"You're in love with a fantasy"

Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris is yet another reminder of how much better a filmmaker Woody Allen is than me, not that I needed any more proof.

Continuing his insane run of a movie per year, Woody Allen crafts another gem as far as I'm concerned. Full disclosure: I recently directed a movie that was greatly inspired by Allen's 1979 film, Manhattan. Romanticism and nostalgia is an underlying theme in the film, especially in the first scene.

Midnight in Paris takes up the theme of nostalgia, like my film Nostalgia (check it out here http://vimeo.com/23241296). Owen Wilson plays a romantic Hollywood screenwriter at a time of great crisis. Tired of hacking away at pedantic screenplays, he has just finished his novel and appears to be searching for some sort of confirmation. On vacation with his fiance, played beautifully by Rachel McAdams, he finds himself transfixed by Paris wanting to just exist in it and breathe in the beauty and artistry. The beginning scene is hilarious as Wilson's character, Gil, pontificates about the beauty of walking the streets of Paris in the rain. His fiance doesn't quite get it, neither do her friends who'd rather spend the nights dancing away at the more touristy of Paris. Gil walks the streets of Paris to find some of the magic he knows exists and winds up transporting back into Paris of the 20's with the likes of F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, and Gertrude Stein (don't worry I had no idea who that was either http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gertrude_Stein).


Midnight in Paris is at the surface a gorgeous film, though how hard is it to make Paris look beautiful right? That's not to diminish the work of Darius Khondji who I think brings some beautiful golden hues to the city lights of Paris and does an admirable job. Digging deeper, past the surface, you can find an assiduous eye to the condition of nostalgia. The issue of looking back can be a fun and exciting distraction, but it leads you to a place discontent. There is an inevitable disconnection with the present that comes with it. Allen recognizes the good and bad parts of our proclivity to look back

It's difficult imagining that, at some point, people will look at the oughts , enthralled with the culture, art, and general "je nais sais quoi". This appears to be Allen's underlying suggestion. Amidst the time traveling magical realism and the zany presence of literary and art figures (Whaddup Dali), there is a man seeking to locate himself within the breadth of artistry and romance. Midnight in Paris examines a man existentially and shows the faults and concerns of a life lived in the past.

In any case, Midnight in Paris resides at the top of the list for my favorite of 2011 obviously. I would check it out if I were you.

And Owen Wilson does a spot on Woody Allen impression.

"To Me, You Are Perfect"

Every once in awhile, a movie comes along and just knocks you off your feet. I'm talking once you finish watching it, you just want to tell the world about it and scream from the roof tops. Love Actually is a beautifully, elegant rumination on one of the most common conditions of life: being in love. Through its effortless performances and genuinely witty storylines, the film weaves together a number of stories that essentially describe how love is and how it should be.

For me at least, the best movies tend to be difficult to synopsize. Love Actually is a lot like that. You can say it's about love, but that tends to cheapen it's precious treatment of the subject. The film's beauty starts in it's wonderful opening, showing embraces of travelers and family members at the arrival gate of Heathrow airport. In short cuts, the film shows with its harsh lighting and crude long lens camera work the beauty that still remains in the smaller moments of love that aren't glamorized. It's at this moment that the film shows it's meaty core of simply wanting to be honest and real. They do an admirable job of just capturing reality, not forcing, which they continue later in the film with its fictional plot.

As the film progresses, we're introduced to the starkly different characters: a prime minister, a fashion consultant, a 10-year old and his grieving step dad, and an aging former pop star. They all are dodge in and out of each other's stories in an effective mosaic of occurrences. Recent films have tried to imitate this sort of vigenette-esque approach to one high-concept like Valentine's Day or He's Just Not that Into You. Love Actually, I'd imagine, is the blueprint from which these films attempted to draw from. But I think what those other films are missing is the substance of simplicity. Love Actually never dawdles from its central message of foolishness, courage, impetuousness, and hope. It doesn't cheapen it's delivery with tawdry storylines and improbable twists.

Through all these stories, the film centers upon one main message: Yes, there is love and as you get older, you learn that it's not what you thought it was. Still, in the end it's worth it, no matter how inconvenient.

I love Love Actually. And although it may be incredibly populist, I don't care. Please, check it out

Top 5 Most Anticipated Films for summer 2011

Wow, 2011. You're really trying to be something special. I'm a bit underwhelmed with the films...again. For the first time in a long time, Pixar is not on my top 5 list for summer movies. *Gasp* I regretfully say there isn't much I'm looking forward to. I've seen Thor and Bridesmaids already so that definitely affects how my list turned out. Still, it was tough to scrounge these choices up. But I will say that there is only one prequel on my list. The rest are again *Gasp* original properties.

5. The Tree of Life and X-men: First Class

These two disparate films share the 5th spot. Unfortunately, that is about the only congruence I can point out.





Starting with The Tree of Life, this Terrance Malick film has an intriguingly simple premise. It follows a boy throughout his life and the lingering effect his stern father has on him. From the man who makes a film about once a decade, I confess that my interest in this progress lies mostly in the trailer, the talent, and the fact that there appears to be some sort of existential exploration involved. Right up my alley. And the images in the trailer look gorgeous. Malick is really playing with composition and light. A lot of the shots appear to have some point of view shots that really engross the viewer into the young boy's position. It's really gorgeous work.





X-men: First Class is at the other end of the spectrum, but I think I can articulate my interest a little more. In terms of comic book movies, X-Men shares a spot in the pantheon along with The Dark Knight, Ironman, and maybe Spiderman. Bryan Singer mined a really interesting allegory of Civil Rights in the first X-men, and X-men: First Class appears to exist at the origin of this story. James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender, two very talented actors, are also taking up the lead roles of Professor X and Magneto respectfully. The trailer I embedded focuses on that relationship, which hopefully will make up the meat of the film. I don't know how that whole Cold War thing will insert into the picture, but I'm interested.

4. Colombiana

You may not know this about me, but Zoe Saldana and I are pretty cool. If by cool you mean I met her once in an airport and was too starstruck (and lovestruck) to say much more than my name. However you interpret our deep, meaningful connection, I've been following her career ever since. This will be her first starring vehicle which is pretty cool considering the work she's done in the past couple of years in blockbusters that don't really take advantage of her talents. Colombiana looks like a throwback revenge flick channeling Kill Bill and Carlito's Way. The trailer is good despite it's overly-present narration.

3. Friends with Benefits

No Strings Attached and Friends with Benefits prove the ever-constant coincidental nature of Hollywood as two films with very similar premises coming out in a very short duration of time. There's Deep Impact and Armageddon, Wyatt Earp and Tombstone, and even two Snow White movies coming out next year. Having seen No Strings Attached, it does an admirable job in being an edgy rom-com for both genders, but is completely uneven in terms of performances. FWB looks like it's come to play. Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis have an interesting chemistry in the trailer. And did you see Woody Harrelson? Gotta love it.

2. Super 8

Filmmaking? Check. JJ Abrams? Check. Steven Spielberg? Check.

Thematically, the precociousness of youth is always a winner in film. What you have in this film is two highly vaunted filmmakers channeling their youth in an admittedly indulgent, but intriguing premise. It's no secret that Abrams and Spielberg spent their youth making little Super 8 films. When I heard that they were making a project that evokes this type of nostalgia about the innocence of artistic expression of youth, combining it with a monster movie that obviously draws on Jaws and E.T., needless to say, I got a little moist. Abrams is a really talented filmmaker with a strong voice so I can only salivate at what he has next.

1. 30 minutes or less

A pizza delivery guy gets a bomb strapped to his chest by two criminals. They inform said pizza delivery guy that he has mere hours to rob a bank. As far as the slacker genre goes, this premise is fairly unconventional. Starring Aziz Ansari and Jesse Eisenberg, 30 minutes or less is shaping up to be oddly, fun. I can't really say why I'm drawn to this comedy. Although it feels a bit like Pineapple Express, I think where this comedy can go right where PE went wrong is the resistance to be too "genre." They've got to stay away from winking at the audience too much, playing itself as a comical jaunt of action cliches rather than actually telling a story.

So there you have it folks. I promise to keep you guys updated on my little musings and how the films turned out.

Are you f*cking kidding me?

Chick flicks.

I don't know any other genre that garners more groans from the male population than this dainty collection of female-targeted films. Although I'm sure every film buff would like to think of themselves as open-minded when it comes to all films (I certainly hope I am), it appears that general discourse allows this particular genre to be disregarded. Admittedly, my eyes glaze over when someone mentions "chick flick" in a review or a trailer features a line to the effect of "if only I could find that one guy." It's generally ok to disregard chick flicks as maudlin, cheesy, and pedestrian. Perhaps it is the boys club that is film criticism in the digital age where men dominate the discourse of film discussion on the internet via the blogosphere. In any case, Bridesmaids gave me a little something to chew on. I remember thinking while watching the trailer that this film might have a little something more to it than the usual fare. It looks like a pedantic chick flick, but feels like an Apatow film. You know the type don't you. A man-boy illogically scores a ridiculously attractive female, but has to shirk his juvenile ways in order to enjoy adulthood. They may include what some might refer to as sexually perverse humor with crass and incisive dialogue throughout.

Bridesmaids pretty much covers all of that, except with markedly more estrogen. At its best, I can call it a guy's movie masquerading as a chick flick. Or maybe a chick flick masquerading as a guy movie (does dick flick sound catchier?). For that reason alone, I can't really say that I'm too crazy about it. I love raunch as much as the next guy. And I have to say, I've seen a couple of chick flicks in my day that I didn't immediately fall write off. However, I can't help but wonder if the attraction to this film is more conceptual than built off of actual merit. Does the mash-up of two disparate genres completely validate it or does it genuinely have something to say?

Bridesmaids follows presumably 30 something named Annie, played wonderfully by Kristen Wiig, as she attempts to survive being maid of honor to her best friend Lillian, played by Maya Rudolph. Obviously, tension surmounts between the bride and maid of honor, but the dearth of conflict arises from the rivalry she has with one of the other bridesmaids, the affluent and super bridesmaid Helen (Rose Byrne). These two relationships cover a fertile foundation of female jealousy and envy which the film mines considerably. The script provides enough life to get you going through the film. In terms of pacing, the film trudges through the usual set pieces of a wedding comedy (bridesmaids fitting, zany rehearsal dinner, disastrous wedding shower) but really colors them through its fantastic characters. The acting is the strength of this film by a long-shot. Kristen Wiig is a sympathetic and funny protagonist. Though she plays a punching bag, she never annoys the audience by sulking or being too self-pitying. Maya Rudolph and Rose Byrne are also very strong, rounding out the three principal character. The supporting cast is deft in providing a gallery of different women. They act a collage of womanhood, making up several different stages of a woman's life: the haplessly married woman, the bushy-tailed, newly engaged, and the enthusiastically single.

Whatever negatives in the film lie on a structural level. Sometimes the narration is a little fuzzy on how Annie's main flaw within the film, her laziness and woe is me attitude, manifests itself in ruining her best friend's wedding. Certain moments lend themselves to scrutiny as to whether or not Annie's problems are a cause of the raucous set pieces the film indulges or whether she should be blamed for what happens. For instance, there is a scene where Annie chooses a Brazilian restaurant for the bridesmaids to get to know each other. Afterwards, they have a fitting for bridesmaids dresses. Let's just say it doesn't end very well gastronomically. The whole series of events implicitly point to Annie's inability to cope with her friends upcoming nuptials, but the whole snafu doesn't appear to be her fault. She's blamed for come adverse consequences that aren't completely her own. The film tends toward these type of moments which holds Annie as the scapegoat for some of the adverse events in the film, fixing blame on her that isn't quite integrated into her own flaws as a protagonist. Not to say that her flaws are not established, they just tend to be not as well entwined.

Minute shortcomings aside, my fear with a film like this is that its evocation of male movies implicitly state that there is something wrong with chick flicks or female-targeted films. Comedy tends to be gender based; this type of gender mashing appears to suggest some type of evaluation of one over the other. "It's a chick flick that guys can watch" instead of it's a guy movie that girls can sit through." I'm a little worried that a film that takes this as its ideology, alienates a genre of film that gets unfairly disrespected.

That said, I think Bridesmaids is worth a night out. I probably would have liked it better on cable as a delightful discovery. If you love Kristen Wiig...wait even if you don't love her, you'll love her here.

Quite Enuff

A movie like For Colored Girls confounds me in a way that I haven't been in a very long while. I mean confound in a good way. Usually, Tyler Perry's films inspire little more than a cursory acknowledgment from me as I find most of his work simply not my taste and a little stepin fetch. Regardless of his subject matter, his films and the performances in those films seem awkwardly conformed to the lens of a camera. As a filmmaker, his films just sort of laid there on the screen unengaged by the camera.

But with For Colored Girls, an adaptation of the 1975 stage play by Ntozake Shange Perry has really shown some vigor and growth as a filmmaker.

Let's start with the performances, which have always been a strong suit of Perry's. The cast is, in a word, fantastic, anchored by some true legends and enlivened by some inspiring young actresses. It's hard to single out one above the rest because they are all so interesting in their own right. But one that really holds the film together is the Lady in Green, played beautifully by Loretta Devine. Another arrestingly strong performance is that of the young Tessa Thompson who plays a young woman dealing with a surprise pregnancy. The cast is certainly a strength of the film and unfortunately probably won't garner the brass it might deserve (but really who gives a fuck about awards).

Structurally,the film really seems reminiscent of the play. Having never seen the stage play, I can only conjecture so far, but I feel as though Perry's camera attempted to keep that sensibility. The camera lingers in a closeup while the actresses perform extended monologues, almost identical to the feel of a stage play. I didn't feel the awkwardness of fitting these huge performances that Tyler usually draws constrained to the intimate angles of a camera. Usually, his camera is successful in capturing the performance. This film's language is pure poetry and Perry does an admirable job of letting the words on the page do the talking.

Perry's direction brings the thematic content of the film very clearly. The notion that black women never get the opportunity to be children. They must be women from birth; they must weather storms others do not have to. Tessa Thompson's character arc demonstrates this theme wonderfully as the young, naive Nyla is forced to contend with life decisions she's ill-equipped to handle. She's too young to deal, so she lies and sends herself down an even more dangerous path. I found myself most drawn to this story, and I think this thread of the film turned out extremely well,

Where the film runs into trouble, for me at least, is not necessarily on Perry. At times, the film's form, the way it weaves all these stories of pain, betrayal, depression, and unhappiness, is too much to take in. These characters appear to be miserable people, living miserable lives, in a miserable world. Granted, the story does offer some sense of redemption for the utterly agonizing existence of these women, but at a point it goes to far for me. I remember the instance that I became aware of my experience watching a movie, that I wasn't engrossed in this experience, but was watching something artificial play out before me. I won't ruin it, but there is a scene in which the Lady in Brown, played by Kimberly Elise, loses something very dear to her and it sends her into an utter spiral. It was at this point I thought to myself: "Really? You're going there with this?"

I've been wrestling with whether or not this criticism is valid. Perhaps all the plot points weren't a contrived amalgamation, but rather a metaphorical expression of the plight of black women. That is to say, the point of the play, and perhaps the film, is not to have any traces of believability, but serve as a representation of the issues facing black women. I can understand that and I'm fully fine with accepting that, but where is the line to be drawn between metaphorical representation and a histrionically depressing, exercise of pain and heartache. I choose to think For Colored Girls is the former.

In either case, transposing a story like this to the screen beckons the question of form. For me, I felt the awkwardness at times of rigging a delicate story like this for the screen. Yet, I think it was successful in some aspects in utilizing the camera (i.e. the close ups during those gorgeous monologues). A prudent example of this would be the dinner scene with the Lady in Yellow. The cross cutting in that scene is a really engaging element of the film and I really tip my hat off to Perry for this ambitious element.

So. For Colored Girls is certainly more than worth your time. My problem with Perry has always been his lack of engagement with the camera. I can see some growth in his work, and I can honestly say that I'm interested in what's coming up for him.... well, excluding anything with Madea or connected to it.

"I believe I deserve some recognition"

Are you there guys?

It's me Quintin. Perhaps you remember me as the kid whose website you check religiously? No? Well, perhaps just check spiritually? My feigned narcissism aside let's get to why you're here. This one'll be quick and dirty. Leave the money on the night stand dirty...

The Social Network. It's good stuff. I hate to just pile on yet more praise on a film that's enjoying Oscar buzz already, but the film genuinely deserves some recognition. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, a movie I didn't see, nor gave a shit about, was a movie that elicited a lot of attention for being generational. A movie comes a long everyone once in awhile that just gets it y'know. I gotta say The Social Network is right there. Now far be it from me to hail it as "generational" simply because they had a good enough idea to base it off a fad (maybe, maybe not) encompassing 500 million people. Hollywood can always make a film about the last big thing. This movie here understands the issues at bay in a world where "friendship" is a just a click away. A world so attached to technology, connection can fall at its expense.

What makes it so interesting to me is how reminiscent of the times it is. The first scene is really so representative of the tone and the very generational ideas that form the meat of the film. Post-modernism. Capriciousness. Disconnection. Awkwardness. (talk about the first scene)

This is just a strong movie about friends, betrayal, and ambition. it's almost unfun to write this review because watching it only confirmed my excitement. Oh well that was awesome. Could it be Best of the year? We'll have to see

Best of the year....so far

After watching only 17 films theatrically, I hardly think 2010 has been a banner year for cinema. Eight months in and we've suffered through the likes of bad 3-D, Knight and Day, and Avatar: the Last Airbender. Regrettably, 2010 has left me totally unsatisfied. By this time last year, The Hurt Locker, Up, and 500 Days of Summer (my very first review…awwww). Tsk, tsk 2010. So, with more disappointments than surprises, I’ve cobbled together a list of 5 of my favorite films of the year. Here's to a better next six months...

5. Shutter Island

Picture courtesy http://www.filmjunk.com/2010/05/20/shutter-island-on-top-of-the-world/

Why do I feel like I'm on a ledge when I say that I liked Shutter Island? It has gotten a little love from critics, but it essentially dropped off the radar in a mere couple of weeks to audiences after its release. Atmospherically, I think this is among the best Martin Scorsese has put out.  His throwback to the thrillers of Old Hollywood with a psychological approach provides some awesome visuals and frightening performances. It is so genre specific and exhibits an old master still doing some interesting things in a time where movies seem to look increasingly the same. "Visceral" handheld shots appear to be Hollywood's standard these days and while not without function tend to lump together aesthetically. Shutter Island reminds us that the camera and atmosphere can tell a story just as much as 30 years ago. 

4. Cyrus

Picture courtesy http://blog.originalalamo.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/Cyrus.jpg

Speaking of hand-held, Cyrus, the comedy from the Duplass brothers, features this same aesthetic throughout this creepy, awkward, yet hilarious story of a Shrek-like John C. Reily attempting to find his happily ever after with Molly, played by Marisa Tomei. Except Tomei's 21 year-old son is cock-blocking pretty hard. Cyrus succeeds in being extremely earnestly absurd in their portrayal of the classic love-triangle gone weird. It’s the acting that propels this film into something laudable, especially Jonah Hill. The Duplass brothers inject this tale with a matter-of fact dealing of the ridiculous and connecting the relatable to the absurd.

3. Inception

Picture courtesy http://www.filmcritic.com/assets_c/2010/07/Inception-cropped-proto-filmcritic_reviews___entry_default.jpg

Definitely love some Inception. As I said earlier in my blog, it is far from a perfect movie, but it is definitely a film that brings something new to the summer blockbuster. It is an intellectually engaging film with some awe-inspiring shots throughout that are so imaginitive that they very much belong in a film about dreams. This is the rare movie that demands more than a passive attention to the beats of the story, more than we're generally required in a film opening in July to more than 3,000 screens. Nolan crafts a perplexing yet cerebral approach to dreams and the subconscious not typically presented. Plus everybody dresses really nicely, a quality I like in a film.

2. Toy Story 3

Picture courtesy http://screencrave.frsucrave.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/inception-toy-story-3-29-7-10-kc.jpg

I thought Toy Story 3 was totally unnecessary and borderline dangerous when I first heard about the project. Sequels have never really been too common at Pixar, and who really needed to see another Toy Story movie. I was completely wrong. Toy Story 3 gave me one of most fun experience in a theatre in quite awhile. The screenplay is so well structured and never cuts a corner. In almost every Pixar movie, there’s  a moment where you wonder, “How are thing dig themselves out of this?” Those moments where you wonder how they can plausibly bring all the characters back together or resolve the peril. Toy Story 3 is chock full of those moments. Plainly put, this is yet another winner.

1. Winter's Bone

Picture courtesy http://www.filmschoolrejects.com/images/winters-bone.jpg

Winter’s Bone is an interesting mashup of film noir and a mob flick. Following the story of 17 year old Ree Dolly, the film picks up as a bail bondsman informs her that her estranged father has skipped bail and put the house up as collateral. Now, she must must find her father before she loses her house and risk separating the rest of family , her two younger sisters and mother. She’s thrusted into the meth infested underworld of the Ozarks. The elements of neo-noir and the starkly blue muted tones of this film really provide a unique and descriptive introduction into this world. The setting is the film’s strongest point providing an in-depth look into life in the Ozarks, a place not often portrayed on film. It’s easy to forget in a tech driven word the parts of the world who are just getting by. And it’s much easier to forget about those who live in the U.S. There are some really soul-stirring scenes, particularly one in which Ree discusses her future with an Army recruiter. And the last 20 minutes of the film will stick with you way after you hop in your car and start to drive home. I really can’t say enough good about this film. Please go see Winter’s Bone.