Okay, so I started this "blog" with the intent of focusing on writing about movies in my DVD collection and 28 days into January I have watched and written about one DVD. I have done two other posts related to movies I have seen in theaters and since I have seen Avatar 3 times (two times in 2D and once in 3D) and I believe it is more that worthy of a post. I am also aware that I have already drawn criticism for how long these posts are. There really is no purpose for this blog beyond giving me a forum to put down the thoughts I have in my head regarding the movies I see and own on DVD. I already have my misgivings regarding doing this but if I am going to do it, it's going to be like this and if it never gets read than so be it.
With all of that in mind, what else needs to be said about Avatar. It this point it is the highest grossing film of all time. It's budget is likely the largest in film history (some reports have it at around $500 million). It has already won the Golden Globe for best film in the drama category and it appears to be destined for the Best Picture Oscar while director James Cameron will likely pick up a best director Oscar to go with his best director Golden Globe win. It was advertised as a film that would change how films are seen forever and while you can debate the scale to which Avatar has achieved that claim you can't deny that it has changed cinema. The consensus seems to be that it's worth seeing form a visual perspective and the story is so-so.
To that last part is where I take umbrage. I do so for two reasons. The first is that the story may feel like a re-tread (see any comments related to Dances with Wolves in space) and I agree the story is a re-tread of stories that have been told before. And perhaps when a film is marketed so aggressively that you feel like they want you to believe that Avatar is cinema's greatest achievement, most people will look for something to criticize. The issue I have though is that I believe the story, while being a re-tread, is effectively told. To give you a comparison, one could argue that all comic book movies are simply re-treads of each other and yet their is a significant difference between movies like Batman Begins, Spiderman and Iron Man when compared to Ghost Rider, Catwoman or the Fantastic Four. All of these films deal with similar conflicts and their characters face similar issues and yet the first 3 are significantly better than the last three. So what we see is that within a story, a story teller most make decisions regarding their characters and their development. What we get with Avatar is not just eye candy, but we get a carefully constructed story in which characters have depth to them and nothing is simply thrown in for effect. When you meet a character like Norm you wonder to yourself "is he the comic relief guy" or when you meet Dr. Grace Augustine you think "tough scientist, don't cross her." But neither of these thoughts limit the character and their actions. Norm is not comic relief and Dr. Augustine is willing to compromise for what she believes is the greater good. Even Colonel Miles, who is easy to label as the "bad guy" is never over the top and is occasionally we can even relate to him. And all of these characters work together to hold the audience's attention as well as the visual effects do. It is the aspect of character development that is just one of the elements of the story that I find so engrossing. I also believe that director James Cameron has a real love and respect for this story, it's characters and it's themes that shines throughout the movie. There are no throw away scenes that could potentially jeopardize the films integrity like you get in a film like Transformers 2 which bombards it's audience with throw away gags surrounding characters goofy parents or lame excuses to show off Megan Fox's stomach. If you watch Transformers 2 with a critical eye you are left with a massive amount of material that leaves you wondering "what does that add to the story" or "was is that even necessary for the story to progress" and for the most part the answer to both questions is that it wasn't necessary and it adds nothing. There are no elements of Avatar I could pick out and say that that does not add to or is not necessary in telling the story. When analyzing the story to Avatar I come to one conclusion and that is that it is an incredible feat in storytelling regardless of how original it is.
The second part is that I believe the visual effects are intrinsically tied to the story. Again, I will use the Transformers comparison. With Transformers, visual effects and sound effects have one purpose: to be big and loud. There is a world in Transformers that exists and the effects feel like they are being crammed in. With Avatar the effects are every bit a part of the story as the dialogue and characters. And one dimension of the effects that Cameron masterfully accomplishes and gets some what over looked for is his use of scale. From the first moments on Pandora he masterfully weaves in giant trucks and machinery that later will come into play. From an action standpoint we see humans who are half the size of the natives but who have developed machines that make them twice the size (or greater) than the Na'vi. The whole film builds towards a final confrontation that is effective because through out the story Cameron is creating a sense of scale that we rarely see in films. It's the work of a true craftsman.
So, with a sense of nearly universal appeal drawn to it, how do we view Avatar. When adjusted for inflation we know the box office grosses are not nearly as impressive. So is it the greatest film of all time. Of course not, but for a generation it maybe the defining film going experience and is arguably one of the best film going experiences of my life.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Thursday, January 21, 2010
The Blind Side
Oh brother, how I tried to avoid this one. It had two strikes going against before I even sat down. The first is that I knew I would spend most of the movie wondering why the Detroit Lions passed on Michael Oher with the number 20 pick in the 2009 NFL Draft and the second is that I really don't enjoy Sandra Bullock movies. So with two strikes against it I sat down on date night and got what was ultimately a very enjoyable 2+ hours.
If you are not familiar with the story, it follows the life of a young black man who has had a rough up bringing but is given the opportunity to attend a private school despite his low levels of academic achievement so that he can play on the schools football team. He enters the school and is immediately placed into a world that he has never seen before and one that is not interested in accepting him. His teachers believe the damage done to him academically is irreversible and he struggles to find friends.
That is when he crosses paths with Leigh Ann Tuohy, she is tough and every bit of a modern woman living the upper class life. She appears to be demanding both in her professional and home life and yet there is a sense that she is also a caring person. Or at least we see that caring side start to come out when she sees Michael alone with no where to go.
One of the films controversies is that this plays like the Leigh Ann Tuohy story and not the Michael Oher story. I knew that going in and in truth that is exactly what I felt like the film did. It's Leigh Ann Tuohy's universe and everyone else is just rotating through it. We get a few poignant moments with Michael before he meets Leigh Ann but once he does meet her his life because an extension of hers.
So as a film goer we are asked whether or not we feel okay with this and ultimately I feel like the answer is yes. Michael came from a home in the projects, his father left and was latter found dead and his mother was a drug addict. Had the film chosen to focus on that we could have had a very gritty story. Instead the films focus is on Michael's life post meeting Leigh Ann. It doesn't erase Michael's past but it doesn't dwell on it either. And it is in this area that the film is a great success. We get an understanding for the hardships Michael has had to overcome but once he is given an opportunity the focus is on overcoming the hardships and not allowing those hardships to hold him back.
The other aspect in which the film works is that we like the Tuohy family not because they are an ideal family but because we believe they are a very real family. Sure, they may have it better than most regarding their families wealth and they may have superficial tendencies but they ultimately are like able because they do not come acrossed as one dimensional. Perhaps it helps because we don't have any scenes focusing on how taking Michael in has created stress on one or more members of the family. Instead we see the family adjust in their own ways and we see the ways that the family grows stronger with the addition of Michael. It's also worth noting that Jae Head is a frequent scene stealer as S.J. the families youngest. The inclusion of a young child/comedic relief character usually results in many grown worthy moments but S.J. has a genunine quality to him that makes him endearing.
Of course, the film is packed with cleches. We see the young female teacher who sees promise in Michael versus the older male teacher who thinks Michael is a lost cause. We see the coach who is willing to fight for Michael when he sees the potential but doesn't know how coach him. We have football scenes that are pretty good but are occassionally unrealistic. It has your typical feel good moments and it occasionally pulls at the heart strings. What is a relief though is that it doesn't over do any of theses as it gracefully moves along with a focus on how Michael's life is changing. There is also some interesting procedural elements related to college recruiting as well as the NCAA investigating the fact that a wealthy family with ties to the University of Mississippi would adopt a football player who would ultimately go and play for the University of Mississippi. The film closes with real life photos of Michael and the Tuohy family that are also very effective.
What all comes down to is that The Blind Side is a very effective feel good family story. It is not the Michael Oher story, but it's also not fair to call it the Leigh Ann Tuohy story. Perhaps it is best to just focus on the fact that it is a great story.
On a personal note, while I was watching the movie I remembered a time back when Nick Saban was the head coach at Michigan State and I got to baby sit his kids. It's a strange memory. What I do remember is that I was babysitting for some neighbors and his kids had come over after school. I didn't get to meet the coach but it's strange to think that I once baby sat the kids of a man who has now won 2 national championships in college football.
If you are not familiar with the story, it follows the life of a young black man who has had a rough up bringing but is given the opportunity to attend a private school despite his low levels of academic achievement so that he can play on the schools football team. He enters the school and is immediately placed into a world that he has never seen before and one that is not interested in accepting him. His teachers believe the damage done to him academically is irreversible and he struggles to find friends.
That is when he crosses paths with Leigh Ann Tuohy, she is tough and every bit of a modern woman living the upper class life. She appears to be demanding both in her professional and home life and yet there is a sense that she is also a caring person. Or at least we see that caring side start to come out when she sees Michael alone with no where to go.
One of the films controversies is that this plays like the Leigh Ann Tuohy story and not the Michael Oher story. I knew that going in and in truth that is exactly what I felt like the film did. It's Leigh Ann Tuohy's universe and everyone else is just rotating through it. We get a few poignant moments with Michael before he meets Leigh Ann but once he does meet her his life because an extension of hers.
So as a film goer we are asked whether or not we feel okay with this and ultimately I feel like the answer is yes. Michael came from a home in the projects, his father left and was latter found dead and his mother was a drug addict. Had the film chosen to focus on that we could have had a very gritty story. Instead the films focus is on Michael's life post meeting Leigh Ann. It doesn't erase Michael's past but it doesn't dwell on it either. And it is in this area that the film is a great success. We get an understanding for the hardships Michael has had to overcome but once he is given an opportunity the focus is on overcoming the hardships and not allowing those hardships to hold him back.
The other aspect in which the film works is that we like the Tuohy family not because they are an ideal family but because we believe they are a very real family. Sure, they may have it better than most regarding their families wealth and they may have superficial tendencies but they ultimately are like able because they do not come acrossed as one dimensional. Perhaps it helps because we don't have any scenes focusing on how taking Michael in has created stress on one or more members of the family. Instead we see the family adjust in their own ways and we see the ways that the family grows stronger with the addition of Michael. It's also worth noting that Jae Head is a frequent scene stealer as S.J. the families youngest. The inclusion of a young child/comedic relief character usually results in many grown worthy moments but S.J. has a genunine quality to him that makes him endearing.
Of course, the film is packed with cleches. We see the young female teacher who sees promise in Michael versus the older male teacher who thinks Michael is a lost cause. We see the coach who is willing to fight for Michael when he sees the potential but doesn't know how coach him. We have football scenes that are pretty good but are occassionally unrealistic. It has your typical feel good moments and it occasionally pulls at the heart strings. What is a relief though is that it doesn't over do any of theses as it gracefully moves along with a focus on how Michael's life is changing. There is also some interesting procedural elements related to college recruiting as well as the NCAA investigating the fact that a wealthy family with ties to the University of Mississippi would adopt a football player who would ultimately go and play for the University of Mississippi. The film closes with real life photos of Michael and the Tuohy family that are also very effective.
What all comes down to is that The Blind Side is a very effective feel good family story. It is not the Michael Oher story, but it's also not fair to call it the Leigh Ann Tuohy story. Perhaps it is best to just focus on the fact that it is a great story.
On a personal note, while I was watching the movie I remembered a time back when Nick Saban was the head coach at Michigan State and I got to baby sit his kids. It's a strange memory. What I do remember is that I was babysitting for some neighbors and his kids had come over after school. I didn't get to meet the coach but it's strange to think that I once baby sat the kids of a man who has now won 2 national championships in college football.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Up in the Air
I have decided to include movies I see in the theaters on this blog because I believe there simply isn't enough opinions circulating the Internet regarding movies. That or perhaps this is the first step in a life long dream of one day having a post on Rottentomatoes.com!
If I were to summarize the career of George Clooney in two words they would be Danny Ocean. There is nothing to be ashamed of when you have created a character who is so entertaining and charismatic that he spawned franchise that has also allowed Clooney to do any project he wants regardless of potential commercial appeal. Which brings Clooney to Up in the Air, a film which features him smooth talking his way through life as a frequent flier miles collecting hired gunman for white collar Americans who are too afraid to take care of their own dirty work. And it's in this premise that the movie Up in the Air manages to succeed and fail and the same time.
Director Jason Reitman of Juno fame maintains a lot of the same attitudes and themes regarding society and modern life that we saw leaving me with the same kicked in the stomach feeling I left Juno with. It's not that these films are poorly made or even all that bad, they just leave me feeling empty.
Of course that would be Ryan Bingham's (Clooney) prescription for life. He is a professional "consultant" who flies around the country firing people for companies that don't want get their hands dirty and on the side he gives self help talks about how important it is to empty your life of emotional burdens such as family. It is a job and a life that few people can see themselves wanting regardless of economic times and one of the films most poignant qualities is the use of real people as his victims. And this is also one of the films greatest conundrums because the audience is forced to decide whether or not we are rooting for Bingham.
As Bingham, Clooney is as smooth as ever. He picks up a fellow traveler (Vera Farmiga) without so much as a struggle and the two begin a no questions asked relationship in which they get together anytime there within driving distance. His lifestyle gets placed in danger however when Natalie (Anne Kendrick), a young hot shot at the company proposes they begin saving money by firing people over web conference's. As an act of self preservation, Bingham agrees to take Natalie on the road with him to show her the ropes. On the road we see the three characters paths cross as they have fun crashing tech parties and dealing with the irony that Natalie got dumped on a text message. Of course, Natalie gets into trouble on the job and smooth talking Bingham has to save the day.
The final third of the film sees Bingham preparing to accept the possibility of a life in Omaha and rebuilding the bridges he had burned with his sisters in Wisconsin. He begins letting people into his life only to see himself get burned leaving the audience wondering perhaps a life of isolation really is best.
The film plays out as if it has a higher purpose. We all know and understand the problems our country has been through regarding the economy and how millions of people have been blind sided by that moment when their company decides to let them go. Their are powerful themes here and yet the film doesn't set right with me because I have no idea why I am interested in what happens to Bingham. I should hate him in principal and yet the film plays as if we are supposed care about him when his way of life is endangered. I am a big fan of films that have unlikeable characters (As Good as it Gets and Royal Tenenbaums come to mind) and one thing I like about those films is that they are not apologetic when it comes to how unlikeable their main characters are. Bingham talks about the dignity he provides in his job without a sense of awareness to the fact that being fired by a person you have never met does not feel like a very dignified way to get fired. The film's message seems to feel like it's a brutal world so your best bet is to try and survive. It doesn't make Bingham a hero, but it relies on Bingham to be a figure you care about. And while Clooney does his best, in the end I can't rap my brain around why I should care if this guy is able to maintain his lifestyle or not.
If I were to summarize the career of George Clooney in two words they would be Danny Ocean. There is nothing to be ashamed of when you have created a character who is so entertaining and charismatic that he spawned franchise that has also allowed Clooney to do any project he wants regardless of potential commercial appeal. Which brings Clooney to Up in the Air, a film which features him smooth talking his way through life as a frequent flier miles collecting hired gunman for white collar Americans who are too afraid to take care of their own dirty work. And it's in this premise that the movie Up in the Air manages to succeed and fail and the same time.
Director Jason Reitman of Juno fame maintains a lot of the same attitudes and themes regarding society and modern life that we saw leaving me with the same kicked in the stomach feeling I left Juno with. It's not that these films are poorly made or even all that bad, they just leave me feeling empty.
Of course that would be Ryan Bingham's (Clooney) prescription for life. He is a professional "consultant" who flies around the country firing people for companies that don't want get their hands dirty and on the side he gives self help talks about how important it is to empty your life of emotional burdens such as family. It is a job and a life that few people can see themselves wanting regardless of economic times and one of the films most poignant qualities is the use of real people as his victims. And this is also one of the films greatest conundrums because the audience is forced to decide whether or not we are rooting for Bingham.
As Bingham, Clooney is as smooth as ever. He picks up a fellow traveler (Vera Farmiga) without so much as a struggle and the two begin a no questions asked relationship in which they get together anytime there within driving distance. His lifestyle gets placed in danger however when Natalie (Anne Kendrick), a young hot shot at the company proposes they begin saving money by firing people over web conference's. As an act of self preservation, Bingham agrees to take Natalie on the road with him to show her the ropes. On the road we see the three characters paths cross as they have fun crashing tech parties and dealing with the irony that Natalie got dumped on a text message. Of course, Natalie gets into trouble on the job and smooth talking Bingham has to save the day.
The final third of the film sees Bingham preparing to accept the possibility of a life in Omaha and rebuilding the bridges he had burned with his sisters in Wisconsin. He begins letting people into his life only to see himself get burned leaving the audience wondering perhaps a life of isolation really is best.
The film plays out as if it has a higher purpose. We all know and understand the problems our country has been through regarding the economy and how millions of people have been blind sided by that moment when their company decides to let them go. Their are powerful themes here and yet the film doesn't set right with me because I have no idea why I am interested in what happens to Bingham. I should hate him in principal and yet the film plays as if we are supposed care about him when his way of life is endangered. I am a big fan of films that have unlikeable characters (As Good as it Gets and Royal Tenenbaums come to mind) and one thing I like about those films is that they are not apologetic when it comes to how unlikeable their main characters are. Bingham talks about the dignity he provides in his job without a sense of awareness to the fact that being fired by a person you have never met does not feel like a very dignified way to get fired. The film's message seems to feel like it's a brutal world so your best bet is to try and survive. It doesn't make Bingham a hero, but it relies on Bingham to be a figure you care about. And while Clooney does his best, in the end I can't rap my brain around why I should care if this guy is able to maintain his lifestyle or not.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
About a Boy
Have not decided how exactly I want each post to go but in general I will make a note regarding whether or not the film in question is my wife's, my thoughts on the film and any personal memories or feelings I have related to the film. If I ever get more than ten followers I may have a heart attack!
1. Is it my wife's or is it mine? About a Boy is MINE! Yeah, that's right, even if I wasn't married I would own a Hugh Grant movie!
2. I am not sure how detailed this "review" portion of the blog will be but I am thankful that I only have to spend a line or two regarding the films plot because it essentially has no plot. The final third of the film breaks into some romantic comedy plot lines but the heart of this film is a character study. And that character is Will, a man who has no emotional ties to anything and has no financial concerns that would push him to try anything. He is an islander, living his island life in modern day London. He has friends but he is cautious to keep them at arms length. He is shallow and that fact does not only doesn't concern him but he embraces it almost as if it were a religion.
We also have Marcus, an adolescent who is moving to a new school and who has so much trouble adjusting that even the "nerdy" kids ask him not to hang out with them. He is a vegetarian by his moms choice, he wears home made clothes and his mother suffers from depression. Marcus is too young to fully comprehend the later part but following a failed suicide attempt Marcus realizes that he needs more than one person in his life in order to achieve the emotional comfort must adolescents are seeking.
As I mentioned above, the plot in the film is pointless. It centers around Will scheming to meet women who will dump him when it's convenient for him and he ends up meeting Marcus. Will resists but he eventually realizes that Marcus requires very little from him at first so he lets him in. And that is when the bubble bursts on Will's island living. Marcus begins to require more from Will and Will begins feeling a desire to let more people in now that he has let Marcus in.
On the surface the film succeeds because the comedic timing in the film is superb and film movies at a brisk pace in the hands of directors Chris and Paul Weitz. There are very few moments we dwell on in this film as the Weitzs focus on the tidal wave effect that letting a person into your life tends to have. There is also a tremendous cast behind Grant which is lead by Rachel Weisz and Toni Collette. On a deeper level though the film creates a fictional character in Will that is someone most people have said they would like to be whether or not they realize. Will is independently wealthy, he has nice clothes, a cool car, and nothing in his life that will hurt him. If you have ever daydreamed about winning the lottery you have daydreamed about being Will, at least to some degree. But what we come to understand through Will is that living a life in which nothing can hurt you also means you are living a life that can not challenge you. And that is why we see Will change. We are not meant to live our lives unchallenged and in fact life only becomes richer and more fulfilling the more challenges we take on. About a Boy captures these ideas with a light hearted feel goodness that is what makes the film so enjoyable again and again.
3. A few personal memories that stand out with this film. The first that comes to mind is that I remember being in college my roommates were Tyler and Curtis and we had our friend Evan over. There may have been more people there but I remember those three because they all riped me apart when I suggested putting this on to watch. I believe Tyler specifically was won over when Will remarked that he was able to win over his dates son by lifting him up by his ankles and dangling him upside down to which he said "I wish relationships with proper human beings were so easy." I also remember while this film was in theaters I made my friend Nicole see it three times and when I suggested it a forth time she nearly punched me in the face. I final memory I have is bring this film with me around Valentines day to watch with Heidi. We were only dating then and I lived in MI while she was in school in OH. I drove down and this would have been maybe the 5 time we were seeing each other as a couple. I need to bring a good film with me and this one was a no brainer I thought. She enjoyed and we are married! If I had brought Die Hard with me who knows what would have happened.
1. Is it my wife's or is it mine? About a Boy is MINE! Yeah, that's right, even if I wasn't married I would own a Hugh Grant movie!
2. I am not sure how detailed this "review" portion of the blog will be but I am thankful that I only have to spend a line or two regarding the films plot because it essentially has no plot. The final third of the film breaks into some romantic comedy plot lines but the heart of this film is a character study. And that character is Will, a man who has no emotional ties to anything and has no financial concerns that would push him to try anything. He is an islander, living his island life in modern day London. He has friends but he is cautious to keep them at arms length. He is shallow and that fact does not only doesn't concern him but he embraces it almost as if it were a religion.
We also have Marcus, an adolescent who is moving to a new school and who has so much trouble adjusting that even the "nerdy" kids ask him not to hang out with them. He is a vegetarian by his moms choice, he wears home made clothes and his mother suffers from depression. Marcus is too young to fully comprehend the later part but following a failed suicide attempt Marcus realizes that he needs more than one person in his life in order to achieve the emotional comfort must adolescents are seeking.
As I mentioned above, the plot in the film is pointless. It centers around Will scheming to meet women who will dump him when it's convenient for him and he ends up meeting Marcus. Will resists but he eventually realizes that Marcus requires very little from him at first so he lets him in. And that is when the bubble bursts on Will's island living. Marcus begins to require more from Will and Will begins feeling a desire to let more people in now that he has let Marcus in.
On the surface the film succeeds because the comedic timing in the film is superb and film movies at a brisk pace in the hands of directors Chris and Paul Weitz. There are very few moments we dwell on in this film as the Weitzs focus on the tidal wave effect that letting a person into your life tends to have. There is also a tremendous cast behind Grant which is lead by Rachel Weisz and Toni Collette. On a deeper level though the film creates a fictional character in Will that is someone most people have said they would like to be whether or not they realize. Will is independently wealthy, he has nice clothes, a cool car, and nothing in his life that will hurt him. If you have ever daydreamed about winning the lottery you have daydreamed about being Will, at least to some degree. But what we come to understand through Will is that living a life in which nothing can hurt you also means you are living a life that can not challenge you. And that is why we see Will change. We are not meant to live our lives unchallenged and in fact life only becomes richer and more fulfilling the more challenges we take on. About a Boy captures these ideas with a light hearted feel goodness that is what makes the film so enjoyable again and again.
3. A few personal memories that stand out with this film. The first that comes to mind is that I remember being in college my roommates were Tyler and Curtis and we had our friend Evan over. There may have been more people there but I remember those three because they all riped me apart when I suggested putting this on to watch. I believe Tyler specifically was won over when Will remarked that he was able to win over his dates son by lifting him up by his ankles and dangling him upside down to which he said "I wish relationships with proper human beings were so easy." I also remember while this film was in theaters I made my friend Nicole see it three times and when I suggested it a forth time she nearly punched me in the face. I final memory I have is bring this film with me around Valentines day to watch with Heidi. We were only dating then and I lived in MI while she was in school in OH. I drove down and this would have been maybe the 5 time we were seeing each other as a couple. I need to bring a good film with me and this one was a no brainer I thought. She enjoyed and we are married! If I had brought Die Hard with me who knows what would have happened.
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