Lost at Sea

Earlier this year a film came out that fascinated me right from the opening shots.  It was an epic adventure, at once mystical, intense, and thought-provoking, and it was one of the most stunningly beautiful films I had ever experienced.  Tonight I watched it again and I’m so glad to say that “Life of Pi” still fascinates.

"Life of Pi” begins when a novelist arrives at the home of the adult Piscene (Pi) Patel; he’s been sent there by an acquaintance to hear the tale of how, when he was a boy, Pi survived for 227 days alone in a lifeboat with a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker (more on him in a bit).  Through a series of flashbacks we follow Pi from his childhood in India where he yearned to find spiritual enlightenment, to the shipwreck that leaves him an orphan stranded at sea, and finally to his eventual rescue and later years living in Canada.

The three leads (Irrfan Khan as the adult Pi, Suraj Sharma as the young Pi, and Rafe Spall as the writer) are well-cast, especially newcomer Sharma (in his first film role), but I have to be honest…the real stars of the movie are director Ang Lee and the effects wizards who have created some of the most gorgeous visual effects ever put on film.

Amazingly detailed action sequences (an all too real ship sinking, a wild thunderstorm at sea, even a flying fish attack!) are interspersed with truly beautiful images of nature that simply have to be seen to be appreciated: a night sequence featuring Pi's boat floating amidst a sea of glowing, bioluminescent plankton as a whale rises from the depths to feed; an island populated by millions of chattering meerkats racing through grassy fields.  In these quieter moments Lee lets the camera linger, allowing us to soak in the wonder before us and experience the awe that Pi must have felt.

But of all of the visual fireworks and technical wonders presented on the screen, none are more exquisitely rendered than Richard Parker, the Bengal tiger who shares Pi’s adventures.  I’ve read that a real tiger was used in a couple of scenes…but please don’t ask me to point them out, because Richard Parker is such a complete work of digital art that it’s impossible to tell where the real tiger ends and the CG tiger begins.  The film won an Academy Award for its visual effects…the Bengal alone is worth that Oscar.

“Life of Pi” takes a while to get going and some may feel that the going is too slow.  My suggestion; take the journey to its unexpected and emotional end.  There you’ll find a fable that may make you question all you believe about faith, hope, and our perception of truth.

Hollywood Roundup

Ah, springtime in the Rockies. In Colorado that means SNOW, road construction, and of course, the beginning of the blockbuster movie season! Haven’t seen all the biggies yet, but here are some thoughts on a couple of the more anticipated recent releases that I’ve seen:

The first heavy hitter of the season was the prequel “X-Men Origins: Wolverine”, and I was really looking forward to it. Now, ”X-Men” it ain’t, but it’s got action, it’s got Liev Schreiber, who makes a GREAT villain, and it’s got Hugh Jackman, who’s built like the proverbial brick shit house (and at 40 no less, the bastard) and does a pretty good job reprising the role that made him a star. He’s almost good enough to make you forgive him for “Australia.” Almost. Sure, I would have liked to have had more character development. I would have liked to have seen a more original story. And I would have LOVED to see more Liev Schreiber (can we give this guy his own Wolfman movie??), but at the end of the day, “Wolverine” is exactly what it sets out to be; a loud, action-filled, summer money-maker. 7/10 slash marks for me.

Next up, another potential blockbuster, this time a sequel. “Terminator Salvation”, or "T4" as it’s come to be called, has Christian Bale as the “only-hope-for-the-future-of-mankind” hero, John Conner. The Terminator franchise and Bale were the two things that made me want to see this one. Won’t make THAT mistake again.

It’s almost redundant to describe the plot; take a look at any of the three other films in the franchise and you pretty much have it. This film lacks any originality at all. There’s not really a lot of storytelling going on; instead, there’s one long, loud, overdone action sequence after another. And come to think of it, it’s not even cool sci-fi action…it’s more like the battle scenes from “Saving Private Ryan” transferred to the bleak world of a desolate future. I thought sci-fi was supposed to be FUN?! Bale, one of my very favorite actors (and THE reigning Batman, thank you very much), manages to make John Conner dull, unfeeling…dare I say, almost robotic? And as a great example of the lack of characterizations in this film: Bryce Dallas Howard plays what appears to be John Conner’s pregnant wife, but it isn’t until the last 6 minutes…6 MINUTES!!...of the film that they even bother to tell us her name. Bad filmmaking. I’m rooting for the T-600’s. 5/10 crushed metal heads for this one.

But I’ve saved the best…and most surprising..for last. When I first saw the teaser trailer for the J. J. Abrams take on “Star Trek”, I remember turning to my friends in the theater and saying “it’s going to be a horrible movie, but I’ll have to see it.” Until the week before it opened, I knew it was going to be bad; I just hoped it would be bad AND fun. And when it opened and got rave reviews from critics and friends alike, I put it down to mass hysteria and STILL told myself that it’s probably bad, but at least it sounds like a good time at the movies.

Then I saw it. And WTF do you know…not only is it good…it’s GREAT! Where I was expecting a clichéd script, there is instead a LOT of storytelling going on; well-written, sometimes complicated (time shifts, whew), and often humorous. Where I was anticipating hokey sets and FX, there are amazing production values- the film looks amazing! Where I was sure we were going to get heavy-handed direction with little more than quick-edit action sequences, there are interesting camera angles, extremely well edited action scenes, and quiet, touching moments. And where I was certain I was going to be able to pick apart the Abercrombie and Fitch/porn actors chosen for the main roles, they are (to the last one) perfectly cast and completely watchable (with a special place in casting Heaven going to whomever had the foresight to see Simon Pegg as Scottie). The interesting thing about the film is that if you were a Trekkie already, the new “Star Trek” covers all the bases; it may look new, but it feels familiar. And to those that weren’t, it’s a perfect introduction to what should be profitable continuation of the franchise. 9/10 time warps for ‘Star Trek”.

That’s it for now…next up, Pixar’s at it again, and it promises to be a high-flying, fun adventure!! Till then, live long and…well, you know.

Meaning of Life

I had a great Christmas. The weather was beautiful, and I was off that whole week. My brother flew in early in the week so we were able to spend the couple of days before Christmas hanging out, shopping, catching up. As always my family went overboard and got me everything I asked for (even though I tried to take back my Christmas wish list because everything on it was too expensive). I left my parents’ house Christmas night and headed home, happy and looking forward to hooking up all the cool new stuff I got.

At 5:00 the next morning my phone starting ringing. It took me a couple of seconds to fully realize what I was hearing; by the time I did it had stopped ringing and there was a voice mail. It was from my brother. “Mom woke up this morning in horrible pain and not able to breathe. We’re at the emergency room and Dad and I need you to come down. NOW.” Panic mode sets in…I don’t even remember the trip to the hospital. Within half an hour they realized that there was a major problem and Mom was taken by ambulance to a bigger hospital for heart testing, and within the hour she was heading in for emergency open heart surgery. The layers of her aorta had split from the heart down to the abdomen, and she was bleeding out. The doctor told us most people don’t make it to surgery; even fewer make it through. He said that IF she made it, she would most likely suffer major brain damage, and that we should be prepared.

Prepared? I haven’t experienced many things in my life that were worse than the helpless, hopeless feeling I had sitting around in a hospital waiting to see if a loved one lived through surgery- you can’t be prepared. I tried to think positively, but other things kept sneaking in there: when was I going to be able to help my dad clean out her clothes? What would Christmas be like next year without her there? How was I going to tell our family, and her friends? And would my Dad be OK without her? But finally, the news; the surgery went well and she’s responding to questions; no apparent brain damage. I don’t remember feeling happy. I remember feeling completely, totally drained. True happiness came when I woke up the next morning and headed out to the hospital knowing that my Mom was still with us.

I visited her today (at home!) and she’s doing GREAT- still some pain and a bad day every now and then, but she’ll get there. It’s been 3 weeks since that early morning call the day after Christmas, and I’m just now starting to feel…safe? hopeful? that the worst is behind us. The fears I had as we waited for news that day are too hard to voice, and they've been with me for long enough; I’m hoping that by leaving them on this page I can forget them, and move forward.

I’ll always be thankful that my brother and Dad were there; they kept me centered so we could take care of things. And to my friends who called or wrote to offer their support; who sat with me in the cafeteria; who played video games with me in the waiting room; and who invited me over to just hang out and watch TV so I could have a “normal” night…THANK YOU. And as clichéd as it sounds…please let the people in your life who mean something to you know that you care. I found out how fast that chance slips away.

Alright, enough of that- no more depressing posts for a while, I promise! It’s a New Year; I’ve yet to compile my Second Annual “Best Of” list for 2008, and there are new movies to review AND Oscar picks to be had. Look for those soon, and in the meantime…here’s to a healthy and happy 2009!!

The Drum, The Swarm, and The American President

Another weekend has come and gone with nothing productive getting done. Seems like I’m having a LOT of those kinds of weekends recently J On the plus side, wandering aimlessly gives me plenty of time to catch some of the current movie offerings- here’s a quick roundup of recent (and all new for a change!) viewings.

My two movie guru buddies told me I needed to see “The Visitor” and they don’t usually steer me wrong, so I borrowed this little gem…turns out the gurus were right once again.

This is one of those “perfect” films for me; that is, one that I feel, not just watch. It doesn’t happen often- I would say that it hasn’t happened to me since “Once.” I like dramas that unfold slowly, that give me time to know the characters- this one does just that; the script is understated and “real.” The acting is subtle, honest, and sometimes intense- the cast pulls you in and makes you care. Richard Jenkins is an actor that I’ve seen, but am not familiar with; I hope to change that, because his performance is brilliant (not to mention that the man can beat a mean drum!). The film is beautifully shot and has great energy, but it’s also a disturbing human drama. Watching these characters deal with racial prejudice is not easy (maybe as Americans it hits a bit too close to home to see fellow human beings treated this way??), but it does make for a very emotional movie experience.

As if one emotional film about racial tensions wasn’t enough, “The Visitor” was followed by “The Secret Life of Bees”, based on the best-selling novel. Might as well get this out of the way from the start…this is a Chick Flick Extraordinaire, and while my movie-going crowd will not appreciate it, I enjoyed it VERY much.

“…Bees” is a pretty, slow-moving Southern feminist drama that takes place in the early days of the Equal Rights movement. It has an interesting cast; Queen Latifah is her usual self; assured and positive, projecting strength and wisdom- the mother figure of the film. Alicia Keys is one of her two sisters; passionate, driven, and sometimes unforgiving. It’s a hard character to pull off, but Keys manages to make us care about her. The other sister is played by Sophie Okonedo, who turns the role of a mentally unstable woman into a broken, wounded, and completely heartbreaking character. And Jennifer Hudson is Rosealeen, who’s run away and seeks refuge with the sisters. Hudson is underused, but she shows a great sense of timing in her first non-singing movie role. The character undergoes a change in the film; unfortunately we are only shown bits and pieces of it, so the affect of the story arc is lost.

All of these stars are outshined, though, by Dakota Fanning as Lily, the girl who runs away from her past and finds the home that she’s always wanted. I’ve always been a reluctant fan of hers- she’s been good in whatever role she took on, but she’s always seemed a little creepy to me…a grown-up mind in a little girl’s body. But now, she’s finally starting to grow into her talent, and it’s AMAZING. You can’t take your eyes off her when she’s onscreen, and there’s not a single line reading, movement, gesture, or look on her face that isn’t absolutely genuine. One other casting note- as Lily’s father, Paul Bettany was so unPaul Bettany-like that I had to read his name in the credits to be sure it was him. When you’re THAT unrecognizable in a part, you’re doing something VERY right.

The most surprising thing about “The Secret Life of Bees” is that it starts as a simple human drama, then it sneaks up on you and becomes one of the most heartfelt tearjerkers that I’ve seen in a long time. There were tears aplenty (and yes, some of them mine), and they are well-deserved. It’s sad, funny, moving, uplifting, and (no pun intended) sweet.

And last (and least), is “W.” It’s been a long time since we saw a great Oliver Stone film. And it’ll be a little while longer. Not that this film is “bad”, it’s just not GREAT. If the “revelations” about George W’s past, his family’s treatment of him, and the way they influenced his life are true, then I learned something I didn’t know. The rest is something I could find in a documentary, and at over 2 hours and 10 minutes long, that’s more than I’m willing to sit through.

There are a couple of standouts though, good and bad. On the plus side, Josh Brolin continues to amaze me as George W. Until “No Country…” I had no idea this guy could act, but his look, his voice, and his mannerisms are absolutely perfect. What’s great is that you don’t for a second see an “impersonation”, he just seems to BE Bush. Also impressive is Jeffrey Wright as Colin Powell (why the hell isn’t this guy a HUGE star by now????), and Richard Dreyfuss gives an amazingly restrained and intelligent performance as Dick Cheney.

Not faring as well is Thandie Newton as Condoleezza Rice. She may look the part, but my GOD is she annoying. She poses, struts, and over-articulates through the entire performance. She should stick to making Norbit sequels. And for this one I may get blasted, but I was not impressed by James Cromwell as George Bush, Sr. I heard the opinion that it was great that Cromwell didn’t try to emulate Bush in look, mannerisms, or voice, which normally I would agree with. But for me, part of the point that Stone’s making is that contrary to what the public may perceive, George Sr. had a very negative impact on George W’s life. To get the full impact of the difference between the public President and the private father, I feel like we needed to first see the persona that we know and identify with. Then, when the “dark” side is revealed, it’s in contrast to the public “character” that Bush Sr cultivated. I never saw Bush Sr. in the performance, so for me there was no shock. I don’t need an impersonation, but I would have liked to see someone who could better inhabit the part (perhaps JAMES Brolin in a little stunt casting?).

Besides the casting missteps, I could have also done without the EXTREME (to the point of being claustrophobic) close-ups, and could somebody PLEASE recut this with a proper soundtrack??

So in this election year, “W.” doesn’t get my vote for one of the best of the year. And while we’re on the subject…

Hope to see you at the polls!!!

And The Band Played On

I started this “rant” as a response to a good friend’s well-written (and appreciated) blog, but when it went beyond a response and became a full-blown commentary, I thought it a little much to post there, so I’ll use my own blog as my…forum, if you will. The original blog concerned gay marriage, and the forces that seek to stop it. But it goes SO much deeper than that, and I (of course) have an opinion. So now, please forgive me for just a moment while I step up on my soapbox.

We live in a country founded on the basis that every person living on its shores is entitled to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” It saddens and sometimes shames me that we now live in a country where basic rights can be denied to a person (and legally at that) not because they’re killers or thieves or rapists…but because of who they choose to have a relationship with. Impossible to imagine, or even fully appreciate, but true nonetheless.

Straight couples meet, they fall in love, they marry. They vow to be there for each other “in sickness and in health.” If tragedy should strike and a spouse should end up hospitalized, their husband or wife is there. They consult with the doctors; they carry out treatment. If the spouse is unable to take care of themselves, the husband or wife is given the power to make decisions for them. If the spouse should die, the surviving husband or wife can at least know that they will be helped financially through their spouse’s benefits. All of this comes with the legal institution of marriage, but in many states, you are still granted these rights simply by virtue of the fact that you are a “straight” couple living in America.

But does anybody even stop to think of these things as “rights”? For married heterosexual couples, I would guess probably not; it simply is how it is. Now consider this:

A gay person is not considered relevant in the case of a partner’s medical emergency, or even death. They are not considered family, can be denied hospital visitation, cannot have power of attorney, and they have no legal say in the caregiving of their partner. Surviving partners are denied health, 401k, social security, and pension benefits that a straight person would automatically be entitled to on the death of a spouse. Same-sex couples have no legal right to live together in a nursing home/facility. In some states, even making funeral arrangements is denied to the surviving partner.

Think about this for a minute; imagine your husband, wife, girlfriend, boyfriend, lover- dying in a hospital room. Imagine being denied the right to see them, and learning of their death from someone who had the “right” to be there. Then think about how you feel knowing that you could not be with them as they died simply because of your sexual orientation. How is that moral? How can that be legal? How is that even human?? Unforgiveable.

So, how did being gay change one from a person who is entitled to simple rights into an outsider who needs to fight for the right to protect, care for, or even to BURY their loved one? A person’s orientation is as insignificant to the outside world as having green eyes, or being left-handed. Why have we elevated it to the status of an opponent capable of world domination? With all of the hate, war, economic problems, and racial tensions present in the world today, why in the name of God do same-sex relationships cause such turmoil??

Ah, there’s an issue. To all of you “religious” conservatives out there: I respect your religion, and your right to study and practice it. It does not, however, empower you with the Devine right to sacrifice those in the population that YOU deem unworthy. You have a God, and I hear that he is quite powerful and capable of making up his own mind. Let’s let him, shall we?

And to all you politicos and government “officials” who waste your time and my money denying simple rights to American citizens: Help us resolve our National Debt. Get us out and KEEP us out of war. And let’s make laws that promote family unity, no matter how that family is made up. Times are changing. You need to do the same.

I now respectfully step down off my soapbox.

The Lost Weekend

My weekends are usually pretty busy- not that I do a whole lot, but there’s usually housecleaning to do, shopping to get done, clothes to launder, bills to pay. There’s usually time spent with family, and time spent with friends. And all that before Sunday night, when it’s time to start getting ready for the work week ahead.

Well, this past weekend I did none of that. It was cold, dark, and rainy, and I just didn’t feel like doing anything. I even took off Monday, with the intention of doing absolutely nothing. So, instead of doing anything productive, I watched movies. Lots of movies. Here’s the roundup:

Saturday I saw “Body of Lies”, the new Ridley Scott “political thriller” with DiCaprio and Crowe. And those three men are the entire reasons I wanted to see this flick. After all, with clout like that, how bad can it be?? “Quite” would be a good answer. It’s long, dull, and for the most part un-thriller like. There’s nothing special about the direction. The actors are adequate but not great (Leo and Mark Strong as “Hanni” being the exceptions). And the script has a vague “been there, done that” feel. Body of lies? Hmph. Body of poo. Skip it.

It has been said (ok, sung- thank you Frank-N-Furter) that “a mental mind fuck can be nice!” That’s really the only way I can describe Sunday’s foray into moviedom. I watched two flicks back-to-back that probably should never be watched together by anyone, ever again.

“21 Grams” is so much more than I thought it would be. I don’t know why it took so long for me to see it, except that I have to be in a mood for thoroughly depressing movies about human suffering, and this one tops almost all of them. The casting is brilliant (Sean Penn is always amazing, but I had no idea that Naomi Watts could do that), and the shots looks great. Just one quibble…that technique of showing the film all cut up and out of chronological order? Yeah…stop it. There are very few films that really pull this off- “Pulp Fiction” comes to mind, and I’ll get to another one (by this same director) shortly- but there are SO many cuts and time warps that all emotional arc is lost to the mercy of the technique. It’s heartbreaking as is…but it would be absolutely devastating told from beginning to end.

After taking a few minutes to grab a stiff drink and try to get that one out of my head, I watched “Donnie Darko.” Mind fuck, I tell ya. This one doesn’t so much jump around in time as it does show what happens when time splits off in another direction. It’s extremely dark, sometimes very disturbing, completely fascinating, and not really so hard to follow if you take time to freeze-frame and read the entries from the book that “explains” things. I saw the director’s cut; I’ve been told that I need to see the original version. All in good time, my little pretty. All in good time. The brain can only take so much.

And finally, Monday I watched one of the most lauded films of 2001, “Amores Perros”, directed by Alejandro Gonzales Inarritu, who directed the aforementioned “21 Grams.” I have to say that this was my favorite of the weekend. It has layers; I LOVE layers. The technique of showing things out of order works to perfection, showing us a single accident from the points of view of three different sets of characters affected by the tragedy, while allowing each section to complete the arc needed for us to become emotionally involved. It’s fast, brutal, honest, and beautifully played out. And beyond all the pain and suffering, the ending manages to be uplifting, even hopeful. The applause is well-earned.

Now I’m really looking forward to a flick that goes from beginning to end for a change. Hey, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” looks interesting…

Nosferatu

In the beginning, there was The Count. Starting with an historical figure (Vlad the Impaler of Romania), Bram Stoker took a bit of folklore and added a lot of imagination to create a vampire myth that still scares readers to this day. Stoker’s “Dracula” was the textbook example of vampire stories for many years- because of his tale, we know what vampires look like, how they survive, and what they can (and cannot) do. It was through “Dracula” that we learned about garlic and stakes, of crosses and coffins.

Anne Rice reinvented the vampire legend with the introduction of “Interview With the Vampire,” the first of the Vampire Chronicles, which was followed shortly by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, who brought vampires back to popular literature with a series of books about the Prince vampire Count Saint-Germaine. Now comes the newest addition to the folklore; “The Twilight Saga” by Stephanie Meyer. The series begins with “Twilight” and continues with “New Moon” “Eclipse”, and “Breaking Dawn”.

Meyer’s vampires stray the furthest yet from the creatues of old. These vampires can move easily in daylight (although they exhibit an interesting phenomenon when exposed to direct sunlight that keeps them inside except on cloudy days). They do not drink human blood, preferring the more humane choice of feeding on animals. And they love humans…passionately and against all better judgment. The novels center on the relationships between vampire Edward Cullen, his human love, Bella Swan, and Jacob Black, a love interest for Bella who’s not quite human himself. They are written for young adults, and Stephanie Meyer was hailed as the “new J. K. Rowling” when the first book came out in 2005. I must admit that I liked the novels for the most part…but (with one exception- more on that in a bit), “Harry Potter” this ain’t.

My biggest problem is that Meyer has a tendency to repeat things ad nauseum. It’s not enough to describe a character’s beauty; it has to be pounded in hundreds of times during the course of the novels. Besides that, the characters are likeable but not overly interesting as individuals, there’s a lot of descriptive language that is for the most part unnecessary, and there are changes of voice that are sometimes a bit jarring. But, that being said…

What is GREAT about these novels- the element that makes them so fun to read - is the dark romance at the center of the story. True love between a human and vampire should be dangerous and scary, bringing with it questions about life, death, human frailty, and the appeal of immortality. The books convey all of that and more, and ultimately make us care about how the characters deal with the paths they have chosen. While I enjoyed all of the novels, the fourth in the series, “Breaking Dawn”, is far and away the best of the lot. Somewhere between the first and last books, Meyer learned how to write, and she has a created a novel that is (finally!) as quick moving, well plotted, and full of interesting characters and situations as any of the Harry Potter novels. It also “grows up” a bit, presenting themes that are more adult in nature while still keeping a lighter tone. I can’t wait to check out her first “adult” novel and see how it compares.

If you’re a fan of vampire lore and supernatural love stories, give this vampire series a try. And don’t blame me if it..

Wait for it…

Sucks.