Archive for the 'Cinema/Television' Category

Control vs I’m not there


January 6, 2008
rhiannon

Cinema/Television

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Being both a casual Joy Division fan and a relatively new and somewhat uneducated Bob Dylan fan, I am not perhaps the most suited person to review the two (somewhat) current biopics Control and I’m Not There. At first glance you may place these two films in the same sort of box in your head. Before I saw them I did the same thing. Not so now. Having been waiting to see Control for some months (after missing it at the cinema and being too early for rental) I was super-excited to watch it on the internet with friends this new year’s eve. I was also bitterly disappointed. I’m Not There provided the total antithesis. While Corbijn’s film was moving, beautifully shot and featuring a stunning performance from Samantha Morton as the unappreciated and emotionally tortured Deborah Curtis, there was no subtlety. Everything was spelt out so that it quickly became a narrative going through the motions without a hint of originality. That is probably a little harsh, but the plot was so brutally hammered into the film that it felt like there was nothing under the surface. As I say, I’m Not There was completely opposite to this. For a start, the story itself was never told. With Bob Dylan never being mentioned by name and six actors taking on his role simplicity went out the window. It felt like you had to think about things; take in the surroundings of each scene, mentally capture each character to find out later how they joined on to another, try desperately to work out the date. Much more rewarding than Control’s linear narrative. It also contained the most stunning performance from Cate Blanchett as Dylan post ’66 (where he was named Jude. Get it?). Since then I’ve watched the documentary No Direction Home which caused me to sit with my mouth open! Cate Blanchett was even better than I’d thought at the time! Every movement and utterance was spot on. As well as narrative, this film also fucked with the chronology, making it hard to follow, rewarding to understand, and cooler than ever when two of the “Dylans” met at the end. Glorious!

 

To be honest, one of the best things about each of the films was the soundtrack. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

(Sorry for rambling, that is all). 

New to Theatres: 1/4/08


January 4, 2008
Patrick Ripoll

Cinema/Television

Wow, that’s a dull title. This segment needs a name that catches your attention like “Patrick Ripoll Fingers Your Daughter” or “Hellwolf: You Will Be Eaten Alive” or something. If you can think of a good name, please drop me a line because I can’t think of nothing. It’s not like I’m some kind of writer or something.

Well it’s January, or as I like to call it, “December’s Hangover”. It’s when the studios punish us for enjoying so many great movies at the end of last year by dumping all their crap at the beginning of this one. As a result January is a graveyard, all the corpses like the way I play my guitar, you gotta look cute if you wanna get far, January is like a graveyard. Hell, this weekend only has one major release. My advice is to do like the grizzly: gorge on as many great movies as you can before they leave theatres and hibernate until March.

In the meantime, Edward Burns!

One Missed Call
Starring Edward Burns and Shannyn Sossamon
Directed by Eric Valette
Trailer
I give great butterfly kisses!
The Premise: Several people begin to receive voicemails from their futureselves, detailing the when, where, and how of their own deaths.
The Lowdown: I dunno how much you know about Japanese filmmaker Takashi Miike, director of the original “One Missed Call”, but I’ll pretend you’ve never heard of him just to get everyone on the same page. Takashi Miike is batshit insane. He’s one of the most prolific, controversial, and unusual filmmakers working today. The guy has averaged about 4 films a year since 1996, many of which have stirred up controversey for their transgressive and bizarre violence, and, according to most interviews I have read of his, the guy doesn’t really understand what he does, he just does it. This is the guy who made a yakuza-gangster movie that ends with the crimeboss conjuring a fireball and destroying the Earth (DOA). He made a slow-burn domestic romantic drama that ends with some of the most brutal torture ever committed to film (Audition). Ichi the Killer’s title credits rise out of a puddle of cum. The dude has made some wacky shit. Whether or not he’s truly an outsider artist or he’s just putting people on, I can’t say, but the man has undeniably made many great, if unusual, films (Audition, Gozu, DOA: Birds, Ichi the Killer). But he’s also made a lot of crap. Sadly, One Missed Call goes in the latter category.

What does this mean about this remake? Not much, really. The original is standard J-horror fare, and there’s little about the remake to suggest it will be anything other than a standard remake. Edward Burns is about as average a leading man as you can get, and the only film I really remember Shannyn Sossamon from is Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (she’s the pink-haired girl who Robert Downey Jr. watches die). But I will say that, if there is a scene featuring that creature on the poster who has mouths for eyes, and he devours something through it’s eyemouths, I will love this movie forever. Until then, I’ll keep waiting for Hollywood to remake Visitor Q (I dare you to! I double dare you!)

Is it Worth Seeing?: I personally can’t stand J-horror, or Hollywood remakes of J-horror. But if that’s your bag, this is as good as any.

Also: Juno, Atonement and The Orphanage are all expanding their releases. So be on the lookout for those fine films. And if you haven’t already seen No Country For Old Men, godammit, do it! 

New to Theatres: 12/28/07


December 28, 2007
Patrick Ripoll

Cinema/Television

It’s Friday, which means somewhere out there, Chris Tucker is getting Ice Cube high. It also means that a bunch of waiters wearing red and white vertical stripes and buttons are singing God’s praises before asking you if you’d like a Loaded Potato Skins appetizer. But most importantly, Friday means that new movies are hitting theatres. Some may be good, some may be bad, but they’re all going to show that Three Doors Down “Citizen Soldier” National Guard video before the trailers. Let’s check them out!

The Bucket List
Starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman
Directed by Rob Reiner
Blandness!
The Premise: Two dying old guys have fun, learn to love life, and tug at your heartstrings in the safest and most predictable of ways.
The Lowdown: This is going to be this years Little Miss Sunshine. That is to say, the slightly above-average movie that everyone’s parents go and see, get exactly what they expect, and proclaim it to be “great” or “cute”. Cut to a year later, it’s playing on TNT and they sit down to watch it not even realising they’ve seen it before. Rob Reiner hasn’t made a truly good movie for 15 years, instead opting to play it safe with very dull formulaic comedies like Alex & Emma or Rumor Has It. This one appears to be no different.
Is it Worth Seeing?: If you’re 40 years old and like to be spoon-fed life affirming pap, sure.

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