Yes, this is indeed the first time I am watching both of these movies. STOP WITH THE CONDESCENDING DISAPPOINTMENT, I KNOW I'M A FAILURE AS A MOVIE BUFF. I'm working on it, I am.
Vertigo
So, this is the movie that was voted by critics everywhere as the greatest film of all time this year in the Sight & Sound poll, beating out Citizen Kane, which won for the last five years consecutively, and also was named by the American Film Institute as the greatest movie in the Mystery genre, beating out Chinatown. I'm not the biggest fan of Citizen Kane (I'm not "drinking the Kool-Aid", as they say), but it IS a great movie and I know it's a big deal, and I AM a huge fan of Chinatown, so I was curious to see this.
Verdict? It's pretty darn good. Better than the other Hitchcock movies I've seen for sure. Rear Window's one fault is that it's entirely too predictable and convenient, though it is an exciting mystery/thriller. Psycho was spoiled for me, so that may have something to do with it, but it seems to me that Psycho has a lot of weak writing mixed in among all of the strong writing. I haven't seen any other Hitchcock yet, but Vertigo's undoubtedly the best. It functions well as a romance, a mystery, a thriller, a redemption story, a domestic drama, and more. A lot of deep characterization and a very interesting and compellingly twisting plot.
That's not to say it doesn't have its problems. After as instantly exciting first scene, the story grinds to a halt and has a scene purely in the story for really sloppy exposition and on-the-nose dialogue. There's a lot of, "Oh, as you and I both already know but I'm going to tell you again anyway, Midge..." which just makes the whole scene fail for me and really pulled me out of the movie and made me skeptical for the rest of the movie. Also, the plot IS a little... far-fetched, in hindsight. A little convenient. These things are relatively forgivable, though, on the strength of the rest of the movie. I will say that I think Citizen Kane and Chinatown are MUCH better movies, by far. I'll give Vertigo an 8/10.
Favorite line: "Only one is a wanderer; two together are always going somewhere." A good line in general, elevated to great by the romantic subtext and even deeper layers of meaning in hindsight.
Jaws
Spielberg, man. I think we've all heard of Jaws. Needless to say, it's great, a MASTERCLASS on everything from screenwriting to directing to acting to composing. First things first, DAT SCORE. Oh my gosh, how eerie is the shark's theme? I could have sworn my heart stopped beating every time it started playing. The rest of the score is reminiscent of pirate music, too, which is cool. So go John Williams.
Next, the screenwriting. I got on Vertigo's case above for its weak and forced exposition, so watching Jaws right afterwards was like a breath of fresh air. In the first two scenes, the screenwriters almost overload us with information, but they do it so eloquently that we almost don't notice: there is a shark in the water, it's killing people, Martin Brody is the chief of police on Amity Island, he's new here from New York, and he totally has no idea what he's doing or how things work here. That's the first five minutes of the movie or so. And the dialogue is brilliant because it's character-specific, humorous while still being fitting to a thriller, and really reveals conflict without being on-the-nose about it.
And the directing. OHMIGOSH. This movie is TERRIFYING at times. I was SCREAMING at the screen right before the second shark attack, "GET OUT OF THE WATER!" Todd Alcott, a screenwriter (whose website you should check out at toddalcott.com) also talks about how Spielberg creates a visual scheme throughout the movie of the fact that, as long as you are out of the water, you're safe, but if you're in the water, all bets are off. Hence Chief Brody being scared of the water. And it really does work, too. Spielberg knows how to create suspense.
As for the acting, it's great acting.
I'm gonna give Jaws a 9.5/10. Just wish I'd seen it earlier.
Favorite line: The one that's most famous, of course: "You're gonna need a bigger boat."
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Monday, September 17, 2012
Movie of the Day (Part 2): Fracture
Ryan Gosling and Anthony Hopkins? A good review from Chris Stuckmann, one of my favorite Youtube movie reviewers? An enthralling premise? This I gotta see.
So, Anthony Hopkins kills his wife. (Not a spoiler, it's almost the first thing that happens in the movie.) The investigating officer is the guy she was having an affair with. (Also not a spoiler, you figure that out right after he kills her.) And Ryan Gosling is the Deputy D.A. who decides to take one last case, what he thinks will be an open-and-shut case, before he leaves his current job for a better one... Until things don't go as planned. (When do they ever?)
Whoa, nelly. This movie was a real shocker. Fantastic writing and acting by all involved. Not a fan of the directing style or the musical score myself, they seemed to get a little too... in your face at times, like they felt the need to make their presence known. But this movie really works because of dense and deftly handled writing and great character development of the protagonist which is a product of great writing and great acting. Also, Anthony Hopkins's character is one of the more interesting antagonists I've seen in movies lately. I'd highly suggest you check this movie out if you have a thing for thrillers, courtroom dramas, non-courtroom dramas, or cool characters in general. I'm gonna give this a 9/10.
Favorite line: I think I'd go with, "You're a winner, Willy." I think that's the first point at which you know that Ryan Gosling's character is... in over his head, to say the least.
So, Anthony Hopkins kills his wife. (Not a spoiler, it's almost the first thing that happens in the movie.) The investigating officer is the guy she was having an affair with. (Also not a spoiler, you figure that out right after he kills her.) And Ryan Gosling is the Deputy D.A. who decides to take one last case, what he thinks will be an open-and-shut case, before he leaves his current job for a better one... Until things don't go as planned. (When do they ever?)
Whoa, nelly. This movie was a real shocker. Fantastic writing and acting by all involved. Not a fan of the directing style or the musical score myself, they seemed to get a little too... in your face at times, like they felt the need to make their presence known. But this movie really works because of dense and deftly handled writing and great character development of the protagonist which is a product of great writing and great acting. Also, Anthony Hopkins's character is one of the more interesting antagonists I've seen in movies lately. I'd highly suggest you check this movie out if you have a thing for thrillers, courtroom dramas, non-courtroom dramas, or cool characters in general. I'm gonna give this a 9/10.
Favorite line: I think I'd go with, "You're a winner, Willy." I think that's the first point at which you know that Ryan Gosling's character is... in over his head, to say the least.
Movies of the Day: Lord of the Rings Trilogy
I finally did it. I finally sat down and watched all of the Lord of the Rings movies. And, yes, I loved the whole trilogy. I'll address each one individually.
Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring
This one was my least favorite of the trilogy, definitely. It was good, don't get me wrong, but it was pretty predictable, and there was a lot left to be desired. A lot of the dialogue was bland and there was a lot of telling, not showing, which breaks one of the cardinal rules of screenwriting. But, as an introduction to characters and themes, a setup of the grandiose and immersive world, and an emotionally compelling story, it was really good, no doubt. That I didn't think it was perfect is blasphemy, I'm sure, but I calls 'em as I sees 'em. I think an 8 is pushing it, so I'm gonna give this a 7.75/10.
Favorite line: A lot of epic sounding dialogue in this one. Maybe, "Even the smallest person can change the course of the future." Simple statement of theme that worked for what it was.
Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
So I was obviously somewhat disappointed by the first installment of the series. "Is this what all the hype is about?" I thought. But, I was still interested in the fates of characters who I was now emotionally invested in, so I sat down to watch this feeling wary but optimistic.
Oh. My. God.
This one was SO GOOD. Gollum is one of the more interesting and compelling characters I've ever seen on film, and the other characters really came into their own as well. And the writing fixed a lot of the problems I had with the first one, keeping the long-winded monologues to a minimum, not painting bad people as all bad and good people as all good and nothing else, showing instead of telling. AND THE HELM'S DEEP FIGHT SCENE. HOLY CRUD. I'm not sure I've seen many other things as exciting as that. Probably my favorite of the trilogy, and I now get what all the hype is about. Must credit the directing and acting for that. Couple of little things here and there, though, so not a perfect rating, but pretty close. 9.75/10
Favorite line: Oh, I actually have to declare a tie. First, of course, "My precious." CHILLS. Smeagol/Gollum is the Darth Vader of Lord of the Rings, and the fact that I bought his inner dilemma and even sympathized with him is a testament to the writing and Andy Serkis's acting. And then, as Aragorn says, "There is always hope." Cheesy, I know, but... I found it worked. Inspiring.
Lord of the Rings: Return of the King
Another really really great movie. This one comes in just below The Two Towers for me, because I had a few pacing problems with it, especially near the end, but some of the scenes, some of the themes, man, they just got me. Also, the directing in this movie is fantastic. Minus some pacing problems, the fight scenes, the intercutting of story lines, some of the most suspenseful scenes I've ever seen in any movie ever... phew, man. I realized at a certain point that EVERY time the scene cut to a different set of characters, I was thinking, "Darnit, I wanted to see what happened!" meaning I was equally invested in every character. The fight scenes were epic in scope, and the fact that Peter Jackson didn't shy away from showing soldiers dying left and right shows that he wasn't trying to give anyone any easy answers. He embraced the moral ambiguity of the trilogy, which is great. And some scenes were Hitchcockian in suspense. I mean, there was a scene where I was literally cowering behind my arms and hands between my face and the screen. It was terrifying. (For those of you who've seen it, the scene with Shelob and Frodo in the canyon.) I solely disliked the length of the epilogue and some parts of the last scenes between Frodo and Sam, which I thought really dragged on and really pulled me out of the experience, and for that it'll be a little below perfect. 9.5/10
Favorite line: Hmm... This is gonna be a long one. "Hold your ground, hold your ground! Sons of Gondor, of Rohan, my brothers! I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me. A day may come when the courage of men fails, when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship, but it is not this day. An hour of woes and shattered shields, when the age of men comes crashing down! But it is not this day! This day we fight! By all that you hold dear on this good Earth, I bid you stand, Men of the West!" Was stuck between almost crying tears of pure inspiration and getting up and beating someone up after this one. Anything that can do that... Kudos.
Trilogy as a whole
After seeing the whole thing, this is one of the greatest full trilogies or series I have ever seen. Action/Adventure/Fantasy/Family/Comedy/Tragedy/War/Epic... This does every genre justice. I may have some minor problems with each installment, but... you know what? Overall, the whole trilogy easily joins my list of favorite movies. Gotta love it when the sum is greater than the parts. 10/10
Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring
This one was my least favorite of the trilogy, definitely. It was good, don't get me wrong, but it was pretty predictable, and there was a lot left to be desired. A lot of the dialogue was bland and there was a lot of telling, not showing, which breaks one of the cardinal rules of screenwriting. But, as an introduction to characters and themes, a setup of the grandiose and immersive world, and an emotionally compelling story, it was really good, no doubt. That I didn't think it was perfect is blasphemy, I'm sure, but I calls 'em as I sees 'em. I think an 8 is pushing it, so I'm gonna give this a 7.75/10.
Favorite line: A lot of epic sounding dialogue in this one. Maybe, "Even the smallest person can change the course of the future." Simple statement of theme that worked for what it was.
Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
So I was obviously somewhat disappointed by the first installment of the series. "Is this what all the hype is about?" I thought. But, I was still interested in the fates of characters who I was now emotionally invested in, so I sat down to watch this feeling wary but optimistic.
Oh. My. God.
This one was SO GOOD. Gollum is one of the more interesting and compelling characters I've ever seen on film, and the other characters really came into their own as well. And the writing fixed a lot of the problems I had with the first one, keeping the long-winded monologues to a minimum, not painting bad people as all bad and good people as all good and nothing else, showing instead of telling. AND THE HELM'S DEEP FIGHT SCENE. HOLY CRUD. I'm not sure I've seen many other things as exciting as that. Probably my favorite of the trilogy, and I now get what all the hype is about. Must credit the directing and acting for that. Couple of little things here and there, though, so not a perfect rating, but pretty close. 9.75/10
Favorite line: Oh, I actually have to declare a tie. First, of course, "My precious." CHILLS. Smeagol/Gollum is the Darth Vader of Lord of the Rings, and the fact that I bought his inner dilemma and even sympathized with him is a testament to the writing and Andy Serkis's acting. And then, as Aragorn says, "There is always hope." Cheesy, I know, but... I found it worked. Inspiring.
Lord of the Rings: Return of the King
Another really really great movie. This one comes in just below The Two Towers for me, because I had a few pacing problems with it, especially near the end, but some of the scenes, some of the themes, man, they just got me. Also, the directing in this movie is fantastic. Minus some pacing problems, the fight scenes, the intercutting of story lines, some of the most suspenseful scenes I've ever seen in any movie ever... phew, man. I realized at a certain point that EVERY time the scene cut to a different set of characters, I was thinking, "Darnit, I wanted to see what happened!" meaning I was equally invested in every character. The fight scenes were epic in scope, and the fact that Peter Jackson didn't shy away from showing soldiers dying left and right shows that he wasn't trying to give anyone any easy answers. He embraced the moral ambiguity of the trilogy, which is great. And some scenes were Hitchcockian in suspense. I mean, there was a scene where I was literally cowering behind my arms and hands between my face and the screen. It was terrifying. (For those of you who've seen it, the scene with Shelob and Frodo in the canyon.) I solely disliked the length of the epilogue and some parts of the last scenes between Frodo and Sam, which I thought really dragged on and really pulled me out of the experience, and for that it'll be a little below perfect. 9.5/10
Favorite line: Hmm... This is gonna be a long one. "Hold your ground, hold your ground! Sons of Gondor, of Rohan, my brothers! I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me. A day may come when the courage of men fails, when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship, but it is not this day. An hour of woes and shattered shields, when the age of men comes crashing down! But it is not this day! This day we fight! By all that you hold dear on this good Earth, I bid you stand, Men of the West!" Was stuck between almost crying tears of pure inspiration and getting up and beating someone up after this one. Anything that can do that... Kudos.
Trilogy as a whole
After seeing the whole thing, this is one of the greatest full trilogies or series I have ever seen. Action/Adventure/Fantasy/Family/Comedy/Tragedy/War/Epic... This does every genre justice. I may have some minor problems with each installment, but... you know what? Overall, the whole trilogy easily joins my list of favorite movies. Gotta love it when the sum is greater than the parts. 10/10
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Movie of the Day: Fight Club
I had an urge today after Fight Club came up in conversation a couple of times during the day to rewatch what is my favorite movie, and I didn't have any homework, and I couldn't resist, so I did. (I'll keep this spoiler-free.)
This movie. Is friggin' FANTASTIC. So intricately plotted, such clever writing that covers pretty much every genre, such intense character development, such cool themes, perfect acting, and near-infinite rewatchability. The characters are undoubtedly some of the coolest and yet most relatable ever put onscreen, and the humor and drama and suspense and satire and everything just hit home perfectly. Tyler Durden is one of my idols. Also, this is pretty much the most quotable movie ever. There are a few other contenders, but this one wins, definitely. SO many great lines.
I'm not allowing myself to be too specific in terms of plot or characters because I know a lot of people haven't seen this movie and this movie is best seen knowing nothing about it and it's pretty impossible to describe in words anyway, but, in case you haven't seen this movie, GO WATCH IT. NOW. WHAT ARE YOU STILL DOING HERE?! GO! 10/10, obviously. I wish I had a higher rating to give it.
Favorite line: Umm... this is extremely tough. Can I answer with every line in the movie? No? Then I'm gonna have to declare a two-way tie between, "On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero," and, "I felt like destroying something beautiful." Not the obvious choices, of course, but those are my favorites.
This movie. Is friggin' FANTASTIC. So intricately plotted, such clever writing that covers pretty much every genre, such intense character development, such cool themes, perfect acting, and near-infinite rewatchability. The characters are undoubtedly some of the coolest and yet most relatable ever put onscreen, and the humor and drama and suspense and satire and everything just hit home perfectly. Tyler Durden is one of my idols. Also, this is pretty much the most quotable movie ever. There are a few other contenders, but this one wins, definitely. SO many great lines.
I'm not allowing myself to be too specific in terms of plot or characters because I know a lot of people haven't seen this movie and this movie is best seen knowing nothing about it and it's pretty impossible to describe in words anyway, but, in case you haven't seen this movie, GO WATCH IT. NOW. WHAT ARE YOU STILL DOING HERE?! GO! 10/10, obviously. I wish I had a higher rating to give it.
Favorite line: Umm... this is extremely tough. Can I answer with every line in the movie? No? Then I'm gonna have to declare a two-way tie between, "On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero," and, "I felt like destroying something beautiful." Not the obvious choices, of course, but those are my favorites.
Saturday, September 8, 2012
Movies of the Day: "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" and "The Apartment"
My joy at seeing two fantastic movies in one day is boundless. Both of these I'd probably add to my list of favorites (which is almost, if not over, 50 movies by now).
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind: Such fantastic writing, and directing, and acting, and everything. I've been meaning to watch some movies written by Charlie Kaufman, and I finally got around to this one, and it did not disappoint. Such a unique movie, and it's seldom seen that a high-concept film has such brilliant execution. Just so... nice. 9.75/10
Favorite line: Probably "Too many guys think I'm a concept, or I complete them, or I'm gonna make them alive. But I'm just a f***ed-up girl who's lookin' for my own peace of mind; don't assign me yours." Really gets to the heart of things, don't it?
The Apartment: After being introduced to Jack Lemmon's wonderful acting in Some Like It Hot, the previous Billy Wilder movie I had seen, I just had to see this, another Lemmon-Wilder collaboration. And WOW. I think this is easily the best Wilder movie I've seen to date. Double Indemnity was good, Sunset Blvd. and Some Like It Hot were great, but this one takes the cake. Such airtight writing, such great character development, such perfect casting and directing and acting. One must not overlook Shirley MacLaine's performance. There were points where I was literally yelling at the screen or gasping or ooh-ing out loud, and it was wonderful. And I was so emotionally invested in the characters. Suffice it to say, Wilder has a permanent place on my list of favorite writers and of favorite directors, if only for this movie. 10/10
Favorite line: Ooh, toughie. Probably have to say... "That's the way it crumbles, cookie-wise." So much character in that line, emotionally and vocally.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind: Such fantastic writing, and directing, and acting, and everything. I've been meaning to watch some movies written by Charlie Kaufman, and I finally got around to this one, and it did not disappoint. Such a unique movie, and it's seldom seen that a high-concept film has such brilliant execution. Just so... nice. 9.75/10
Favorite line: Probably "Too many guys think I'm a concept, or I complete them, or I'm gonna make them alive. But I'm just a f***ed-up girl who's lookin' for my own peace of mind; don't assign me yours." Really gets to the heart of things, don't it?
The Apartment: After being introduced to Jack Lemmon's wonderful acting in Some Like It Hot, the previous Billy Wilder movie I had seen, I just had to see this, another Lemmon-Wilder collaboration. And WOW. I think this is easily the best Wilder movie I've seen to date. Double Indemnity was good, Sunset Blvd. and Some Like It Hot were great, but this one takes the cake. Such airtight writing, such great character development, such perfect casting and directing and acting. One must not overlook Shirley MacLaine's performance. There were points where I was literally yelling at the screen or gasping or ooh-ing out loud, and it was wonderful. And I was so emotionally invested in the characters. Suffice it to say, Wilder has a permanent place on my list of favorite writers and of favorite directors, if only for this movie. 10/10
Favorite line: Ooh, toughie. Probably have to say... "That's the way it crumbles, cookie-wise." So much character in that line, emotionally and vocally.
Monday, September 3, 2012
McDonald's Makes Me Mad and Moody
So, I found myself at McDonald's for breakfast this morning with my family, and after the usual pancakes and stuff I found myself craving a milkshake.
"Do you serve shakes this early in the morning, ma'am?"
"Yes."
"Okay, can I have a medium strawberry milkshake then?"
She pauses. Walks away for a second. Comes back.
"Sorry, machine's not working."
Downcast, I reply, "Okay, thank you."
A little later, I come back thinking some ice cream would hit the spot. "Do you have ice cream that's working, then, ma'am?"
"No."
Disappointed, I realize that the world is conspiring against me and resign myself to defeat.
Cue Alayah: "Oh my god, I didn't get a milkshake and now my life sucks."
"Do you serve shakes this early in the morning, ma'am?"
"Yes."
"Okay, can I have a medium strawberry milkshake then?"
She pauses. Walks away for a second. Comes back.
"Sorry, machine's not working."
Downcast, I reply, "Okay, thank you."
A little later, I come back thinking some ice cream would hit the spot. "Do you have ice cream that's working, then, ma'am?"
"No."
Disappointed, I realize that the world is conspiring against me and resign myself to defeat.
Cue Alayah: "Oh my god, I didn't get a milkshake and now my life sucks."
Fall Film Forecasting
Been looking through the movies coming out before the end of the year, and I thought I might share the movies for which I'm really excited. I won't watch all of them in theaters, of course, but maybe a few of them. These are in no particular order.
Excited for:
Wreck-It-Ralph - Not much of a gamer at all, but from concept to execution this looks incredibly cool.
Cloud Atlas - I definitely like The Matrix, albeit not as much as some other people, and I hear terrible things about the sequels, so this movie, written and directed by The Wachowskis, could go either way. But, hey, Tom Hanks, and an INCREDIBLY intriguing trailer.
The Master - Latest Paul Thomas Anderson movie (of There Will Be Blood fame, which I really liked, and some other strong credits to his name which I have yet to see), and the trailer has me interested.
EXTREMELY Excited for:
Looper - Joseph Gordon-Levitt AND Bruce Willis AND time travelling AND having to kill yourself? Count me in! Can't wait.
Argo - Seen this trailer twice now, and I'm really intrigued. I haven't seen any Ben Affleck-directed movies yet, but I hear interesting and very positive things about his directing style, and the story is both interesting AND true. I'm really interested, I have a good feeling about this one.
Flight - Denzel Washington, and that trailer. Nuff said.
Django Unchained - Tarantino is easily one of my favorite writers and directors; a lot of his movies are some of my favorites of all time. I realized that Tarantino's writing had gotten a lot less... self-indulgent... in Inglourious Basterds (although Tarantino's self-indulgence is often one of the best things about his movies); it made for a really interesting and powerful movie, and this looks to follow the trend. Also, Leonardo Dicaprio I really don't like usually (no nuances), but he might just restore my faith in him with this movie, from the looks of the trailer. Heartthrob Leo, a villain? This I've gotta see.
Killing Them Softly - I'd heard nothing about this one before today, but Brad Pitt's in it! Brad Pitt's a fantastic actor, one of the best, and I hear this movie got a ten-minute standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival. TEN. MINUTES. And Ray Liotta's in it too. And the plot sounds great.
Lincoln - Spielberg, Daniel Day-Lewis, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and inarguably one of the best presidents America has ever had? Sounds like a winning formula if ever there was one.
This is a great season for movies. Have I mentioned I'm excited? No? Well, I'm excited.
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