DVDs of the Week... or Month or whatever...

Kinsey and I have officially moved to Rochester from the Twin Cities and that means we have to say goodbye to our beloved Uptown and Lagoon Theatres. Farewell, quality independent cinema! Hello, craptactular multiplexes. Thankfully there's Blockbuster-by-mail so we can still get to see some decent films. And, in order to keep this blog up and running, I thought I'd start writing more about these DVDs. So here are some quick thoughts on DVDs we've seen in the last month or so:

Rebecca (1940)

Kinsey is a big fan of the du Maurier novel and I really enjoy Hitchcock, so it seemed like the perfect mix. It wasn't. Kinsey liked it much more than me, I thought it was a disappointment all the way around.

Sleeping with the Enemy (1991)

Kinsey saw the first half hour of this in a hotel and wanted to see what it was all about. The only reason to watch this is for the unintentional comedy of Patrick Bergin and his dense moustache.

Modern Times (1936)

I've always been aware of Chaplin, but this was the first film of his I've actually seen. I've got to see more now because this film was outstanding. Hilarious, moving, an all around wonderful movie experience.

The General (1927)

I was in the same boat with Buster Keaton as I was with Chaplin. But this disappointed. There were a few scenes that were clever and entertaining but it just didn't have the heft that Modern Times had.

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)

Ebert wrote gushingly about this so I had to see it. One word: strange. This film is the height of German expressionism and its definitely worth seeing if only for the incredibly out there set design.

Le Samourai (1967)

A very good film noir that was I believe discussed on Filmspotting at one point. That Alain Delon is quite a looker.

8 1/2 (1963)

I've been wanting to see this for a while because it is constantly mentioned on film blogs and message boards. The epitome of movies about movies. A little trippy and dense at times, but definitely worth checking out.

At home, in the blue envelope, next to the DVD player as we speak: Y Tu Mama Tambien

(500) Days of Summer

It kinds of pains me to say this, but I have a special feeling for a select few romantic comedies, particularly ones that fall into the category of "chick flicks." Legally Blonde is one. Mean Girls, I suppose, would count. And the one that pains me the most, because it is so cheesy and weepy, Where the Heart Is. There, I said it.

Well, I'm glad I got that off my chest. Luckily, (500) Days of Summer, a film Kinsey and I saw this weekend, isn't as thoroughly lowbrow as the previously mentioned movies. The concept seems to be (guy meets girl, cheesy jokes, a large quantity of quirk) but this film is very self-aware and, when taken in context, all these rom-com cliches come together in a highly entertaining movie watching experience.

Early on, the film introduces us to Tom, played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Summer (pun!) played by Zooey Deschanel. They both work at a greeting card company and the film takes us on a non-linear ride of their 500 day relationship, showing their good times, bad times, and how they fall apart.

As Kinsey said as we were leaving the theater, (500) Days of Summer is really an amalgam of a bunch of different stuff we've already seen in other movies. There's talking head interviews, split screens, winking at the camera, a dance sequence in the park, the advice-giving little sister, really nothing that we haven't seen before. But you have to give credit to first time director Marc Webb for being able to bring all this together into something entertaining.

The real strong point of the film is the two leads. Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel really bring a sizzle to their on-screen relationship and are definitely two actors who I would love to see play opposite each other again. Gordon-Levitt especially is an actor who draws me to any movie he's in (but will that entice me to see him as Cobra Commander in the new G.I. Joe film? no, probably not).

Overall, (500) Days of Summer is a really good if not great film. It definitely had me laughing.

Wade: 4/5 stars

Kinsey: 4/5 stars

The Hurt Locker

What are the best modern war films? And by "modern war film" I mean about wars since Vietnam, not recent movies made about World War II and whatnot. I racked my brain and could only think of two: Black Hawk Down and Three Kings. Notice that neither of these films are about the current war in Iraq. Sure, there have been a bunch of movies that cover the most recent Iraq war, but most of them have been critical and commercial failures. Rendition, Redacted, In the Valley of Elah, Stop-Loss, Grace is Gone, all collapsed pretty quickly. In fact, all those films looked so bad that I didn't bother to see a single one.

What's with all the failures? Is the Iraq war still too present? Are they too preachy or one-sided? I don't know. But what I do know is that it finally seems like we have an Iraq war film that's worth its weight. The Hurt Locker is an extraordinary film. It's not trying to push any message. It presents its soliders and its war in the most truthful way possible.

The Hurt Locker (directed by Kathryn Bigelow) follows the arc of Staff Sergeant William James (Jeremy Renner, career-making performance). It is the responsibility of James, along with Sergeant JT Sanborn (Anthony Mackie) and Specialist Owen Eldridge (Brian Gerahty) to disarm the deadly improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in Iraq.

The film doesn't have an overall arc. We set down with the squadron and stay with them over the course of their 38 remaining days in Iraq. The movie is mostly a series of episodes, different bombs to disarm, different tasks to do, as I'm sure it is being an actual solider. The tension of the film stems from the bomb disarmaments and, more specifically, how James approaches them. Jeremy Renner plays James as a loose cannon, someone for whom war, as the film states early on, is a drug.

The Hurt Locker is less of a drama and more of an action thriller. There are four scenes involving roadside bombs and a shootout in the desert that are some of the most tense and invigorating scenes I've seen in a while. The Hurt Locker is one of the year's best so far.

Wade: 5 out of 5 stars

Kinsey: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Public Enemies

There are a few great directors out there, that, while I'm certainly very aware of their work, I have never actually seen any of it. David Lynch for example. Jean-Luc Godard and Ingmar Bergman also. And, up until recently, Michael Mann would've been on that list. But then I saw Public Enemies and realized I have a lot of catching up to do.

Public Enemies follows a small portion of the life of John Dillinger (astutely played by Johnny Depp) during his bank-robbing heyday. Dillinger is relentlessly tracked by FBI G-man Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale, slow burn). The film also delves into Dillinger's private life, examining his brief love affair with Billie Frechette (2007 Oscar winner Marion Cotillard).

Even though the movie clocks in at almost two-and-a-half hours, there is never a dull moment in Public Enemies. Shootouts, prison escapes, and car chases abound. Johnny Depp plays Dillinger with such managed charisma that even silent moments sparkle with electricity. Depp's performance highlights the inherent contradiction in Dillinger, astute tactician on one side, "carpe diem" renegade on the other. Depp's charisma is keenly balanced by Christian Bale's Purvis. Ever the dutiful lawman, Bale portrays Purvis with a restrained intensity as he attempts to capture Dillinger, despite the ineptitude displayed by his comrades. In my opinion, the weak point in the film is Billy Crudup's J. Edgar Hoover, who comes across as way too much of a caricature. Oh, and Depp spouts some one-liners that are a bit ridiculous.

The most memorable thing about this film, and the thing that will continue to be talked about, is that it's filmed with digital HD cameras. I think this is probably the first film I've seen shot like this, and definitely the first period piece. For what it's worth, I really enjoyed this change from the norm. The period costumes, cars, and settings all pop a bit more and really bring the viewer into the life of the film. In fact, the handheld camera work lends the film a documentary feel at times especially during the bank robbery scenes. The HD technology really stands out during a shootout in the woods, which is one the most intense and exhilarating action scenes I've seen in awhile. There is something about the way the HD cameras capture the muzzle blasts that is borderline epileptic.

Even though Mann plays fast and loose with the facts at times, Public Enemies is a wonderful film that I highly recommend. Now excuse me while I go put the collected works of Michael Mann on my Blockbuster queue.

Wade: 4.5/5 stars

Kinsey: 4/5 stars