Getafilm Gallimaufry: Midnight in Paris, X-Men: First Class, The Tree of Life, Super 8

Midnight in Paris (A)

Having never been to Paris, I've enjoyed exploring the city's iconic setting in various films, from The 400 Blows (which I saw recently for the first time) to Amelie, Band of Outsiders, Ronin, Before Sunset, 2 Days in Paris, and even European Vacation and Ratatouille, to name just a few. I can see why it makes for such an enchanting setting for movies, and Midnight in Paris hit all the right notes for me again. The smells and spells of the city were a terrific complement to a dream-like fantasy story. Owen Wilson played essentially the same version of the same character he's played in every movie from You, Me, and Dupree to Shanghai Knights, and while I wouldn't have expected that character to fit here, it was a near perfect fit for the quirkiness of the narrative. I didn't buy the chemistry between his character and Marion Cotillard's, but then Midnight in Paris is not a love story between characters but between a director, a city, and his cultural and literary influences. I like that Woody Allen doesn't go to really any length to explain why particular characters are where they are, when they are. The charm of this movie is easy to succumb to, and that it's Allen's highest-grossing film to date speaks to the appeal for mature, original, simple cinema in the midst of the year-round blockbuster bonanza.

X Men: First Class (B+)


Here's a movie for which I couldn't explain my interest ahead of time, other than that some aspect of the original X-Men movie and the story has always intrigued me. It involves the fact that this series is set in the real world and involves real people and places, unlike Batman, for example (why the endless fawning over and praise of that story, I still don't know). You could say Watchmen is also set in the real world, and while those graphic novels may well be interesting (I haven't read them and hated the movie), I still find X-Men to be among the most socially relevant comic book series around. Mutants are, of course, a metaphor for any marginalized minority group in history, which makes the films both relatable and actually much more emotional than Spider-Man or, good grief, The Green Hornet. Lending to the realism in this latest film is the excellent acting from Michael Fassbender, James McAvoy, and Jennifer Lawrence. Casting seasoned dramatic actors in comic book movie doesn't always work (Ed Norton as The Incredible Hulk?), but it definitely did in First Class, and if the cast stays on for the next installment, I'll follow along as well.

The Tree of Life (B+)

Up until a few years ago, I had no idea Terrence Malick was so revered by 25-40 year old male movie buffs. Among my peers in the blogging world, Malick's The New World was far and away considered the best film of the last decade. I remember quite well seeing it in the theater and shrugging my shoulders on the way out, so the devout praise for the film has always escaped me. Not baffled me, because I didn't think it was bad, but escaped me, because...I don't know, maybe I just didn't get it, or know what I should have been watching for, or have enough patience and thought to consider its deeper meanings. I never did give it a second watch, but needless to say the hype around that film made me quite anxious to have a third shot at understanding Malick (I'd previously seen The Thin Red Line). My verdict on The Tree of Life? A visually captivating and ambitious meditation on the meaning of life and nature of family, but a somewhat emotionally dull one at that. Really the only emotion I felt, other than an utter sense of awe at the cinematography and visual effects, was an unnerving fear. Brad Pitt's character was terrifying and his presence was palpable even when he wasn't on screen - maybe that was the point (Sean Penn, meanwhile, seemed absent even when he was on screen). The father-son relationship is one of about a million things that Malick lays out for interpretation and analysis. Over the next few years, as that is sure to play out again online, at least I won't be as confused. And besides, I'd much rather people spend years discussing a film like The Tree of Life than a film like The Dark Knight. (That's two digs now at TDK, if you're keeping score at home.)

Super 8 (C+)

When is a remake not actually a remake? When everything about the new movie is identical to a previous movie, other than a few plot devices. Of course we know by now that Super 8 is J.J. Abrams' homage to the films of Steven Spielberg, but instead of being merely influenced by Spielberg's films (E.T. being the easiest comparison), Super 8 plays like a lesser version of one. Sillier dialogue, a plodding pace, and hardly a speck of originality (to say nothing of logical gaps - how did the camera and the car and the kamikaze teacher come out of the train crash essentially unscathed?). Watching Super 8, I felt like I'd seen it before: the rowdy dining room table, the same-looking alien with the same-sounding guttural growls and high-pitched chirps, the placid suburban neighborhood predictably thrown into chaos. Of course I realize that this criticism, besides making me come off as a total grouch, can also be applied to countless movies. Filmmakers are influenced by filmmakers throughout history, and I expect my issues with Super 8, rather than being based on the movie's own merit, actually just stem from my nostalgia for "the real thing" - Spielberg's films.

REVIEW: Lakeview Terrace (B)

Lakeview Terrace is one of those films that brings together a “coalition of strange bedfellows”: Will Smith as producer, Neil LaBute as director, and Samuel L. Jackson (Jumper) and Patrick Wilson (Little Children) as lead actors; none of them have previously worked on a project together. Using deductive reasoning, then, we can assume that the common thread for their involvement was an attraction to the story by David Loughery, who’s been out of work since 1995 and is probably best known (if he’s known at all) for his screenplays for Star Trek V, Passenger 57, and Money Train. Or maybe Lakeview Terrace was just another offer Sam Jackson couldn't turn down.

Anyway, you have to hand it to Neil LaBute, Hollywood’s favorite misanthropic ex-playwright. After garnering critical acclaim and an armful of awards for his feature film debut, 1997’s In the Company of Men, the former Mormon has seen his successive films disappoint both critics and audiences, no more so evidently than with his disastrous remake of The Wicker Man two years ago. But he keeps on plugging away, and he makes no effort to tone down the “hard edge” that he’s developed over years of producing what most people would consider downright cruel material. LaBute is unbothered by such criticism: "I don't shy away from subjects that come to me - and once I decide to do a subject, I don't pull back - but I'm not consciously stirring the pot or ripping stories out of the headlines to create tension and thus shine the light on me."

Well considering I didn't even know he was behind Lakeview Terrace until I was at the theater, I would say he was successful in putting the issue of interracial marriage ahead of himself. However, the issue itself unfortunately gets lost in a snowballing build-up of standard thriller clichés, leaving us with a film that falls significantly short of its grand ambition. The story, which focuses on L.A.P.D. officer Abel Turner's (Jackson) dangerously increasing discomfort with the interracial newlyweds next door, Chris and Lisa Mattson (Wilson and Kerry Washington of The Last King of Scotland), becomes a messy episode that strays from its meaty central theme as it becomes distracted with unnecessary forays into topics like child abuse, family planning, police corruption, single parenthood, and, with as much symbolic subtlety as a slap to the face, even California's notorious wildfires.

This is a tragic mistake because the themes Lakeview Terrace begins to address are urgently relevant in contemporary (and especially future) America, and previous films about interracial couples have done precious little justice to the issue, if they've even been seen at all. Spike Lee ruffled too many feathers with Jungle Fever, for example, while both Wes Anderson and Susanne Bier virtually ignored the subject in The Royal Tenenbaums and Things We Lost in the Fire, respectively. As such, Lakeview Terrace deserves some credit for at least attempting to initiate a discussion, and that counts for quite a lot. Additionally, I appreciated that the characters were believably written and ably played, particularly by Jackson and Wilson. Their actions may have at times been exaggerated or convenient to the story arc, but for the most part they existed as a people you may know or at least acknowledge exist in real life.

Sam Jackson creates a new definition for the term "housewarming"...

While Lakeview Terrace's effort at an important story doesn't quite make up for its lack of creativity in telling it, I would still consider it worth viewing. There are far more movies that are just as mediocre or even worse, but you'll likely find yourself thinking about Lakeview Terrace in hindsight more so than your average commercial blockbuster. Ultimately it's like much of Neil Labute's work: despite its flaws, it's not a story that can easily be tossed aside.

Grade:
Writing - 7
Acting - 9
Production - 8
Emotional Impact - 9
Music - 4
Social Significance - 5

Total: 42/50= 84% = B

REVIEW: The Darjeeling Limited (C+)

Background: After disappointing virtually all of his fans with The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, Wes Anderson returns with The Darjeeling Limited, featuring his usual cast (Owen Wilson, Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray, Anjelica Huston, et. al.) and a new member to the group, Adrien Brody (The Pianist). Filmed entirely on location in India, The Darjeeling Limited was originally made with a 13 minute short, Hotel Chevalier, that was meant to be screened before it in theaters. Apple and iTunes got mixed up with the studio and distribution details, though, so it wasn't yet being shown when I saw Darjeeling in theaters.

Synopsis: Francis (Wilson), Peter (Brody), and Jack (Schwartzman) Whitman are three estranged and extremely neurotic brothers from New York who are each struggling to cope with their father's death a year ago. Francis has planned a spiritual journey on The Darjeeling Limited train line through India, though he hasn't told his brothers that their final destination is Nepal, where their mother (Huston) has run off to become a nun in a convent. Their journey is clearly in trouble from the first day, as they bicker and whine their way through their ailments and moods. Over the next days of their journey, they achieve no spiritual enlightenment but instead just fight and fuss. After getting kicked off the train and witnessing a really unexpected death, they eventually trek their way to Nepal and reconnect with their mother, who essentially just encourages them to continue their journey - and off they go.

I Loved:
+ That it was filmed on location in India.

I Liked:
+ The minor details - color, luggage, facial expressions, etc.

I Disliked:
- The soundtrack. Gasp! Sorry, I just get sick of the same songs being used in movie after movie. I think Wes Anderson needs to upgrade the memory on that iPod used in the film.
- Adrien Brody's inability to play a typical Wes Anderson character - he's a good actor, just not the right casting choice here. Stick Luke Wilson in as the third brother instead.

I Hated:
- The feeling that I had seen all of these characters before in the other movies - the quirkiness and witty remarks get a little tired the fifth time around.
- The plodding story - I didn't feel like it was going anywhere, and the prolonged ending was awkward.

Grade:
Writing - 7
Acting - 8
Production - 9
Emotional Impact - 8
Music - 4
Significance - 3

Total: 39/50= 78% = C+

Last Word: I really didn't like The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou or even The Royal Tenenbaums as much as Bottle Rocket and especially Rushmore. Because of the downward trend, I didn't expect much from The Darjeeling Limited. That being said, I'm surprised at my grade. I question whether it was really that bad, but the more I think about it the more I remember bad parts. Had I never seen any of Wes Anderson's other movies, I probably would have loved it. But precisely because it was so similar to the other ones, I couldn't find anything new to like. You could separate the video and audio in the trailer and know within 3 seconds who made it. It's nice to have a recognizable style, but not when it gets stale. Somehow, in always trying so hard to avoid cliched characters, Wes Anderson has created his own cliche. Besides that, the plot of Darjeeling is really pretty weak. Look, I like Wes Anderson's movies and he has an original style, but I think fans of his later movies are actually just wistful for the old days. I saw Rushmore at 1:00 PM opening day at the now closed Har-Mar theater, and it's probably one of my top 20 favorite movies ever. Since then, every time Wes Anderson comes out with a new movie I'm hoping for Rushmore 2, but I'm always disappointed. I'm sure I'll see his next movie (which will obviously be about quirky friends/family dealing with neuroticisms), but my expectations are about as low as possible right now.