The surprise 2011 hit, Captain America: The First Avenger, succeeded because the iconic yet campy superhero received a modern injection of cinematic energy and solid storytelling. The main reason for the Captain’s successful re-emergence into mainstream pop culture was the charisma and multi-generational appeal of actor Chris Evans. Evans returns in his third stint as the star-spangled rescuer in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, a film with another solid plot extracted from the Marvel universe, a fantastic grip on character arcs and relationships, and an epic sense of scale that, obviously, takes place in a post-Avengers universe.
Last we left Joe, she had just been broken down with the tragic realization that she couldn’t feel anything. Her years of sexual escapades and experimentation had left her suddenly numb, cold, distant, and depressed…and this is the new Joe that we get to follow in Lars von Trier’s Nymphomaniac: Volume II, the second half of his sexual cinematic odyssey. Needless to say, this sequel of sorts doesn’t live up to the emotional gravitas and observational humor of Volume I, instead settling for a few interesting thoughts but mostly von Trier’s penchant for gratuitous sexual violence and plenty of shock value.
Deneuve’s compelling performance salvages run-of-the-mill French dramedy
Catherine Deneuve’s Bettie and Nemo Schiffman’s Charly share a tranquil moment in On My Way.
With her new film On My Way, French writer/director Emmanuelle Bercot has made a fairly standard finding-yourself-late-in-life picture (see About Schmidt and Something’s Gotta Give, among others), with the saving grace that the inestimable Catherine Deneuve is its star. Deneuve elevates what could have been a dime-a-dozen quirky French dramedy into a picture worth watching, if only for her performance. Continue reading “Film Review: On My Way”
Artistic ambition meets financial disappointment in a beautifully told story
Can someone print this book? I want to buy this book.
The phrase “The Greatest Movie Never Made” is often used by film fans. It can refer to Kubrick’s Napoleon, Orson Welles’ Heart of Darkness, or even the Nick Cave scripted Gladiator 2 (Maximus returns from the dead!). Now with the release of a new documentary, the newest title holder is Alejandro Jodorowsky’s adaptation of Dune, which was to be his follow-up to The Holy Mountain. Losing the chance to see the classic George Herbert Sci Fi novel Dune being put through the cutting edge kaleidoscopic lens of Jodorowsky is a cinematic kick in the balls for film fanatics. Continue reading “Film Review: Jodorowsky’s Dune”
Don’t let the above image fool you. This is not a fun, explosive, Arnold film. When a movie trailer brags that it features the director of End of Watch and the writer of Training Day, ears perk up! So why doesn’t this film even come close to capturing the cinematic value of these two prior films?…It’s because Sabotage, the new film directed by David Ayer (Street Kings) and starring the former Governator (Collateral Damage), is a load of gruesome violence packaged into a cop drama wannabe that lacks purpose and explanation…as well as non-expletive dialogue.
Nearly a year after Ernest & Celestine screened at the 56th San Francisco International Film Festival, this charming French animated film is finally being released into U.S. theaters (in the Bay Area on 3/28). I’ve been eagerly awaiting this moment, since Ernest & Celestine was not only one of my favorite films of 2013, but also one of my favorite animated films of all time. At last year’s SFIFF, Benjamin Renner, co-director of the film, was simultaneously exhausted, excited, and relieved that the film was getting such a great response. With his friends waiting to go celebrate over a few drinks, Mr. Renner was kind enough to sit down with me at the Sundance Kabuki, just outside the auditorium where his film just finished screening, to discuss his experience…
Chad: How did you first get involved with this film?
Benjamin Renner: I started working on this when I just left school. I didn’t know anything except that it was an adaptation of the books by Gabrielle Vincent. The producer, Didier Brunner, the one who made Triplets of Belleville and Kirikou and the Sorceress, really famous in France, asked me if I could help work on this film. So I started reading the books, Ernest & Celestine, and I was so impressed by the books, the drawings, and everything. So I said, ‘I really want to work on this. Whatever position you want to give me. Even if I’m making coffee, I don’t care, it’s perfect.’ I really wanted to work on the animation, especially. So I started making him small animations. He loved it and said that I could work on the film. So that’s how I got involved. I was not a director, just a lead animator.
Viewer discretion not advised…if you’re a mature adult.
Sex education — sort of.
Let’s get this out of the way — Lars von Trier makes films that are explicit, controversial, and sad as f-ck! Some consider them pornographic, others call them gratuitous, while others call them brilliant works of art. All opinions are right because Lars von Trier’s films, above all else, invite endless interpretations, conflicting opinions, and discussions. His newest film, Nymphomaniac: Vol. I, the first part of a 4+ hour film divided into two volumes, is actually the third and final part of the “Depression Trilogy”, which includes von Trier’s prior efforts Antichrist (2009) and Melancholia (2011). These three films aren’t connected in the traditional sense of trilogies, that is to say, by story. Rather, they are tonally and thematically intertwined, each one separately exploring the worlds of sex, depression, and the multiple forms of human tragedy. Hooray! ...right? As you can imagine, these films don’t lend themselves to much mainstream appeal. In my humble critic’s opinion, they should. Well, maybe not Antichrist. But Nymphomaniac: Vol. I is a fascinating and well-rounded exploration of sexuality, identity, eroticism, youthful angst, and self-reflection, as told through a traditional biopic film structure, that invites personal introspection and a yearning to discuss these topics with others.
The Muppets make a deal with the Badguy, Dominic Badguy.
In 2011, when The Muppets resurrected the colorful bunch back into the mainstream (much thanks to Disney), it did so through a heartwarming tale that focused on the forgotten bond between humans and muppets that had been so strong for decades. The human element was a crucially strong point of emphasis. With that movie now in the rearview mirror, Muppets Most Wanted, despite the disappointing title, marks a return to the traditional form that the muppets are known for — slapstick gags, self-referential humor, and a stampede of celebrity cameos. The result is a fun explosion of muppet goofiness with catchy musical numbers, with the human characters reserved for moving the plot along, but nothing more.
Jesse and Celine in retirement: Fine acting can’t save voyeuristic, derivative film
Together, yet apart: Jim Broadbent as Nick and Lindsay Duncan as Meg in a moody scene from Le Week-End.
Your enjoyment of Le Week-End, the new collaboration from director Roger Michell (Hyde Park on Hudson, Notting Hill) and writer Hanif Kureishi (Venus, My Beautiful Launderette) will depend on your predilection for eavesdropping on intimate conversations between longtime couples. If being privy to such personal discussions intrigues and delights you, then you may be the audience for this picture. If the dissection of the intricacies of a 30-year-marriage doesn’t sound appealing to you, however, then you may want to pass on this one. Continue reading “Film Review: Le Week-End”
Anderson’s old fashioned adventure tale captivates, delights
Ralph Fiennes as Gustave H. and Tony Revolori as the Lobby Boy Zero contemplate their options in The Grand Budapest Hotel.
Wes Anderson is one of those polarizing filmmakers whose films are either loved or hated. His legions of fans delight in his highly stylized artistry, whimsical storytelling, and quirky characters, while his detractors deride his pictures as pretentious at worst and lightweight at best. Anderson’s newest offering, The Grand Budapest Hotel, however, should satisfy his fans and critics alike, as it melds his trademark fairy tale sensibility with an undercurrent of melancholy and solemnity that keep the picture from being too cloying or precious. Continue reading “Film Review: The Grand Budapest Hotel”
