Film

"The Vow" Movie Review

Christopher Faris — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:08:58 -0800

Imagine waking up tomorrow in a hospital bed, unsure of how you got there. As you look up around the room, you notice several unfamiliar faces that are looking empathetically at you. In the midst of your aching head and confusion, one of those persons says they're your spouse. But you don’t recognize them, and you have no idea how you got there. You just want to go back to your life as you know it and wake up from this bizarre dream.

Suppose in that old familiar life you were already engaged or even married to someone else. Suppose you had a career in law but in your newly awoken life you were a renowned visual artist. The amount of disorientation – a rebirth and change in your life that was unforeseen and now unrecognizable – would be staggering. Yet, it would be true.

That’s the basic set up of “The Vow,” where Rachel McAdams is the car crash victim who has head trauma that manages to erase several formative years of her adult life. Elements of her family history, love life, and career get erased. The story especially works on the strength of what the 20’s are as a stage of development. The early 20’s are generally a time of going from uncertainty and dreaming to actualizing those dreams and cementing them in a career or owning ones purpose in life. Major life questions begin to get answered like; who do I want to spend my life with, what do I want to spend my life doing, and how do I grow into an independent adult? Only in this case, imagine having no say or recollection of how you grew and what you learned about yourself – you just woke and were there.

“The Vow” focuses on the marriage and relationship between Leo and Paige (Played by Channing Tatum and Rachel McAdams). The movie spends its time asking some great questions: What if you had to woo your spouse all over again? Would you do it? How? Could you do it? Implicit in this question is a central truth about marriage, which is that the wooing doesn’t stop at the altar. Rather, the wooing keeps going all marriage long. You commit to loving one another based on the relationship, not based on the feelings alone. It is challenging and difficult, and any marriage can be faced with any degree of hardships and struggle.

The film is inspired by the lives of Kim and Krickitt Carpenter, a real life couple who wrote a book about their experience where Krickitt woke up from a severe accident and didn’t recognize the man calling her his wife. In the real story, the couple cites their faith in God as a major reason for their ability to overcome their circumstances. In the film, this is mentioned nowhere, which for some viewers will be disheartening. In fact, the film is careful to tell us that it is “inspired by” not “based on” true events. The Carpenter’s lives were not utilized as a blueprint for the script (The screenwriters informed us at a press event that only a month or two before the film released did they learn that the Carpenters wrote a book about their true experience).

The story plays out like something of a mash up between “Memento” and “The Notebook.” We learn about the couple’s history for the first time as Paige does, leading to some shocking revelations about her family history and an interesting reason to be compelled to the plot's changes. But it plays like other familiar love stories in its style and tone. Two of the prettiest actors were chosen as the leads, and the surrounding cast looks like they were plucked from a modeling agency.

The film certainly tries to fight this stereotype. The soundtrack is laden with indie rock superstars like The National and Lykke Li, McAdams character has a hipster haircut (which is a very obvious and silly looking wig) to show her “artsy” side, and Tatum’s character owns a recording studio where he produces indie rock bands in the heart of Chicago. Therein lies the films greatest frustration, which is Channing Tatum himself. He is not a strong actor, and in this film there are a few moments where he seems to struggle (such as when he nearly breaks a stereo because he is angry). In addition, it is really hard for me to buy into him being a hip music producer. Channing is too “pretty” to look like a guy who spends his time in cowboy boots and skinny jeans while going through 80 cartons of cigarettes telling bands to run one more take of a song. Also, the film features requisite bare butt and shirtless moments of Channing that I’m sure the ladies will see as a treat. I thought it might be humorous if Jack Black was in the lead role instead. At least he knows music.

Also problematic is McAdams road to recovery. We see the accident scene (which is brilliantly done visually and aurally) and then McAdams is in the hospital. However, after what appears to be a few days her scars are basically gone. In spite of having major head trauma, she still has all her hair and goes through almost no physical therapy on the road to a remarkable recovery. I recognize my bias – my Mom was nearly killed in a car accident where there was major head trauma over 10 years ago. To this day she still has the physical affects of the accident plaguing her life. I get why it is for film and story sake – the film is about the questions the couple faces emotionally and relationally, not the reality of the accident’s physical effects. Still, it was notably distracting.

Overall, "The Vow" is a good love story that finds its strength based on its premise. I wasn't sure I'd like the film at all. I was prepared to mock it, but I came away pleasantly surprised. In my eyes, the questions are so good that the film really can’t lose. It’s confidently directed, looks good, and is acted well enough. I went in expecting “The Notebook” all over again (which also shares amnesia in its plot), and to some degree it feels really similar. But to another degree, “The Vow” has better questions at its core: Does your vow to love your spouse for better or for worse really hold true? How do you continue to love your spouse even after the big day? They are questions that challenge us even when trauma does not play a role in our married and romantic lives. I left the film thinking about what I could do to show my wife I loved her. I really can't fault any film that provokes that sort of response from me.

Check out our interview with the cast and filmmakers of "The Vow" for more on the story and the experience making the film:

http://www.conversantlife.com/film/the-cast-and-filmmakers-of-the-vow-talk-with-conversant-life

Review: The Grey

Brett McCracken — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 17:10:32 -0800

Joe Carnahan’s The Grey is the first truly great 2012 release. Which is surprising. I didn’t expect all that much from it, thinking it might just be a typical “angry Liam Neeson” action film. But wow is it more than that.

Ostensibly a “been there done that” narrative (survivors of a plane crash in the harsh environs of remote Alaska try to stay alive), The Grey adds impressive layers of depth to what might otherwise just be a serviceable action thriller.

Neeson leads a band of seven survivors when a plane full of oil drillers crashes in the wintry, impossible wilderness of Alaska. From there, the movie could essentially be called Man vs. Wild. Or, more appropriately: Man vs. Wolves. There are wolves everywhere, and they are territorial and hungry. They like killing humans. And, one by one, they savagely pick off the band of plane crash survivors, stalking them mercilessly with those big, bad, glow-in-the-dark eyes.

The only option for the men is to fight back. To become wolves themselves, savage as they have to be. But just when you think this movie is going down the well-worn, Jack London-esque path of “humans are just as base, savage and instinctual as animals!” it becomes clear that that’s not what this film is about at all. The “grey” is not about the blurry lines between man and beast. It’s about the mysterious no man’s land in between life and death. It’s about the spiritual space at the end of one’s life, as the light of life dims and mixes with the unseeable darkness of whatever lies beyond.

The Grey is a movie about death. But don’t worry, it’s not depressing. It’s about dying well, dying humanely. What separates humans from animals? Among other things: the way that we die. Sure, we are like animals in that we instinctively fight to the death. Like wolves, we do not go quietly into the good night. But unlike wolves, when we do go into that good night, we do so self-reflectively, mournfully, existentially. We reflect on our lives and contemplate our conclusion like a philosopher, holding the hands of our loved ones as we go.

The Grey is essentially one death scene after another, though not in the Final Destination sense. These are beautiful scenes. They don’t milk emotion gratuitously or take up more time than is necessary. But they pack a punch. Especially in the last 30 minutes of so, The Grey really hits you.

This is a poetic film. There is literal poetry in it, and it’s central. But it’s also poetic in the way that’s it’s shot, in the way that flashbacks are utilized (like in The Thin Red Line, women only really appear in flashbacks), in the way that manhood and masculinity are explored. It’s poetic in its honesty about fear, dread, bravado, faith.

God is a major character, albeit mostly as an absentee, unbelieved-in-but-raged-against force in the sky. He may not seem to have a place in a story about plane crashes, unholy blizzards and demonic wolves who tear apart humans, but make no mistake: The Grey has its mind on God, or at least His imprint on it. What gives humans the grace to die well? What is it really that separates us from animals and makes us, for example, willing to appreciate a handshake, a memory, and a mountain vista in our final moments of life? The image of God which we bear. It sets us apart. It is the light that gives reprieve from the “only the strong survive” darkness. It is the light which, in clashing with the dark, creates the grey.

The Cast and Filmmakers of "The Vow" Talk With Conversant Life!

Christopher Faris — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:01:42 -0800

When a Hollywood studio options the rights of a book to make into a movie, fans of said book get nervous. And rightly so – how many adaptations have we seen in the past where things go from grand and glorious, to botched and reworked?

So, when I had the chance to learn more about the film “The Vow” (due out this Friday), I learned that fans of couple Kim and Krickitt Carpenter, whose lives and book inspired the film, will be in for a potentially unpleasant surprise: Screenwriters Marc Silverstein and Abby Kohn have never read the book. They just got some ambiguous direction. “They (the studio) really said ‘a couple, they’re married, a crash, she doesn’t remember him.’” So naturally, we are in for rough waters, right?

But for “The Vow,” the filmmakers were intent on making a compelling narrative inspired by true events, not based on true events. Said Kohn, “I’d prefer that. It leaves us free to create whatever we think would make the most of that dramatic situation. Whatever characters we want to create, whatever past we want to have for them, we can invent. I think that left us free to create something that we felt best served that.” After all, there are some book adaptations that are so faithful that they lose sight of the possibilities given the medium of film.

Instead of utilizing the book as a go to framework for the script, Silverstein and Kohn played with a DVR of the human life while skipping through various stages of development. It creates an interesting idea and dilemma, partly because it can actually happen. Says Silverstein, “We were more interested in – if I looked at myself at 29, and I was transported to my 22 year old self…what would I be thinking? How would I function in this world with how different I was in those 2 time periods?” But what if you woke up and completely missed out on one of life’s biggest questions – Who you’ll be spending it with?

Director Michael Sucsy seemed to appreciate the degree of flexibility as a filmmaker. Coming off of an award winning machine with his directorial debut in the HBO film “Grey Gardens,” Sucsy had the chance to make the film more personalized, with multiple moments that Sucsy stated were either his own real life experience or allowing Channing Tatum to interject some of his interpretation of the character, whom Sucsy insists really is Leo. “He had some questions about Leo and the character arc and he was like, ‘I would take more action, I wouldn’t do this, he’s sort of too passive, I’d get really angry if this was happening.’” Sucsy allowed Tatum's interpretation to influence the film. This kind of flexibility is part of what helped Tatum join the project, after initially turning it down.

Sucsy is also quite aware that his film shares characteristics of modern romantic films, but was happy to be able to put his own spin on things. The characters journey’s, the stunning crash sequence, or his choice to record a soundtrack that was lighter on the stringed instruments to try and avoid manipulating his audience. “We had the budget for a 250 person orchestra. I think we only had 7 or 10 instruments.”

With so much distance from the real life couple, one would think they might be glad to distance themselves from the set. But the filmmakers and cast insist otherwise, talking about set visits from the Carpenter’s and their interactions with the filmmakers and cast. Of the Carpenter’s, Tatum stated they are “One of the most lovely couples I’ve ever come across.”

There seems to be an easygoing relationship between the true-life events and the desire for a good narrative fostered in a creative environment. Said Tatum, “Specifically, Michael didn’t push me to read the book because Leo was really different. I wanted to experience Leo in this situation anew. I didn’t want to have these experiences and these stories from the real couple that I could expect something and go into every scene being like, okay I’m not sure what she is going to do and I don’t know how to deal with this and deal with it in the best way I could.”

In addition to this kind of creative approach to the story, Tatum and co-star Rachel McAdams seemed to genuinely enjoy one others company on set – something well communicated in the films expression of the character’s relationship. In one scene, the two are tasked with eating a large box of chocolates. Leading up to the scene, McAdams seemed to take pleasure in egging Tatum on by frequently eating junk food in front of him while Tatum worked out to look good on camera. “We were looking so forward to that, we were running everyday, doing sit ups, but then she got so, so sick.” Says McAdams, “I felt like the kid who eats their whole advent calendar.” The fun the two seemed to have on set comes through on screen.

But with so much flexibility and distance from the Carpenter’s book and life experience, a freshly created story, and the chemistry fought for by the films leads, is “The Vow” any good? You’ll have to check back on Friday for the full review!

In the meantime, check out the trailer.

The Artist

Christopher Faris — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 19:54:34 -0800

Let’s face it: movies have been pretty underwhelming this year. There has been an explosion of comic book movies adapted from nearly every angle – from dark and gritty, to lighthearted action. There have been silly dramas, requisite attempts at an Oscar grab, and a couple of underwhelming features from the giants of filmmaking (“War Horse” and “Hugo” while good, were far from as great as they could have been).

Enter “The Artist.” It’s the film people are talking about with overwhelming praise, as well as a few angry detractors (which I suspect will only grow as the film gains more and more momentum). My expectations were high going in after seeing the trailer, which floored me in communicating its emotion and charm. Added to that is the amount of critical praise the film has received so far, making me excited for what appeared to be a breath of fresh air in the theater. For the most part, “The Artists” delivers.

“The Artist” is a silent film that tells the story of one movie star who falls from riches to rags, while a young starlet embraces stardom on the rise to fame. “The Artist” utilizes its adherence to the silent film genre with devotion and care, but there are some slight variations on the theme for surrealist effect. No lines of spoken dialogue drive the narrative forward, and at times characters mouths will move and we have no idea what they are saying because the title cards are absent. While this devotion is exciting, one element of it was aesthetically lacking. While the picture was stylized to its era, (even featuring a 4:3 aspect ratio instead of widescreen) the score sounded as that it were recorded on modern equipment. A more “lo-fi” approach to the score may have been a neat option in sucking us into the world of late 20’s filmmaking.

The story is plain and simple enough, but “The Artist” strength is the means of in its telling. The film unfolds in sequence after dazzling sequence framed beautifully on camera with intent and precision. Each moment of the film features something interesting visually or sonically to the point where it feels like a group of brilliantly conceived short films melted into a perfectly coherent story. Whether it’s a flat shot of a group of stairs, a dance, a dog’s movements, or many other beautiful moments, “The Artist” is always interesting to look at and frequently beautiful to listen to.

Acting wise, Jean Dujardin and Berenice Bejo head a cast with some surprisingly familiar faces. But of all the faces, it is Dujardin’s whose expressiveness which comes out in every wink, smile, and nod. His face is never at fault if you don’t know what’s happening. No less charming is Bejo, whose dance moves and winks accompany the empathic moods which grow deeper as the film progresses. In addition, John Goodman is a great choice as the film studio head, and other familiar faces appear. Most unfortunate of these choices is James Cromwell, an actor so closely associated with his famous role in “L.A. Confidential” that his lowly servant role here is a bit hard to swallow. And I'm not sure where to mention this other than here, but the dog in the movie is freaking awesome.

Michael Hazanavicius is to be credited for the huge vision that comes to life on screen and for his command of talent. But as much as I loved the movie, it wasn’t quite the earth shattering experience I had expected. There are a couple of artistic choices that I don’t think paid off very well, which are experienced in the end. Saying more would be to spoil it. In addition, one has to wonder if the film is so widely celebrated thanks to its style as a silent film that its deeper themes will be largely lost. Will we see this on an Oscar reel years from now and remember it as a great film, or remember it as an affectionate homage to its nostalgic roots that managed to hoodwink its audience because people don’t talk in the movie?

For the time being, the heart wrenching theme that plagues us all – out with the old, in with the new – is one every artist can cling to. While at one time we may have been on the cutting edge of what is cool with music, art, film (or whatever), those coming after us might stare in confusion as to why we are drawn to that “old school” band or hipster lingo that is no longer relevant. And relevance is painful – when we feel it, it means inclusion. When we lose it, it means we are on the outside. Dealing with change and holding onto systems of the past is a constant question every human must be flexible to in order to survive and adapt to the system of how things work in the world. Seeing oneself at the center of progress, only to be moved to its frayed edges looking in at the new star in the spotlight in whatever field or medium is a heartbreaking reminder of what was. It’s brilliant then that “The Artist” can look on the silent era, returning it again to its place in front of the crowd.

Home Cinema Sick Days

Christopher Faris — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 23:45:56 -0800

I love being that kind of sick where I’m just under the weather enough that I need to stay home and rest, but have enough coherency that I am not tied to the bathroom and miserable. It allows me to watch my Netflix backlog, and catch up on guilty pleasures. I am emerging from my living room cave with comments on a few flicks for your perusal...What have you seen lately that you would recommend to watch or avoid?

Cowboys and Aliens:

A movie without a center of gravity on which to stand: Both too derivative to be a great sci-fi flick, and too stupid to be taken seriously as a hard boiled western. The trailer made it look and feel tongue in cheek, and every write up ahead of time made it look like a fun time at the movies. In addition, the film is stocked with talent: Steven Spielberg and Ron Howard produced it, Jon Favreau is a great action director, Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford are more than capable, etc. Hey, the creature design is even really cool. But when any film is credited as having 7 people creating the story (5 of whom are the screenwriters), you know there are going to be some bumps in the road

Terrible dialogue, frequent wooden acting, and clichéd characters stock the movie. The worst offender though is the story itself and the films creator’s insistence on it being taken as seriously as a Sergio Leone movie. Confusing changes in tone and other regular consistency issues in the story leave me scratching my head at what could have been a fun movie. As is, it’s so mediocre to poor that it’s the worst kind of bad – it can’t be so bad it’s good or as good as its loony premise suggests. It just tries hard and succeeds at very little. The most disappointing film of the year.

The Hoax:

This little film from 2006 is certainly one to put on your Netflix queue (providing you haven’t dropped the service yet). Richard Gere and Alfred Molina star as two writers who concoct a hoax to write an autobiography of Howard Hughes. As one lie leads to another, things get awfully twisted and complicated in a matter of minutes that have big effects on the characters and everyone in their lives. I’ve never cared much for Richard Gere, but here he is irreplaceable. Slimy, yet charismatic, you kind of want his plan to work even though you see the holes in its plausibility.

Molina is great as well, but it’s the “based on a true story” elements of the film that left me hanging on to what felt like a slightly long movie. Lots of curiosity about what really happened and what didn’t are made all the muddier by the Gere’s characters real life inability to be trusted. Frequently funny, well written, and notably brought to life by its stars, “The Hoax” is a film well worth checking out.

Buried:

Ryan Reynolds, gagged and sweaty in a coffin for 90 minutes. While for some I just described their fantasy (for better and for worse), the rest of us should know whether or not it makes for a good film. The answer is absolutely “yes.” The film throws just enough curve balls to keep you guessing right up to its conclusion, which I won’t spoil here. I’m most curious about repeat viewings – it could be boring as once the film’s conclusion is known, the tension may evaporate (So don’t read about it in advance).

Technically, the film is also brilliant. Several of the shots (of which no CG is added) are so well done featuring 360 crane shots that leave the coffin still enclosed, and frequently effective lighting show us just what we need to see. Ryan Reynolds is fantastic, toning down his charismatic funny guy persona while playing things straight to perfect effect. Last, the film is most effective for playing on our fears of being in Reynolds place and doing everything he can to survive as an everyman – he isn’t a martial arts or survival expert, just a guy trying to take care of his family. It’s relatable which makes the film that much more interesting. Some plot holes and a cynical worldview prevent a whole hearted recommendation, save for Hitchcock lovers and suspense junkies.

Takers:

Looks and feels a lot like a Tony Scott film with a color palette that is oversaturated and fast camera movements to boot. Also like recent Tony Scott films, the characters are 2 dimensional and simple minded. The film also has every cliché imaginable – expect double crosses, “one last job” plot points, and one scene where the sexy man stars walk away from an explosion without looking back. It’s derivative and mindless, with an over dependence on slow motion and a barrage of musical accompaniment.

In addition, the film feels like it is acted and played by male models. While that’s exciting for some, for the rest of us it leaves us watching tailored suits and Gucci ads when we don’t care. Terrible subplots are littered throughout the film and everyone talks like they just got off of the set of a stereotypical rap video from the mid 2000’s. To its credit, there is a fantastic chase sequence where Chris Brown goes from rapper to parkour expert with unbreakable bones (by the way – he sucks at acting). Additionally, a slow mo shootout and street explosion sequence made for some great set pieces. Still, none of that can save the films general derivativeness, and desire to watch far better heist flicks out there like “The Town” or any of Jean Pierre Melville’s heist films.

Burn After Reading:

The Coen Brothers ode to stupid people is better with every repeat viewing. This one was viewing number 3 or 4 for me, and it was funnier than the previous viewings. John Malkovich’s use of colorful language (of which the film features aplenty) is also unabashedly hilarious, especially in the opening scene. Brad Pitt’s character is also consistently hysterical. It won’t convert the non-Coen film lovers out there, but for people like me, it’s an easy vote for a great sick day flick.

Red:

This is what it looks like when actors are having fun. Great chemistry from the leads with lots of heart. One liners abound with a surprising amount of violent shootouts. Bruce Willis is charismatic in the lead, but it’s John Malkovich who steals the show. Shootouts are well staged, including a hilarious scene early in the movie that leaves a house with way too many bullet holes. Mindless without being too stupid, fun and full of action, “Red” won’t change the face of cinema but it will likely be remembered as at least being entertaining.

Best Films of 2011

Brett McCracken — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 08:28:31 -0800

Perhaps I’m biased (see my #1 pick and the entire month of May in my blog archive), but 2011 was a banner year for cinema. The Tree of Life is one thing, but there was a lot more going on this year to make a cinephile like me excited. There was a lot of artful doomsday (Melancholia, Take Shelter, Tree of Life, Another Earth), some great homages to early, classic and Spielbergian cinema (Hugo, The Artist, War Horse, Super 8), and some truly exceptional films about faith (Of Gods and Men, Higher Ground, The Way, The Mill & the Cross, Tree of Life). There was so much good cinema that my “best of” list actually includes three different top tens: the best 10, the second best 10, and then 10 honorable mentions. Many of them are available now on Netflix Instant, while a few of them have yet to release in most parts of the country. However you can, I hope you get a chance to see them!

10) Martha, Marcy, May, Marlene (T. Sean Durkin): An astonishing, accomplished debut from director T. Sean Durkin, Martha gives the audience more respect than any other film this year. There are a lot of gaps we, the audience, must fill in. But far from a head-scratching frustration, this subtle insinuation and refusal to spoon-feed is one the film’s most thrilling qualities.

9) We Need to Talk About Kevin (Lynne Ramsay): By far the scariest film of the year. Not jump-in-your-seat type scary, but horribly unsettling dread and tension scary. Tilda Swinton plays a mother in a worst-nightmare-for-any-parent scenario, as she deals with an evil teenage son, Kevin, who commits a massacre at his high school. But the scariest parts of the film are the things we don’t see and the questions that go unanswered: where does the evil of a kid like Kevin come from? What do parents do wrong to lead to this?

8) Meek’s Cutoff (Kelly Reichardt): One of the most original and haunting westerns I’ve ever seen. Kelly Reichardt’s minimalist, observational style (see Old Joy and Wendy & Lucy) is perfectly suited to this period costume drama set in the 1840s on the Oregon Trail. And Michelle Williams is mesmerizing as the centerpiece heroine. Like Martha, Marcy, May, Marlene, this film is intentionally ambiguous and invites the interpretations of an active audience, which is something I always applaud.

7) Take Shelter (Jeff Nichols): A jittery, tense, unsettled film for the unsettled world in which we live, Take Shelter is about the fears and anxieties of a modern-day working class man who simply wants to protect his wife and daughter from all manner of peril. Featuring stunning performances by Michael Shannon as a good-at-heart man (possibly) losing his mind and Jessica Chastain as his longsuffering wife, Shelter builds and builds to a finale that will leave you speechless.

6) The Artist (Michel Hazanavicius): One would have reason to approach this film skeptically. A silent film? Really? But what at first glance appears to just be a stunt or gimmick is quickly found to be something remarkably beautiful, charming, nostalgic and yet new. It’s an homage to Hollywood, to storytelling within the bounds of technological limitations; but it’s also about pride, love, adaptation, and the fickleness of fame. Go see it. You won’t find a more pleasant surprise at the movies this year.

5) Certified Copy (Abbas Kiarostami): Certified Copy is essentially Before Sunset in Italy, which is good because Sunset is one of my all time favorite films. Filmed in glorious Tuscany, featuring the sublime Juliette Binoche, and riffing on notions of originality, inspiration, and cinema itself, Copy is a wonderfully complex modernist experiment in the style of Alain Resnais, and yet it flows breezily and romantically, never too pushy with its philosophical or theoretical notions. Academics should watch this film and take note: academic inquiry doesn’t have to be convoluted, dry and inert. It can be as simple and beautiful as walking and talking in lovely Italian sunlight.

4) Poetry (Lee Chang-dong): It’s a tragedy that only about 30 people saw this masterpiece when it opened in theaters early in 2011. From the masterful Korean filmmaker Lee Chang-dong (Secret Sunshine), Poetry is a film befitting its title if ever a film was. It’s about poetry literally, in that the protagonist–an elderly woman in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease (Jeong-hie Yun)–is taking poetry classes; but the film itself is poetry: a delicate, quietly observant film that is unsentimental and yet profoundly moving, especially after it’s sat with you for a bit.

3) Of Gods and Men (Xavier Beauvois): A true story about monks in North Africa who risk it all in pursuit of their mission, Gods is one of the most inspiring films about faith, sacrifice, and community that I’ve ever seen. A quiet, austere, but utterly transcendent film, Gods paints a picture of what it means to be faithfully present as Christ’s ambassadors in a world that is beautiful, dynamic, and frequently hostile. At once entirely timely (it deals with terrorism and Christian-Muslim relations) and timeless, Gods is a film I’ll come back to in years to come–for inspiration, encouragement, and instruction for my own journey of faith.

2) Melancholia (Lars von Trier): Though often, and rightly, contrasted with Tree of Life (both films juxtapose the cosmic and intimate, and depict earth’s demise), Melancholia stands on its own two feet as one of the year’s most masterful films. More than just the antithesis of Tree of Life, Lars von Trier’s gorgeous apocalyptic vision contains some of the most striking imagery and sequences you’ll see this year. It may be bleak, nihilistic, and (insert depressing synonym here), but Melancholia is above all authentic. It’s Lars von Trier speaking his auteurist mind and bombarding us with sound (Wagner’s Tristan and Isolde), image (a planet colliding with earth, Kirsten Dunst unhappy in a wedding dress), and mood (sadness, dread) to astonishingly powerful effect.

1) The Tree of Life (Terrence Malick): What can I say about this film that I haven’t already said? It met and exceeded all my expectations and instantly took a place on my list of all time favorites. Critics are right to be universally heralding this as the best film of 2011. It’s one of the best films of all time. It’s a film with the kind of scope, ambition and excellence that we just don’t see anymore. It’s a film that goes after big questions (the biggest) and attempts to be all-encompassing (God, life, death, sin, redemption, creation, apocalypse, everything else in between), but does so as much or more through the inherent strengths of the cinematic form as through traditional narrative exposition. It’s a film that shows us the world in a grain of sand, so to speak. It blows open the possibilities of the medium, or rather–at times–perfects the medium to such an extent that it looks foreign to us, like something altogether new. Malick achieves something with Life that can rarely be claimed by a filmmaker or artist of any kind: He’s given us something that we’ve truly never seen before, and yet something that will undoubtedly endure.

The Next Ten: 11) Hugo 12) Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives 13) Midnight in Paris 14) The Way 15) The Descendants 16) Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy 17) The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo 18) Bellflower 19) Another Earth 20) Warrior

Honorable Mention: Coriolanus, The Mill and the Cross, Contagion, Moneyball, The Trip, Hanna, Drive, War Horse, Higher Ground, Margin Call

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows Film Review

Christopher Faris — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 13:13:06 -0800

I grew up with the Sherlock Holmes archetype as a quiet, reserved man who solved crimes to the befuddlement of others. A classy cap and full bent pipe accessorized the man covered by a large, wooly off green overcoat. So when Sherlock Holmes initial trailer reintroduced him to the public in 2009 as a cage fighting action hero, I was a bit sad at our cultures desire to make everything splashy and hip. But then I actually saw the film, and enjoyed it for what it was – an entertaining action movie, with some clever dialogue and an amusing interpretation of the character brought to flawless life by Robert Downey Jr.

The sequel finds the inspector bemoaning the departure of Watson to his upcoming nuptials, while encountering his nemesis in the form of Moriarity. Moriarity is a brilliant professor who finds Holmes a formidable, yet outmatched opponent. The film takes us from set piece to set piece of dazzling action sequences, gypsies, and drunken excitement.

As entertainment goes, you really can’t beat “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows.” It’s fun from start to finish and never gets too boring. Guy Ritchie (most famously regarded for “Snatch”) is back at the helm here with new screenwriters who have done a pleasant job of putting Sherlock in unique situations that he must overcome with both his wit and brawn. Will it change your life, give you new existential purpose, or make you think more deeply about the unseen? No, probably not. But it’s not trying to either.

The evidence of this was just how easy it was to forget the film after the credits rolled. Some films stick to me like glue on paper, but while Holmes was great when he was there, I didn’t really miss him much when he was gone. Don’t get me wrong - I like films that entertain for entertainment’s sake. “Hot Fuzz” is in my top 10 favorite films of all time. But in addition to "Hot Fuzz" being well crafted, it also entertains me on every level – great thrills, funny lines, and an assumption that I as an audience member am not an idiot.

“A Game of Shadows” works great as a slick, fun action movie that doesn’t demand too much brainpower, and doesn’t assume as an audience member that you are a moron. Guy Ritchie’s flick borrows from Edgar Wright in some sequences as well: fast cut editing to lead up to something like shooting a firearm is peppered throughout the movie for no other reason than style and fun, and it works.

In addition, “A Game of Shadows” has quite a few sequences of brilliantly choreographed action, one of which involves a combination of “300” and “The Matrix” style slow motion/speed up/slow down chase through the woods. Ritchie never leaves us out in the cold with exactly who is gunning for who and the camera never loses sight on what we need to see. The music is also worthy of mention – the theme of the film is perfect and unique, while the Irish style bar songs are as fun as ever.

But I would be remiss to comment on the film and skip over its best part: the characters themselves. Jude Law is dependably fun as the sidekick Dr. Watson who brings some groundedness to Holmes manic tendencies. Noomi Rapace proves to be an actress to watch as the gypsy knife wielder Madam Simza after coming to attention via the Swedish “Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” series. Holmes brother is played with perfect imbalance and slight lunacy by Stephen Fry (who has a hilarious nude scene in the middle of the film). Moriarty is given a deliciously wicked interpretation by Jared Harris that is neither over the top or obviously evil. Yet, it’s Robert Downey Jr. who gives the character of Sherlock Holmes and the film itself the most fun. His quips, costumes, and delirium are all interpreted with charisma in a rather unconventional manner. His one on one scenes with Moriarity are especially great.

Great characters, fun action, humorous dialogue, and fantastic music mix with a decent enough story to give us among the more entertaining films of the past year. It won’t change your life and you may not remember everything about the next day, but you will have fun. It never takes itself too seriously, and some of the sequences truly dazzle. This is a sequel that outpaces its predecessor and thankfully leaves the occult stuff from the first film by the wayside, making for a far more fun overall tone. Fans of the first film will love it, while newcomers (though, if you didn’t see the first film some of the characters and story arc will feel a tad more hollow) should check it out for a great time at the theater.

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo Film Review

Christopher Faris — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 22:59:25 -0800

David Fincher is an interesting man. The director’s latest, “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” (based on the book of the same name, not a remake of the Swedish film) is a thrilling, dark, disturbing murder mystery with unconventional anti-heroes. Coming off of “The Social Network” and “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” the serial killer film mastermind – responsible for greats like “Se7en” and “Zodiac” – is back for more of the dark side of human behavior - and what a dark side it is.

After a really bizarre music video opening credit sequence that feels more like a twisted James Bond intro, the film takes us into its bleak winter world. Journalist Mikael Blomkvist has just come out on the losing side of a legal battle centered on an individual he had targeted for corporate and other wrongdoings. Along the way, a mysterious yet wealthy man asks to put Mikael on a case regarding a missing family member. Only in this family, everyone is corrupt and wicked to the bone. Along the way, Mikael is aided by Lisbeth Salander, a woman with a mysterious past and penchant for black hair dye and computer hacking.

This is a film that doesn’t shy away from disturbing material. Readers of the book and viewers of the (inferior) Swedish version of the film already have an idea of this going in. Graphic anal rape, forced oral sex, grizzly murders involving despicable acts to women, and more holiday cheer populate the films themes. It’s probably not one for the kiddos.

The film is stocked with interesting characters, almost none of whom are fun to root for. To start, the family itself whom Mikael is researching are full of surprises. They have clearly formed alliances, and are all so unpredictable and shady we don’t ever know whom to trust. It keeps us on our toes as each plot point twists and turns into its disturbing set piece ending. Daniel Craig is perfectly cast and wonderfully plays the part of Mikael Blomkvist. This is especially evident in one scene towards the end of the film where his character realizes he is outmatched. Craig's hesitation and fear are brilliantly acted. In addition, Joely Richardson, someone I don’t recall ever seeing in a film before, had one scene that was some of the most memorable acting I've seen in a film lately. Her eyes tense up and she visibly holds herself together while encountering her traumatic past. It’s brilliant.

But it is the girl with the dragoon tattoo herself, Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara) who steals the show and is a good companion to Noomi Rapace who played the role in the Swedish version. Rooney plays Lisbeth beautifully. She is by turns frightening, tough as nails, and sympathetic. Though Quentin Tarantino specializes in characters getting revenge, one sequence in Dragon Tattoo (the films best and most horrific) makes his films seem paltry and weak by comparison. She is a character you love, yet want to keep a reasonable distance from, making for a fantastic female heroine.

The film also has a steady, moody tone. Fincher loves his browns, and they are all over the cinematography. Every scene feels awash in sepia or cold white snow. The mood is frequently dark without an overwhelming amount of oppressive shadows, and Trent Reznor’s soundtrack once again beautifully utilizes sounds and music to convey what’s on screen.

My complaints about the film have more to do with story than anything else. An important reveal in the book and Swedish version has a different take here that had an underwhelming impact. The writers reason for changing this didn’t make much sense to me. Also, there are large amounts of people in the film that can get hard to keep track of. I wanted to pause the film and look up names and actors faces to make sure I knew who was being talked about. And although it may be more true to the book than the Swedish film as an overall experience, the ending will bring back memories of “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.” Just when you think it’s over, it keeps going. This makes sense because the film isn’t about the subjects being investigated – it’s about Lisbeth and to a lesser extent Mikael. Still, it started to feel a little long as the film strolled to its 158 minute run time.

“The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” is a good film for film's sake, but you have to know what you are getting into. The books English title translation is “Men Who Hate Women” and the film features plenty of that. The male characters in the film aggressively harm women in varying shades including rape and murder, and Fincher makes sure you know what's going on. You’ll likely leave feeling disturbed, no matter how compelling the mystery and story may be. But the film is about a serial killer made by a master filmmaker who knows how to handle the subject matter (Making the definitive serial killer film in “Se7en”). Still, it’s hard to fully recommend a movie with such disturbing content that has little redemptive value, no matter who’s behind the camera.

War Horse Film Review

Christopher Faris — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 18:26:20 -0800

Equine therapy is a form of therapy where those suffering from emotional trauma and other mental health disorders conduct therapy with the assistance of a horse. I’m not making this up. There is a powerful psychological projection onto the animal the individuals with trauma express, and there is a belief that an exchange of some kind occurs, promoting documented growth and change. The horse is a sort of blank slate that can’t talk back as a person deals with intense feelings of pain and grief.

How many of us can relate to an attachment to an animal that we knew loved us, even though we could never hear it speak? In “War Horse,” Steven Spielberg’s newest film, the story of a boy and his horse is brought to life through a horse’s journey. We see the horse in battle as soldiers ride it, in sadness as death occurs around it, and we see it become an emotional catalyst for many different characters.

Simply put, this is a wonderful film, and I didn’t expect it to be. I was bracing for an emotionally manipulative story that preyed on our collective conscience about animals. In the hands of any other director could have been a dismal experience, but Spielberg’s direction frequently evokes a variety of feelings through the animal’s harrowing journey. The film often seems to reference many other works. At times I was reminded of “Band of Brothers,” “Old Yeller,” and even Terrence Malick and his wheat fields in “Days of Heaven.”

The film has moments of visual and aural poetry. Since this is a PG-13 film, the battle scenes are remarkably light on blood and guts, but you always know exactly what’s happening. Standouts include a sequence involving a windmill, a noisy then quiet gallop amidst a German infantry, and a final shot that had me thinking of “Gone With the Wind.” When someone dies, we know it and we feel it. The power of Spielberg’s selective take on each sequence enhances the story to where moments sneak up on you and take your breath away.

While the film is frequently great and at times even a bit amazing, it does stumble out of the gate. The first 30 minutes or so are a bit too slow and feature just a pinch too much of that trademark Spielberg sap. Characters shout obligatory “You can do it!” cheers at struggles that must be overcome to the tune of John Williams zealous score. But as the movie progresses, things pick up in wonderful ways that make these first moments exit the building of your memory. Sure, the movie is shameless in its attempts to hit at your heart, but it more often than not is met with rewarding results.

Speilberg is in fine form here, and after seeing “Hugo” by Martin Scorsese earlier this year, it is a reminder of how pure and wonderful a movie can be, while by contrast just how full of garbage the Cineplex’s are often stuffed with. There is no shocking gore or penis joke for the millionth time, just great storytelling at the hands of an auteur. It makes me long for film’s that I want to see in the theater because a great director is at work, not his actors and actresses. This is a master craftsman, confident and sure of what he is making.

Go check out this film, and bring your family. You will laugh, feel uplifted, and feel sorrow at various points of the film while being amazed at many of the sequences. The greatest challenge will be if you buy into seeing a story from an animal’s non-talking perspective and feel emotions for that animal and the people who come into contact with it. I walked away pleasantly surprised and appreciative of this kind of well oiled, grounded, confident movie making.

Dolphin Tale BluRay Combo Pack Giveaway

Christopher Faris — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 23:30:40 -0800

"Dolphin Tale", one of the bigger family film releases this year is coming home this Tuesday. The film is based on a true story about a Dolphin named Winter, who needs a prosthetic tail (see what they did there?) after an accident involving a crab trap. The dolphin's rehabilitation manages to impact thousands of people around the world, especially those who face their own physical challenges. As a film, it's meant to be inspiring and is often heavy handed, but its hard to fault its intentions. There is certainly better and worse stuff out there for families to sit around the TV and watch together.

The "Dolphin Tale" BluRay comes with a DVD and Digital Copy for streaming via the Ultraviolet service. The print pn the BluRay is clean and spotless, which to the films discredit shows off some of its lower budget CGI. The BluRay has a surprisingly well mixed audio presentation with some pretty booming lows - The opening sequence where dolphins are seen playing and splashing is particularly noticeable for some really great sound. In addition, all the special features are in HD and provide more insight into the true story of Winter and her story for survival. It was interesting to learn that the fact that she survived at all is a miracle with how young she was and the trauma she went through as a young animal. Be forewarned, the DVD's in the combo packs omit all special features and just contain the film itself, so those without BluRay players are missing out.

In celebration of "Dolphin Tale" coming home on a variety of viewable formats, we have BluRay combo packs to give away to our readers thanks to our friends at Grace Hill Media! The first 5 of you who comment below about your favorite movie animal (real or mythologized) will get your very own copy on BluRay/DVD/Digital Copy combo pack!

Merry Christmas!