A collection of my idiosyncratic thoughts & film reviews. I find spending time sitting in the dark watching far too many films back to back a deeply relaxing experience. International, Indy, Hollywood, Vampires - I have very flexible tastes...
Zombie Girl is not at all what it sounds like. First off, it's a documentary - something you don't normally associate with the brain eating undead. Second, it's not a horror film even though it does touch on mother-near teen daughter relations.
Instead it's the real life adventures of Emily Hagins who over the course of two years worked seriously at writing, directing, and mostly producing her own feature length zombie flick. It's both sweet, interesting, and laugh out loud funny. Emily is clearly a little ahead of her age in certain areas - if only in her love for movies. By the way - she starts off at 11 and ends the film at age 13. Encouraged by her parents (especially her mother) she'd been a frequent attender of all sorts of cinematic fare. After writing to the director of her beloved Lord of the Rings films (Peter Jackson) she's introduced to Austin's local film making scene. That scores her an internship on set around which time she writes a script for her movie entitled "Pathogen". Yes, a zombie film - hence the name of the movie. Then with the support of friends and family she launches into actually making it a reality. Of course it takes a lot longer than she expects but she doggedly sticks with it. The documentary doesn't really focus on the quality of the final result (which I haven't seen) but on the girl herself, the relationship with her parents and the realities of the film making process itself (and perhaps all large creative projects undertaken by the less than experienced). Things aren't sugar coated and I felt the doc's film makers gave a pretty good view on what was going on - while editing their work well to get a good mix of humor in. I laughed out loud pretty frequently throughout the screening. Watching her edit at the end I suspect the film is better than it sort of looked in pieces as it was shot. It would have been fantastic to attend a double feature both of the doc and of the zombie feature itself.
To re-iterate. This is NOT a film just for zombie fans - the zombie content is largely irrelevant. It is a film about children with drive, their parents and the creative process that's well worth your time if you can find it. Though if you are a zombie fan you'll be reassured to know that Emily does her zombies the right way - slow moving hordes. She's very clear on that point. :-)
Screening Notes: I attended this film at Seattle's Central Cinema which is a combination bar/restaurant/movie theater. I'd been a few times for SIFF events but never really stayed for a film and/or food. It turned out to be a fun venue. Screenings are inexpensive and the food is reasonably priced. The seating is pretty mixed, some booths, some chairs - nothing especially plush. The projection is probably the weakest point with a large digital projector bolted on the ceiling. The film (and the short before it) was occasionally showing some artifacts - but it's hard to say whether it's the resolution of the projector or of the "film's" source. It was passable enough and I enjoyed being able to snack on a pizza before the film. The popcorn slathered with real butter (for way less than any chain cinema) was a treat too. Though one I sort of felt a little guilty about later. I saw Groundhog Day was screening for Feb 2nd - so I'm already contemplating a return trip.
Extraordinary Measures is what seems like a very interesting story told unfortunately in a not especially interesting way. Harrison Ford and the guy from The Mummy franchise together tell the story of a father who throws a bit of a Hail Mary pass in order to beat the odds and save the lives of his children born with a terrible disease. I saw this quite a while ago and before it was released but until now have been procrastinating on writing it up. Since then I've seen others refer to it in reviews as a made for TV movie. I think it's at the stronger end of that spectrum perhaps - but I'll admit the same thing came to my mind. Definitely not something I'd recommend shelling out to see in theaters - video and/or cable will suit it just fine. As depicted in the trailers this based on a true story film follows Brendan Fraser's attempt to get Harrison Ford's scientist character past his self limiting behavior in time to deliver on a miracle cure for his very ill children. I could sit and snark at different parts of it - but for once I'm going to pretend I'm better than that. It's somewhat of a tearjerker but never really goes for broke in that regard - in a generally good way - at least given my mood when I saw it. Mostly a feel good story - if you don't entirely think too much. Especially about the part on how with our current health care system you've got to wonder what affording this medicine would do to folks not lucky enough to have insurance.
It's been a while but I figure I better get back into things and finish off the reviews things I watched in Palm Springs. A few more posts and I should be caught up. Would have been done earlier had blogspot's fancy new editor eaten a good chunk of my writing. I know it's a poor craftsmen who blames his tools - but I think that expression came along before web based buggy computing. Once I'm caught up I plan to go through the list of everything I saw there (and before if it screened during the fest) to put together my Palm Springs Best in Fest list.
The Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls (New Zealand)- very near the start of this film a man relates an experience at a party at a comedy festival. Learning from he hailed from New Zealand the producer asked him to give him a sense as to the state of comedy was there, for example who's the biggest act there? When he responded it was the Topp Twins, yodeling lesbian twins the fellow coughed and suddenly recognized someone else he needed to talk with. That anecdote is a perfect start to this documentary which gives outsiders a quick but effective crash course in the twin's career. The movie is both interesting AND entertaining. The Topp Twins grew up on a farm and developed a musical act that combines political country music with a series of evolving characters. This likely doesn't sound particularly appealing - but it's near impossible to dislike this pair. That characteristic as New Zealand everywomen (or men in some cases given their characters) plus their political positions have made them both comedy gold and a very positive face for the gay rights movement (and other causes) in their native country. There's nothing particularly fancy about this doc - but given the material I think that's just perfect. You wouldn't want to steal the thunder of the twins (not that I'm sure you could). Peppered with historical footage and talking head interviews (cool to see Billy Bragg after so many years) I got a nice sense of their music, their positions politically and the life they've lead. Hard not to both enjoy and be impressed.
Slovenian Girl (Slovenia)- Real estate can certainly be a trap in some cases weighing the owner down making them feel unable to escape their circumstances. We've heard a lot of stories along these lines in the news the last couple of years. The Slovenian girl brings a more extreme example of this sort to the fore. A cautionary tale about a college student who becomes a prostitute mainly it seems to improve here standard of living vs. a desperate physical need. As expected things are a little tougher than she bargained for - and as tough as she is it may not be enough. I liked this film for it's simple and not super melodramatic treatment of the subject matter and the depth they added via her relationship with her father. Can't call it must see, but nothing to run away from if the opportunity presents itself.
The trailer below is sort of odd as it has footage from the film I saw, but the subtitled voice over is not in the film. Interestingly enough it sort of lays the background for the film's start out concisely - where the film leaves you to wonder where things started for her.
I Killed My Mother (Canada) - ever argued in an aggressive, possibly mean verbal way with your mom as a teenager? Realized you loved her but had feelings of hate? Were openly out of the closet but couldn't/didn't share that with her? Ok, so a lot of people would identify with at least the first two - though likely not as extremely as in this film. For me though the question at hand isn't the authenticity of the mother/son relationship on screen but the larger question, "do I really feel a need to watch." There was a fair amount I liked here. Visually the film was well directed with several nice moments conveying a lot through style vs. dialog. Not to say there's a dearth of talking. There's actually a lot of it, and it's verbal/emotional violence that the title refers to - not the physical sort. I thought it was an interesting film that realistically captured the dynamics of the two people in its center. If you're in the mood to watch and analyze a relationship of this sort I think you might really appreciate (or likely love) this film. For me, sort of a been there, done that (to a lesser degree), don't need to watch it again attitude prevailed. But I'd definitely see the next film from this young director.
Denzel Washington stars in this version of The Road light. It's a pretty obvious comparison - you get the same end of the world where resources are scarce and cannibalism is not uncommon. Into this universe though comes Eli (Denzel) a lone ass kicking machine touting a book he pores over by night. No kid in tough and never the victim the feel is actually very different. Eventually Eli stumbles into a town straight out of an old western run by your standard evil boss man with ambition (Gary Oldman). Boss man has been having his roving gangs of thugs searching the surrounding lands for a book - one very special book. It's rare due to being systematically destroyed after the apocalypse, as it was seen to have been to blame for the happenings. Of course the book that's causing so much trouble for everyone is The Bible (see - Hollywood isn't always blaming everything on Islam). As Oldman seeks the word as a way to control the populace of his expanding community Washington is propelled through a voice in his head to bring the book west (which has taken him over 30 years - Moses isn't the only one with a poor sense of direction). Stuck temporarily in Oldman's town Eli makes an impression as a man of value even before Oldman truly understands what he carries with him. Then things go a bit more violent and into chase mode. Oh, there's a girl involved and some other drama I'm skipping over. But that's almost always the case. :-)
If this makes the movie seem simplistic - that's 'cuz it is. While it has the looks (albeit slightly slicked up) of The Road this is more mass entertainment than something that will cause you to have a discussion on the role of morality when survival is at stake over dinner afterward. That's not necessarily a bad thing - as I thought the look, and Denzel's ass kicking performance made for a pleasant enough evening out. Low expectations and a super comfy chair also didn't hurt. I cannot really recommend it. But if the trailer appeals to you, and you're not expecting deepness I think you'll enjoy it. That said I did go in with one serious strike against liking it - having clicked through to a spoiler on another blog (it was clearly labeled so entirely my bad) which gave away some of the ending. Personally, I don't think it would have made a huge difference - this ain't Layercake - but it's possible the overall experience did suffer somewhat.
Screening Notes: For some reason I chose The Book of Eli as my test film to try what everyone I know calls "that ridiculously expensive theater" aka Gold Class Cinema in Redmond. With ticket prices listed at $35 a pop they're luck more people don't refer to them as "that crazy theater that charges $35 a seat and doesn't include a in the price." Though I have heard that description several times as well. With a full bar and reasonably broad food menu they've been selling the "luxury" movie experience sans noisy teens. Little less known is that if you sign up with their email list / frequent sucker club (and yes fake info works) they've now cut the price to $22. That makes it roughly a $12 premium over a standard ticket. Hence my willingness to engage in a bit of research. For this price you get to choose your seat in a relatively posh (if overly corporate hotel looking) theater. Formerly a full sized multiplex, the theaters have been retrofitted with new seats and a minimum number of rows - from 6-8 from what I can tell. Seats are wide and soft with electronic reclining controls and lounger style footrests - and except being paired up fairly separated from other chairs. Upon sitting down I was offered a blanket or pillow - though since I was there to watch a movie and not sleep I declined. Thankfully there's not a hard sell to buy anything - and the soft drinks I ordered turned out to be complementary (cutting the cost differential from a local theater further). I should have asked what else was free ("and I'll try that...") but it didn't occur to me until later. It's not a perfect film watching experience. Projection was good but the occasional (if discrete) traffic of wait staff and the less than super dark theater (presumably for eating) is less than ideal. That said I'll probably go back from time to time as it was relaxing in it's own way. Just as long as they keep the price where it is and at least some beverages are included. Next time I may sample the food if I make it out on a Tuesday when they seem to run half price menu options for the day.
So, I'm way behind on my blogging. I'm guessing this isn't a huge inconvenience to too many folks, what with the whole iPad thing (wow - that name just doesn't sound right) to keep you busy. But for me it's getting daunting with around 8 Palm Springs write-ups to go, several films I left in half finished note form before leaving and another 2-3 since I've been back. But seeing the new Mel Gibson film Edge of Darkness has motivated my (potentially temporary return). Mainly for the good of the movie going populace I just feel compelled to put fingers to keyboard to explain why you should do something else, heck almost anything else this weekend short of watching Last Chance Harvey. Though at the rate my opinion is dropping on this film you might want to check back by Saturday to see if I've kept my position on that one.
I'll admit I'm not a huge fan of Mel Gibson - but I think he like other blunt (and occasionally comically anti-semitic) tools can have their uses. In this derivative mash-up of a revenge fantasy, mystery/thriller, and bad movie Gibson's daughter is murdered after paying him a sudden visit in Boston. Killed on the steps of his home, the police assume Gibson, a police detective is the target. But we, having seen both some off behavior on the daughter's part - not to mention the trailer know something else is afoot. Gibson deals with shock (though oddly not as much shock as one would expect) and then sets out to find her friends and learn a bit about her friends and life. Of course they were not as close as they were when she was a little girl in keeping with proper movie cliches. As he meets skittish people and finds odd things that don't add up (like a random geiger counter) he begins to realize that his daughter who works at a creepy nuclear facility for especially creepy people was the target. I hate to spoil things - but if unless you're seeing this movie based on Gibson's name alone you probably know this already. If you are seeing this based on Gibson's recent work I should mention there's far less violence than some of those film. Though too be clear, one of those was about Jesus - so what did you really expect there?
The best part of the film for me was the semi-mysterious government cleaner played by Ray Winstone who offers Gibson either direction or misdirection. The two of them onscreen work relatively well - and Winstone is fun to watch onscreen. Other than that though the film just never hit the right tone for me. I didn't especially feel anything for the loss of his daughter, or even the daughter herself. Which is hard to imagine as she seems nice enough and minutes into the film is shotgunned in the chest. Nothing really seemed to click, not the accents, not the plot about possibly evil government stuff, or the short lived action sequences. Perhaps most unsatisfying in a revenge film is that the cathartic (almost) climax left me somewhere between cold and uninvolved. Not to mention the ultimate attempt to soften things at the end and perhaps pull a tear with a touch of spiritual mumbo jumbo. Overall, a film I'm glad not to have paid for.
Oh, if you're thinking the trailer doesn't look bad - just be aware that almost all the decent lines in the film are in there. Not that you'd expect them to be able to top the line "eventually you need to decide if you're hanging on the cross or banging in the nails" anyway.
Screening notes: The best part of this film was listening (OK eavesdropping - sue me, I'm human) to the pair behind me talking about film while we waited on line. There was some generally amusing banter going on, but the best part was when a drunk and very belligerent guy several folks behind us started making a scene when it seemed he might not get in (we were way back in the line). "I love it when people come to the screenings in character as their favorite actor" was the woman's quick and accurate snark. Well played anonymous young blond film expert. Also, I agree with your righteous defense of The Hangover's win against Nine in (what I think was either the Golden Globes or Peoples Choice awards) against your companion's attack. Just saying...
Friday was a busy day for me. Through mostly random chance (can't take credit for good planning) I managed to catch five films today. Even had a very entertaining (and tasty) lunch during one of them at the Camelot. Overall decent stuff, but nothing that was really a runaway must see for me. Here's the quick scorecard of what went on...
Jaffa (Israel) - The description of this film as a Romeo and Juliet story between a Jewish Israeli girl and an Israeli Arab man isn't entirely accurate. Mainly in the fact that everyone does not end up dead. We first meet the couple in love and planning to elope. Some unexpected plans put serious and possibly breaking stresses on their relationship. The story evolves slowly but held my interest. Not the top rung of Israeli drama over the past several years for me - but still rather good. I'm purposefully avoiding giving away any of the story progression in case you want to see it. Not just because I'm lazy.
I Love You Phillip Morris (USA) - Based on a true story about a man (Jim Carrey) who consistently gets arrested for a variety of cons to help him live the high life (as he puts it "being gay is expensive") and then continually breaking out to be with the love of his life (Ewan McGregor). In some ways it seems like it'd be a very different role for Carrey, though his manic comic mannerisms come through - with at least one scene suggesting the courtroom antics of Liar Liar. Though this is far more of a dramatic performance with a touch of comedy than a stereotypical "Jim Carrey" film. When the comic Carrey peeks through it's not in a bad way. The film as a whole is a sort of a collection of amusing anecdotes about the things he does "for love." Also not to many of the Pet Detective movies have Carrey sexually pounding away at a another guy while crudely describing the likely outcome of their dynamic congress. Unless I missed one of the sequels. Regardless of it's likelihood of broad commercial success given that description I found it more entertaining than I expected - if at times a little predictable. Almost worth it just for a great throw-away line towards the end about the Texas justice/penal system.
The Eclipse (Ireland) - Is it a ghost story, a love triangle involving Ciarán Hinds, Iben Hjejle, and Aidan Quinn or just an exercise in the creation of a Irish Gothic visual experiment? Personally I think it works best as a combination of the 1st and 3rd possibilities and least well as a love triangle story. Interesting at times, and definitely fun to look at I kept wondering what exactly was missing. Probably a more concrete plot. I get there were themes of loss, and choices along with death and closure. But I still felt like something solid tying it all together was missing. So not my fave film of the day. But my favorite actual screening experience as I juggled lunch from the theater's sandwich selection on my lap throughout the film.
Daniel & Ana (Mexico) - A brother and sister from upper class Mexican society are kidnapped and forced to have sex with each other for a criminal underground pornography ring. Clearly a horrible thing which the film's opening and closing claim is true, specifically for the case depicted and more common in general than one might believe. This film covers the incident and then the after effects on the brother, sister and their family. Just didn't totally see the point of watching such terrible goings on - the impact is sort of what you'd expect - not good at all. As a side note, I felt bad for the couple I was sitting next to. As far as I can tell onscreen depictions of violently coerced incestuous pornography and it's aftereffects = worst date movie ever. Except perhaps anything with Robin Williams and Tim Allen.
Is it Just Me? (USA) - Before this film had an interesting conversation with a guy on line who was complaining that te movie's plot was lifted, and I quote, "directly from Eating Out 3." Not having seen that film (nor the suggested first two outings of the franchise) I can't say one way or the other. But I can say that I didn't laugh especially often during this comedy - nor did I feel drawn to any of the character's problems. I've seen plenty of good gay themed takes on the class romantic and/or sex comedy - and I'm pretty sure I'm able to like any variation of the form. But this wasn't one of them for me. Some of the humor and the very attractive guys (also confirmed by 'Eating Out' quote guy) - it seemed to be at least ok for the audience. So if you fit the film's targeted demographic you might like this romantic sex comedy better than I. Though I've seen some pretty terrible lesbian romantic comedies where the women were gorgeous - and that still didn't make them movies I'd recommend paying for. Amusingly in one way it's similar to any straight sex comedy - an over reliance on (visual) blowjob jokes throughout.
Quick update: I just glanced at the profile for Eating Out: All You Can Eat on IMDB and I can see the general similarities between confusing online profiles. But won't go there - in much the same way that I won't point out that one of the current film's plot points about a writer who delivers his blog entries as physical paper to his editor is a little bit stupid.
My movie going fortunes took a turn for the positive on Thursday with three films I can recommend to varying degrees.
Eamon - comically dark yet oddly sweet Irish film about a boy who's at times a poster child for birth control and two parents whose life stresses estrange them from a lot of good in their lives. I really liked the film though I'm not sure it's for everyone. Things start out with the film making clear that Eamon is driving his mom a bit crazy. Dad's going a bit crazy too - seemingly from Eamon taking up his spot in bed. With a school vacation upon them and super short on cash the family heads to a cottage by the shore. No one quite wants to be there - with the possible exception of Eamon. There's a lot of longing going on. Eamon longing to have kids to play with, Dad longing for Mom, and Mom eyeing the buff guy on the sandy beach. These are not great parents but somehow I was sympathetic. Eamon is not a great kid - but again sympathetic. This is a dark comedy and manages to deliver the dark and the laughs while still having a touch of sweet. I quite liked both the story and the bright but largely natural visual style. Again, your mileage may vary - but I recommend it.
Reverse - this is truly a black comedy. I didn't know that going in, which introduced a strange queasiness as I laughed at horrible events and began to question my moral compass (at least more than usual). Set in post WW-II Poland a woman, her mother and her grandmother do what they need to survive under tough but arbitrary Communist rule. I didn't completely love it, but I was interested in the characters AND laughed. The music over the end is just a brilliant touch. Be warned, if you cannot picture any circumstance in which a bathtub filled with sulfuric acid (or equally caustic agent) can be a source of humor, stay away.
Artois the Goat - I'd really been looking forward to this film about a man who tries to do something he's proud of by making an award winning goat milk cheese. It's not without it's flaws (the camp/cheeseball meter may be dialed up a tad too high) but enthusiasm and some good food porn made it work for me. Plus in my book on screen goats cover a multitude of sins. I'm also always interested in "geek" stories where someone will obsess over the minutia of something to become truly great at it. The film can also be seen as a coming of age film as the protagonist feels he cannot commit to marriage with his girlfriend until be can contribute something important to the world. Shot on what looks like digital in the Austin/mumblecore tradition (though well miked throughout) this won't satisfy anyone looking for polish. But I enjoyed it for what it was. Fun enough for me.
I got to the Palm Springs International Festival half way through. So my day 1 is probably something like day 6 of real screenings. I arrived to find things in full swing and it felt like the pros and volunteers had everything well coordinated. So far no glitches or unnecessary waiting. Here's a quick rundown on what I saw on Wed. All in all it was a fun day, even if the fare often proved less than spectacular. If only because I got the chance to catch up with old friends and enjoy some fabulous walking weather.
Chameleon from Hungary was both the start and the cinematic highlight of my day. It's a (perhaps cautionary) tale of two men who grew up in a state home together and who are now con men. Their game of choice is seducing vulnerable women and then separating them from their savings. Until one of them reaches for a bigger score. Does greed undo them? will they find true love? And is true love to be found in women or hard currency? These are the issues that may or may not be resolved. You'll just need to see it to find out. I liked the film, being partial to the con genre. It's not an outstanding example of the form but it was a reasonable way to start the day.
Father and Guns - observing rule #1 (or perhaps #2) from Zombieland my next activity after Chameleon turned out to be "cardio" as I ran from one theater to the other (Annenberg to Regal to make the next film given only 15 minutes between end and start for anyone keeping score). Arriving slightly breathless for the start of Father and Gun my heart quickly and unfortunately slowed back to normal levels once the film began. Billed as a comedy this French Canadian piece features a father and son pair of policemen. The father is an old school tough guy (yes, John Mclane from Diehard is invoked - it's that kind of flick) who doesn't think his son is tough enough. Or at least street smart enough - a great marksman on the range he's unable to perform under pressure - that sort of thing. Which is a problem as apparently Quebec is awash with crime. When a police officer is kidnapped an incredibly contrived series of events force the father and son to enroll in a therapy/bonding retreat for men and their offspring. Yes, seriously - I am not making this up. There's also a love interest thrown in to ensure we're not just looking at men the whole time (and/or to reassure us I suspect that the son is not gay). I'll admit to chuckling once or twice, but not nearly enough to recommend it. Much of the audience seemed to have a better time than I. I'd read that this is being remade by Hollywood. As "meh" as this outing was I suspect the US version will be spectacularly horrible. Tim Allen's agent is probably already in talks for the role now.
Next up I tried "The Long Night" a film from Syria I'd really been looking forward too. Three political prisoners either await or experience release from prison after 20 years. It comes as a shock to them and it's clear they're not sure what to think. The families who are used to disappointment or in some cases not exactly sure what to do with the returning relatives are also dealt with. It's a challenging film as it's difficult to follow what's happening. Part of that I believe is intentional to put the viewer inside the prisoner's random and arbitrary world. While a slow reveal is nice this one felt very, very slow and for me the payoff wasn't that satisfying. It's likely that knowing more about Syrian culture and their history of political suppression might make this movie take on a completely different hue. Nothing here says must be seen on the big screen, so if you're still curious you can wait for video.
Landscape No. 2 - A dark story from Slovenia which likely has local meaning that takes this film to a different level. As it were I thought it was interesting for a while but lacked a solid payoff - which may have been part of the point. On one hand it had elements I'd normally enjoy - criminal activity of the mentor/mentee type, a dark ending where as in life (almost) everyone ends up dead and some seriously gratuitous and enthusiastic sex. Not to mention a deep talking cleaner (voice perfectly matched to role) killing everyone who might have seen a set of purloined documents. But by the end it just felt like a fair amount of sound and fury signifying not a lot. Or as the official festival description more positively describes it "A killer representing an ugly, unresolved and nearly forgotten chapter of post-WWII history confronts a cynical, amoral Everyman in Landscape No. 2. Played realistically yet with a wink to Grand Guignol theatrics, this audacious, superbly crafted, contemporary horror film spiced with humorous hardcore action pushes numerous politically incorrect buttons." For me it was probably the second best film of the day, but it's competition wasn't quite world class.
Getting reading to head out on day two of my Palm Spring Film Festival adventures. More updates to follow here and on Twitter. Actually - took a little longer than I thought to send this so I've actually seen my first film. Eamon - and it was my fave so far out of what I've seen.
I'm starting to think after seeing four films that I put in the "just OK" category that it might be me. We'll see if this feeling of general film malaise continues into the Palm Springs International Film Festival next week. I certainly hope it does not.
With that less than enthusiastic start let me begin to discuss Daybreakers the new vampire themed sci-fi/horror combo stars Ethan Hawke and Willem Dafoe. On the one hand at least Hawke isn't wandering around any more with Julie Delpy acting all mopey about his bourgeois American existence. On the other hand, this time he's moping around because the world has become populated with vampires who didn't really do the math on the living in harmony with their human food supply (see, Avatar's not the only film out now with an environmental message). The remaining humans are farmed for blood and the vamps are running out of food. Additionally bumming Hawke out is that he was turned against his will and as the ironically employed lead researcher to find a blood substitute he's not been successful. Even if he is it's not entirely clear that the blood farming will stop. Of course it's also possibly that he's depressed because it seems this vampire disease makes everyone dress in dark suits, wear vintage hats and smoke cigarettes in their metal and glass houses (Yes - I get the lack of wood in the houses is a purposeful adaptation to the deadly menace of wood splinters through the heart for the vamp population) Maybe he was just a t-shirt and jeans guy before the changes came upon them?
Even though a lot has clearly been invested in the look of the film - there is a story. Hawke, as mentioned is looking for a blood substitute to save the starving blood sucking populace. With only a small worldwide blood supply left people are getting desperate. Making things worse, instead of just starving to death the blood deprived begin to turn into giant super powered bats devoid of the ability to reason and hunting/killing on instinct. So in short things are bad, bad, bad. Around this time Hawke meets up with some of the remaining humans. Whose leader is Willem Dafoe playing a character who seems to be much less of an ass than his role in Antichrist. When the humans later seek his help for an alternative resolution to the starving vampire problem Hawke jumps at the opportunity. What happens next takes up the second half of the film. I won't delve deeper in the how/what/when - only to say that things wrap up in the way things do when one is pretty sure there's going to be a sequel. Which in this case is less absurd to believe could happen than in the case of Jumper.
Normally I'm all about the vampire entertainment - though admittedly my tastes tend to to run more along the campy/tragic love/fun Buffy/Sookie vein and less towards full bodied bloody mayhem (and don't get me started on stories that start one way only devolve into pain porn supernatural wackiness - yes, I'm talking about you Anita Blake). So if it's got a vampire twist of some sort I'm usually up for giving it a try - and am predisposed to enjoy it. Daybreakers though just never seemed to pull me into its story or universe enough to fully enjoy the ride. There's a purposefully cold feel to the world visually, but unfortunately I also was cool to the characters and storyline. The film purposefully seemed to play on the more analytical side of things - how would vamps deal with deadly daylight, adapt their housing, children who don't grow up, etc. Maybe it's that why it felt more mechanical than emotional to me. I did appreciate some of the sci-fi aspects of the story as the authors provide their own twists to the vamp mythology. But none of it wowed me compared to other works (including two recent books I'd read covering similar ground such as Vamped or Already Dead) to overcome the lack of connection I felt with the characters or action. At times the film heads decidedly more in the action/horror direction - and in this area too it lacked a certain kick-assedness of other genre work (even Blade or Underworld come to mind for goofy fun). Yep - even as I write I'm starting to think I've become a hard grader this past few weeks. :-)
Visually the movie seems to nail the dark world the vampire's have created and the film makers do manage to generate suspense in the appropriate places. There's a bit of requisite gore that seems fitting within the storyline and explains the R rating (though that could just be all the smoking). To pull it all back together, I certainly did not hate it - and if you're a big vampire flick fan there's not reason to avoid it. I know there will be a lot of folks that will appreciate it more than I. It just didn't rise to what admittedly may have been overly high expectations.
Jeff Bridges plays a broken down country singer with all the standard movie troubles of his ilk - trouble with kids he walked out on, trouble with women he had in his past and of course a serious alcohol problem. A semi functional drunk he's still talented enough to scratch out an existence on tour in bowling alleys and small town bars. But unable to get back on top or achieve financial ability. Perhaps though a good woman could change all that ...
I went in knowing really nothing at all about this film other than that there was buzz that Bridges would be nominated and was regarded a possible (if not likely) winner for the best actor Oscar. So on the positive side I got to watch the story unfold without preconceptions. Initially I was enjoying the slow pace as Bridges' character "Bad Blake" came into focus across a series of gigs. Talking with his manager between stops who tried to get him to write some new songs and possibly work with his former protegee who had since become a big country music draw. In the music venues and on the phone we start to get a sense as to who this man is, and was. And that's a good thing. But somewhere part of the way it took a turn downhill - for me this most likely happened when Maggie Gyllenhaal came on-screen as his possible source of salvation. She's fine - but the relationship just felt off and not just because of the gap in their ages. Perhaps more the implausibility of a young beautiful woman who seemed mostly together being so immediately drawn to a pretty scuzzy looking, heavy drinking washed up singer. Not to mention the freely allowing the guy with a drinking problem to watch her son. The rest of the movie teases us with trying to guess which way things will go for "Bad" - will he find salvation, or hit bottom and keep going straight through the floor?
If this sounds awfully familiar then you're thoughts are heading the same way as mine. I didn't really feel as though I left with any special insights into the character, his relationships or even his song writing method (though the music certainly isn't a low point of the film). Afterward a friend mentioned there have been published comparisons between Crazy Heart and The Wrestler. But I think that's entirely fair to the earlier film. Sure, both deal with men who've lived a life of pain and mistakes following professional and material success. But I left The Wrestler having experienced something new and different - in the case of Crazy Heart decidedly less so. There's a line in the film where Blake is working on a song and he asks Gyllenhaal what she things. Her remark is that it seems familiar - and he answers that the best songs sound such the first time you hear them. That may be true for musical classics - but in this case the film does start out with an easy familiarity but didn't take me anywhere hugely enlightening that other cinema hasn't shown me before.
I may be slightly hard on this film given the expectations I walked in with from Oscar buzz. Bridges does a solid job as do all the actors onscreen. But the work as a whole doesn't raise the bar in the country singer's having a tough living and seeking salvation genre (yes, I believe such a genre exists) - nor come even close to the performance Colin Firth delivered in A Single Man. So not at all something to avoid - you won't leave feeling miserable and you'll likely enjoy some of the songs. But it's not changing any of the positions on my 2009 best films list (nor likely my 2010 one) to open up a slot for Crazy Heart. And Colin's still got my vote - for the little it's worth.
Michael Caine is a blind writer who seems to have an easy way with the stories, and the women. When we first meet him he explains his origins as director who used Caine as a pen name for his written work but directed film under his true identity Mateo Blanco. At some point he felt forced to take on his pen name permanently, abandoning his original identity. The why is briefly pushed to the background in the introduction as he proves that his current existence isn't one of complete misery as seduces a good samaritan who'd helped him across the street (there's one crazy chicken crossing the road joke in there if I was a smarter man). Caine has rebuilt his life with the support of his manager and her son Diego (who serves as Caine's assistant, typist, etc.) He's very much into his writing of screenplays and living his life with as few regrets as possible. There's the hint of something dark in his past that sparks one's interest in knowing more.
The film gets off to a leisurely start (if you weren't enjoying it you'd probably call it slow). Some of the early scenes with Diego were particularly enjoyable - my personal favorite being when the two of them brainstorm on an idea that Diego has for a vampire film. Their creative process seemed relatively believable (which is rare enough) and the R-rated discussion as they define their mythology explore the limits of the vampire/mortal relationship that's hasn't quite made the Twilight novels. This discussion arrives out of left field and probably would have been cut in a lesser film - but this time was well spent laying the groundwork for our perceptions of the characters throughout the rest of the film. At the same time, Caine's life isn't all peaches and cream - there's a moment of distinct stress when a character named Ray X makes an appearance wanting to commission Caine to write a screenplay for him. Caine throws him out in a fit of anger - that at the time seems unlike the character we've met so far.
While his mother is out of town, Diego ends up in the hospital and is cared for by Caine. Diego presses him for more details about his prior life, and Caine begins to open up - much in the spirit of a father telling his son a bedtime story. The tale involves his final film as a director, the woman he fell in love with during it, and ultimately how he came to declare Mateo Blanco dead. The story unravels in a deliberately paced way - and theres more than enough to keep an active mind guessing at where things are heading. Alternatively, you could just sit back and settle in to listen to the dialog and drama that unfolds. Either way, I think things would work well for an enjoyable evening.
Not surprisingly given the director there's more to this than just the story - the cinematic visuals are top notch. There's some amazingly beautiful natural scenery - some of which is shown in the trailer below (and no - I'm not only referring to Penelope Cruz). After leaving the theater I reminded myself that I really need to go to Spain sooner rather than later for a visit. As a full package Broken Embraces did what I'm looking for in a film - exciting my visual senses, pulling me into the story whose end I could not fully predict, and giving me dialog that made me pay attention. Overall I highly recommend this film - it was a great way for me to wrap my 2009 theater-going.
There's one more thing I wanted to say - but it could be considered a mild spoiler. So if you've seen the film or you're not quite as unbending as Frank "I like to go in fresh" Costanza feel free to continue after the jump. The trailer follows as well.
