This morning I saw Isle of Dogs, starring the voices of Bryan Cranston and Scarlett Johansson.
Wes Anderson's latest release is inventive, clever, heartwarming, funny, detailed and unique in his signature style. It's also slow-paced, underutilized and at times (sorry) just plain boring.
On the positive side, the voice actors are all brilliant and suited to the persons or canines they represent. Cranston's "Chief" is a dog who bites and doesn't take kindly to being told what to do. Johansson's "Nutmeg" is a sultry beauty, prone to performing tricks at will (and asking observers to imagine her missing props). Bill Murray's "Boss," is well ... very Bill Murray.
Hearing these actors interact with convincing dog dialog is delightful. Anyone who's ever had a pet develops ways of communicating with them, but here we get to imagine what their conversations would be like amongst one another. Where the film fell flat was when it focused on "The Little Pilot," an annoying student activist and the government characters who deport the dogs from Japan.
Perhaps their similarities to our modern-day political world hit too close to home, or maybe I'm just conditioned to see pets portrayed in simpler situations. Whatever the case, the film suffered for me when the focus was on the humans.
In addition, the animation is brilliant, but there are quite a few shots of the dogs walking across the screen in a line. Also several scenes of the trash island they've been deported to (that feels sadly like the Great Pacific Garbage Patch). There's also a hell of a lot of drumming throughout everything. And that gets old real fast.
Go for the gorgeous artistry and strong writing; just know you may need a cup of coffee to get through some of the duller stretches.
~~~
Showing posts with label Bryan Cranston. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bryan Cranston. Show all posts
Saturday, March 31, 2018
Saturday, December 12, 2015
Trumbo
Today I saw Trumbo, starring Bryan Cranston and Diane Lane.
Dalton Trumbo (Cranston) was a successful screenwriter until his politics got in the way. A man of integrity, he stood by his beliefs instead of his riches and was ultimately blacklisted for being a communist.
After a brief sentence in prison, Trumbo had to find a way to feed his family so he returned to his only true skill: writing. He wrote screenplays like Roman Holiday under a pen name and countless other less prestigious titles. He never stopped writing and he also helped other blacklisted friends find 'underground' work.
Though it's a simple, well-documented true story, Cranston injects the late writer with such life it's almost as if he's still with us today. Always a pleasure to watch, Diane Lane is also perfect as his loyal wife, Cleo. The supporting cast is unsurprisingly impressive as well; among them: Helen Mirren, Elle Fanning, Louis C.K. and John Goodman.
So, why should anyone that's not obsessed with writers or communists go see this? Because at the end of the day it's about the very timely topic of endangered civil liberties. The decisions we're making as Americans today will determine our country's future. Films like this remind us that making the wrong decisions can be of great moral cost.
~~~
Dalton Trumbo (Cranston) was a successful screenwriter until his politics got in the way. A man of integrity, he stood by his beliefs instead of his riches and was ultimately blacklisted for being a communist.
After a brief sentence in prison, Trumbo had to find a way to feed his family so he returned to his only true skill: writing. He wrote screenplays like Roman Holiday under a pen name and countless other less prestigious titles. He never stopped writing and he also helped other blacklisted friends find 'underground' work.
Though it's a simple, well-documented true story, Cranston injects the late writer with such life it's almost as if he's still with us today. Always a pleasure to watch, Diane Lane is also perfect as his loyal wife, Cleo. The supporting cast is unsurprisingly impressive as well; among them: Helen Mirren, Elle Fanning, Louis C.K. and John Goodman.
So, why should anyone that's not obsessed with writers or communists go see this? Because at the end of the day it's about the very timely topic of endangered civil liberties. The decisions we're making as Americans today will determine our country's future. Films like this remind us that making the wrong decisions can be of great moral cost.
~~~
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Drive
Today I saw Drive, starring Ryan Gosling and Carey Mulligan.
A Hollywood stunt driver (Gosling) strikes up a friendship with his neighbor, Irene (Mulligan), with whom he shares an immediate chemistry, but soon learns she is married. Her husband is in prison and will be home in the next few weeks.
In the meantime, the Driver acts as a caretaker for Irene and her young son, not pretending to deny the elephant in the room.
By day the Driver works on Hollywood sets and in a nearby garage; by night he drives getaway cars but somehow manages to keep his hands clean of the crimes ... until Irene's husband comes home.
Standard (Oscar Isaac) owes a debt to some folks from his prison days. He wants to lead a crime-free life, but fears what may happen to his family if he doesn't make good on the promise. He mentions his predicament to the Driver, who agrees to help him purely to keep Irene and her son safe.
When the robbery spirals out of control (featuring an electric cameo from Mad Men's Christina Hendricks), the Driver finds himself guilty of more than driving, and in the worst danger of his life.
Ryan Gosling plays the main character with a controlled chaos that's fastly becoming his trademark. You can see by the look in his eyes he'll do anything for this woman, yet he's a man of few words. Only the Johnny Depps and Leo Dicaprios of the world could've played this part as well.
A Hollywood stunt driver (Gosling) strikes up a friendship with his neighbor, Irene (Mulligan), with whom he shares an immediate chemistry, but soon learns she is married. Her husband is in prison and will be home in the next few weeks.
In the meantime, the Driver acts as a caretaker for Irene and her young son, not pretending to deny the elephant in the room.
By day the Driver works on Hollywood sets and in a nearby garage; by night he drives getaway cars but somehow manages to keep his hands clean of the crimes ... until Irene's husband comes home.
Standard (Oscar Isaac) owes a debt to some folks from his prison days. He wants to lead a crime-free life, but fears what may happen to his family if he doesn't make good on the promise. He mentions his predicament to the Driver, who agrees to help him purely to keep Irene and her son safe.
When the robbery spirals out of control (featuring an electric cameo from Mad Men's Christina Hendricks), the Driver finds himself guilty of more than driving, and in the worst danger of his life.
Ryan Gosling plays the main character with a controlled chaos that's fastly becoming his trademark. You can see by the look in his eyes he'll do anything for this woman, yet he's a man of few words. Only the Johnny Depps and Leo Dicaprios of the world could've played this part as well.
The directing is also phenomenal—a battle is acted out in shadows; flashes of light build tension after a crash and nothing is as scary as the glimpse we get of a bad guy through the bathroom blinds.
All of this is intensified by a perfect musical score. The sounds that accompany the actions add to instead of subtract from the action, and there's plenty of it.
I could've done without much of the blood and gore, but none of it was gratuitous. In fact, it was probably all the more shocking because it was completely believable.
Easily one of the best films of 2011.
~~
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