A surprising, exciting film. (Review of "Super 8")

When Steven Spielberg first entered the filmmaking scene, he was celebrated for the wit, charm, and wonder that he brought onscreen, as evident in such films as Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and E.T. And, even though he has produced intelligent and relevant work since then, a spark of creativity has clearly been lost.

However, with his latest directorial effort, Super 8, J.J. Abrams has managed to pick up where Spielberg left off.

From top to bottom, the film is inherently Spielbergian. Abrams even emulated the framing and cinematography of those aforementioned classic works, largely abandoning his typical gritty, handheld approach. The film is no simple homage, though. It places its adolescent protagonists in greater peril than Speilberg's films dare to, and lacks the family-friendly appeal of Spielberg's work.

Interestingly enough, one of the more surprising aspects of this film is its humor, most prevalent in the sequences involving the protagonist, Joe Lamb, and his friends. The fact that the film is willing to not take itself too seriously is a refreshing contrast to the dour blockbusters we have become accustomed to seeing over the past few years.

Focusing your film on children is often a challenge, as child actors seem to rarely have enough charisma and screen presence to fully engage an audience. Thankfully, Abrams was able to select a fine group of young actors who are more than capable of completing that task. Elle Fanning, in particular, stands out as a tremendous talent, and will undoubtedly have a long, prosperous career.

What could have been a superficial series of references to a somewhat dormant style of storytelling is, instead, a wonderful, funny, terrifying memorable film, thanks to Abrams' smart writing and direction.

A True Story Worth Telling ("The King's Speech")

When in the process of adapting someone's life for cinema, there are many things to consider. Like, how to remain respectful of the individual in question, whilst also being able to tell an engaging story, or, condensing the major events of said person's life, so they could properly fit a two-hour running time.


Sadly, one of them never seems to be whether it would be even remotely interesting if the person were not famous. This problem plagues the bio-pic genre greatly, making a great deal of them unable to have any artistic or entertainment value.


However, once in a great while, a filmmaker will recognize the potential storytelling value of a person's life, and create a beautiful work. The King's Speech is one of these exceptions.


It is not so much an account of King George VI's nascent years on the throne as it is a chronicle of a man's struggle to overcome his life-long affliction, for his country, for his family, and for himself. Firth's performace as the titular character is truly spellbinding. He physically embodies his character wonderfully, you often forget that this is Mr. Darcy on screen.


The film also focuses the development of an unlikely friendship, between George, and Lionel Logue, his speech therapist. Logue is the perfect counterpoint to the King: humorous, affable, and agnostic. He is portrayed by Geoffrey Rush, whose inherently wry dispotion helps create a wonderful chemistry between the two actors.


Generally, a British period piece has a rather static aesthetic, preferring to rely on the momentum of its cast. Wisely, director Tom Hooper has avoided this approach, opting instead to rely largely on stylized close-ups, and an era-appropriate color palette.


A beautifully directed, and perfectly acted work, The King's Speech is not only an incredible true story, but a great one, as well.

Revenge is best served digitally. (Review of "The Social Network")

There is a misconception that a film's main character has to be a likable creation. It is inconceivable to follow a person who is not capable of adhering to our moral standards. They have to be upstanding citizens, nay, upstanding people in general. Any flaws they may possess must be eradicated by the end of the picture, to remind us of their horrendous nature.


Sadly, this threatens to rob films of their candor, instead perpetuating caricatures that have no basis in reality, and solely exist to serve a storytelling purpose. It's rare to find a filmmaker who's willing to let their characters simply be, disregarding the desire to constrict them.


With his lead character in The Social Network, David Fincher has proven, amongst many things, that he is that type of filmmaker.


As a result, Fincher's film, if anything, plays out like a revenge story. It may come as a surprise to some people that Mark Zuckerberg's rise to fame was instigated by his sheer hatred and jealousy of his ex-girlfriend, peers, and ultimately, his closest friend and Facebook co-founder, Eduardo Salverin.


Jesse Eisenberg portrays Zuckerberg as a viciously intelligent creature, never failing to dazzle someone with his wit while insulting someone one else with it. Eisenberg has essayed erudite characters before, but never with such a tenacity. Truly, there seems to be something sinister within his performance, causing the audience to not be quite aware of what he does next.


Napster founder Sean Parker arrives in the second act of the film, and quickly becomes Zuckerberg's mentor, for lack of a better term. However, Parker is more interested in finding a rebound after the Napster legal fiasco, and feels like Zuckerberg's Facebook is the new thing. He's charming, unpredictable, and relentlessly neurotic. Justin Timberlake performs every aspect of this character perfectly, coming off as incredibly magnetic. He eradicates any image of the lovable boy band member, and instead presents himself as a true thespian.


Although Salverin is initially Zuckerberg's best friend and business partner, he becomes increasingly aware of his friend's growing ego, and desire to exclude him from the development of Facebook. Garfield exhibits Salverin's optimism and panic beautifully, and will undoubtedly earn him more than a few award nominations.


A film detailing the origins of Facebook seemed an odd project for Fincher to latch on. However, it's pretty evident why he was drawn to the material, as it could be seen as a companion piece to his previous work, "Fight Club." Like "Fight Club," "The Social Network" is a satiric commentary on male psyche. Rather than focusing on their desire to use the act of fighting as a way to avoid being numb, instead, their need to sleep with beautiful women is the core of this story.


Anyone who believes that this is nothing more than "Facebook: The Movie" will be sorely mistaken. This is a true work of art, a great reminder of what filmmaking can achieve.

A true video-game film. (Review of "Scott Pilgrim vs the World")

In 2003, after a seven year absence, Quentin Tarantino unleashed the first volume of his film, Kill Bill, on the world. It was a joyous blast of brilliantly staged violence, and deliciously well-crafted dialogue. However, more so, it was a regurgitation of the pop culture that Tarantino had absorbed, particularly during the '60s and '70s. Not only did it reference films of various periods, but television programs, commercials, songs, etc. It was a visual capsule of what came before.


Since its release, many films have surely strived to entertain, but could hardly be referred to as products of the past, as Kill Bill was.

Edgar Wright's adaptation of the Scott Pilgrim comic book series, Scott Pilgrim vs the World, however, might be not only this decade's equivalent, but superior to Tarantino's film.

In addition to carrying exuberant storytelling, and an idiosyncratic sense of humor, Pilgrim is also an accumulation of geek culture of the past few decades. Fight sequences are staged as video game/arcade boss battles, accompanied by appropriate music. Scenes are regularly augmented by visual onomatopoeia, in the style of a comic book. The majority of the soundtrack is culled from works as varied as "The Legend of Zelda" and "Seinfeld."

Although the film is a natural progression for Wright, having incorporated games like "Tekken" and "Resident Evil 2" into the storytelling of his television series, Spaced, it's clearly his ambitious as well, easily topping the similarly audacious Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz within minutes. Many attempts are made to capture the tone of comic books, often costing from $150-200 million, but Wright's effort succeeds considerably, with less than half of the budget. It isn't simply replicating the frames; it is keeping the intent of those frames valid.

What also helps is casting the right people, and even if Wright failed on his terms, his stellar group of actors would have been able to pick up the slack. Every great young female actress is in this film, including Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Anna Kendrick, and Aubrey Plaza, and doing nothing short of their best. However, Ellen Wong, largely an unknown prior to being cast as Knives, gave, by far, the most compelling, spirited performance of the film. Her energetic disposition is infectious, and tonally complimentary to the piece. Cera, often referred to as a one-trick-pony, doesn't necessarily give a 180, but makes enough interesting choices with the material to distinguish Pilgrim from his other characters.

Revolutionary as it is entertaining, Pilgrim will resonate greatly with the 8-bit generation.

Sweet dreams (and some films) are made of this (Review of "Inception")

Some filmmakers just like to simply tell a story. They like having strong characters, good dialogue, and great performances, but they wouldn't be bothered if their film doesn't stay with their audience after the credits roll. They're content with entertaining them, believing that is their sole purpose.

Then, there are others, who aren't satisfied with that. They want their work to remain on people's minds for days, weeks, months. Even years. They create their films to be discussed, analyzed, and so forth. Their films aren't disposable entertainment, they're art.

One filmmaker who falls into the latter category is Christopher Nolan. From his debut film, Following, he has established himself as having a singular, and uncompromising voice. Its complex structure, essentially telling three acts of the story at once, set it apart from most independent films. His next film, Memento, had an even more unusual structure. The film was, for a lack of a better expression, "backwards," with each scene chronologically preceding the last. However, what made the film have substance wasn't the structure. It was the fact that Nolan utilized it as a vehicle to deal with themes such as perception, subjectivity, and memory.

Memento was critically acclaimed, even receiving an Oscar nomination, which created an opportunity for Nolan to produce films using the studio system, including Insomnia, Batman Begins, The Prestige, and The Dark Knight. Although they had higher budgets than his previous work, it's hard to discern if they were any less of an accurate representation of Nolan's voice.

Inception, his latest film, is arguably his magnum opus. It is certainly his most ambitious. Not necessarily due to having the largest budget, but the absolute lengths Nolan goes with his storytelling. The sheer imagination presented is far more fascinating than the majority of contemporary blockbusters.

For instance, in one sequence, we see an entire city block be flipped, and put upside down on-top of another one. It works not just because of how well it's executed, but because Nolan was able to immerse us in the reality so well, we are genuinely in awe of this act, rather than being numb to it, as what happens to most summer fare (Transformers, for example).

Once again, Nolan uses the concept of inhabiting someone's dreams as a way to continue many of his themes. Multiple narratives, loss of a loved one, etc. And, while the film is visually spectacular, how it interprets its themes is ultimately the draw, and the focus of the film.

An aspect that helps augment the themes is, of course, the characters. Nolan's characters are, generally, beautifully realized, and that remains the case here. They're performed by an utterly sound cast, with acting legends Michael Caine, and Pete Postlehwaite providing cameos. In particular, Levitt and Page are wonderful together, an indie dream-team, of sorts, considering their backgrounds. DiCaprio, as expected, is more than capable of creating a reliable emotional center for us to attach ourselves to, and Cottillard puts a spin on the role of lost love.

The final moments of Inception will be analyzed and debated about for years to come. Nolan would have it no other way.

Shoot to Thrill (Review of "Iron Man 2")

A filmmaker can face numerous difficulties when creating their art. Casting the right people, applying the proper tone, writing the perfect script. Make no mistake, it's an incredibly challenging position to be in.

When the art in question is the follow-up to a successful and critically acclaimed film, then it becomes doubly difficult. Now, there's an expectation. People have come to love the characters and want to see them grow, yet don't want to be betrayed by their development. This is largely why numerous filmmakers don't even bother to produce sequels to their work, afraid of the negative reaction from fans.

The ones that go about the task of doing so often get lambasted for their efforts. However, there are few that have been able to capture the spirit of the first film, and have even exceeded their entertainment and storytelling value. The films that fall into this category that come to mind are "The Godfather: Part II", "Empire Strikes Back", and "Toy Story 2."

And while "Iron Man 2" certainly aspires, and makes a decent attempt, to stand next to those classics, it ultimately comes up short in delivering the goods.

What made the first film so endearing was its strong emotional core, which was accentuated by Robert Downey Jr's performance. You felt a connection to him, you could understand his struggle. However, despite a few attempts in the sequel, you never quite get the same reaction. Although Downey plays it beautifully, you don't buy it as well. His arc feels somewhat superficial, contrived. You don't necessarily care what Tony Stark's problems are. You laugh at his jokes, you marvel at his zeal, but you don't see his heart.

In fact, you could say that about the film itself. The wit, charisma are all there, but you never once get the heart. In the first film, the characters felt like three-dimensional beings, actual people. Here, there are occasional flashes of that, before replaced by quips and special effects.

However, all that being said, "Iron Man 2" is still enjoyable fun. There are some truly memorable scenes, including a court hearing scene which features classic Downey dialogue. Sam Rockwell, who portrays Tony Stark wannabe Justin Hammer, is magnificent; you can't take your eyes off of him. Scarlett Johansson also handles her complex action sequences with great ease, and has solid chemistry with the rest of the established cast. One of my favorite elements of the first film, the relationship between Stark and his secretary, Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow), continues quite well, leading into an interesting and satisfying conclusion of their arc.

While hardly destined to be a classic sequel, by emulating the majority of the great elements of the first film, it is able to be a watchable follow-up.

AJP.

Do we get wiser when we get older? (Review of "Greenberg")

We're all getting older. It's an inevitable, and arguably tragic part of life. Like it or not, the rebellious youth we start off life being will eventually turn into a more softened individual; perhaps married, perhaps popping out a few kids here and there, perhaps paying a mortgage. We're all victims of this.

Even filmmakers have to grow up. In his nascent days, Kevin Smith told the tales of the angry, young man, such as "Clerks" and "Chasing Amy," and then, went on to apply a more mature tone in his later work, like "Jersey Girl" and "Clerks II." Although "Zack and Miri Make a Porno" was a bit of a throwback to his earlier films, "Cop Out" reinforced this older sensibility. Richard Linklater followed-up his look at carefree romance, "Before Sunrise," with "Before Sunset," which featured the same characters, but their naiveté was replaced with mid-life crises.

Noah Baumbach's debut, 1995's "Kicking and Screaming," was a witty, and fresh look at post-grads who refuse to move on from their golden college years. Similar to the previously mentioned works, "Screaming" represented the twentysomething generation, the overeducated drifters. It immediately was drafted into the Generation X ranks, despite Baumbach's discomfort with that label.

However, starting with "The Squid and the Whale", Baumbach focused his attention elsewhere, developing a more mature sense of storytelling. Instead of witty twentysomethings, his characters were a self-destructive family, dealing with the parents' divorce. His next effort, "Margot at the Wedding," continued this theme.

"Greenberg", his latest film, is actually, in a lot of ways, is a meeting of his younger and older sensibilities. This is encapsulated in the two leads; Florence Marr, a twenty-seven year old assistant, and Roger Greenberg, a forty-year old failed musician. Their contrast in life experience is apparent in the majority of their dialogue.

Baumbach has never been one to force the audience to like his characters. He does something much riskier: he presents them as real people. Roger is an embittered, neurotic individual, destined to destroy anyone's attempt at reaching out to him. Florence is flawed as well, making one of the biggest mistakes of her life in the first five minutes of the film.

Ben Stiller, known for his broader work, is able to turn in a nuanced, honest performance, his best since his role in Wes Anderson's "The Royal Tenenbaums." Like Jeff Bridges in "The Squid and The Whale", he understands not only the dramatic aspects of the character, but the humor as well, which could be an oversight made by another actor.

Greta Gerwig is one of the most natural performers to grace the screen. You never once question the reality she presents. Florence is the most developed of the characters Gerwig has portrayed, or at least, it feels as such. Perhaps, it's because it's her most featured role. Regardless, it seems that "Greenberg" will be a great launching pad for Gerwig, and more people will be aware of her immense talent.

Unlike his character, Roger Greenberg, Baumbach has proven that growing older isn't necessarily a burden. At the very least, you can make good movies.