Growing Up in the Midwest, Watching Westerns

Today happens to be my Grandpa's birthday. When I think of him, its hard not to remember watching our favorite movies together while I was growing up. There were two movie types that were overly prevalent in my youth: Disney cartoons and Westerns. The Disney cartoons are a given; what kid doesn't love Aladdin? But the Westerns, I think, have a lot to do with growing up on a farm in southwest Nebraska. Now to put this to rest at the beginning, this wasn't a stereotypical "farm." We didn't ride horses or raise pigs. I didn't wear a cowboy hat or boots (but my Dad and Grandpa did). But there was still a connection to the Old West, with the wide open spaces, working the land, and machismo, which is why I had an enjoyment for Westerns as a kid.

Recently, I've gained more appreciation for Westerns as true classic films. Unforgiven; Rio Bravo; The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly; all classic films. But as a kid, I just thought they were a good time. And I've also come to appreciate the occasional modern rediscovering of the Western. There was a mini-renaissance a couple years ago with The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, There Will Be Blood, and No Country for Old Men. But what hasn't been reinvented and what seems to have totally fallen out of the spotlight, is the light-hearted comedic Western. It is this brand of Western that I really remember enjoying.

The Shakiest Gun in the West (1968)

This was my favorite movie as a child for a long time. In my book, there's nothing funnier than Don Knotts, and this movie takes his meek bumbling persona out West as a fresh-faced (not literally, of course) dental school graduate, looking to spread oral hygiene. Along the way he gets into his fair share of scraps, but is constantly bailed out by his wife Penny, who is a pardoned outlaw helping to break up a gun smuggling ring. There is a ton of great physical comedy in this film. And physical comedy coming from Don Knotts is hilarious because the poor guy looks so terrified all the time. The following video clip has the unforgettable theme song and a hilarious dental examination scene.

Support Your Local Sheriff (1969)

Another Western comedy that I watched again and again with my Grandpa. Isn't James Garner a slick operator? In this movie, The Great Escape, The Rockford Files and Maverick TV shows, he's always the guy with the plan. Would it be sacrilege to say he rivals Steve McQueen for on-screen cool? Maybe. In this movie, Garner is a small town sheriff who uses wit and ingenuity to overcome the local baddies. It's a "fish out of water" story in that Garner is the one smart guy in a town full of idiots. There was a sequel or companion film made called Support Your Local Gunfighter that was decent but not nearly as clever as this one.

Maverick (1994)

This is what I remember as the most recent attempt at a comedic Western. And it's, of course, a TV adaptation. Be that as it may, this film has one of Mel Gibson's best comedic performances as the suave gambler and Jodie Foster playing against type as a conniving Southern belle, and, of course, James Garner. Fifteen years since the last decent Western comedy. This movie was very funny and did pretty well at the box office if I remember correctly. It makes you wonder why they don't make movies like these anymore. Oh, well.

I still have fond memories of watching all these movies on VHS with my Grandpa. We'd sit with our stash of candy recently acquired from cleaning out the candy aisle at the local grocery, he'd repeat the witty phrases right after they happened in the movie, and then, inevitably, fall asleep halfway through the movie (don't tell him that though; he was just "resting his eyes.") So, on my Grandpa's birthday, I'll dedicate this post about our favorite films to him.

Foodie Film Featured Moments

A couple weeks ago, Kinsey and I saw Julie & Julia, which focuses much of its time on the life of esteemed chef Julia Child. It made me realize something: I love food. And I love watching food in the movies and on TV. And, very recently, I've also developed a newfound enjoyment of cooking food. So that got me thinking about my favorite food moments in the movies:

Babette's Feast (1987)

I had to watch this movie three times (that's right, three) during my first semester of architecture graduate school. We were doing a project involving slow food and deconstructing a walnut... anyways, at the time I wasn't really able to appreciate the film. I still hadn't really become aware of the glories of foreign cinema. But what I do remember is the namesake feast. Its the type of extravagance that I know I've never seen. I don't know if I ever will have a meal that includes turtle soup, buckwheat cakes with caviar, quail in puff pastry shell with foie gras and truffle sauce, and rum infused yeast cake with dried figs, but at least I can watch people eating one.

Big Night (1996)

The Big Night is a delightful little romp starring Stanley Tucci and a post-Wings, pre-Monk Tony Shaloub. These two star as brothers who run an authentic, struggling Italian restaurant in New Jersey. There is one dish that is served in the final third of the film that just looks crazy good: the Timpano (see picture above). A crazy combination of pasta, meat, pastry, and eggs that makes me drool. Now, I'm pretty far away from having any Italian blood in me (I'm German and Czech), but there's something about Italian food that draws me in. Maybe I'm watching too much Lydia's Italy on PBS, but I can envision Kinsey whipping up a Timpano some Sunday afternoon, cutting that first delicious slice, me going back for seconds and thirds, then realizing I ate the whole thing, and spending the rest of the evening lying on the floor moaning in agony/ecstasy while Kinsey stands above me, shaking her head. Yeah, I could totally go for that.

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)

This one isn't nearly as delectable but still a clever scene. I'm talking about the scene in Temple of Doom where Harrison Ford and Kate Capshaw are served monkey brains, beetles, eyeball soup, and pregnant python. This scene is so over the top that it goes beyond insensitivity. I've never eaten anything that looked as gross as this meal, but the character reactions remind me of a bear stew that Kinsey and I whipped up once. We took one jar of preserved bear meat and assorted vegetables, let it cook all day, and were greeted with the worst smelling, worst tasting meal we had yet made together. Thank goodness for Papa Murphy's pizza.

Spanglish (2004)

I don't think this film got much acclaim when it came out, but Kinsey and I both really enjoyed it. It's nice to see Adam Sandler in a serious role, this time playing a chef. We enjoyed the movie so much that we bought the DVD (it was also really cheap). One of the special features is a behind-the-scenes look at the making of a special sandwich featured in the film. Its really just a BLT with cheese and an egg on top, but it is so good. Kinsey and I have made it a couple of times, and I think the DVD gives it an appropriate title as the "world's best sandwich."

Fried Green Tomatoes (1991)

This is a movie that Kinsey appreciates a lot more than me. I don't know why, I just don't get into it that much. It does have a memorable food fight scene with flour and blackberries that reminds me of Kinsey's cooking style a bit. The optimal comparable word would be messy. I could go on and on about the messes Kinsey has made in the kitchen, but the piece de resistance is the infamous hoison sauce incident. This involved a pan of hoison sauce, a wooden spoon, and the propellor-like motion of that spoon as it sprayed wall, ceiling, and floor with the sticky Asian sauce. Like Fried Green Tomatoes, quite the mess indeed.

Ratatouille (2007)

This is probably my favorite film about cooking. I can't even pick out one moment to mention because the whole movie is just so delicious (I've been using that word a lot in this post). Actually, if I had to, I would mention an early scene in the film, where Remy (the rat) is cooking a mushroom along with a few paw-picked spices over a chimney. If I had seen this movie in my youth, there's no way I could've appreciated this scene. I was a very picky eater. I especially had an aversion to mushrooms. I didn't have dietary problems or was allergic, I was just picky. And stubborn. But know, when I see that fresh mushroom post-lightning strike, well, I just wish it was real and on my plate, not animated and on a screen.

REVIEW: District 9

Have you ever thought that you were well informed about something but then found out that you weren't? I always thought I was pretty knowledgeable about major world events of the last couple decades, but after seeing Distric 9, from first-time writer/director Neill Blomkamp, I found myself doing a little online research about apartheid, and I definitely did not know the entirety of the events.

District 9 is an allegory for apartheid in South Africa, swapping out Africans for aliens. These aliens, degradingly known as prawns, have stalled out over Johannesburg and are being forced to live in squalor. The main focus of the film is an attempt to move the aliens far away from the city.



I think Kinsey summed it up best when she said this film was unlike anything we've seen in quite a while. Most summer movies can be easily locked into a specific category. Let's take a look at the movies we've seen so far this summer:

Julie & Julia - biopic
The Hurt Locker - war movie
Public Enemies - biopic
Rudo y Cursi - buddy/sports movie
(500) Days of Summer - romantic comedy
Up - animated movie, but I guess it would fall into the original category


(Wow, we really haven't seen that many movies this summer)


So we've got one fairly original concept and five movie types that we've seen before. And we don't even go see your typical summer fare. Now, on the surface, District 9 seems to be just a sci-fi film. But once you see it, you realize its a sci-fi/deep character study/action/mockumentary/political statement/social parable/father-son film all rolled into one. And what's even more impressive is that it did all that on a $30 million dollar budget, miniscule compared to most big summer movies.


Originality is a tough cookie. Anymore, its seems like originality is more about the parts then the whole. No one is going to say that Neill Blomkamp came up with the idea of aliens landing on Earth. That would be ridiculous. But he is one of the first to take those earthbound aliens and make them the meek instead of the mighty. It reminds me a bit of architecture school. We (the students) would pour over the works of famous architects, Louis Kahn, Herzog and de Meuron, MVRDV, Frank Gehry,Peter Zumthor, looking for bits of inspiration, looking for precedent. And in the end, if you were lucky, you had a mostly original work. It wouldn't be Peter Zumthor; it would be Peter Zumthor-esque. I would love to hear Blomkamp talk about his inspiration or precedent for District 9.

There are other fields of science fiction (which I have limited knowledge of) besides film, so maybe the concept of refugee aliens isn't as original as it may seem. But when it comes to the world of movies, District 9 is a novel and very thought provoking film.


Wade: 4/5 stars
Kinsey: 4/5 stars

Hidden Gems of the Public Library

Ah, the public library. Purveyor of books and, uh . . . other media. And also a very nice resource for free movie rentals, if you live near a good library. The Minneapolis Central Library had a great collection of films. I was able to see Modern Times, The Public Enemy, The Cabinet of Dr. Caliguri, all for free. I was sad to leave it behind.

But, lo and behold, Rochester's library has an even better selection, complete with organization by category. Today I checked out Croupier, The Legend of Drunken Master, and the Criterion Collection of The Red Shoes. And today I watched...


I'm sure most people have seen a Jackie Chan movie or two. Probably one of the Rush Hour films or maybe Shanghai Noon. But if you really want to see Jackie Chan in all his kung fu glory, you need to rent one of his Hong Kong made movies, like Rumble in the Bronx, First Strike, or Who Am I. Sure the acting is unintentionally hilarious, the English dubbing is awful, and the plots don't make sense, but these movies have some crazy awesome action sequences. There are three particular ones that stood out:

Jackie Chan vs Lau Kar Leung under train fight scene

This fight scene happens early in the film and is instigated because Jackie Chan's character, Wong Fei-Hung, has something stolen from him. The best part of the this video is the first two minutes, where Jackie Chan and Lau Kar Leung fight crouched under a train with a sword and spear, respectively. Notice how the camera actually sits still and focuses on the fight choreography, rather than having all kind of crazy jump cuts like you see in the typical Hollywood action movie.

Jackie Chan and Lau Kar Leung vs. the Ax Gang

Nothing like two guys fighting a hundred guys. This fight mixes in some comic relief and the ever-enjoyable use of everyday objects as weapons, this time a shredded bamboo pole and a table.

The Final Fight

Three things mesmerize me about this climactic fight: (1) Jackie Chan's lucid, flowing "drunken boxing" fighting style, (2) the fact that Jackie Chan crawls across actual burning coals, and (3) apparently the guy he's fighting has no joints below his waist.

If you're looking to not think and have a good time with a movie, check out The Legend of Drunken Master.

Julie and Julia

Due to the fact that we could not for the life of us get a TV signal with our rabbitt ears, Kinsey and I had to break down and buy cable for our new apartment in Rochester. Just basic cable, mind you. Very basic. But the great thing is that we get six PBS stations. It might be a bit dorky, but we watch the crap out of these stations. Lydia's Italy, Barbecue University, Mexico One Plate at a Time, we eat these shows up (pun!).

So it goes without saying that we were definitely in the mood for a foodie movie when we went and saw Julie and Julia last night. Julie and Julia is a based on a book which is based on a blog written by Julie Powell. In said blog, Julie chronicles a year-long expedition of cooking all 524 recipes in Julia Child's landmark cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking. The movie spends half its time with Julie and her challenge and half its time with Julia Child coming into her desire to be a cook while in Paris in the 1950s.

The first thing that has to be said about this film is that Meryl Streep nails it once again as Julia Child. Not only does she nail the vocal tones and fluctuations and body movements, she takes it beyond mimicry and makes her "make-believe" Julia Child a full-fledged personality. Her interactions with Stanley Tucci (playing her husband) are subtle and fantastic. I was smiling every moment she was on-screen.

I wish I could say the same thing for the Julie part of the film. Not to take anything away from Amy Adams, who plays Julie, but her character is boring and self-absorbed. There's just no stakes, no conflict to really care about. With Julia, you have her attempt to break into a male-dominated profession, to break through a culture barrier, to rewrite the history of cooking. With Julie, you have burnt beef bourguignon and stupid fights with her husband. Frankly, I could have done without the Julie in Julie and Julia.

Wade: 3/5 stars
Kinsey: 4/5 stars

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

Wendy and Lucy

Wendy and Lucy is writer/director Kelly Reichardt's follow-up to 2006's Old Joy. Wendy and Lucy is a no-frills tale about Wendy, played wonderfully by Michelle Williams, her dog Lucy, and her stop in a small Oregon town on her way to Alaska. Wendy encounters many difficulties, some through bad luck and some through bad choices.

Wendy and Lucy is the type of film that is quickly becoming my favorite: low-key, simple story, attention to minutae, and well-acted. In fact, it's a good companion piece to one of my other favorite films of the year, The Wrestler. Both films center around the difficulties of a conflicted character. Both films offer a gritty sense of reality. Both films have characters who are slaves to their life choices. Plus, both films are really good.

I do have to admit that Wendy and Lucy does take some patience to sit through. The plot is sparse. There's no soundtrack and little dialogue. But it is still appealing, at least to me. Kinsey didn't go to see this with me because she thought it looked cliche. A young character out of society, someone we're supposed to feel sorry for, emotional distress, etc., etc. But Wendy and Lucy doesn't play out that way. The viewer is not asked to feel sorry for Wendy but we're not asked to judger her either. The film is as far from manipulative as you can get. It is simply a glimpse into Wendy's life. And its a glimpse we can all relate to, how we have to face the results, good or bad, of our choices, good or bad.

After much deliberation, I'm revising my Top 5 and sticking Wendy and Lucy at number five. It pains me to take out Wall-E. If it was the first 2/3 of Wall-E vs. Wendy and Lucy, Wall-E would definitely take it. But judged as a whole, I think Wendy and Lucy just edges out Wall-E.

Wade: 4 stars

Kinsey and Wade's Top 5 films for 2008

The big event, our top 5...

Wade:

5. Wall-E

Another great film from Pixar. The first half of this movie, almost completely silent, is amazing. From the gorgeous landscapes to the subtle Chaplinesque humor, it's as good as it gets. The film drops off a bit when Wall-E makes it up to the spaceship and its human inhabitants, but still a great film.

4. Slumdog Millionaire

So much has already been said about this film, and its probably on its way to an Oscar win for Best Picture. I found the visuals about this film to be the most intriguing aspect, with its frenetic pace and saturated images. This was probably the "feel good" movie of the year, at least of the movies that I've seen.

3. The Wrestler

You can't talk about this film without focusing on the performance of Mickey Rourke. The best performance of the year, incredibly natural, moving, and heartfelt. Also, an A+ directing effort by Darren Aronofsky.

2. Rachel Getting Married

Ten minutes into this film, I was hating it. I thought it was cliched and forced. And then something happened. I became sucked in to the lives of this family and all its difficulties. This was the closest I came to crying at the movies this year.

1. Man on Wire

One of the best documentaries I've ever seen. It is amazing how much suspense a film can develop when you already know the results beforehand. It might be the subject matter, but Man on Wire was just as entertaining and intriguing as any narrative film this year.

This Top 5 list is tentative until I see one more film that I'm looking forward to: Wendy and Lucy.

Kinsey:

5. The Wrestler

A great movie with a real and touching look at some amazing characters. Well acted and very well directed.

4. Milk

Inspiring and informative. While a standard biopic format, it succeeded in express a clear concept and was very powerful.

3. Wall-E

Fantastically beautiful! An incredible achievement, heartfelt, topical, humorous, and memorable.
2. Man on Wire

Its hard not to be swept away by the charisma and passion of Phillipe Petit. The format of this documentary leads to excitement and suspense despite the audience knowing the outcome.

1. Slumdog Millionaire

This movie deserves all the praise and awards it has earned thus far. This movie takes the viewer through some of the worst happenings imaginable, yet still conveys such hope in mankind. I can't remember leaving a theater with so much excitement and happiness as I did with this film. Once it is available on DVD, I expect that I will rewatch it over and over again.

Waltz with Bashir

Waltz with Bashir is an Oscar-nominated animated film from Israel dealing with one man's recollection of the Israeli Army's involvement in the first Lebanon war of the early 1980s. Ari Folman discovers that he has no distinct memories of his involvement in that battle, so he seeks out old friends and comrades to fill in the blanks. A surreal portrait of war, youth, and the Middle East emerges.

This is the second year in a row that Kinsey and I have seen an animated film that involves strife in the Middle East. Last year, it was Persepolis, which deals with a young girl's youth during the Iranian Revolution. There aren't really many similarities between these two films, especially in tone. Persepolis is almost playful at times, while Waltz with Bashir takes a much darker approach.

The one item that seems to come up a lot with this film is whether or not the animation separates the viewer too much from the horrific events taking on screen. Can a war film have an impact on its viewers if it's animated? My answer would be yes and no. There are times when the animation in Waltz with Bashir is very obvious and makes you feel disconnected from what's happening. But its a credit to the filmmaker that this isn't always the case, especially at the end of the film. Not to spoil anything, but the ending does drive you back into reality and makes you reconsider all those animated images that you've seen.

Being a visual person, I was very fascinated by the animation style of this film, especially the separate treatments for character and scene. The characters are animated in a very stylized manner, high contrast with no grayscale shading, very 2D, almost in a comic book fashion. The scenes, meanwhile, are very highly rendered, and if it wasn't for some color choices, could be approaching photo-realism. This contrast in techniques tends to both bring the viewer into the scene yet keep them separate from the characters.

Kinsey and I both appreciated this movie, especially the way that it brought to light certain historical atrocities that we were not aware of. However, I don't think that either of us would ever want to see Waltz with Bashir again. The subject matter is just too depressing.

Kinsey: 4 stars

Wade: 4 stars

Revolutionary Road

Revolutionary Road is the latest drama from director Sam Mendes and features the reunion of Titanic co-stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. The film follows the self-absorbed lives of Frank and April Wheeler during one tumultous summer when they try to change the overall arc of their lives.

This film is one of the first ones that we've reviewed for this blog that Kinsey and I disagreed on. We disagreed pretty vehemently. Kinsey really enjoyed it; me, not so much. So this review will probably reflect my more negative view of the film.

Revolutionary Road, which is based on the Richard Yates novel, is nothing you haven't seen before. The featured couple are selfish and fear the cloak of suburbia closing around their self-declared "special" lives. I guess the biggest issues I had with the movie didn't involve the plot but how the plot was delivered. The script was a problem. A lot of the scenes felt heavily, well, scripted would be the best word. Specifically the fight scenes, which are a large part of the film. Anytime Frank and April begin fighting, they spout all this overwrought exposition on their feelings and lives, and it just doesn't feel real at all. Even a couple of actors who had pretty good chemistry in Titanic couldn't pull off these heavyhanded scenes.

I didn't really know what Revolutionary Road was trying to make me feel. Was I supposed to feel sorry for these characters? That was difficult considering how loathsome Frank and April are as human beings. Was I supposed to be happy that I'm not them? Or was I just supposed to watch all these tragic events unfold? I guess it just might be my personal preference that I could in some way connect with films that I enjoy. I definitely did not connect with Revolutionary Road.

OK, this is Kinsey. In response to Wade's last paragraph, its not a movie's job to dictate how you feel - that's up to you and your interpretation. As for me I found this movie very powerful and moving. I understand how Wade thought it felt scripted, but he seems to have missed Mendes' different style. I thought the movie felt like a play. I almost thought I was in a theater watching actors on a stage. This may be a bad or a good thing, but the content of the script and the way the lines were delivered was different than other movies with similiar themes. It added to the overall concept that Frank and April were playing a part in life rather than really living. While I wouldn't consider this the best movie I've seen this season, nor is it better than Little Children with Kate Winslet from 2006 which has a similar concept, it is very good and I would recommend it - despite what Wade says!

Kinsey: 4 stars
Wade: 2.5 stars

The Wrestler

Darren Aronofsky's latest film The Wrestler follows the life of washed-up professional wrestler Randy "The Ram" Robinson, portrayed by Mickey Rourke. The film also stars Marisa Tomei and Evan Rachel Wood.

The Wrestler is a wonderfully touching and chilling look at the life of a broken down man. It's even more engrossing when you start looking at the parallels between Randy "The Ram" and the actor who plays him, Mickey Rourke. Mickey Rourke was an up and coming actor in the early '80s garnering critical acclaim in films like Body Heat, Diner, and Barfly. His eccentric choices (he gave up acting to become a boxer) led him to direct-to-DVD releases in the late '90s.

It's safe to say that Rourke's performance is one of the best of the year, even perhaps the last several years. Its amazing that someone portraying a professional wrestler, a most bombasitc figure, could convey emotion with such subtlety and nuance. Body language, small eye movements, and subtle facial changes define his character with much depth.

Besides Rourke's performance, this film should also be seen for the director's complete 180 switch in style from his last feature. The Fountain was an effects heavy fantasy while The Wrestler employs a guerrilla style of handheld camera work to bring a gritty sense of reality to the film. I particularly enjoyed all the shots following Randy "The Ram" from behind, taking the joy Randy feels when entering the ring and applying different emotions when Randy is faced with reality.

There wasn't much I didn't like about this film. Maybe one thing would be how Randy's relationship to his estranged daughter is portrayed. I wish the film would have given this relationship more screen time. It seems a little tacked on and Evan Rachel Wood's anger seems a little forced. This is especially true in a scene where we see what is apparently the end of a heartfelt conversation. Couldn't the film take the extra ten minutes to show us the whole thing?

Kinsey: 4 stars

Wade: 4.5 stars

Drive Home Review: The Wrestler

Click on the title of this post to listen to our drive home review of The Wrestler.

Man on Wire

Man on Wire is a documentary about "the artistic crime of the century." The documentary centers around the exploits of Phillip Petit, an accomplished street performer, who in 1974 strung a wire between the two towers of the World Trade Center and proceeded to walk, kneel, frolic, and lay upon said wire.

Truth be told, Kinsey and I don't watch a lot of documentaries. I think we probably saw three last year (Born Into Brothels, In The Family, and Grizzly Man). I'm used to talking about works of fiction. But I think Man on Wire transcends that label of "documentary." It is easily the most entertaining, most suspenseful, and best film I've seen so far this year.

A documentary has to take advantage of the interesting qualities of its characters and story. A person like Phillip is perfect for a documentary because he's energetic, well-spoken, and above all, sincere. And that's something thats true of all the players in this caper. You can see on their faces and hear in their voices how this event changed their lives. You can see that joy, and you, as a viewer, reciprocate it. When one of Phillip's friends cries tears of joy over what they had accomplished, it moved me like no other moment this year.

Now, documentaries are visual arts, and this film has amazing visuals. Unfortunately, there isn't any video of Phillip walking between the two towers, but there are mindboggling photos. And there's one that's particularly striking. It's a photo of Phillip, suspended between the two towers of the WTC, and there's a 747 framed in the background. It's at that point that you realize that this is a film about an event that took place at the World Trade Center and it doesn't even mention 9/11. The film simply lets you marvel at the towers and what happened there.

Kinsey: 4.5 stars

Wade: 5 stars

Un conte de Noel (A Christmas Tale)

Un conte de Noel (A Christmas Tale) is a French film from director Arnaud Desplechin starring Catherine Deneuve, Anne Consigny, Mathieu Amalric, Emmanuelle Devos, and many others. The film revolves around the exploits of the dysfunctional Vuillard family and their attempt at reconcilation through their mother's cancer over the Christmas holiday.

I came out of this film knowing something about myself and movies: I enjoy a simple movie that is well done. It's kind of how I look at architecture; its so difficult to do a simple building well, so why do we make vain attempts at complexity? Let's get the simple stuff down first. A Christmas Tale seems to me to be a complex movie, probably because its subject matter (the Vuillard family) is so complex. There were times that I got lost due to a character's actions or because of the film's narrative choices. The multiple sub plots got mixed up with the main plot, everything just got muddled. Kinsey used one word to describe the film: boring.

Now I know directors, especially progressive directors like Arnaud Desplechin, are still going to make films with complex themes and narratives, but that doesn't mean they're going to turn out well or that I'm going to like them. That's why I didn't like The Curious Case of Benjamin Button or Synecdoche, NY. And I really wanted to like both those films, and A Christmas Tale. I don't fault them for trying, but it takes a lot for these types of films to work for me.

Two more things I came out of this film knowing: that Mathieu Amalric is quickly becoming one of my favorite actors, and that Catherine Deneuve still looks great at 66.

Kinsey: 2 stars

Wade: 2.5 stars

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is the highly anticipated film from director David Fincher starring Brad Pitt as the title character. The film centers around the life of Benjamin Button, who, as his character states early on, "was born under unusual circumstances." These unusual circumstances lead to Benjamin being born as an "old man" baby, a wrinkly infant with cataracts and arthritis, and aging backwards to a "baby" old man, a little kid with dementia.

Oh, where to begin. So far, this film ranks as my biggest disappointment of the year, even more so than the abysmal Australia and the underwhelming Doubt. I have been looking forward to this film ever since I saw the first preview. Its been on all kinds of critic's top ten lists, its seems to be penciled in for a Best Picture nom, its got great actors in Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, and Tilda Swinton, and a very capable director, with really tight, well constructed films like Seven, Zodiac, Fight Club, and even Panic Room on his resume. I mean, this should be a great movie, right? Believe me, it is not. It's bloated, meandering, overdone with CG-imagery and boring. And the thing that bothers me is that there is a great movie somewhere in there. The interesting thing about a guy who ages backwards is how that affects his relationships with other people. I don't want to know about the backstory about how he was born the way he was (in the movie), or how he reconnects with his father through booze and brothels (in the movie), or how he goes to war on a tugboat (also in the movie). Those things are not interesting considering your main character's special circumstances.

The only time the film presents an interesting story is about two hours into it's over 2 1/2 hour running time. Here we finally get to see Benjamin and his love interest Daisy, played by Cate Blanchett, spend some significant time together and also begin to question how the relationship will work when Benjamin keeps getting younger. That relationship is where the heart of this film lies. Someone should take a hatchet to this thing, hack away all the superfluous fluff, a create a great 90 minute film about Benjamin and Daisy's relationship from childhood to death. That would be a great use of the source material, which, by the way, is a F. Scott Fitzgerald short story.

As far as the acting goes, Cate Blanchett does a good job as Daisy and Tilda Swinton is admirable in a small role. I don't see all the hubbub about Taraji P. Henson's role as Queenie, Benjamin's adoptive mother. Seemed a bit false and overdone to me. But Brad Pitt's performance sums up the movie as a whole. It's blank and lifeless.

Kinsey: 3.5 stars

Wade: 2 stars

Tara: 3 stars

Drive Home Review: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Click on the title of this post to listen to our Drive Home Review of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, with special guest Tara!

Marley and Me

Kinsey and I went to see Marley and Me over the holidays in Nebraska with my family. There are only three movies showing in McCook, and this seemed like a better option than Yes Man or Bedtime Stories.

Marley and Me is based on the book by John Grogan about his relationship with his ill-behaved yellow lab, Marley. The two leads (the human ones, not the dog) are played by Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston.

We were surprised by how much we enjoyed this movie. Judging from the trailer, this seemed like it would be one of those movies that used up all the good jokes to get people to the theater. But it really wasn't like that. In fact, the "trailer" jokes are even better in the context of the film. Not a whole lot really happens in this movie. You follow Josh from his wedding day, to getting Marley, to having kids, to the (spoiler!) death of his dog. Sure, there are a lot of Hollywood cliches along the way, the couple live in picture perfect homes in both Boca Raton and Philadelphia, their kids are adorable, neither Owen Wilson or Jennifer Aniston seem to age, even though the film probably covers a dozen years, and so on. (Oh, and Jennifer Aniston has three kids and never loses her figure. Only in the moving pictures.) But cliches notwithstanding, its pretty difficult difficult to find good Hollywood fare these days. And that's what Marley and Me is, it's good Hollywood fare.

Kinsey: 3.5 stars

Wade: 3 stars