Food, Inc.

Today I saw the Robert Kenner documentary Food, Inc.

You may want to put down that bucket of fast food chicken before you head out to the theater to see this film. I'm not saying it won't still taste good, but you'll probably regret it after the fact.

This documentary tells us all what we would already know if folks toured chicken farms as often as they do chocolate factories: some of the stuff in our food supply is bad. Real bad.

None of this came as a shock to me. As huge fan of Bill Maher, I hear him bark about high fructose corn syrup and the dangers of over-processed food on an almost weekly basis. For the past 10 years I've either driven to Canada to purchase my Coca-Cola, or picked up the Mexican version at my local Costco (our non-American friends use sugar instead of corn syrup to make their Coke, so it tastes like the good old stuff we used to get as kids). I also seldom eat trans fats, buy organic, and have greatly reduced (but I'll confess, not eliminated) my trips to fast food restaurants. I do it more for my own health than any political reason.

But is it enough?

I'm not sure. What I am sure of is that I don't agree with the way animals are being treated before they're taken to slaughter. This film shows us evidence that chickens are usually kept out of daylight for the duration of their very short lives (just over a month in most cases) and cows are fed corn when they really should subside on grass. In the early days of farming and meatpacking, when the business was smaller, the practices were actually quite decent. But when the processing plants grew larger to accommodate the rapidly successful fast food enterprises, all of the standards went out the door.

That's not to say there aren't still ethical farmers using humane methods of farming and processing, but I'm afraid they all may be in this movie. All three of them.

Really, corn is taking over the world (seriously—it's in everything from diapers to batteries) and really should just be enjoyed in its original form: on the cob.

The other big problem is the lawmakers who make special exceptions for the food industry (did you know it's a felony to trash beef in Colorado?) by neglecting to establish stricter food safety practices and not adequately labeling genetically altered food.

What can we do to turn this all around? The filmmaker says: Buy local. Buy organic. Vote with your wallet.

I think I will.

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Away We Go

Tonight I saw Away We Go, starring Maya Rudolph and John Krasinski.

Burt (Krasinski) and Verona (Rudolph) are a couple in love who have just made a baby and don't want to go it alone. When they learn Burt's parents are moving to a foreign country before their baby's arrival, they set out on a cross-country journey to find a desirable place to live, near people they love.

Who knew such a task would be so grueling?

And I don't necessarily mean for the couple—I mean for the audience.

From the moment they couple decides to 'go exploring,' everything around them turns from reality to caricature and each stereotypical human annoyance is met along the way. First it's an obnoxious former co-worker, then it's an uber hippie who you can't imagine they'd want to be friends with in the first place. Even the folks at the airport accuse Verona of being further along in her pregnancy than she is and deny her flying rights. Travesty!

Amidst all of the blatantly flashing signs that Life Isn't Easy: Especially With Kids—there is a somewhat tender, genuine relationship between the couple. It's a shame even that is overshadowed by Krasinski's distracting beard and unwashed hair.

Am I being picky? I don't think so. I'm just highly disappointed that two very gifted actors and a director I'd previously loved would make such a mess of what could have been a fresh concept.

We're all dysfunctional. We get it.

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Public Enemies

Tonight I saw Public Enemies, starring Johnny Depp.

It will be the topic of Cinebanter #74, so tune in July 13 for our review.

Talhotblond

On June 15, I saw the documentary talhotblond at the Seattle International Film Festival.

To read my review, visit Cinebanter.com.

North

On Saturday I saw North at the Seattle International Film Festival.

To read my review, visit Cinebanter.com.

My Life in Ruins

Tonight I saw My Life in Ruins, starring Nia Vardalos and Richard Dreyfuss.

As a half-Greek girl with a father from the Old Country, and a big fan of the star's former film My Big Fat Greek Wedding, I felt it was my civic duty to give this shameless chick flick a chance. Boy, was I wrong.

When we meet Georgia (Vardalos) she's already miserable—she's moved to Athens to teach at the University and been laid off. To make ends meet she took a job as a tour guide and now tries to impart her infinite architectural and historical wisdom on groups of tourists who would rather just get a cone of ice cream.

After naming off the stereotypical people that come on her tours (the "ugly" Americans, the divorcées, the old people, etc.) they all load on to the bus and from there on out, we know what's coming at every turn.

There's the not-so-funny guy Irv (Dreyfuss) that annoys everyone, a British couple with an angst-filled teenager who wants to go to the beach, drunken Australians who are there to just be...drunk, and a bus driver that gets more handsome as the tour progresses.

Nia is charming, and the gorgeous shots of Greek ruins and seascapes are lovely to see, but the love story was too predictable to be satisfying, and the jokes throughout just weren't very funny.

It would've been better had they shown instead of told.

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The Brothers Bloom

Last night I saw The Brothers Bloom, starring Rachel Weisz and Adrien Brody.

The brothers in the title are Bloom (Brody) and Stephen (Mark Ruffalo). They've made their livings as scheming con artists and now Bloom is ready to retire and "go straight." But Stephen, who is more addicted to the thrill of the lifestyle than perhaps the money, doesn't want to stop and convinces Bloom to embark on one last job. This assignment is where we meet Penelope (Weisz)—an eccentric rich girl who seems to have no friends or acquaintances.

Sounds fun, right? Well, it starts out that way...and even shows promise in the spirited introduction of our heroine (and her many quirks), but unfortunately fizzles after we see the same story played out over and over again. You think you're on to the con, but you're not—but wait you are! Repeat. And again.

It does get old.

There's also a minor love story between Penelope and Bloom that could've developed into something much more intense if given ample attention, but since it doesn't it's hard to care about whether or not they're really in love or whether or not they'll live happily ever after.

Ruffalo's Stephen is charming, but he's almost too charming and you'd think that a con man as successful as he would be less (overtly) slimy.

All in all, the film was a disappointing attempt from a promising filmmaker (Brick's Rian Johnson) and a great cast of characters.

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American Collectors

Last night I saw the documentary American Collectors.

Everyone collects something—for me it's U2 magazines, Beatles memorabelia, movie postcards and Coca-Cola branded items for the kitchen. When I was younger it was seashells, anything with dolphins on it, and Garbage Pail Kids cards. "It" was always important to me at the time.

The degree of which I collect these things is what would have excluded me from being a subject in this film. I don't have enough volume or enough passion for the merchandise to remotely qualify.

The folks here have an incurable compulsion to gather as many of—whatever—as their pocketbook will allow. They all have different reasons for doing it (toys bring back happy memories from childhood; loves the artistic aspect of antique handbags), but the common thread that you hear throughout the narrative is the thrill of the hunt. The joy of finding something you've never been able to find before or making an altogether new discovery.

I must confess, I was first drawn to this film because one of its stars is a personal pal of mine. One who happens to call himself "Durandy" because of his love of the band Duran Duran. I'm also fond of the fab five, and I'm somewhat of a groupie in other circles, so once our paths crossed we became fast friends. Over the past few years, I watched Andy (I usually call him by his real name) continue to build the most impressive collection of Duran Duran posters in the world. He takes meticulous care of them, organizing them into a climate controlled storage unit dedicated to their purpose. Because of his desire to share his treasures with others through public exhibits and showings, the passion has led him to personal encounters with the band, who applaud him for his dedication and spirit. Durandy maintains a full-time job, has a loving girlfriend, and a comfortable home, so his "collection" doesn't rule his life, it only enhances it.

In some of the other cases, the audience has to wonder if the collectors aren't sacrificing basic needs to satisfy their cravings. One gentleman cannot conduct the interview inside his trailer because the camera crew wouldn't fit inside—his collection takes up too much space. Another man has hundreds of musical instruments, yet he doesn't know how to play any of them.

What the film really ends up saying is that collecting is like any hobby. If it begins to interfere with the productivity of your life (putting food on the table, paying rent, having relationships), the obsession has gone too far. If not, you're just eccentric (and probably fascinating to talk to).

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To learn more about American Collectors, click here.

Drag Me to Hell

Last night I saw Drag Me to Hell, starring Alison Lohan and Justin Long.

It was the topic of Cinebanter #73, which is available here.

Mommy Is at the Hairdresser's

Tonight at SIFF I screened Mommy Is at the Hairdresser's, a Canadian drama.

To read my review, visit Cinebanter.com.

Prodigal Sons

Last night I saw Prodigal Sons, a documentary by Kimberly Reed.

To read my review, visit Cinebanter.com.

Up

Tonight I saw Pixar's Up in 3D.

It will be the topic of Cinebanter #72, so tune in June 8 for our review.

The Garden

Tonight I saw the documentary The Garden at the Seattle International Film Festival.

Listen to Cinebanter in the coming months for my take on it.

Rembrandt's J'Accuse

Last night I saw Rembrandt's J'Accuse, documentary from The Netherlands.

To read my review, visit Cinebanter.com.

Fear Me Not

Last night I screened Fear Me Not at the Seattle International Film Festival.

Listen to Cinebanter in the coming months for my take on it.

The Cove

Last night I saw the documentary The Cove at the Seattle International Film Festival.

Listen to Cinebanter in the coming months for my take on it.

This Charming Girl

Yesterday I screened the South Korean drama This Charming Girl at the Seattle International Film Festival.

To read my review, visit Cinebanter.com.

Shrink

Today at SIFF I screened Shrink, starring Kevin Spacey and Robin Williams.

I will speak about it on an upcoming episode of Cinebanter, so stay tuned!

A French Gigolo

Last night I screened A French Gigolo at the 35th Annual Seattle International Film Festival.

To read my review, please visit Cinebanter.com.

Baby Love

Last night at SIFF I saw Baby Love, a charming French comedy.

For my full review, visit Cinebanter.com.

Angels & Demons

Last night I saw Angels & Demons, starring Tom Hanks and Ewan McGregor.

When we begin this film, the follow-up to commercially successful-yet-critically hated Da Vinci Code, Professor Langdon (Hanks) is being summoned to Vatican City because four cardinals (who are in the running to become the next Pope) have been kidnapped by a group claiming to be the Illuminati, an angry sect of scientists that have revived an ancient anti-church secret society.

Langdon is sent to crack the code behind the letter they sent detailing what they're going to do (execute said cardinals AND blow up Vatican City with some stolen antimatter). But of course, the Vatican doesn't like his academic approaches to life and disdain for their church, so they deny him entry to their archives. Because he needs information in the archives to figure out the puzzle, he appeals to the Camerlengo in charge (McGregor) who appears to have a soft spot for Langdon and grants him access. Oh, and there's a pretty physicist that tags along because she knows how to A) translate Latin and B) change the battery on the contraption that's keeping the antimatter from blowing up the country.

To go any further in the plot would be to spoil, so I will just say this: yes, it is better than the prior film. The action carries the audience through the scenes much faster this time, and the clever one-liners are actually kept to a minimum. Hanks also has a less annoying haircut, which makes it easier to take his ever-serious lines, well... seriously. And the supporting players in McGregor and Stellan Skarsgard, who plays a stern Commander, are phenomenal in their roles. A major scene at the end has amazing special effects too.

On the minus side, the film is very bloody and the main "bad guy" is incredibly sexy, which makes it very difficult to believe he's all that bad.

But the tension is there, and the acting is solid, and it's nice to see so much of Italy in the many exterior scenes the movie holds.

Not a bad kickoff to the popcorn season of summer films.

~~~

Take you to my castle far away...

I love it when music stops me in my tracks.

I was shopping at a local discount store (Burlington Coat Factory, if you must know) on Sunday, mindlessly sifting through racks, when a bright burst of piano came over the sound system and I immediately envisioned a perfectly coiffed Peter Cetera standing in front of an Asian panel. Tonight it's very clear began the song, one of my favorites from the 80s, called "Glory of Love" and from that moment I was paralyzed with nostalgia.

I began freely singing along (despite the fact there were other shoppers, workers, etc. nearby), challenging myself to remember every word (I did) and managing my visions, which were random bits and pieces of a video I must have watched at least a thousand times in 1986.

It was all about Karate Kid II. I remembered Mr Miyagi looking proudly on as the Karate Kid fought for his life. I remembered the beautiful Asian girl he was sweet on, appearing from behind a fan to entice him. I also remembered the way the doors of the panel would burst open as Peter led up to the chorus (standing alone, as he sang).

And then I thought to myself: that video was so much better than the movie.

And then it occurred to me that there were dozens of 80s videos that were far superior to the movie of the soundtrack on which they appeared.

Immediately I was flooded with memories of beloved songs that positively carried the films they promoted.

Exhibit A: "Against All Odds" by Phil Collins

Again, we have a lone man who semi-recently had left a successful band (Cetera had abandoned Chicago; Collins had taken leave from Genesis), standing on a stage that doesn't pretend to be part of the film set, but dares its singer to conjure up the emotion of what's going on in the film (in this case, adultery). We see the "happy" couple dancing around, sharing cocktails, getting close. We see an ancient pyramid and a scary little head that sometimes takes the place of Phil's. Then we see The Evil Other Guy (James Woods), who happens to be light years sexier than the alleged husband, and well, all hell breaks loose. All the while Phil is singing a heartbreaking, beautiful song about his real-life wife—who was the only one who really knew him at all—breaking his heart with an unexpected divorce. The song lives on. I doubt anyone has seen the mediocre film since the summer the song was selling it on MTV.

Exhibit B: "St. Elmo's Fire (Man in Motion)" by Jack Parr

Keeping up with the pattern, we have an older single man doing the singing, happening upon a group of recent graduates that are getting themselves into all sorts of trouble. Throughout the video he acts as somewhat of a stalker, witnessing all of the cool scenes from their movie. They flirt their way through a bar; we see meaningful close-ups of each cast member (Judd Nelson! Rob Lowe! Mare Winningham!); we see a fire scene correspond to the "burning up" part of the lyrics. And then the bridge comes: it's a montage of the coolest of cool things these cats do. Andrew McCarthy laying on his back as he dances on the bed, Emilio Estevez bravely kissing Andie MacDowell. Then that thing happens where the singer becomes "part of the gang" and Jack Parr is all of a sudden having a jukebox conversation with Demi Moore. The song rocks. And the film is a teenage classic—but not because it's good.

Exhibit C: "Live to Tell" by Madonna

Note to all young persons who may be reading this: Madonna was in her prime in these years. This was pre-Madge, pre-Guy, pre-Malawi babies, etc. and the sister could sing. She had snagged Sean Penn and had yet to produce a book called "Sex."

Anyway, the video starts with our Lone (Fe)male sitting vs. standing in a dramatic, dark room. We can only see her perfectly coiffed blonde hair, the top of her floral dress and her face, which features her mouthing the words somewhat softly (despite the perfect lipstick). We soon cut to slices of the film At Close Range, which stars Christopher Walken and her first husband. They appear to be "shooting" buddies and we see them doing buddy things until the song takes a creepy turn (really, it is somewhat creepy—she could actually WRITE MUSIC back then) and we see Sean (who unfortunately looks 13) with a terrifying, evil look on his face, holding a gun to Christopher's head. Yikes. I can't remember exactly how the movie turns out (it was long ago that I saw it), but I know it didn't create as much tension as that brilliant 80s video did.

The moral of the story: it's a shame these videos (or at least the songs for them) outlasted the actual films they sought to promote. But it's more of a shame in the music video world that they just don't make 'em like they used to.

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Sin Nombre

Last night I saw Sin Nombre, the debut feature from writer/director Cary Fukunaga.

It was the topic of Cinebanter #70. Click here for that episode.

Earth

Today I saw Disney's Earth, starring polar bears, birds, caribou, walruses, buffalo, elephants, lynx, lions and whales.

Narrated by James Earl Jones, the 'story' here isn't as linear as March of the Penguins or various Animal Planet shows like Meerkat Manor, but it does take us through a year on our planet with the absence of humans (except for that voice, of course).

We start with a polar bear mother and her two cubs who are being introduced to the surface of the earth for the first time. It's hard to visualize these mammoth balls of fluffy fur as the notoriously mean creatures they really are when our first glimpse has them sliding helplessly across glaciers, struggling for footing, and frolicking about. But toward the end of the movie when we meet Dad attacking a mound of walruses with reckless abandon, we see how these families have long survived the conditions.

In another portion of the film, we watch a lone lynx creeping through an icy forest, searching for a rare meal. Later, a fuzzy family of lynx makes the initial peek seem like the cameras were pointed toward an uncommon Serial Killer Lynx, because these kids are just too darned cute to be evil.

But really, the moral of the story is: An Eye for an Eye.

I realize that nature is harsh and that all species are important to the food chain for whatever reason, but that didn't make it any easier for me to watch a wolf chase down a caribou calf and take a chunk out of its backside, or prevent me from tearing up when a baby elephant gets separated from its pack during a dust storm and follows the wrong trail to try to catch up with them.

What I'm saying is: if I had kids, I'm not quite sure I'd let them see this until they were 10 or 12.

There are some scary scenes in addition to the ones I just mentioned—lions roaring during a nighttime thunderstorm, another "chase" scene involving a cheetah that doesn't end well for the prey, etc. I found myself turning away much more than I'd expected.

That said, there are some amazing scenes I could've stared at all day, such as the birds of paradise who were "preparing for dates" with females and a humpback whale calf's first swim through its new home in the ocean.

The lengths the cameramen and women must have gone to to gain this footage is nothing short of impressive (and we see glimpses of them during the credits; hopefully there will be more footage on the eventual DVD), and sitting back and taking it all in, you really do realize just how insignificant you are in the grand scheme of this planet.

Even more of a reason to be good to our Mother Earth, if you ask me.

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Stick It in Detroit

This morning I saw Stick It in Detroit, starring and directed by Robert Phelps.

Todd (Phelps) is a factory worker in the city of Detroit. Like many men, he still hangs out with the same buddies from his neighborhood that he grew up with. None of them seem remotely as bright or promising as Todd, but this doesn't seem to matter to him. He has a steady job, a steady girlfriend and all is right with the world.

That is, until success comes knocking at his door. When he is offered a promotion in Georgia, he's forced to choose between abandoning his comfort zone (and probably his girlfriend, who isn't sweet on the idea of moving south) or taking an opportunity that may never arise again and bettering his career.

The concept of the movie is a good one; the execution left a lot to be desired.

As a film critic, I make no secret of the fact I detest bathroom humor. I'm not entirely against low-brow comedies (after all, I proudly own Airplane and Fast Times at Ridgemont High), I just don't find feces funny.

And therefore, folks like me are pretty much disqualified from finding genuine laughs within this movie.

Entire scenes are built around visits to the toilet, and other "fantasy" scenes that could be funny in another context, seem out of place among the vulgarity.

The acting and directing are fine, but unfortunately the story can't be saved by these two factors.

Obnoxious friends and dead-end lives just aren't my idea of quality comedy.

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Adventureland

Tonight I saw Adventureland, starring Jesse Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart.

James (Eisenberg) has just completed his college degree and looks forward to graduate school with aspirations of travel writing; his parents have recently fallen on hard times and tell him in no uncertain terms that if he plans to attend Columbia (where he's been accepted), he'll have to earn the tuition himself that summer. As he's always been the "mow the lawn for money" kind of kid, he has trouble finding work and ends up at Adventureland, a local amusement park with all of the typical rides, games and characters that come with such a place.

Assigned to "Games," James befriends fellow booth slaves Joel (Martin Starr), a Jewish athiest clearly too smart for the job, and Emily (Stewart), who will be headed to NYU in the fall, and just happens to be beautiful.

Without warning, James falls for Emily, and she for him, but the situation is complicated by the sexy maintenance man Connell (Ryan Reynolds), who is married, but sleeping with Emily.

James doesn't know this, nor does Emily know that James accepted a date with Lisa P. (Margarita Levieva), the resident hottie at Adventureland, when she hurt his feelings during a double date of theirs. Drama ensues.

Recounting it in those few paragraphs, this sounds like formulaic fluff with classic love triangles and summer romance conventions, but for some reason it plays better than that.

The chemistry between Eisenberg and Stewart does seem genuine—and that helps—but more than that, there's a heart that lies deeper in the characters, which enables us viewers to empathize instead of judge. Hasn't everyone made a mistake in a relationship at some point? Probably so, and though this film may make you remember those mistakes, it will also (hopefully) remind you that you have to learn some lessons before you get it right. That is, if your human.

Furthermore, the situations in Adventureland are completely believable, and even the silliest of characters (Frigo) are somewhat real, despite how obnoxious their behavior is.

And since the story takes place in the 80s, my nostalgia radar picked up on several relics from the past, which added a nice ambiance to the overall feel of the film. I recognized the plastic bracelets and heart earrings the girls were wearing, the headband Frigo was sporting, and appreciated the brilliant soundtrack featuring Falco and Crowded House, which played naturally in the background.

Adventureland is a refreshing change from the usual bathroom-humor-laden "college" films involving frat houses and shock jokes. Instead of gratuitous language, you have appropriately timed outbursts that may contain a word or two; instead of clichéd sex scenes, you witness kisses that you would remember all of your life if you were living as one of the characters.

I hope other filmmakers will take a cue and make more smart comedies like this one, that come with a side of heart.

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I Love You, Man

Yesterday I saw I Love You, Man, starring Paul Rudd and Jason Segal.

We all know men like realtor Peter Klaven (Rudd): good looking, well-groomed, straight guys who surround themselves with armies of female friends, but lack severely in the 'dude' department.

We also know men like Sydney Fife (Segal): fun-loving, independent bachelors who are left behind after all of their buddies graduate into marriage and fatherhood.

What a genius idea to bring these two characters together.

The stage is set with Peter, madly in love with Zooey (Rashida Jones), proposing to her in a romantic city setting. She excitedly accepts his proposal and the wedding plans are thrust into motion. The only small problem is that she has several attendants and he doesn't even have a best man.

So...he tries to find one, by going on "man-dates" with random guys he's set up with by family and friends (Jane Curtain is a great cast bonus as his mom). After many comical attempts, his best man soul mate appears at one of his open houses (when he's "not looking" as true love usually appears) and changes everything.

Instead of Peter's world revolving around Zooey, it begins to revolve around Sydney, because he's never enjoyed such a friendship before. While she's happy for him at first, of course jealousy does eventually set in and both relationships are put in jeopardy.

Aside from a few unnecessary "gross" scenes involving vomit and a dog relieving itself, this was a very refreshing, cute movie with a host of appealing characters.

Rashida Jones shines as the likable finance, Jon Favreau is hilarious as an angry husband of one of Zooey's friends, and Andy Samburg plays the groom's openly gay brother in a realistic, non-stereotypical way.

If you need a laugh, check it out.

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Duplicity

On Saturday, I saw Duplicity, starring Clive Owen and Julia Roberts.

It will be the topic of Cinebanter #68, so tune in on April 13th for our review.

I'm humbled and honored...

...to be listed among the Top 100 Movie Blogs on OnlyGoodMovies.com.

To see the full roster, click here:

http://www.onlygoodmovies.com/blog/thoughts-on-film/the-100-best-movie-blogs/

The Class

Tonight I saw The Class, starring François Bégaudeau.

It will be the topic of Cinebanter #67, which will be available March 30, so tune in then for our review.

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Sunshine Cleaning

Today I screened Sunshine Cleaning, starring Amy Adams and Emily Blunt.

Rose (Adams) is a maid, a single mother and a mistress. Her job is dead-end, her son Oscar (Jason Spevack, a dead wringer for the kid in Love Actually) has issues in school, and her married boyfriend is her former high-school sweetheart.

Her sister Nora (Blunt) is less responsible, less balanced, and also has employment challenges. Her father (Alan Arkin), a loving grandfather with his heart in the right place, is a failing salesman.

Life could be better for this family.

One day after Rose and her boyfriend are finished making love in a seedy motel, he tells her of a thriving business he's observed through his own work as a detective: crime scene cleanup. He figures with her experience cleaning houses, she could easily transition to this higher-paying enterprise, and he'll help provide the connections she needs to get started.

Before long, she's enrolled in bio-hazard sanitation classes and has enlisted the help of her sister to act as her sole employee. Because she has a knack for business and an infinitely positive attitude, Rose soon launches the successful Sunshine Cleaning.

All goes well in the first weeks of business (those who are squeamish like me: beware of the first few crime scenes they clean up), then a plot twist, which is completely believable, changes the game for the whole family.

The ending draws to a satisfying close and leaves you hoping that the path the family is on will continue.

Everyone in this film does a superb job of playing their part (even if Alan Arkin's character is just a reprise of his role in Little Miss Sunshine, minus the porn), and hopefully the vastly underrated Amy Adams will finally step out of her "innocent girl" typecasting with this role.

Sunshine Cleaning is a lighthearted drama brought to life by a competent and complementary cast. It feels, sounds and looks like real life.

Go see it.

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Don't miss our live blogging at Cinebanter.com!

Join MichaelVox and me over at our Cinebanter Web site as we live blog the Oscars® (and the red-carpet, pre-show happenings, etc.) - it's our third year doing it and we hope to hear from all of you via our "comments" section throughout the broadcast.

The fun will start in early afternoon (Pacific Time). See you there!

Live Action Short Film Nominees (Oscars® 2009)

Tonight I saw all five of the nominated films in the Live Action Short category. I'll present my reviews in the order they were shown.

AUF DER STRECKE

The lengthiest of the nominees, Switzerland and Germany's narrative about a mall security guard who is in love with a bookshop clerk, feels like it could go a number of ways.

First, you see him apprehending shoplifters and wonder if the whole short will be a series of these situations, then once you see him zeroing in on Sarah (the bookshop clerk) with the security camera, you think he may be stalking her.

In a sense, he is.

So much that he makes sure to ride the same subway home and inadvertently witnesses a tragedy connected to her because of it.

Will he reveal what he saw? Will it make any difference to her if he does?

A lot happens in the 30 minutes to allow you to ponder these possibilities...which is what makes it good.

The ending, however, could've been better.

NEW BOY

Ireland's dramedy based on a Roddy Doyle short story packs a lot of punch.

It tells us of Joseph's arrival in an Irish elementary school and the adjustments that come with such a shift.

Joseph, we learn through flashbacks, is from war-torn Africa and is still dealing with the horrors he experienced in his homeland.

Christian is the resident troublemaker who does everything in his power to make the new kid feel out of place.

True to form, there's a tattletale and a short-tempered teacher who round out the cast (and the story).

Will the new boy survive in his new surroundings?

Amazingly, 11 minutes is all you need to find out.

TOYLAND

This heart-wrenching, yet profound holocaust story from Germany is reminiscent of LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL, as it is centered around adults making the horrors of war metaphorical (concentration camps are referred to as "Toyland") to protect their children.

The friendship of two boys is in jeopardy as one is Jewish and the other is not.

What transpires is a beautiful exploration of "what if" and perhaps the best ending I've seen to a movie in recent years.

THE PIG

In this Denmark film, an old man is having "butt surgery" and takes comfort in a whimsical painting of a pig that faces his hospital bed.

He appears to have no loved ones attending to him, and is told he may in fact have cancer (though what he is having the surgery for is less serious). The pig makes him smile and chuckle to himself—so much that he tells the nurse he likes it.

Unfortunately, when he wakes from surgery it is gone at the request of his Muslim roommate.

After that, as an audience member you're asked to determine the definition of tolerance—and then react to a twist at the end that could change your mind.

MANON ON THE ASPHALT

In this French film, a young woman (Manon) is happily riding her bike around the winding streets of her town when she is struck by a car.

After that, she narrates instructions, regrets and meaningful memories about her life as she "floats" near her body and witnesses the unfolding events (folks gathering in the street, medics arriving).

It's a brief exploration of what could happen to any of us at any time, and more so a painful reminder that we should be living every day to the fullest—reminding those we love how much we appreciate them.

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So which film would I pick to win the Oscar®? Really, I think they're all worthy, but if I had to narrow it to one it would have to be TOYLAND.

Please remember to tune into the Cinebanter Live Blog for the Spirit Awards this Saturday and of course, the Oscars® on Sunday.

Wendy and Lucy

Tonight I saw Wendy and Lucy, starring Michelle Williams and Lucy.

Have you ever been in a situation where one bad thing happened and then another followed, and another, until you felt as if the whole universe was against you?

This is how you'll feel watching events unfold in the life of Wendy (Williams), a young girl from Indiana who is headed to Alaska to work in a Ketchikan cannery.

We first see her playing with her dog Lucy (Lucy) in the woods and learn she is in Oregon. After she wakes up to a security guard telling her she's not allowed to sleep on Walgreen's property, she realizes her car won't start. And thus begins her own personal spiral to hell.

With one bad choice, her world soon spins out of control and we're held emotionally hostage wanting so badly for it to all turn out okay for her. Why do we care? This is what makes the movie good: we have very few clues as to what put Wendy in this situation, yet her almost numb responses to each event make us unimaginably sympathetic. She seems like a decent person who is just down on her luck—and haven't we all been down on our luck at one point in our lives or another?

The film moves at a slow, quiet pace, but is never boring. The few supporting characters that emerge (the security guard, the mechanic, etc.) feel as though they're real people who we may actually encounter when we have car trouble ourselves; the dog is undeniably sweet.

And Michelle Williams amazing performance makes this very human story work.

See this movie—you'll painfully cringe at her misfortune while joyfully tearing up at the sight of the kindness she experiences.

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Vertigo

Today I saw Vertigo, starring Jimmy Stewart and Kim Novak.

I feel incredibly privileged that my first viewing of this (today) was on the big screen—70 mm no less, as part of the Seattle Cinerama's special series.

What a stunning film! From the opening scene that leaves its main character hanging over tall buildings to the sloped streets of San Francisco, this has to be one of the most beautifully shot films ever made.

The story begins with Scottie (Stewart) fretting over his case of vertigo with Midge (Barbara Bel Geddes), an artist who is clearly in love with him. But he isn't in love with her—at least not anymore—he's interested instead in the "ghost" of Madeline (Novak) a woman he (for lack of a better term) stalks and eventually rescues from the cold San Francisco Bay.

The plot thickens as Scottie finds himself immersed in a murder he's soon accused of, but nothing seems to bother him as much as his broken heart and longing for Madeline.

There is sympathy due not only for Scottie's genuine lost love, but also for his desperation. And Scottie is not the only one to be sad for—all of the women in the film deserve a bit of pity for their trouble, whether it be pining for a man in love with someone else, or being a pawn in an elaborate illegal and immoral scheme.

The way Hitchcock shoots Scottie's pursuit of these women makes the viewer feel as if they are the voyeur—peeking behind a sacred curtain of action the rest of the world is not privy to.

The colors come through almost magically; a calming mix of greens and blues, punctuated only by the leading lady's red lipstick. The lighting, of course: genius.

There is an especially amazing scene toward the end, where Scottie's woman is emerging from the bathroom to greet him looking a certain way. She opens the door and we see what looks like a thick San Francisco fog clouding her silhouette moving toward his reacting face. The viewer sees her as he sees her—mystical and majestic—until her presence comes into full light.

This is a film to be savored on a giant screen, in the dark, with a full audience reacting to its every hue.

I'm so glad that's how I experienced it.