dead channel.

This is the glory of Il Divo, opening in Toronto today, rolling out across North America.

Il Divo is one of the best films I've seen this year, if not the best. An energetic mix of politics and crime, it has the nerve of a Guy Ritchie film, but the maturity of a mafia classic, such as, yes, The Godfather.

It's a fitting comparison because Il Divo is equally epic in scope. Spanning decades, it follows the life of Giulio Andreotti, who served as Italy's Prime Minister for seven terms. For about as long Andreotti has been dogged by claims of mafia connections, charges of corruption, political assassinations and worse.

The filmmaker Paolo Sorrentino digs into this, not in a linear fashion, but jumping about, bouncing from the streets where killers roam, to corridors of power. Much time is spent in Italy's parliament, where Andreotti's circle of friends, (who carry nicknames like The Shark and The Lemon) ensure the country runs they way they want it to.

It's a fascinating portrait of power, much of it a mystery because the lead actor Toni Servillo gives away so little. Andreotti is an enigma. A face like Henry Kissinger, all jowls and forehead, but behind the accountant's facade, is a monster. The man they call the Black Pope. At a party during one scene, one of the pretty young things asks Andreotti, "Have you ever danced Prime Minister?" "My Whole Life." is the answer.

This is a movie, where the filmmaker is bending the entire medium to his will. The music, motion, acting, even the title credits, all combine to create something thrilling. There are no easy answers. This is not a rant, it's a mystery. Only once does Sorrentino play his hand, allowing Il Divo a peel-the-paint-off-the-walls monologue with a bloody body count.

Winner of the 2008 Jury Prize at Cannes. Watch the trailer here if you need more convincing. Enjoy.

The Transformers Hangover (movie industry madness)

2009-07-07T14:13:00.000-07:00

Well for months now there's been a growing drumbeat in Hollywood. The death of the star system. The death of movies for grown ups. Hollywood in crisis.

Why? After a number of big-name movies failed to do well the mainstream movie biz, already nervous, is becoming even more conservative.

Who is to Blame? The International. Duplicity. State of Play. Public Enemies and more.

What could possibility be wrong with those movies? The A-list stars? Sophisticated content? Movies exploring corporate surveillance, journalism and gangsters...

All well and good (and I enjoyed everyone one of them, well Public Enemies, not so much but that's another post.) But the problem is for all their A-list content, the box office was a D minus. You see when you pony up the dough for Russell Crowe or Julia Roberts...you expect things.

And then there's the two breakout hits of the summer so far.
Transformers Revenge of the Fallen and The Hangover. The failure of the big name stars to bring big box office, compared against the success of popcorn fluff like Transformers is making the industry think twice.

This was covered nicely last week by the KCRW entertainment program The Business. But to save you the time, I thought I'd go over some of the main points (while giving myself a chance to let off some steam.)

THE FEAR
The Land of the Lost was an expensive movie with a big name star.
Will Ferrell as a moron lost in time? How could it fail?
BECAUSE IT WASN'T FUNNY.
I lost it there, but again and again Land of the Lost is being held up as an example of how the Hollywood system is broken because A-list actors can't guarantee big box office.

But the machine isn't broken, someone just didn't vet the script of Ferrell's latest nonsense. I don't mind Ferrell. Elf is brilliant. But Land of the Lost? Sorry but jokes about dino pee and a horny monkey aren't going to cut it. Also keep in mind while your jokes might make a 16 year old giggle, who is the target audience? Presumably the people who watched Land of the Lost as kids and are now in their thirties. Congratulations you made a stupid spoof based on a TV show, half your audience never saw. Brilliant!

And yet this failure is ignored, instead executive are scratching their heads and lowing actor salaries. (By the way, guess who is the one bankable star left....Will Smith. The last movie star.)

Interestingly one of the contributors to The Business suggest the stars who will replace the actors will be the directors. JJ Abrams' actors may change, but as long as he proves he can deliver an audience, studios will keep paying his way.

THE VOID
So here we are, entering a world where the studio-made movies for grown ups could become an endangered species. What's left? On the one hand there's a handful of Oscar-worthy smart movies, and on the other hand there's the summer brand name blockbusters. Into the Void, go the middle ground, the big movies with a big Hollywood cast. Case in point, Sony just backed out of Moneyball. You'd think a movie about baseball starring Brad Pitt would be a lock. But after a couple semi-serious films floundered, everyone's getting cold feet.

THE REVENGE OF THE AUDIENCE
Another thing that might be contributing to the pre-mature death of some films is the rise of twitter and more platforms to be your own critic. If a movie's a stinker, the smell spreads a lot faster these days. Facebook and Twitter are a great way to spread the world. (I know I do.) And all the marketing buzz in the world can't stop bad word of mouth. (Update: The Wrap has more on this.)

THE FUTURE
What does it all mean? Well for starters the summers are going to be a lot dumber for a while.
Until the economy picks up again studios are scared. Risk is out, safe is in. That means lots of big brandname movies, retreads, remakes and high-concept films. When a frat-boy fest like The Hangover is considered the pinnacle of creativity, you know the industry's in trouble.
Power is shifting out of the hands of artists and actors and back to studios again.

We could see this all come to head this winter. You might remember hearing that the Academy Awards have expanded the Best Picture Nominee category to 10. Well if things stay this way, the question wont be which ten films are picked... it will be are there enough Academy-Worthy to fill 10 slots?

Sour Grapes (Cheri)

2009-06-24T21:53:00.000-07:00

Ah-hoy! Spoilers Ahead.

Cheri (based on the novel by Colette) is a romance starring Michelle Pfeffier as an older woman whose place of business is her bed.

Pfeffier plays Lea, a legendary whore with a string of lovers. They've kept her living in fine style until she falls for her co-worker's son, nicknamed "Cheri".

Cheri is the son of Madame Peloux (played by Kathy Bates) a former competitor until she hung up her boots as it were.

As the son of a whore, Cheri has a certain sense of detachment when it comes to romance. He's also a bit of a strange duck, with a vampire's complexion and the hair of Edward Scissorhands.

Due to the strange casting it took me a while to decide that yes, they are in England, sometime before the First World War. You see the Butler is British, the housemaid is British...and Kathy Bates and Michelle Pfeffier's characters? Well they sound outright American, let's call them "refined".

To his credit director Stephen Frears doesn't keep us in suspense for too long regarding the romance of the snarky couple. It's barely ten minutes before Cheri says "Kiss Me" and and a boy-toy is born.

The initial romantic encounters are sensual, the screen covered in the slurps and skin of the two lovers. Soon they fall into a comfortable state of affairs, neither needing to put on airs. The arrangement last for six years until Mama Bates decides to marry her young man away.

And here we get to the crux of the story. The two lovers, both too proud to admit their feelings, each walking away from each other, each afraid to turn around. It's a familiar set up, and while we wait for the inevitable reunion what are we treated to?

Lea and Cheri, mooning over each other. One a scowl with a top hat. And the other, the tragic beauty. Cheri moves onto breaking in his wife with astounding brutality. And Lea spends her time seducing muscle boys and looking at herself in the mirror. Tracing the pale lines beneath her skin.

Now some may find it revolutionary to have Michelle Pfiffier playing a woman who is beautiful and yet over the age of 26. But there is something to be said for acting, rather than just posing and hoping your perfect frame will do the heavy lifting for you.

When Lea sits up in bed one night, crying out "Cheri!" It's laughable. When the two finally reconnect, it's predictable. The only emotion I felt was relief after 45 minutes of the inevitable. A couple meets, parts and returns. That's not a plot, it's a dance step.

Cheri is trying to pose as a tragedy, a woman who discovered her heart, only too late in life. But with the unconvincing performances and super-busy set design this movie is strangled by superficially. All the more amazing if you remember director Frears' The Queen a movie rich in subtly and moments of contemplation. (Think of the Queen staring at the proud buck in the wild.)

Sadly no royalty here, just a limp love letter to faded beauty. Pity.

Minor Movie Update, Some Catching Up

2009-06-24T21:06:00.000-07:00

Well it's beeen a while since I last updated, and there's a number of movies I've seen, but not enough time to write about them all.

I'm not going to mention the major movies. You can catch up on those with my podcast, (Glasner on Film in iTunes) and there's quite an archive there. Instead I'd wanted to rundown some of the smaller films. (And i'm not going to hotlink everything to imdb, because if I do that we'll be here all night. Yes I'm a lazy lazy man.)

YEAR ONE - Oy. How is it Harold Ramis. He of Groundhog Day fame. He of Ghostbusters genealogy. He of the almighty SCTV coughed out this cold fish of a comedy? It's Michael Cera and Jack Black as, as well I think their names were something like Ogg and Ugh. But really it's Jack Black and Michael Cera wearing pelts. Year One is a long succession of bad biblical skits with misplaced modern jokes. It's essentially an extended SNL skit, but not the good ones. The ones they put on at 12:50 before the show ends. Yeech.

FOOD INC - A documentary about the dangers of factory farming and a bit of a wake up call about what's in the local supermarket. Done in the now familiar Michael Moore style it's a heavy-handed and slickly packaged product. The general gist of the message wont surprise anyone whose read books like The Omnivore's Dilemma. But still there are some shocking moments there, such how little a chicken farmer raising hundreds of thousands of chickens actually earns a year. Also kudos for showing how some organic producers are teaming up with the big guys like Walmart. It's rather one-sided but does that surprise you? A good place to start if the topic interests you, but I imagine you'll head to the library/bookstore to fully satisfy yourself afterward.

O'HORTEN - A train conductor retires. But what does a conductor do when the train leaves the stations without him? From Norway a comedy of manners as gentle as it is observant. The perfect tonic to the mid-summer silly season at the cinema.

SUMMER HOURS - No one make films about families eating meals together like the French. You could go see this for the voyeurism aspect alone. But then you'd miss the finely calibrated performance by Juliette Binoche, the mother in a family slowly spinning apart, wondering what's worth holding onto.

Also, as mentioned earlier, I heartily recommend Away We Go & Easy Virtue.

America's F**king Sweetheart Lays Down the Law

2009-06-18T07:45:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow's big review is The Proposal. In short, it's a romantic comedy done right. Formulaic? Sure, but when the actors are having fun it doesn't matter much. Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock are old pals who even go on vacation together. The connection shows on screen.
For a more dramatic example check out this fake behind-the-scenes "reynolds rage" where America's Grandma of the moment, Betty White steals the show.

Kudos to them for having such fun with their image

Fireball-Free Films (summer preview)

2009-06-08T14:43:00.000-07:00

I know I spend a lot of time raging against the excesses of Hollywood, but a little looking ahead to the movies coming soon gave me cause to hope.
So here's a little list of some (hopefully) smart summer flicks on the way.

MOON

As I said before, this is the Sam Rockwell pic we've been waiting for. That mess called Choke? Forget about it. Never happened. This is some prime stuff coming down the pipe. Sam plays an astronaut running out the end of his three year stint on a lonely lunar base. Then strange things happen. Talking computers & mysterious clones? Sounds good to me. Directed by the freakin-son-of-David-Bowie? Fingers crossed, looks promising.

Open in Toronto on June 3rd.

Il Divo

I recently had the pleasure of seeing this amazing movie and I now understand why Variety called it a masterpiece. Honestly. This is an amazing flick, surely to be one of my top ten of the year. An ambitious tale about the life of seven-time Italian Prime Minister Giulio Andreotti. This is a pop-opera of crime and corruption, blood and ambition. It has the sizzle of Guy Ritchie at his best, but the stillness of classic mafia tale...(dare I say...Godfather?) Tony Servillo plays Andreotti. With a face like Henry Kissenger it's easy to underestimate the round man with the gentle voice. But behind the billboard-sized glasses is an equally oversized body count.
Do not miss this one.

Opens July 3rd in Toronto.

The Girlfriend Experience

One word. Soderbergh. The director with the limitless range is returning to his experimental roots with this one. A week in the life of a high-class escort as Wall Street starts to fracture. Starring actual porn star Sasha Grey as the escort in question. Is Soderbergh having his way with the audience again? Most likely. Will it be thought provoking? Surely.
And if you think Miss Grey is just a flesh peddler check this top 5 list out. Is she putting us on, or is she smarter than she seems?

Opens June 26th in Toronto and Montreal.

Away We Go

Directed by Sam Mendes this laid-back road trip seems to be hitting the hipsters in the right spot. It's a beautiful trailer but can Mendes deliver? Early reviews are lapping up The Office's John Krasinski's feature role. And it's co-written by some guy named Dave Eggers.

Opens in Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal June 12th.
Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Victoria, Ottawa and Halifax June 19th.
(UPDATE: Saw it. Loved it. Smart, sweet and goofy. I can't believe the same man that directed Revolutionary Road did this film. Some touching moments, a lot of cringe-worthy moments, a couple killer lines and a great breakout performance by both leads.)

Whatever Works

A new film from Woody Allen. Say what you will but at this point you have to admire his sheer endurance. I'm not a Larry David fan, so I'm hedging my bets. But I did swoon over Vicky Cristina Barcelona so here's hoping Woody's still got it.

Opens June 26th.

And of course...then there's Transformers 2. Heh. No really folks, lots to look forward to. Enjoy.

Recovering from The Hangover

2009-06-05T05:54:00.000-07:00

The Hangover is your raunchy comedy of the week.

From the guy who brought you Old School is a Vegas road movie gone wrong.

I'll say this, they cut a fine trailer for this film. Unfortunately when you see the full version, there's a lot of dead spots between some comic scenes. The tiger, Tyson...it's all there. But the film takes a long time to find its groove. Plus the humour is, well a little to ripe for my tastes. Getting laughs with jokes about the Holocaust and swinging a baby around tend to put me off.

But... and there is a but, two of the players in this are much more interesting than the film itself. Zack Galifianakis has been described as an an alt-comic. What he is, is weird in a good way. Even a Andy Kaufman way. He's been through the crucible of stand up. He's done some TV stuff. Now he's just doing his own thing. It's not funny in a Will Ferrell pratfall way, but it is interesting. Normally I don't go for comedy that comes from an uncomfortable place, but there's a amazing sense of vulnerability with Galifianakis. Certainly someone we'll be seeing more of. Check out this long nytimes profile for starters and here's a hilarious music video he and Wil Oldham did for Kayne West.

(love the jumping tractor)

Another actor that deserves a mention is Ed Helms. You might know him from The Office. He does a nice turn here as the typical henpecked husband. It's time for some new faces in these frat boy movies, and Helms does what he can with this paper-thin part. Great suffering and energy. I hope we see more.

Critics Against 3-D

2009-05-29T06:58:00.000-07:00

Well seems I'm in good company with my complaint about Pixar's new movie Up.

Let's be clear, Up is another elegant, uplifting animated movie. A movie only Pixar could tell, with classic characters, sumptuous visuals and talking dogs flying biplanes. (Really!)

It's also Pixar's first film in 3-D. Which brings me to my point. If you love animation, the way I love animation I'm recommending you do not go see the film in 3-D.

Why? Because what you gain isn't worth what you lose.

3-D is better than it used to be. No more red and blue glasses. Now we use funky polarized sunglasses. And yes, Pixar takes a restrained approach to the 3-D effects. There's no Dr.Tongue moment, no stuff flying out of the screen.

In fact the effects are SO subtle, i don't feel they're worth the bother. Pixar make beautiful images. I could write an essay on the way they portray a flashlight glowing under a blanket. So I don't want anything to come between me and that picture. 3-D has come a long way, but the result is a slightly darker, fuzzier image. If you like your picture pristine...follow the advice of Roger Ebert and Village Voice critic Robert Wilonsky. Leave the funny glasses to the horror films.

Enjoy!

Robots vs Funny Men (new podcast)

2009-05-25T10:59:00.001-07:00

Since we're seeing a little burst of traffic here in GOFland I thought I'd take this opportunity to flog my CBC radio podcast.
The latest one is up, where I compare the charms of the newest Night at the Museum vs Terminator Salvation. Since Ben Stiller and Co. trounced Christian "Can You Hear Me Now" Bale soundly at the box office, you might wanna take a listen.

There's a direct mp3 link here. And you can click HERE to launch iTunes. Or search for "Glasner on Film." Enjoy.

Easy Virtue (Some Summer Smarts)

2009-05-24T18:22:00.000-07:00

I wanted to write about Easy Virtue a snappy comedy I fear will get lost beneath the sea of summer blockbusters. (It begins rolling out across Canada May 29th.)

Easy Virtue is an adaptation of a Noel Coward play. It's not of one of his better known works and in fact was staged more as a melodrama rather than the comedy we see on screen.

To get there producers hired writer/director Stephan Elliot
and co-writer Sheridan Jobbins (a former development exec.)
Elliot if you don't recall was the man behind The Adventures of Priscilla Queen of the Desert. After listening to the latest Creative Screenwriting Podcast I learned that the success of Priscilla nearly killed Elliot. He had a couple flops and then a skiing accident that did literately nearly kill him. After essentially dropping out of the industry, Easy Virtue was his way back.

Easy Virtue is a surprising film. It's a Coward comedy, so there are the things we except. The English comedy of manners. A family low on luck and funds, clinging to the upper class, knuckles bare. The clash of the classes gets even better when Larita, a modern 2oth century gal and a American to boot, hooks up with the heir to the family farm, John Whittaker. This sets the stage for a battle of wills, in one corner, the impeccable Mrs. Whittaker (Kristin Scott Thomas) as devious as she is polite, in the other Larita (Jessica Biel) a smart sassy can-do gal.
*
This is a fun, snappy film. I had a good feeling about it from the first couple scenes. It's obvious the director thought about what kind of film he wanted to make. He's being true to the original, but he's embellishing and improving on points. Throughout there's real sense of play there. The way characters are almost breaking into song. The way visuals poke and joke with us, just as the dialogue does. And it's all rounded out by some fine performances by Biel, Scott Thomas and Colin Firth as Mr. Whittaker(who gets to play an unstuffed shirt for once.)

Listening to the aforementioned podcast there were a couple other surprises about the creation of the film. I recommend you check it out for yourself but to list a few:

Colin Firth's speech about losing an entire village of men in the War, not quite in the original play, and also based on a true story.
Jessica Biel sings on the soundtrack. As do some other cast members. (Soundtrack is also what adds to the sense of fun, a kind of 1920's dixieland rag, which shouldn't work in an British context, but does.)
Speaking of the British, Elliot says Easy Virtue bombed when it opened there. He's an Aussie and thinks that with Britain's economy in tatters this is not a time to introduce a film that makes fun of the English.
To keep the sense of distance between their two characters, Kristin Scott Thomas and Jessica Biel kept away from each other when not filming.
Easy Virtue was filmed, as a Silent Movie...by Alfred Hitchcock in 1928. (Get your head around that one.)
Noel Coward wrote the original when he was 22 (!)
SPOILERS AHOY!!!!!!!!!!!! The sfx of the crunching of a dog was done by sitting on a BBQ chicken.
BIG SPOILER The moment at the end of the film where Mr.Whittaker jumps into Larita's car is an original creation. What's interesting is, the two writers don't agree on what it means. Are they lovers , or merely comrades in arms? You'll have to see for yourself to decide.

*And yes that second poster is HORRID.

Of Stars and Arcs...

2009-05-12T14:02:00.000-07:00

Well I hope by now you've all been to see the lens-flare awesomeness that is Star Trek.

I'm still savouring some moments and planning to see it again.

In the meantime a couple things to pass along.

I could twitter them, but some things deserve a blog posting.

1) Screenwriter and blogger John Rogers has great rumination on how Star Trek is different. In short, he talks about how the movie defies the typical screenwriting cliches. There is no "tranformational" moment. Instead Star Trek is about what Rogers coins as the "revelatory arc". Interesting stuff.

2) Spaceship Porn. Neat history of different versions of the Enterprise over at Slashfilm.

There you go. And in case we're all too happy now, don't worry, Hollywood is hard out work on new flavours of crap. Case in point....American Gladitators the movie. Really? Really.

Dammit He Can Sing Too (Whedon on This American Life)

2009-05-10T19:30:00.000-07:00

So there I am doing the dishes and listening to the recent live show from This American Life.
If you don't know what This American Life is then you simply just don't love radio. Recently This American Life did a live show in Chicago and beamed it to theatres across North American. They had special guests, John Savage told a moving story about his mother and faith. And fan fav, Joss Whedon appeared. (Creator of Buffy, Firefly, Dollhouse and more.)

Before Whedon took to the stage they set things up by showing a couple clips from Whedon's hilarious Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog. A musical, about a super villain, told in the form of a video blog. Yes, that is three flavours of awesome right there. And it works. Check it out if you haven't.

Anyway, now that the musicial, which started as a web-based experiment during the writer's strike, has become a big hit, Whedon had to cough up some bonuses for the DVD. And because he's evidently exploding with creative output, Whedon decided to SING parts of the of the commentary.

Which is my very long way of setting up this song. Here is a song, where creator Whedon sings on a commentary track about the pitfalls of telling the audience too much. It's a song about the value of mystery to link back to my last post on JJ Abrams.

And it's a damn fine song and the man has a point. Certainly grabbed me, so please enjoy. And of course go listen to the whole show of This American Life, they do a lovely podcast.

The video is from some janky screen grab from the live show. The official version from the Dr.Horrible DVD is here. But I found i liked the live version better.

All About Abrams (and Star Trek)

2009-05-08T06:38:00.000-07:00

It's offical.

I have a creator crush on JJ Abrams.

He's the director of the new fan-freaking-tastic Star Trek.

Preparing for my cbc radio reviews today I've been boning up on my Abrams.

I watched his interview on Charlie Rose where he talks about giving B-Movie ideas the A-Movie treatment. (ie Cloverfield.)

He also talks about his general disdain of the Trek cannon and how sequels rip off the wrong stuff.

Then I watched the TED talk he gave on his mystery box. It's a magic box he bought in a magic story. He's never opened it because the possibilities of what is contains are stronger than what could actually be inside. Abrams talks about Lost, Stars Wars and the Graduate, relating them all to the mystery box.

Finally, for bonus points there's this article from the Guardian that covers his roots as a young filmmaker fooling around with Super8.

All in all he strikes me as a smart entertainer, Michael Bay but better. It doesn't hurt that he started as a writer, all his creations show that devotion to character, even in the midst of all that action. (We'll just keep the fact that he wrote Armageddon to ourselves.)

Heck with all this Abrams action, I may have to start watching Lost.

Naaaaaaaaaaaaah.

First Photo from X-Men: First Class Revealed!

2009-05-01T05:37:00.001-07:00

Sorry. Couldn't resist.

I'm on the radio* today talking about how the mutant muddle of a movie Wolverine sets up Marvel's next movie X-Men:First Class.

Hopefully the next movie will look a little more grown up.

Image via Topless Robot, who have a fun list of some of Wolverine's least-than-stellar moments.

(*You can catch me on morning or afternoon shosw for CBC Radio in St.John's, Cornerbrook, Thunder Bay, Regina, Whitehorse, Victoria, Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Sudbury, Quebec City, Winnipeg, Montreal, Windsor and on Ontario Morning heard outside Toronto.)

Smart Movies vs Dumb Trailers

2009-04-28T21:34:00.000-07:00

Some interesting threads coming together, interesting if you're a dork like me who watches movie marketing the way other people watch hockey.

Articles such as this from the LA Times are ringing alarm bells about smart movies falling flat at the box office.

Examples? State of Play bested by 17 Again.
Or more recently The Soloist squashed by Obsessed.

Both State of Play and The Soloist are prime Hollywood product. Jamie Foxx, Robert Downey Jr. Russell Crowe etc.... The poor performance of State of Play was so jarring that KCRW's entertainment radio show "The Business" actually cornered Tim Bevan in a follow up interview asking him what went wrong.

His response is interesting. He admits the marketing of the movie could have been better but then, not once but twice he basically begs the audience to go see the movie because "if they don't see films like this, we can't keep making them."

Now while you all snicker at the idea of of the producer of State of Play and The Soloist pounding his chest for intellectual cinema, let me say (as i did in my podcast) I enjoyed both of those movies. State of Play for the mood and the subtext about journalism. The Soloist for director Joe Wright's vision of L.A.'s lost people.

But the reaction to these movies betrays a certain nervousness out there. In the interview, the host of The Business even went so far as to ask Bevan if Russell Crowe was too portly, and did his rumpled visage cost him box office points?

At the end of the day, all this obsession over box office performance is silly. The box office is just the trailer for the really money maker...the DVD sales. Good box office helps build buzz and give studios bragging rights.

A great, great article on this can be found here in the New Yorker. Among other things you'll learn how firms that track box office performance know if a new movie is a winner or loser by mid-Saturday. And the companies that produce the trailers for the studios are often separate entities. There are company that specialize in trailers, like Seismic Productions. And that explains a little of what went wrong with State of Play and The Soloist.

In my humble opinion it isn't that people don't like Smart Movies, or we're getting dumber. This is case of bad trailers turning people off.
Look at the trailer for State of Play.

Generic and underwhelming. Also, false. That line where Russell Crowe's character says "I heard a young girl was murdered?" Never happened. Just a little of the tweaking done to quash a complicated story into a 2 minutes trailer.

Now, how about The Soloist...

This one, near the end where Robert Downey Jr. says "We take care of each other. I'm the closest thing to family he has..." As far as I can recall those lines never made it into the movie. Why? Because the director probably felt they were mawkish, making a point that had already been expressed. But there they are in the trailer, over-torquing the storyline and causing us to roll our eyes. ("Oh, another one of those movies.")

Of course it didn't help that trailers for The Soloist have been running for months. People start to wonder, when is movie coming out? Why are they pushing it so hard? Their spidey-sense went off, it smelled like a stinker and they left it alone.

What didn't make the trailer? The cast of homeless people, real streetlife veterans who give the movie a touch of authenticity. In the end they were edited out, promoters selling schmaltz instead of smarts. Well you reap what you sow. The moral: If you're making a smart movie and going for a smart audience don't insult their intelligence with a dumb trailer.

Milton Lives! (Spolight on The Soloist)

2009-04-23T14:01:00.001-07:00

I'll be talking about Robert Downey Jr. and Jamie Foxx's new movie The Soloist on the ray-dee-oh this Friday. Short version. Liked it. Much better than the trailer suggests and extra point to director Joe Wright for trying a couple new ideas there.

Right from the first scene of this film I got the sense this is a quality movie. Again we're in a newsroom. This time it's the Los Angeles Times. But Wright has this place down. They shot on location, in the newsroom and the atmosphere, the crosstalk sings.

Now..to the point of this post. Remember Milton from Office Space?

Of course you do.

He, meaning Stephen Root makes a great little appearance in the movie as a reporter called Curt.

He's not on screen for long, but it's quality stuff.
Root is one of those actors that's always fun to watch so keep your eyes open.

All in all the cast for The Soloist is quite deep, lot of choice small roles here, this one is recommended.

Technorati Profile

Earth's Secret Side

2009-04-22T18:57:00.001-07:00

Well I finally figured it out.

I've been talking about Disneynature's new Earth movie all day. And all day I've been seeing the figure of 60 percent thrown around when describing how Disney reused the footage from the Planet Earth BBC series. But how could it be 60 percent? It didn't look like there was anything new there. It must be 100 percent recycled.

Well here at the bottom of a comment field on the always great Vulture pop culture blog I've think I've finally found the answer.

The answer is Disney bankrolled part of the original series in the first place. And the same team worked on both films. The Mousehouse paid for the aerial shots, and perhaps if you add all of those up you'd get something like the 40 percent of new material.

Now I can't confirm this, but gosh darn it, it feels right. So thanks Clunybrown whoever you are. And if you haven't seen it, go check out Planet Earth for a lot more than cuddly polar bears.

Films for a Blue Planet

2009-04-22T11:35:00.000-07:00

Ah Earth Day, when Leonardo DiCaprio, Al Gore and Mother Nature all join hands and dance the dance of melting ice caps, global warming and drinking our coffee in reusable travel mugs.
Let's be honest, with all the green stuff being pushed at us, sometimes Earth Day can feel a little ... artificial.
So if you're looking for some real inspiration, a trip to the video store might be in order...

(As long as you bus, bike or walk there.)

I'm reviewing the new Disneynature film Earth on CBC Radio today. (Dumbed down and Disney-fied but boy it sure is pretty.)

And I'm also offering a list of alternatives. Some green themed movies to get you in the right frame of mind.

So without further ado here are four Earth-friendly films.

Manufactured Landscapes

Canadian Photographer Edward Burtynsky takes photos that are uniquely human and yet alien at the same time. In the documentary Manufactured Landscapes Burtynsky follows the trail of our stuff.
From our marble quarries and mines to tire dumps with mountain of unrecycable black rubber. Nickle tailing mines where a sickly red sea of lava appears to cut across a black empty moonscape. The images are as poetic as they are disturbing. And when you see what happens to junked computer parts in China you'll think twice about putting your monitor on the curb.

Microcosmos

A year in the life of meadow somewhere on Earth. The story is told through amazing marco photography where caterpillars are the size of water buffaloes and falling raindrops burst on the ground like cannon shells. The visuals take the everyday events of insects and give them a heroic narrative. This is movie where you cheer for the dung beetle....now that's a shift in perspective.

Princess Mononokee

One of my favs is actually an animated movie but this is NOT for kids.
Princess Mononoke is a film by Japan's master animator Miyazaki
Set in feudal Japan the movie tells the tale of a princess raised by wolves.
She and her furry friends are fighting off the villagers from an iron mine who want to raze the forest.
No Disney movie, this is a ful- blooded tale of courage and human greed. And if you want to see what happens when Mother Nature turns on you, wait until the end where the forest spirit is unleashed as a headless pool of black bile. The Moral: Don't mess with the Earth Mama.

Waterworld

It's not that bad.

Really.
Alright this isn't the smartest environmental film..but it is fun and it has moments of sparse strong set pieces. (Tip of the hat to my buddy Derek who put me onto this one.)

In 1995 people gasped at the budget of 172 million.
People called it Fishtar, a soggy bomb...but in the name of reuse and recycle go back and give it a chance.

The idea of melting icecaps and world covered by water might have seemed like science fiction, but sadly it's not as laughable now.
And all the Earthiness aside...the movie is better than you thought.
A man, a girl and woman, alone on a boat, in world where soil is worth more than gold.
Yes it features Dennis Hopper as a crazy despot named The Decon...but the best stuff is without dialogue.
Shot in the real ocean, not a pool on a Hollywood parking lot, it's a great yarn, one of the better Kevin Costner hero movies and a nice change from re-watching An Inconvenient Truth.

(Got a green fav of your own? Add it in the comments!)

My Fav Film Reporter (riffing off State of Play)

2009-04-17T14:00:00.000-07:00

I'm talking about reporters on the big screen today as I review State of Play, the new movie starring Russell Crowe.

That got me thinking about who is my favourite on screen journalist. There are lots to choose from. The Paper. (Michael Keaton!) Broadcast News. All the President's Men. It Happened One Night. But for me it will always be Jennifer Jason Leigh in The Hudsucker Proxy.

She plays Amy Archer, almost a parody of the Hepburn-like fast talking dames of the 1950s where this picture takes place.

If you don't know it, this is the Coen Brothers at their zaniest. I of course love it. And when I think of reporters, I'll always think of the Amy Archer, the fast-talkin' Pulitzer-winning crackerjack of a character.

If you want to see exactly what I'm talking about take a listen to this scene from The Hudsucker Proxy. (Starts 4.22 in)

For more on State of Play check out my Podcast by searching for "Glasner on Film" in iTunes or on the CBC Podcasting index here.

Oh, and State of Play... (in case you don't feel like following links)...I liked it. It's a lot better than the by-the-numbers trailer suggests.

I Guess "A Bunch of Guys in a Steel Box" Didn't Work Either...

2009-04-16T13:36:00.000-07:00

Ladies and Gentlemen....I give you the lamest title of 2009 (So far.)

Coming next September.

Prepare your self for Armored.

And the trailer which you can see by clicking above is equally lame.

Strange choice of music for the end don't ya think?

And here I thought Matt Dillon's career was turning around...

The Sam Rockwell Movie We've Been Waiting For..

2009-04-14T08:12:00.000-07:00

Choke was a mess. But this looks gooooooooood.

Slow Dancing With the Suits (Dissecting Duplicity)

2009-04-07T22:51:00.000-07:00

If you’ve seen Michael Clayton you’re ready for Duplicity. Same smart director/writer. This time zooming in on the world of corporate espionage. And as you may have gathered from the trailer this is a much lighter touch than Michael Clayton. What it shares is the same smarts. Director Tony Gilroy has a great eye for casting and rounds out each of the players nicely. There isn’t a throw away part in this film. (Keep your eye out for Thomas McCarthy. He played the reporter with the moral blind spot in The Wire.)

And speaking of small parts and big players, let’s talk about Paul Giamatti. The man can do no wrong. And here he steals the show as one of the two corporate titans facing off against each other. Paul pays Richard Garsik the CEO of a Proctor and Gamble type company. Tom Wilkinson plays his counterpart, Howard Tully the CEO of another similar company.

Needless to say they are at war. Which brings us to The Scene.

In a rainy, blustery day the two CEOs meet on the tarmac of a private airfield.
Jets are parked facing off against each other. Each company, a tight tussle of trench coats and yes men and women surrounding their chief.

Conferring with their subordinates, the two (Paul and Tom) begin to walk towards each other. They meet, they talk. At some point something goes astray. It starts with a poke to the chest. A feeble pushing match begins. Feeble because it’s obvious these two men are used to having others do the pushing. But the shock of physical contact quickly gives way to fury, as the two executives wrestle around in the rain like fifth graders squaring off at recess.

And it all happens in glorious slow motion with nary a single word of dialogue. It’s brilliant, it’s effective and it tells us absolutely everything we need to know about these two characters. Show Don’t Tell indeed.

The best micro moment of this might be the reaction shots of all the yes men and women realizing their bosses are actually touching each other. Gilroy catches the ripple going through the crowd, the split-second hesitancy, the flunkies starting at each other, then sending, pushing one of their own into the breech to pull the two soggy opponents apart.

Love it.

Flat Fanboys

2009-04-03T14:00:00.000-07:00

Take a good look at that poster.
Because it's a sign of what went wrong with Fanboys the movie.

Take look at this Wired article to see the long tortured history of Fanboys, but the short version is Ernie Cline, the ultimate Stars Wars fan, harnessed the power of Lucas fandom to make a movie about Star Wars fans.

Fanboys the movie is actually about a group of Star Wars fans driving across country to break into the Skywalker Ranch to see The Phantom Menance. Oh, and of course of their friends has cancer.

The movie's been in film limbo for years. Fans were teased at comic conventions. Producer Kevin Spacey kept tinkering. Studios cut the cancer plot out. Then put it back in.

Now here it is, 3 years late. Stale and sadly unfunny.

It's not for lack of trying. Fanboys is crammed with Star Wars humour. Every freakin second line of dialogue is a lift from the movie. "The force is strong with this one...." "She's got it where it counts" etc. There are Star Wars sound effects. Everyone wears Star Wars t-shirts. There are even Star Wars edits, the famous Lucas screen wipes.

But somewhere in the middle someone forgot to make a GOOD MOVIE.

A road movie where a bunch of dudes drive across country isn't breaking new ground. Having the pretty girl fall for the shy nerd doesn't either. No amount of cameos (Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee Williams, Wiliam Shatner) can save this film.

Which brings me back to the poster. Again it's a collection of in-jokes. If you're a geek you probably can tell they're riffing off the "motivational posters" meme that's all over the net.

Funny? Well maybe if you're one of geeks who get the joke.

But what about the rest of us? What about the average movie going public? All they'll see is an ugly poster with a lame graphic.

Now compare that to this. Much better poster, that's at least visually interesting.

Seems to be a sign of what wrong here with this film. Someone that's happening a little too often. Increasingly fans and filmmakers are feeding off each other. Look at Watchmen. Fans were in the loop from the get go. But at some point you need to stop and make your own movie. You can't make a movie by committee. That why they have directors. What the real fans appreciate is vision, originality, something fresh.

Goodness knows there's a movie to made about living in the Star Wars universe. As someone raising a budding Star fan I've thought a little to long about what Lucas' re-imagined fairy tale brought to audiences.

But Fanboys doesn't do that justice. Frankly Fanboys insults it. Replacing best elements of an ambitious space opera with boob jokes and bad puns.

EPIC FAIL as the kids say.

Wildlife Sighting

2009-03-25T11:06:00.000-07:00

I gotta say, that looks damn good.

3, 2, 1, Go, Boom

2009-03-24T09:58:00.000-07:00

This is a lot more entertaining than you'd expect for an interview between a wrestler and an action director.
Possibly the most amusing trailer of the year. Doubt that reflects on the explosions-aplenty final product, but still fun.

(click on featurette)

Rebel Yell

2009-03-17T14:07:00.001-07:00

I know, I know, I've been away.
I'm working at a different gig for March so posting going to be light to non-existent.
But let me make it up to you with this.
See it for yourself here.

FUN CANCER AND CONVERSATIONALISTS (One Week and Pontypool)

2009-03-06T07:13:00.000-08:00

Just a quick note to say if you're not up for Giant Naked Blue Men there's a number of other good movies in theatres.

I already raved about Pontypool. It's open now. Cerebral horror flick. The best kind.

Also in theatres is One Week staring Joshua Jackson. I wanted to mention this, because the movie is fighting an uphill battle.

Yes, it's a movie about a guy with terminal cancer. Yes he gets on his motorbike and rides West, across Canada.

But here's the thing...
It's good.
Wry, surprising and not as sentimental as you think.
Josh does a nice job and the narration by Campbell Scott is really what sells it.

Give it a second chance, i think you'll be surprised.

Eyes Wide Shut (The Watchmen movie)

2009-03-04T21:57:00.000-08:00

Oy.
How's that for a review?

Ahem.

Well, since I'm working at Q this month I wont be doing my regular movie column.

But you can tune in this Saturday on The World This Weekend on CBC for thoughts on Watchmen, superhero cinema and future of spandex on screen.

Now, the hour is late, so let me leave you with a few brief thoughts on the film.

Too literal. Full Frontal. Too slow (motion.) Action? Sure. Pathos? Not so much.

Not every book makes a great movie and not ever comic works on the big screen. Terry Gilliam had the rights to the Watchmen once. He gave them up, because he realized what made it work as a comic book wouldn't survive the translation.

It is one thing to see Rorschach mumble and mutter on the page. But hearing him rant about commies and whores on the big screen, in a growl that would give Christian Bale a run for his money...well, film is not that forgiving. Especially when it seems the director has a near-religious reverence for the source material.

The orignal Watchmen was a slow march to a cliff, a wry look at the men and women under the mask, told by comic book fans tired of writing funny books.

The movie is a love letter to the original, where director Zack Snyder drowns any depth with his own fetish for slow motion shots and shattering femurs.

The book is all there on the screen, except it's not.

Well I had predicted this. Although, the past couple weeks as the day approached, I allowed myself to hope that I was wrong. I wasn't.

Press Start to Play

2009-03-02T14:42:00.000-08:00

Another dance video to enjoy. Mmmm retro arcadey.

More Jonas Than You Deserve

2009-02-27T04:59:00.001-08:00

Talking about the Jonas Brothers today on the ray-dee-oh and on the podcast.

Couple more Jonas Bros tidbits for you to enjoy.

This is great article on the JoBros phenom from Details. Talking about how they were spotted, their Christian Rock connection and how they share the same managing team as Miss Britney.

This is a snarky little item on why those Chasity Rings might not mean what we think they mean.

Enjoy!

What. The. Hell.

2009-02-26T10:17:00.000-08:00

Show of Shows (Oscar Reactions)

2009-02-23T04:40:00.000-08:00

Now that's how you do a show people!

Could it be the best Oscars ever? Certainly in my memory.

Started off slow, took a bit to warm up to Hugh Jackman and the musical number had me worried at the beginning, but I came around with the “how come comic book movies never get nominated?" number. A funny tacky mess, hard to hate.

(Anne Hathaway kissing Jackman but playing Nixon with the cheek jowl shake...great)

The producers of the show did what they promised. It had the nightclub feel. They used the legacy of awards as a strength. Calling on old winners to handout awards. Even the fact that the front row was closer to the stage meant you had a more intimate experience. If you’re like me and you watched it in HD, you could see the stars in the front rows reacting to the show on stage, tearing up as they were introduced.

The concept of having Oscar winners handing out awards was brilliant. Nice to see the star power on stage, and it made the proceedings feel more personal. When the former winners introduced the nominees it felt as if they were speaking from the heart, from actor to actor. Also interesting to see who spoke to who. Christoper Walken introducing Michael Shannon…one intense actor to an other.

The idea of illustrating the film process was a good one but they didn’t all gell.
Screenwriting was great, made the point and was funny with Steve Martin and Tina Fey. Some others like Set Design or Editing were flat…but it’s hard to be perfect.

Was the show perfect? No, still there’s a noticeable dip in the energy level around the one hour mark. Small awards like short documentary feature and animated short don’t help either.

But again, although the show was quite theatrical it was the strength of film that came shining through. This was film on film. Using clips of movies to illustrate clips from other movies. Call them meta-montages. Documentaries on documentaries. In most cases the montages worked…and were fun to watch. Also in the montages of 2008 weren’t elitist. Rambo and Mummy 3 and Indiana Jones 4 and more.

BEST MOMENTS

Phililippe Petit racing down for the “Man on Wire” best doc award and his “believe in magic line”.
Ben Stiller’s Joaquin Phoenix spoof.
The short animated film winner Kunio Kato “Sank You Academy” “Dōmo arigatō, Mr. Roboto"
Danny Boyle’s “Tigger” happy hop. He looked like a mad professor and seemed so happy for everyone the entire evening. Great last line about Mumbai “You dwarf even this guy”

BIGGEST MISS/MESS?
The “musicals are back” number with Beyonce and Hugh…sounded like my ipod having a seizure. That was a bridge too far for Hugh. And if musicals are back then why did a bunch of decades-old classics make up most of the songs?

But Still...
All in all, from the homemade musical to the Judd Apatow/Seth Rogan skit …there was a refreshing feel of relevance about the Oscars.
It was about celebrating the best..but also celebrating film in all it's tacky buttery popcorn glory. This was not a snob story. It was a night to have a party about movies, and get people watching them.

Oscars Picks - Or if you think I'm finding hyperlinks for all thoses movies you're crazy

2009-02-21T20:38:00.000-08:00

POST OSCARS UPDATE:
19 out of 24 Right!
Wall-E and Viola Davis led me wrong. Should have listened to my own advice and stuck with Slumdog. Still, happy I listened to logic and stuck with Sean Penn. Hope you did good with your Oscar Pool.

Without Further Ado:

Best Picture
Will win: Slumdog Millionaire
Should win: Milk
More artful, more meaning, no dance number, but those crowd scenes...that death scene...fine stuff.

Best Director
Will win: Danny Slumdog Boyle
Should win: Christopher Nolan....oh wait that's right....grumble mutter...
Ah Gus Van Sant.

Best Actor
Will win: Sean Penn
Should win: Sean Penn (see previous comment)

Best Actress
Kate Winslet:
Should win: Anne Hathaway.
Except for Melissa Leo the rest don't much for me in this category, but I loved Rachel Getting Married so much. I don't think Anne was the best actress in it, but she's the one that's nominated...

Best Supporting Actor
Will Win: Heath Ledger
Should win: Do we really need to discuss this?

Best Supporting Actress
Will win: Viola Davis in an upset.
Should win: Wow this is a tight one. Amy Adams was great in Doubt. More mannered than Meryl Streep I think. Viola Davis was also amazing, in a can't take your eyes off her performance. Heck I liked Taraji in Benjamin Button. But in the end...this one I give to Marisa Tomei. What a brave performance. Put as much on the line as Rourke I'd say.

Best Art Direction
Will win: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Should win: Duh...The Dark Knight. Come on, tell me that film wasn't perfectly realized? Although B.Button was awfully pretty.

Best Doc Feature
Should win: Man On Wire
Will win: Man on Wire. That movie is almost life changing.

Best Doc Short
Will win: Smile Pinki
Should win: Smile Pinki, for the name alone! (Okay I'm guessing)

Best Animated Feature
Will win: Wall-E
Should win: Wall-E. A walk in the park for the robot who has a soul. Although to my surprise not everyone in the animation community agrees.

Best Film Editing
Will win: Slumdog Millionaire (snowball effect methinks...)
Should win: The Dark Knight (let my geek flag fly)

Best Original Score
Will win: Slumdog Millionaire
Should win: Slumdog Millionaire (A R Rahman did a fantastic job. Could have an effect on future scores.)

Best Cinematography
Will win: Slumdog Millionaire
Should win: The Dark Knight (i see a trend)

Best Sound Mixing
Will win: Wall-E
Should win: Wall-E . This movie is wall to wall sound created by a Hollywood legend, same guy that invented the sound of lightsabers. And he's the voice of Wall-E too. (Ben Burtt)

Best Sound Editing
Will Win: Slumdog Millionaire
Should Win: Okay, let's be a honest, I don't have a strong opinion about who did the best sound editing job. But again, snowball effect for this one me thinks.

Best Costume Design
Will win: The Duchess
Should win: The Duchess. Don't mess with the big dresses folks. And they were huge in this one. Although there should be a separate award for hair.

Best Makeup
Will win: The Dark Knight
Should win: As amazing as the Joker was....Hellboy 2 had some amazing creatures, really pushing the whole field forward. Three words: Angel of Death.

Best Short Film - Animated
Will win: Presto
Should win: I haven't seen the rest but Presto's a hoot. Classic stuff.

Best Short Film - Live Action
Will win: The Pig
Should win: Haven't the foggiest.

Best Original Screenplay
Will win: Wall-E
Should win: I want to say In Bruges just because of the originality of the material. But Wall-E deserves and will win because this is the robot's "we-couldn't-nominate-you-for-best-picture" consolation prize.
Best Adapted Screenplay
Will win: Slumdog Millionaire
Should win: Slumdog Millionaire . It is a very well constructed film, especially considering the source material.

Best Visual Effects
Will win: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Should win: Benjamin Button. Even though the Dark Knight is in this category, I did quite like Button and it wouldn't have worked unless the effects weren't flawless.

Best Foreign Language Film
Will win: Waltz with Bashir
Should win: Same, Bashir all the way. Go see this, either to rethink how to approach documentaries, or rethink the Middle East conflict.

Best Original Song
Will win: Jai Ho.
Should win: Come on, how can you not pick the Bollywood number. Jai Ho! Jai Ho! Peter Gabriel's song is nice but it can't compete.

Dance Dance Dance

2009-02-19T13:36:00.001-08:00

For no reason at all except that it made me happy.

Oscar Crib Notes

2009-02-18T21:02:00.000-08:00

(pretty poster by Saul Bass)

I'll be on CBC Radio's The World This Weekend this Saturday talking about all things Oscars.Here's a couple things rattling around in my brain as i prepare.

-->The Slumdog Secret?
Inspired by an interview with director Danny Boyle but it feels true.
Slumdog Millionaire is a movie that starts with money, but ends with love. Could that be why it's the movie of the moment as we slip into the Great Recession?

-->Rourke vs Penn.
Oy this is a hard category to call. The actors (SAG) gave the trophy to Penn. So common sense dictates that large voting block will do it again, thereby giving Penn, the Oscar for best Actor.
But...Rourke is the the man of the moment. It feels like the room WANTS Rourke to win as another blogger has said. My brain says Penn, but my heart says Rourke. If I was betting, I'd bet Rourke.

(But if you ask me who is the better actor, movie to movie, I'd say Penn. Mickey Rourke is amazing in the Wrestler but it feels like his own life story is doing the heavy lifting. If Rourke didn't have such an amazing real-life arc, would the role still work? Meanwhile, Penn undeniably loses himself in the world of Harvey Milk. He is Milk. There is no Penn on that screen. Randy the Ram is a great character, but the Oscar should go to director Aronofsky for casting Mickey in the first place.)

-->Best Actress.
Could the Kate Winslet backlash be in effect? The Reader haters are coming out into the light. Hmm every show needs an upset...wouldn't it be nice if it was her?

-->Slumdog Backlash?
Well, yes and no. There is a backlash , a sizable one at this point. But enough to derail the Slumdog Oscar train? No way.

-->The Show
Should be a fun year to watch. Producers are promising to mix things up. As a recent convert to the Golden Globes broadcast, I'm hoping for a looser show with some zest. And I can't wait to see Wolvie dance.

Bruce is Back - Get Ready for Pontypool

2009-02-18T20:10:00.000-08:00

Bruce McDonald is a director who has paid his dues and then some.
He gave us Highway 61 and Hard Core Logo.
He's also directed a lot of TV, everything from "Ready or Not" to "Lexx." In short he's a working Canadian filmmaker.

I had a chance to interview him a while back during "Home Movie Day". If I recall he was presenting some of his own Super 8 films. Anyone who has seen a McDonald film knows he's in love with the medium, in all its many formats. Digital, super8, black and white...heck I'm sure he tried pixelvision at some point.

For a while now it seemed his love of processing film, mutating it, tranforming it one way or another seemed to get the best of him. The stories were smothered in effects.

Well forget all that. Pontypool is a return to form. It's a great little post-modern take on the zombie genre. A whip smart thrill ride that doesn't have gore for brains.

In the small Ontario town of Pontypool strange things are happening. We are in the basement of an old church, converted into an AM Radio station. It's the last stop on the line for once great radio star Grant Mazzy. Now it's Mazzy in the Morning with a mix of small town traffic and gossip. He's an ol' school talk radio jock butting heads with his producer Sydney who doesn't think the Howard Stern shtick cuts it in the sticks.

But then, Ken the eye in the sky, the traffic man who pretends to be flying a chopper while really parking his car on a big hill, phones in a report. An explosion? A riot. A mob. Terrible things are happening. Reports filter in as the 3 person crew in the radio station try to get a handle on the situation. Soon the picture shifts from creepy to downright disturbing.

What I love (yes I said love) about this movie is the economy of story used here. Just about everything you see and hear takes place in the radio station. Like an old radio drama itself, the audio drives the story, your mind fills in the blanks. As the situation worsens we see little of the chaos outside, but the sounds, those shrieking sounds are enough.

It's an old trick, but it works. And then there's the source of the chaos.

SPOILER

I wont spill it all, but what makes this zombie movie different is the idea, the seed. Something is turning people into animals, echo boxes, little babies and worse. And that something seems to be spreading with Words. It's conceptual conception. A virus of the mind, not germs and cells. If you've read The Raw Shark Texts, you might have a handle on the kind of metaphorical mind games author Tony Burgess is playing around with.

Have you ever stopped to look at a word, and once you look at it, or say it you realize just how strange it is? The longer you look the less sense it makes. That's what happens here, the fragility of our language is the link, or possibly the source. Language is cracking, failing... but what do you do when calling for help, might let the bogeyman inside?

Lots of meat to chew on in this one. Great performances. Stephane McHattie is a ball as Mazzy, a worthy addition to the long line of DJs on film. (Little bit of Bruce there, under Mazzy's cowboy hat I think.)

Coming to Canada in March and the U.S. later this spring.
Be sure to catch this one if you can.

UPDATE: WATCH THE INTERNATIONAL TRAILER HERE

Meet the new Lindsay Lohan

2009-02-11T21:14:00.000-08:00

As Lindsay squanders her career posing, partying and arguing with her girlfriend, Isla Fisher's stealing her turf. Meet Hollywood's new fav redhead. Starring this week in Confessions of a Shopaholic Isla has really come into her own. You may remember her as the nympho from Wedding Crashers. In Shopaholic she's got Lindsay's Mean Girls combination of innocence and charm. Sure she's sexy too but but she's also a great comedic actress showing a knack for slapstick (maybe there's a little Lucille Ball hiding in that red.)

Anyway a great performance that makes watching this predictable Cinderalla story a breeze. Keep an eye on her...you'll be seeing a lot more.

Muse Music

2009-02-10T09:48:00.000-08:00

Amazing, inspiring talk from TED by author Elizabeth Gilbert.
Writers and wannabees...watch this vid.
It's about the creative process, Tom Waits and talking to the air.

The New Cat & The International

2009-02-09T21:29:00.000-08:00

This week's review/podcast will certainly be The International because I just saw it and there's lots to talk about.

More later but I will say, it's not the movie you think it is (or the way they're marketing it) but I'm quite confident it's better than you expect.

*minor spoiler*

There's a lot of nice, old school touches displaying a smart approach to spycraft and police work.

I'll just point out one amusing moment. In horror movies, audiences are often given a jolt, a fake scare when a cat jumps out of some room where the killer is expected.

There are no cats here, but there's a great bit around gunfight where a cellphone is the source of surprise. It's frightening and funny at the same time quite believable. A nice little grace note and one of many. Could cellphones replace cats as the new scare cliche? I wonder.

What I Listen To....

2009-02-09T20:39:00.000-08:00

Sorry it's been a little while since the last update.
To catch everyone up to date:

Coraline - Fantastic Tale with intelligent use of 3-D, leave the kids at home and go see it.

He's Just Not That Into You - Slightly better than average rom-com, weakened by too many characters. But that Ginnifer Goodwin...keep an eye on her.

Nurse. Fighter. Boy. - Very pretty. Very Slow. Lost Interest.

Now about that listening material.

Besides pimping my own podcast (search for "glasner on film" on iTunes) I get a lot of inspiration and material from other able podcasters/radio shows.

The Treatment
To call Elvis Mitchell a film critic doesn't seem right. His body of knowledge extends far beyond film. Yet it's film where his passion is often focused. Each week he sits down for one on one interviews with directors, actors, writers...he does his homework and gets the goods. It's rare I don't come away with an insight. For example, a recent interview with Sally Hawkins revealed: a) What an amazing actor she is, where "Poppy" stops and Sally begins...
b) Why Mike Leigh really does deserve an Oscar nomination for screenwriting.

The Business
How the entertainment biz works. For an industry that's short on frank talk, you can find it in regular supply here.

Creative Screenwriting Podcast
Features, long interviews with the writers people are talking about. There's a lot of bad self-help screenwriting podcasts with advice on how to hone your elevator pitch...this isn't one of them.

The most recent podcast featured a battle royale of screenwriters, SIX of the Oscar nominated screenwriters talking on stage.

The Moth
True tales told before a live audience. Great source of storytelling. The most recent episode featured a story by a firefighter that is one of best stories bar-none I've heard this year. Amazing, compact and fascinating bit of theatre.

Liam Nesson is not the action hero you're looking for

2009-01-29T15:03:00.001-08:00

Did you see what I did there with the title?
That somewhat subtle Star Wars reference?

Sorry, I have young Jedi apprentice in my house, there's a lot of that floating around.

Anyway....the movie Taken.
File this under the "Could have been" tab.
When Nesson fans like myself saw the trailer to this we were justifiably excited.
Nesson's had a long career, playing Jedis, Sex Doctors and Saviours of one kind or another.
On screen he's rarely boring and always watchable...

Until Now.

In Taken Nelson plays Bryan. Once he was a covert "preventer" for the CIA. He stopped bad things from happening. But in the process he lost his wife (divorce not death) and grew apart from his now 17 year old daughter, Kim.
Now Bryan's playing it safe. He's hanging up his gun and moving back to the States to reconnect with Kim.
Now let me save you 20 minutes of your time by summing up the first part of the movie.

Bryan is an ex spy.
His ex-wife thinks he's an a-hole.
His daughter still loves him.
But her new Dad bought her a horse for her birthday.

So there we are. As you may have seen in the trailer...things get going when Bryan gets a terrifying call.
Kim is being kidnapped and sold into sex-slave ring.
Of course Bryan does what any reasonable ex-spy would do.
He gets on the phone, tells the bad guys he's dangerous and he's coming for them.
Ahhh...now we're in business.

Unfortunately what follows it a series of uneven confrontations as Bryan, who appears to be a combination of James Bond and MacGyver, plows through the competition.

Yes we get he's determined. He'll do anything to save his daughter. But watching Nesson take down baddie after baddie gets....tiring. Can no one stop this guy? In the age of The Borne Identity and Casino Royale we want our heroes to a little more human.

The director here is a same fellow that gave us the watchable martial arts movie District 13. (Beautiful poster there.) But with Taken director Pierre Morel serves up nothing new. The only thing that distinguishes Bryan from the other men-on-a-mission movies is just how far he's willing to go. For me a spy that's willing to go Guantanamo on the bad guys doesn't quite cut it. Take a pass on Taken.

Can You Say Slumdog Backlash?

2009-01-28T14:02:00.001-08:00

Listen.

It's coming.

Rumbling in the background.

The backlash has officially begun.

Don't believe me? Read this.

"Slumdog child stars miss out on the movie millions "

Thought provoking article and will certainly fuel the flames of resentment against the presumed Best Picture winner.

...but it'll still win.

Slumdog's Lucky Run (new podcast)

2009-01-23T19:05:00.001-08:00

Just look at all of them there, accepting their Golden Globes. How can the Oscar voters resist them?

Just a quick note to say there's a nice summary of Slumdog Millionaire's string of luck and some behind the scenes tidbits on the weekly podcast.

As always you can find the podcast at cbc.ca/podcasting, look for Glasner on Film and my goofy face. Or you can go straight to iTunes by clicking here. Check it out and subscribe if you want to come back more.

Yay/Boo on the Oscar Nominations

2009-01-23T14:17:00.001-08:00

Sooo the Oscars nominations are out.

In case you missed me yammering on CBC Newsworld or Radio I thought I'd run down the list with some short reactions.

Performance by an actress in a supporting role

Amy Adams in "Doubt" (Miramax)
Penélope Cruz in "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" (The Weinstein Company)Viola Davis in "Doubt" (Miramax)

Taraji P. Henson in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.)
Marisa Tomei in "The Wrestler" (Fox Searchlight)

REACTION: Yay! Penelope was great in Vicky Cristina Barcelona. Viola Davis has a shattering performance in Doubt. Same for Marisa. My only complaint is it would have been nice to see Rosemarie DeWitt from Rachel Getting Married.

Performance by an actor in a supporting role

Josh Brolin in "Milk" (Focus Features)
Robert Downey Jr. in "Tropic Thunder" (DreamWorks, Distributed by DreamWorks/Paramount)
Philip Seymour Hoffman in "Doubt" (Miramax)
Heath Ledger in "The Dark Knight" (Warner Bros.)
Michael Shannon in "Revolutionary Road" (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount Vantage)

Reaction: Yay and what? Robert Downey getting nominated for Kirk Lazarus, the Aussie who assumes an African American identity is quite the surprise. True he owned the role.
I don't know how Philip Seymour Hoffman merits a supporting nomination...seems like a lead role to me....

Heath Ledger yes great...but think, if Heath was alive, do you think he'd be a lock for this award? I wouldn't bet on it.

Also big YAY for Michael Shannon who I've written about before.

Performance by an actress in a leading role

Anne Hathaway in "Rachel Getting Married" (Sony Pictures Classics)
Angelina Jolie in "Changeling" (Universal)
Melissa Leo in "Frozen River" (Sony Pictures Classics)
Meryl Streep in "Doubt" (Miramax)
Kate Winslet in "The Reader" (The Weinstein Company)

REACTION: BOOOO! Angelina Jolie? Really? Really? No Sally Hawkins for Happy-Go-Lucky? are you insane? How Happy-Go-Lucky is nominated for a screenplay award but passed over for actress..is beyond me. Mike Leigh is a great director, but I don't think he follows a script too closely. Sigh.

Performance by an actor in a leading role

Richard Jenkins in "The Visitor" (Overture Films)
Frank Langella in "Frost/Nixon" (Universal)
Sean Penn in "Milk" (Focus Features)
Brad Pitt in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.)
Mickey Rourke in "The Wrestler" (Fox Searchlight)

REACTION: Yay. Hard to complain. Of course Richard Jenkins is the shocker for The Visitor. Amazing flick. Small, smart and tough. The best in this category? Mickey. Can he unseat Sean Penn? I think so, but it's a tough one to call. Penn may be prickly but a lot of people feel quite strongly about this film.

Achievement in directing

"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.) David Fincher
"Frost/Nixon" (Universal) Ron Howard
"Milk" (Focus Features) Gus Van Sant
"The Reader" (The Weinstein Company) Stephen Daldry
"Slumdog Millionaire" (Fox Searchlight) Danny Boyle

REACTION: BOO BOOO BOOOO! No Chris Nolan? No Dark Knight? Ron Howard for Frost/Nixon?. Yes there was some great acting but the directing was flat, it was like watching a TV special. Bleech.

Best motion picture of the year

"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"

"Frost/Nixon"

"Milk"

"The Reader"

"Slumdog Millionaire"

REACTION: Again, Booooooooo! Dark Knight easily beats Frost/Nixon or The Reader in my book. Best combination of popular support and artistry in a long time. Just think of what the Academy Awards would have been like with a showdown between Slumdog and Batman...

Good luck with that show Hugh Jackman.

One the Best (of 2009)

2009-01-23T11:30:00.001-08:00

Just saw an amazing film I'm confident I'll be placing on my top ten list come next December.

Coraline comes from the prolific author Neil Gaiman and the director behind The Nightmare Before Christmas. Comes out in February. I'll be reviewing it I'm sure. But keep an eye out.

In the meantime check out this trailer.

Oh and by the way it's in 3-D. More on that later.

Rewriting History (Revisiting Frost/Nixon)

2009-01-23T05:37:00.000-08:00

Very interesting article in the Huffington Post by Elizabeth Drew.

Drew takes umbrage with the way Frost/Nixon screenwriter Peter Morgan distorts history.

Now I'm no expert on Watergate, but I think some of the Drew's complaints are unrealistic.

This is a movie. I think the audience understands the story isn't a historical document.

Still, if you've seen the movie you probably wondered what the real story is. Drew's essay is a good Coles Notes version of the events surrounding the interview. The way Drew tells it Frost and Nixon were co-conspirators, both counting on the interview for different reasons. Worth a read.

And you can see more about my take on Frost/Nixon including some clips from the actual interviews here.

G l a s n e r O n F i l m

New Digs

"Does it? Bollocks!"

Top Twenty of 2010

Meta Montage (Year in Film 2010)

Big Box Filmmaking

Recommended Listening for Never Let Me Go

Post TIFF Recap

Projector on CBC

Taking Inception For Another Spin

A Summer Film That's Good For You (Cyrus)

Pity the Fool (A-Team and MacGruber)

Song Remains the Same...

How I learned to Love Liza (Sex and the City 2)

Summer Alternatives

Wild Things, With Fangs

3-Duped

Revisiting Up in the Air

Pretty Poster, Nice Movie

Ghost World

Saint Steve

More Mel

THE SECRET OF THE TOOTH FAIRY

20 for 2009

2009 - 7 Minutes

2009 on film

Blue Man Group (AVATAR)

All Fall Down

Recommended Reading (The Fox & The Road)

Yay for Yuri (2012)

Sympathy for the Devil

You Should See

Sorry Spike

RETREAT! RETREAT!

Garden State + Slap Shot

Stargazing

TIFF UPDATE

1000% Cinema (Taking on Tetro)

Embracing Your Inner Child

Great Bit from Fifty Dead Men Walking

Standing Up for Funny People

Insert Bromance Joke Here

Wild About Harry

Divine Il Divo

The Transformers Hangover (movie industry madness)

Sour Grapes (Cheri)

Minor Movie Update, Some Catching Up

America's F**king Sweetheart Lays Down the Law

Fireball-Free Films (summer preview)

Recovering from The Hangover

Critics Against 3-D

Robots vs Funny Men (new podcast)

Easy Virtue (Some Summer Smarts)

Of Stars and Arcs...

Dammit He Can Sing Too (Whedon on This American Life)

All About Abrams (and Star Trek)

First Photo from X-Men: First Class Revealed!

Smart Movies vs Dumb Trailers

Milton Lives! (Spolight on The Soloist)

Earth's Secret Side

Films for a Blue Planet

My Fav Film Reporter (riffing off State of Play)

I Guess "A Bunch of Guys in a Steel Box" Didn't Work Either...

The Sam Rockwell Movie We've Been Waiting For..

Slow Dancing With the Suits (Dissecting Duplicity)

Flat Fanboys

Wildlife Sighting

3, 2, 1, Go, Boom

Rebel Yell

FUN CANCER AND CONVERSATIONALISTS (One Week and Pontypool)

Eyes Wide Shut (The Watchmen movie)

Press Start to Play

More Jonas Than You Deserve

What. The. Hell.

Show of Shows (Oscar Reactions)

Oscars Picks - Or if you think I'm finding hyperlinks for all thoses movies you're crazy

Dance Dance Dance

Oscar Crib Notes

Bruce is Back - Get Ready for Pontypool

Meet the new Lindsay Lohan