Rockabilly 514 is a playful "rockumentary" that focuses on rockabilly performances, and the devotees that keep the subculture alive - at least in Montreal, Canada. Directors Patricia Chica and Mike Wafer spent three years following people like the driven loner, and one-man-band Bloodshot Bill, and grocer-by-day-rockstar-by-night members of The Cockroaches. Rockabilly 514 is in no way mind-blowing, nor is it terribly informative, but it is a refresher of the working-class rocker's outlook, and their altruism towards rockabilly.
Nathalie Lavergne, one of the key subjects in the documentary, is the founder of Montreal's rockabilly weekender Red Hot and Blue featuring headliners such as The Comets (in all their geriatric glory,) as well as the less surreal, younger generation of rockabilly, Lyse and The Hot Kitchen. Nathalie is possibly the most interesting subject because of her fiscal selflessness. For two years she has spearheaded a costly yet impressive three day fest of rock n' roll, hot rods, and dance parties only to find herself thousands of dollars in the hole. Her solution? Working seventy-five hour weeks for nine months out of the year to pay off the debt, and hope the the next festival will at least break even.
Then there is Guillaume Ozoux, a lover of rockabilly and hot rod enthusiast - with hardly any money. Guillaume is perhaps the least interesting because of his incessant banter for the scorn he feels towards "the guys with money that just bring it into the shop." It's especially tiresome because even though he was filmed over a period of three years, his rod-to-be is still in shambles by the end of the documentary.
As far as directorial flaws, the one that I was most vexed by was the faux 50s educational-documentary-narration. First and foremost, it's a cheap gimmick. Additionally, it isn't terribly provocative in the sense that it is not especially entertaining, comical or clever. Also, the narration was inconsistent in tone. It did not flawlessly mimick the monotonous tone we've all heard in stodgy made-for-tv wildlife documentaries.
All in all, Rockabilly 514 is filled with the sort of naive, youthful spirit that America might very well be lacking. It's certainly worth a watch, if only to remind us that people still follow their hearts over their wallets, and still manage to eat sometimes too.
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Saturday, December 15, 2007
The Kite Runner (2007)
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.
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.
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...
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