A dramatic adaption that is based on The Kite Runner, a novel, written by Afghan-American author Khaled Hosseini, an account of an Afghan emigrant turned Californian novelist, Amir (Khalid Abdalla.) Moments after opening a box that contains a freshly printed debut novel by Amir himself, a tender, proud moment spent with his wife Soraya (Atossa Leoni,) he receives a phone call from a voice (Shaun Toub) of the past that theatrically tells him "how he can be good again."
How? you ask, well by saving Sohrab, the son of his childhood companion Hassan. Hassan and his wife have been killed by the Taliban and there is reason to believe that Sohrab (Ali Danish Bakhty Ari) is still alive and salvageable (despite that fact that the Taliban took him and that Sohrab is of Hazara descent), and that Amir (who, ironically, betrayed Hassan to protect himself from the pain of his own cowardice as children) is the only one that can save him. Amir seeks redemption and steps up to plate, travels back to Afghanistan, and endures several obstacles along the way. Laspes of time are conveniently placed where the potential for the most sophisticated of conflicts might occur, the result is a suspension of disbelief that snaps into apathy and occasional frustration.
Furthermore, Amir's shortcomings do not make for an interesting protagonist. His sappy, "season's greetings" like dialogue, and lack of a sincere, internal drive leave the audience bored. Baba (Homayoun Ershadi,) his quick-witted, personable father, remained a more likeable, interesting character both before Amir's sacrificial quest and after. Even the rock-starish Taliban leader and childhood foe was more intriguing to watch. Amir's ability to challenge hostile savages of this calibre also seemed questionable due to his lack of "warrior" credentials. For a film that highlights the pre-war Taliban regime - a time seeping with tragedy and unspeakable atrocities - it somehow manages to fall flat.
Directed by Marc Foster.
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Juno (2007)
Juno, the character (Ellen Page), makes teenage pregnancy almost seem fun which complements the film’s overwhelming potential of becoming a preachy “cautionary whale.” Juno is a somewhat precocious junior who becomes pregnant from what is implied as her one and only sexual experience shared with the athletic Paulie Bleeker (Michael Cera) who has had more experience on the track than on the field. After numerous pregnancy tests, she finally deems herself “unholy.” Rollo (Rainn Wilson), an aging yet articulate convenience store clerk, is the first to know, and perhaps the easiest to tell. What follows is a seemingly endless stream of difficult decisions and awkward situations "way beyond her maturity level."
At first, Juno is optimistic, but as the pregnancy progresses, it impedes her ability to cope. The Loring couple (sought out by Juno through a Pennysaver ad) end up complicating things for Juno - the reverse of what she was originally hoping for. Mark (Jason Bateman) is a bit green in the papa department while Vanessa Loring (Jennifer Garner) seems strangely cold and alien yet simultaneously eager and ready for motherhood. They opted for adoption due to fertility issues.
Juno displays the familiar view that women suffer more than men from the perils of sex by merely contrasting physique. As the months pass by, Juno’s stomach protrudes while Paulie continues jogging. Juno withstands judgments from the Ultrasound Technician (Kaaren de Zilva) (hilariously rebutted by her step-mother and nail technician Bren MacGuff (Allison Janney)) while Paulie considers dating Katrina “stinkeye” De Voort. The film successfully makes us not hate Paulie who isn’t being a douche, but a totally confused sixteen year-old boy.
The dialogue is sort of a clever vernacular of its own, peppered with quotable lines such as "He is the cheese to my macaroni," or "it makes his junk smell like pie," and let's not forget the formidable "fingernail" references first coined by Su-Chin (Valerie Tian.) This is definitely one of the best flicks of '07.
Directed by Jason Reitman
At first, Juno is optimistic, but as the pregnancy progresses, it impedes her ability to cope. The Loring couple (sought out by Juno through a Pennysaver ad) end up complicating things for Juno - the reverse of what she was originally hoping for. Mark (Jason Bateman) is a bit green in the papa department while Vanessa Loring (Jennifer Garner) seems strangely cold and alien yet simultaneously eager and ready for motherhood. They opted for adoption due to fertility issues.
Juno displays the familiar view that women suffer more than men from the perils of sex by merely contrasting physique. As the months pass by, Juno’s stomach protrudes while Paulie continues jogging. Juno withstands judgments from the Ultrasound Technician (Kaaren de Zilva) (hilariously rebutted by her step-mother and nail technician Bren MacGuff (Allison Janney)) while Paulie considers dating Katrina “stinkeye” De Voort. The film successfully makes us not hate Paulie who isn’t being a douche, but a totally confused sixteen year-old boy.
The dialogue is sort of a clever vernacular of its own, peppered with quotable lines such as "He is the cheese to my macaroni," or "it makes his junk smell like pie," and let's not forget the formidable "fingernail" references first coined by Su-Chin (Valerie Tian.) This is definitely one of the best flicks of '07.
Directed by Jason Reitman
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Margot At The Wedding (2007)
Margot At The Wedding is Baumbach's second consecutive film about a distraught family who can't resist breaking apart into dysfunctional pieces. Though Margot's tone is different from The Squid and The Whale's, there are the repetitive themes of semi-loser male with halfway decent female, and "I think it's time for a divorce."
Margot (Nicole Kidman) and her son Claude (Zane Pais) journey from their Manhattan life to a land known as Long Island for Pauline's (Jennifer Jason Leigh) wedding. From the get-go, Margot is clearly less than thrilled. Her and Pauline haven't spoken in sometime plus Margot disapproves of Pauline's and Malcolm's decision to marry after only knowing each other for a year. We wonder why Margot has decided to go, as does Claude.
Margot's intentions become clearer when it is revealed that Margot's illicit lover and current writing partner, Dick Koosman (Claran Hinds), lives a mile away from Pauline. Margot's life is in an unstable period. She can't decide between Dick or her devoted husband, Jim. She drinks a bit more than moderately and takes pills whenever she can get her hands on them. She is also superbly critical, and utterly unlikeable. Baumbach seems to have a special gift for creating repulsive personalites that still intrigue us. Kidman's performance is flawless, her familiar emotional chill was to her advantage in Margot.
Malcolm (Jack Black) is Pauline's almost husband. He's a music maestro, "letter writer," and professional slacker. His lack of motivation deems him pretty undesirable. Yet Pauline, a lax lady herself, appreciates his humor and knowledge of innane music trivia. Malcolm seems pretty content as does Ingrid (Flora Cross,) Pauline's cheerful daughter. Despite Pauline's apparent complacency, we come to learn that she too isn't as transparent as we initially thought.
Margot, however, refuses to accept Pauline's decision and warm up to Malcolm whom she thinks of as a rogue. She can't accept Pauline's differences. Her taste for self-help books, or use of incense. Pauline (rightfully) sees Margot's behavior as borderline psychotic and beyond hurtful. Pauline also resents Margot's family references in public writing. Something Baumbach apparently dealt with after the release of The Squid and The Whale
Though Margot At The Wedding is interesting and entertaining at times, it is ultimately a film about two sisters bickering. Margot is never in any real danger of losing her husband, and it seems nobody would mind if Pauline lost hers anyway. This film is not Baumbach's best, but definitely worth a viewing. Unfortunately, Jack Black's performance becomes less-than bearable as the film inches forward; hence, the screeching halt of an ending is thoroughly appreciated.
Margot (Nicole Kidman) and her son Claude (Zane Pais) journey from their Manhattan life to a land known as Long Island for Pauline's (Jennifer Jason Leigh) wedding. From the get-go, Margot is clearly less than thrilled. Her and Pauline haven't spoken in sometime plus Margot disapproves of Pauline's and Malcolm's decision to marry after only knowing each other for a year. We wonder why Margot has decided to go, as does Claude.
Margot's intentions become clearer when it is revealed that Margot's illicit lover and current writing partner, Dick Koosman (Claran Hinds), lives a mile away from Pauline. Margot's life is in an unstable period. She can't decide between Dick or her devoted husband, Jim. She drinks a bit more than moderately and takes pills whenever she can get her hands on them. She is also superbly critical, and utterly unlikeable. Baumbach seems to have a special gift for creating repulsive personalites that still intrigue us. Kidman's performance is flawless, her familiar emotional chill was to her advantage in Margot.
Malcolm (Jack Black) is Pauline's almost husband. He's a music maestro, "letter writer," and professional slacker. His lack of motivation deems him pretty undesirable. Yet Pauline, a lax lady herself, appreciates his humor and knowledge of innane music trivia. Malcolm seems pretty content as does Ingrid (Flora Cross,) Pauline's cheerful daughter. Despite Pauline's apparent complacency, we come to learn that she too isn't as transparent as we initially thought.
Margot, however, refuses to accept Pauline's decision and warm up to Malcolm whom she thinks of as a rogue. She can't accept Pauline's differences. Her taste for self-help books, or use of incense. Pauline (rightfully) sees Margot's behavior as borderline psychotic and beyond hurtful. Pauline also resents Margot's family references in public writing. Something Baumbach apparently dealt with after the release of The Squid and The Whale
Though Margot At The Wedding is interesting and entertaining at times, it is ultimately a film about two sisters bickering. Margot is never in any real danger of losing her husband, and it seems nobody would mind if Pauline lost hers anyway. This film is not Baumbach's best, but definitely worth a viewing. Unfortunately, Jack Black's performance becomes less-than bearable as the film inches forward; hence, the screeching halt of an ending is thoroughly appreciated.
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Klimt (2006)
"Klimt" is a biopic that brandishes its creative license somewhat proudly. Whether the general public is pleased by an imposition of drama that substitutes historical accuracy and artistic legacy for syphilis, and instability is questionable. Raul Ruiz's depiction of Klimt (John Malkovich) is that of the crazy, sexually relentless artist - a portrait of artists that has been popularized through cinema for quite sometime now. Whether this depiction is reverent seems to be the big concern regarding "Klimt."
The debates of art, function, design, and necessity were stimulating in the early 20th century, but modern audiences may find them "boring" or that Ruiz has made a film that consists of "Talk, talk, talk" as several IMDB commentors have complained.
"Klimt" starts out with the artist hospitalized due to syphilis. He gets a visit from the young Egon Schiele (Nikolai Kinski) who catapults Klimt into a hodgepodge of insecurities, and triumphs, some of which are fantasy and others reality. The first act comes off as overacted, and redundant. The images were somewhat sophomoric featuring broken mirrors, and cake in the face.
Then, oddly, the film becomes fairly inaccessible. Perhaps this is because the version I saw was the 91 minute rendition, and not the original which was about 30 minutes longer. Fist fights breakout without explaination, and the Sekretar (Stephen Dillane) turns out to be a figment of Klimt's imagination. We know of illegitimate children, affairs, and love. The "plot" is as dizzying as Ruiz's style of "circular cinema," which consists of him slowly rotating his subjects so that they make full-circle. At times it makes for a nice image, but at other moments it seems a bit unnecessary.
This film definitely shouldn't serve as an "Introduction to Klimt" for anyone - young or old. It's just too embedded in certain conventions that are ultimately characterless pretentions that leave one confused, and maybe a little annoyed too.
Directed by Raoul Ruiz
Opened in New York on Wednesday, October 17th, 2007.
The debates of art, function, design, and necessity were stimulating in the early 20th century, but modern audiences may find them "boring" or that Ruiz has made a film that consists of "Talk, talk, talk" as several IMDB commentors have complained.
"Klimt" starts out with the artist hospitalized due to syphilis. He gets a visit from the young Egon Schiele (Nikolai Kinski) who catapults Klimt into a hodgepodge of insecurities, and triumphs, some of which are fantasy and others reality. The first act comes off as overacted, and redundant. The images were somewhat sophomoric featuring broken mirrors, and cake in the face.
Then, oddly, the film becomes fairly inaccessible. Perhaps this is because the version I saw was the 91 minute rendition, and not the original which was about 30 minutes longer. Fist fights breakout without explaination, and the Sekretar (Stephen Dillane) turns out to be a figment of Klimt's imagination. We know of illegitimate children, affairs, and love. The "plot" is as dizzying as Ruiz's style of "circular cinema," which consists of him slowly rotating his subjects so that they make full-circle. At times it makes for a nice image, but at other moments it seems a bit unnecessary.
This film definitely shouldn't serve as an "Introduction to Klimt" for anyone - young or old. It's just too embedded in certain conventions that are ultimately characterless pretentions that leave one confused, and maybe a little annoyed too.
Directed by Raoul Ruiz
Opened in New York on Wednesday, October 17th, 2007.
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Lars and The Real Girl (2007)
Lars' (Ryan Gosling) is a distraught yet functional man who lives in the garage of his inherited home that he shares with his brother Gus (Paul Schneider), and sister-in-law Karin (Emily Mortimer.) Lars is able to go to work, and church; he is able to wake up in the morning and get dressed, but he's unable to interact with people that truly care about him.
Margo (Kelli Garner), a co-worker who desperately wants to be with Lars, can't seem to get under his skin. After some relentless persistence, she finally decides to give it a break. His loving sister-in-law Karin repeatedly attempts to have him over for breakfast or dinner - or whenever, but he just can't seem to walk across the yard and into their back door. Gus is clearly less sensitive than both his wife, Karin, and his brother, Lars. He doesn't seem to think that Lars should be of much concern to anyone; he's just a man who wants to keep to himself.
When Bianca arrives in a crate, and then at Gus' and Karin's dinner table, Gus realizes he underestimated the situation at hand. They decide to seek medical attention from Dagmar (Patricia Clarkson), a medical practitioner and psychologist, who convinces Lars that Bianca is in need of weekly treatments due to a serious "illness." She takes the opportunity to unleash some of the mysteries behind Lars' delusion while Bianca "rests" from her treatment. Slowly we find out the reasoning behind his neurosis. Though Dagmar is of great assistance, the rest of Lars' community is equally eager to cater Lars' delusion, and assist in "keeping the dream alive."
This story succeeds through great acting, and semi-serious writing. Writer, Nancy Oliver, throws in the occasional gag, but generally opts for the high-road. Lars' even has religious beliefs as does Bianca. Despite the fact that she is a plastic sex-doll, she is treated with the utmost respect thoughout most of the film. Though suspension of disbelief is successful throughout most of the film, it's still a bit much to really believe when thought about logically. You can't help but wonder why anyone besides his immediate family would bother to "go along" with Lars' delusion. Nonetheless, the humanity is part of the film's success; without the emotional journey, "Lars and The Real Girl", wouldn't have a breath of life to it. But what would have made it more interesting is had the emotional journey revolved around Lars rather than the community's love of an alleged sex-toy, then maybe the suspension of disbelief would have never been interrupted...
Margo (Kelli Garner), a co-worker who desperately wants to be with Lars, can't seem to get under his skin. After some relentless persistence, she finally decides to give it a break. His loving sister-in-law Karin repeatedly attempts to have him over for breakfast or dinner - or whenever, but he just can't seem to walk across the yard and into their back door. Gus is clearly less sensitive than both his wife, Karin, and his brother, Lars. He doesn't seem to think that Lars should be of much concern to anyone; he's just a man who wants to keep to himself.
When Bianca arrives in a crate, and then at Gus' and Karin's dinner table, Gus realizes he underestimated the situation at hand. They decide to seek medical attention from Dagmar (Patricia Clarkson), a medical practitioner and psychologist, who convinces Lars that Bianca is in need of weekly treatments due to a serious "illness." She takes the opportunity to unleash some of the mysteries behind Lars' delusion while Bianca "rests" from her treatment. Slowly we find out the reasoning behind his neurosis. Though Dagmar is of great assistance, the rest of Lars' community is equally eager to cater Lars' delusion, and assist in "keeping the dream alive."
This story succeeds through great acting, and semi-serious writing. Writer, Nancy Oliver, throws in the occasional gag, but generally opts for the high-road. Lars' even has religious beliefs as does Bianca. Despite the fact that she is a plastic sex-doll, she is treated with the utmost respect thoughout most of the film. Though suspension of disbelief is successful throughout most of the film, it's still a bit much to really believe when thought about logically. You can't help but wonder why anyone besides his immediate family would bother to "go along" with Lars' delusion. Nonetheless, the humanity is part of the film's success; without the emotional journey, "Lars and The Real Girl", wouldn't have a breath of life to it. But what would have made it more interesting is had the emotional journey revolved around Lars rather than the community's love of an alleged sex-toy, then maybe the suspension of disbelief would have never been interrupted...
Saturday, October 6, 2007
The Good Night (2007)
Jake Paltrow's directorial debut, "The Good Night," is a film about reality versus fantasy, specifically relationships versus infatuations. At times, it poignantly relates Gary's (Martin Freeman) unfulfilling life and eventually unfulfilling dreamscape to certain universal truths that are worth thinking about.
Gary, a former pop-star turned commercial jingle-maker, finds his job to be unfulfilling, and somewhat demeaning. His relationship with live-in girlfriend Dora (Gwyneth Paltrow) also provides him with similar feelings. Gary's defeated disposition is only amplified by Paul (Simon Pegg), former band-mate, friend, and current boss, who rides a wave of nonstop success. He finds that his dreams of a mysterious, and elegantly dressed woman named Anna (Penelope Cruz) enthrall him in a way his waking life doesn't. And so, he ultimately does whatever it takes to dream about Anna. This is where sage/mentor Mel (Danny Devito) comes in. He teaches Gary the ways of severe, life-damaging escapism while managing to be somewhat likeable and interesting.
Much like dreams - though not the lucid dreams featured in this film - the overall structure and flow of the picture is murky. Paltrow's character is pretty one-dimensional; she merely nags Gary at every possible opportunity. Her treatment of him could also be loosely categorized as abusive. It makes one wonder why Gary would bother to save such a relationship that has apparently been in a rut for three straight years. Her incredibly undesirable presence makes his willingness to dream utterly understandable, but doesn't make much sense when the arc comes into play.
Anna's brief real-life presence is awkward nor is it used wisely; furthermore, her role in Gary's dream-life seems highly unrealistic given the circumstances of their pre-dream relationship, and post-dream revelation. One would guess that this "twist" is a directorial stint at making a larger-than-life impact on the audience, but it's a twist that is unnecessary nor terribly moving. If director Paltrow had stuck with something that made more sense then maybe the movie would actually be good. Its strongest point is the four or five moments that are genuinely funny. Interestingly enough, director Paltrow makes a "Royal Tenenbaums" reference to actor Paltrow's "Margo" character by having her involved in another "in the bathroom and depressed" situation.
The trailer of "The Good Night" has more structure than the actual film itself. Unfortunately, the trailer is not only misleading, but also god-awful. The film starts out with a series of psuedo-documentary "talking heads" interviews that are both terribly uninformative, and confusing. I guess it's worth watching on DVD if you can't leave your house due to horrible weather conditions or a crippling health issue, but other than that, not so much...
Gary, a former pop-star turned commercial jingle-maker, finds his job to be unfulfilling, and somewhat demeaning. His relationship with live-in girlfriend Dora (Gwyneth Paltrow) also provides him with similar feelings. Gary's defeated disposition is only amplified by Paul (Simon Pegg), former band-mate, friend, and current boss, who rides a wave of nonstop success. He finds that his dreams of a mysterious, and elegantly dressed woman named Anna (Penelope Cruz) enthrall him in a way his waking life doesn't. And so, he ultimately does whatever it takes to dream about Anna. This is where sage/mentor Mel (Danny Devito) comes in. He teaches Gary the ways of severe, life-damaging escapism while managing to be somewhat likeable and interesting.
Much like dreams - though not the lucid dreams featured in this film - the overall structure and flow of the picture is murky. Paltrow's character is pretty one-dimensional; she merely nags Gary at every possible opportunity. Her treatment of him could also be loosely categorized as abusive. It makes one wonder why Gary would bother to save such a relationship that has apparently been in a rut for three straight years. Her incredibly undesirable presence makes his willingness to dream utterly understandable, but doesn't make much sense when the arc comes into play.
Anna's brief real-life presence is awkward nor is it used wisely; furthermore, her role in Gary's dream-life seems highly unrealistic given the circumstances of their pre-dream relationship, and post-dream revelation. One would guess that this "twist" is a directorial stint at making a larger-than-life impact on the audience, but it's a twist that is unnecessary nor terribly moving. If director Paltrow had stuck with something that made more sense then maybe the movie would actually be good. Its strongest point is the four or five moments that are genuinely funny. Interestingly enough, director Paltrow makes a "Royal Tenenbaums" reference to actor Paltrow's "Margo" character by having her involved in another "in the bathroom and depressed" situation.
The trailer of "The Good Night" has more structure than the actual film itself. Unfortunately, the trailer is not only misleading, but also god-awful. The film starts out with a series of psuedo-documentary "talking heads" interviews that are both terribly uninformative, and confusing. I guess it's worth watching on DVD if you can't leave your house due to horrible weather conditions or a crippling health issue, but other than that, not so much...
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