My Favorite Films of 2013

Another year down, and boy was it a doozy. In my short time where I consider myself as a film hobbyist, I don't think I've experienced a winter film season with so many films that have so much hype. The surprising thing about this year is that most of these films are American, too. Sure, most American films are overproduced, noisy, and dumb, but this was a good year for the good 'ole USA. This may come from the fact that many American treasures and established creators released films this year, including Scorsese, the Coen Brothers, Woody Allen, David O. Russell, Alexander Payne, Paul Greengrass, and Spike Jonze. This has kind of overshadowed new talent, and I haven't seen a lot of the lesser known artists' work, I think, because of this. I may add that I'm an amateur not getting paid to see movies, so there's only so many movies I can watch. I did miss out on her, Nebraska, Short Term 12, The Great Beauty, and Dallas Buyer's Club, just to name a few of the films that I really, really wanted to see before I wrote this, but it would be lame to post a "Best of" list in March. (I began writing this in January, and it's almost March!)

First off, honorable mentions for the Robert Redford driven film All is Lost, which is about a man lost at sea by himself, and it proved to be the most tense movie of the year. The World's End, the latest collaboration between Edger Wright, Simon Pegg, and Nick Frost, which was unsurprisingly hilarious along with creating their greatest character, Gary King. Upstream Color is a psychedelic sci-fi romance made for people who love 2001 and Terrence Malick movies. It should also be noted that Shane Carruth starred, directed, produced, edited, composed, designed, and cast the film. It was truly his film, and he should be applauded.

The List

10.) The Act of Killing- The Act of Killing is a rough, brutal way to start a movie list, but then again, my movie taste is usually confrontational. Confrontational is a good word to describe this documentary, which follows a group of Indonesian gangster recreating, on film, their massive killing spree during the anti-Communist purge of '65-'66. Anwar, the film's main character, is reported to have killed almost 1,000 men, usually by strangling them wire. The film starts off with punch by having one Anwar's friends casting local kids to recreate them crying as he kills their parents. The most harrowing part of the film is that these thugs and their party are still in power. They are legendary, and yet they know how false their image is.
-Favorite Scene- A man whose father was actually killed during the killings suggest to Anwar and his friends that they film his side of the story, too. They shut down the idea because they know that it would make the communist look sympathetic and themselves as monsters. This grown-up orphan proves to be the best actor during the recreations, not surprisingly.

9.) American Hustle- This film features the best acting by bad hair. When I saw the trailer for this, I was so confused as to why they all had awful hair-dos. I knew the movie took place in the '70's, but it looked like the 70's puked on this film, until they revealed the movie took place in New Jersey. Oh, that explains it. Anyway, American Hustle proves again that David O. Russell knows how to direct ensemble films, and it features the some of best acting of the year. Amy Adams and Christian Bale's chemistry and relationship holds the film in place and prove that they are some of the best working in the biz, while Jennifer Lawrence proves that she is her greatest in a dramedic (drama-comedy) role, playing Bale's cartoony, manipulative wife. This is a film about con-artists, and no one is really honorable, besides Jeremy Renner's character. Still, you end up rooting for many of the characters in hope that they find their happy ending. Some people have complained that the film wasn't informative enough, but do viewers really expect this to be a document about the FBI Abscam operation while starring Bradley Cooper? Hell, the film started off with the disclaimer, "Some of this actually happened." For a movie about phonies and liars, it started off being more honest than most films.
-Favorite Scene- The bathroom scene! If you've seen it, this was your favorite scene, too, I'm sure. Sydney (Adams) confronts Rosalyn (Lawrence) about her ebarassing behavior in front of some mobsters, and Rosalyn confronts Sydney about her affair with her husband, and the emotions are explosive.

8.) War Witch- War Witch is a magical realistic film about 12-year old Komona (played by first time actress Rachel Mwanza) who is made to kill her parent and join rebel forces in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Komona's ability to see ghosts gives the rebels an upper hand against the government, so she becomes a prized possession to the rebel general. A love affair with an albino rebel causes the two to try to flee and create a better life for themselves, but they learn that it is easier said than done. War Witch proved to be one of the most beautiful films because of cinematographer Nicholas Bolduc, yet the film is so devastating. The things that Komona has to go through, and we all know that this situation isn't too farfetched, is just awful. Still, the movie is pretty subtle. The story is harsh without being overbearing and sympathetic without being sappy. Through it all, the film does present a light at the end of the dusty tunnel.
-Favorite Scene- It's hard to say favorite with a movie like this, but the second to the last scene, where Komana gets to the end point of her journey and achieves her goal. Sorry, I don't want to give too much away, but it is just moving.

7.) Frances Ha- The film's title character, Frances, is a 27 year-old modern dancer following her dream, except that she's not really good at it. Besides not getting anywhere with her dance company, her best friend and "soul mate," Sophie, tells her that she's moving out to live with her new boyfriend, who Frances doesn't really care for. Now one her own and looking for a solid place to live, Frances makes one bad mistake after another without the guidance of her BFF. Frances is truly made for late-twenties viewer who questions their life as their choices create more and more concrete paths, and the film at times can be terrifying. Still, the energy of the film rarely becomes heavy and the humor is shameless and sometime raunchy. Plus, Greta Gerwig, as the film's star and co-writer, is so perfect at being ditsy (and kind of dumb) yet lovable. I see Frances Ha becoming a cult favorite for the confused and misplaced.
-Favorite Scene- Frances calls Sophie while on spur-of-the-moment visit to Paris, and the two try to patch up after a falling out while keeping arm's length from each other because of their less than satisfying lives. The two friends have so much that they want to say to each other, but are too scared to go first.

6.) The Gatekeepers- I feel like I have a little bit of a theme here with The Act of Killing, War Witch, and The Gatekeepers, but it wasn't on purpose. The Gatekeepers is a documentary that features interviews with six former heads of the Shin Bet, Israel's internal security service. Not only is the Shin Bet pretty secretive, but to get these six to talk so candidly seems unprecedented, even from the viewpoint of someone who doesn't know all that much about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The film goes through "highlights" and major events involving the Shin Bet. The Gatekeepers will go down as essential viewing for anyone who wants to learn more about conflict in the Middle East. What I found fascinating is that these six men, who have obviously different world views, tactics, and personalities, all pretty much say the same thing: that they're trapped in cycle of violence caused by extremists and ideology.
-Favorite Scene- When discussing the Bus 300 affair of 1984, the filmmakers recreated the conflict through first hand photographs and computer imagery creating a still image that allowed movement for the camera and blended the photos together. You have to see it, because my explanation kind of sucks.

5.) 12 Years a Slave- Critic Andrew Shuster called 12 Years a Slave the "feel bad movie of the year," and I have to agree with him. It walks hand-in-hand with The Act of Killing for depicting inhuman history. This is not surprising since it's a slave story coming from Steve McQueen, a director whose previous work showcases human misery. Some may even go as far to call it a horror film, and I would have to agree with them. That's what slavery was: horrific, and the creators don't pull back.
Solomon Northup is an interesting hero in the sense that he doesn't really do anything too heroic, which makes it such a curious film. Because there is not grand deliverance, it can make story kind of painful, because there seems to be no hope. Chiwetel Ejiofor conveys that hopelessness so well, and you can see it slowly drain on him. It's a look of injustice. On the other hand, there's Michael Fassbender as his Solomon's master, who shows rage, anger, and hate so well, but then again, Michael Fassbender gets everything right in everything he does. These characters are surrounded by a vivid, magnificent picture thanks to Steve McQueen and cinematographer Sean Bobbitt. It is artful, merciless, and a much needed reminder of the sins of the past, because they're still felt here in the present.
-Favorite Scene- Again, "favorite" is a bad word to use, but the most memorable is when Solomon is left dangling from a rope around his neck for half a day. I'm sure a lot people think that the whipping scene is the most dramatic, but watching Northup struggle for dear life was almost unwatchable. It's even more striking when the other slaves on the farm start going about doing their chores, and children are playing in the background while Northup tiptoes on the ground just to get a little release from the pressure.

4.) Gravity- I hate when movies try to recreate the experience of roller coasters and video
games. Gravity does that a lot, but it was great, and there are so many reasons why a film like this didn't drive me crazy. One, the imagery was amazing. Setting a story above the Earth creates a mise-en-scène that you can't get wrong. Two, the peril was real, scary, and stressful. Every time debris started circling around back to Sandra Bullock's character, Ryan Stone, I'm sure that I held my breath until all of the chaos stopped. Three, the story is pretty good. I know a lot of people think that it's just a lot of stuff exploding in space, but there is much to write on in regards to the story. Sure, it is minimalistic, but there is a lot of information packed in the tight 90 minute film. For those who don't think there is a storyline, I challenge you! Four, the camera work is insane. I'm a fan of the long shots, and director Alfonso Cuarón loves the long shots. They create such a tension that is hard to replicate. Five, the acting is really good. It's interesting that this film came out the same year as All is Lost, since both are driven by mainly one character stuck in a perilous situation. Gravity is all about Dr. Stone, and this is the best acting done by Bullock I've seen (honestly, though, just about any actress could have played the part as long as they got over the grueling physical nature of the role, but kudos to her.) Finally, I love a film that causes the audience to shut the hell up. When the loud musical intro started and then quickly cut to a silent picture of Earth, no one in the audience spoke for the rest of the movie. That's a job well done in my book.
-Favorite Scene- The first scene is the best part, because it is the most startling. It took me a couple minutes to get use to the character floating in space, and just when my nerves were settled, satellite debris was destroying everything, including the shuttle Dr. Stone was attached to, spinning her around and around, and I almost puked.

3.) Inside Llewyn Davis- If anyone was hoping Inside Llewyn Davis was going to be another O' Brother, Where Art Thou? because it was another collaboration between the Coen Brothers and T Bone Bennett, well, I'm sure they were disappointed. Inside Llewyn Davis is a gloomy affair, which is noticeable right away by the photography's muted, also colorless presentation. The story, too, is rather melancholy. It's about a struggling folk singer in New York before Bob Dylan made folk popular. Llewyn can never catch a break in the film, and it seems like the universe is out to get him. At least, it seems that way at first. As the film goes on, you learn that Llewyn is kind of a dick. I couldn't help but feel that he deserves some of his punishment. Still, for as cold and unlikable Llewyn is, you really understand the person he is when he is performing. His music is the only likeable thing about him, and the character is perfectly played by Oscar Isaacs. I think it may be my favorite performance of the year, and I can't think of anyone else who could have captured the character. The film is an Internet catch, too, because it features a cat for most of the film, and features the usual Coen Brothers weirdness (the scenes with John Goodman as a rude, Voodoo-practicing junky is just bizarre.)
-Favorite Scene- Llewyn travels to Chicago just to talk to a producer, which cases an impromptu audition. Llewyn sings "The Death of Queen Jane," and the performance is probably the most heartfelt in the whole movie. When Llewyn finishes the song, you can see Llewyn hold his breath, waiting for the producer's words, which may change Llewyn's life forever.

Before I talk about my next film, let me say one thing about this list. The previous films didn't really have a set order. They were just films that I think people should see, but I don't really think that Frances Ha is better than The Act of Killing. The order is really just arbitrary and depended on my mood. The order has changed so many times. Even the honorable mentions have been in my top ten at one time or another. Still, this top two is concrete and will not move. They have stayed with me since I've seen them. I've revisited them many times in my head, and plan on revisiting them physically many times in the future.

2.) Before Midnight- Now, Before Midnight is the third film in the "Before" series by director Richard Linkletter and starring Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy. It's been 18 years since the first film, which featured American Jesse (Hawke) and French Céline (Delpy) as two strangers who spend the night together wondering the streets of Vienna. After a sequel that brought them back together, we see Jesse and Céline in Greece on a six week family vacation. The film contains the usual yet great features that the other films contain: the two walking around a European town talking about relationships, love, and the future. It would seem that it wouldn't be that interesting the third time around, but the characters are older, more experienced, and still have more questions than answers about the ultimate questions of life. Linkletter, Hawke, and Delpy know these characters through and through, and everything seems real and honest. The two leads are almost non-acting; I can't tell that this is a performance for others to see. While I'm usually one who want good things to die before they become stale, I kind of hope that we meet up again with Jesse and Céline in another nine years.
-Favorite Scene- The twenty minute fight scene in the hotel is pretty intense and kind of depressing. The courting is done with, the honeymoon is over, and love hasn't defeated all the fears Jesse and Céline had about marriage. They know each other better than before, and they know how to make each other pissed to prove a point. We haven't seen these characters act like this before, which is pretty great for a third film in a series. Plus, the scene perfectly captures an argument between two lovers: badly chosen words start off a spark which quickly becomes a raging fire, accusations about the past get thrown around, and bickering about time management spring up (which always happens in verbal fights for some reason.) As much as it was hard to watch at times, it was inevitable, and you could see its possibilities from the very beginning.

1.) Stories We Tell- My favorite film of the year is a documentary from director/actress Sarah Polley, who explores the life of her mother, who died when Polley was only 11. She interviews her siblings, extended family members, and family friends about her mother, who comes off as vibrant, energeetic, and caring. The film could have ended there and have been one daughter's journey into learning about a mother that she never knew, but through exploring, Polley learns that her mother actually had an affair, and that her father, Michael, isn't her biological father. The film becomes a mystery that contains a couple of surprises. What's really surprising is that the film becomes a meta exploration into the nature of storytelling and documentaries. Is objective viewpoints possible? Are there honest-to-God truths, falsehoods, or a combination of both when it comes to recollecting the past? I kept on asking myself days after seeing the film, "what was real?" It has changed the way I've viewed documentaries since. Still, the film isn't too heady or heavy. It is a really sweet, tender film about a loving family, and it made me laugh one minute and cry the next.
-Favorite Scene- I love the scenes where Polley's paternal father, Michael, reads Sarah's personal writings about her mother, her fathers, and the events that make up the film. All the while, Sarah is in the recording booth, making sure that Michael gets the recording just right. You get the sense that the news that Michael isn't Sarah's biological father hasn't weakened their bond, but has made it stronger. Still, there is also a sense of performance coming from these scenes, as both Sarah and Michael are skilled actors, and I can't help but wonder how much of this was staged.

 

The 15 Best Performances of The Voice Season 5

This was a good season for the karaoke, Lazy Susan, celebrity-infused competition. For the first time in just about any reality show I've seen there was a top 12 where everyone deserved to win (although, everyone who goes on this show deserves to win just for putting their hopes and dreams up on display for our amusement, but what can you do.) This season marked the return of the original four coaches (which includes a rambling Christina Aguilera). There was less country music (season 4 was a country extravaganza, for better or worst), and *spoiler alert* a Jamaican born, mixed-raced diva was crowned the winner. To celebrate the end, here is a list of the best performances from the season. They're not in a specific order, because to rank them would be sadomasochistic.

-"A Case of You" by James Wolpert

This is probably the most stripped down performance of the season, which is intimidating for a young singer in a stadium full of a thousand people, but that is the way this Joni Mitchell song should have been performed. It was reserved with a few high notes picked perfectly. Man oh man, did this performance make me feel things.

-"Adorn" by Cole Vosbury

Cole proved that he could sing everything. He auditioned with the theme song from "The Jeffersons", and later, sang Garth Brooke's "Shameless" (I think Blake was trying to steer Cole to the country side like he did with Cassadee Pope.) To prove he could sing anything and make it his own, he chose Miguel's smooth jam "Adorn." Cole sang it with his signature rasp and kept the song rightfully soulful.

-"And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going" by Jacquie Lee

All of the heavy-hearted songs Jacquie sang lead to this moment for her, which was singing the most agonizing, break-ups songs from Broadway, and also, one of the hardest to sing, and she sang it like a pro. This was one of those moments where it seemed like the firewords were deserved.

-"Angel" by Jacquie Lee

Jacquie proved time and time again that she had the pipes, but did she have the experience and control to pick more settle moments? She answered those concerns with "Angel", which became one of the more tender moments of the season.

-"As Long As You Love Me" by Caroline Pennell and Anthony Paul

I'm surprised that I liked this rendition of this lame Justin Bieber song so much, but Cee-Lo, Caroline, and Anthony turned it into a haunting ballad. While Anthony may have been the more skilled vocalists of the two, he was the one who had to kick it up to match Caroline's venerability and emotional intensity. In the end, it may not have been the loudest of the Battle rounds, but it was the most successful.  

"At Last" by Will Champlin

The Voice likes to keep a lot of songs in their signature gender (as noted last season, when a male contestant auditioned with a Katy Perry song, and Adam stated that the gender shift messed with his feelings of the performance.) This is lame, because that limits a lot of song possibilities, and we wouldn't have Will singing "At Last", which was undoubtedly his best performance. Will tried to hit every high note possible, and the weird thing is he kind of sounded like Etta James if she was a guy. It was a pretty slick performance.

-"Bridge Over Troubled Water" by Tessanne Chine

Tessanne sang a lot of huge songs throughout the competition, including "I Have Nothing" by Whitney Houston, but I think her best diva moment came from the Simon and Garfunkel ballad because she channeled some personal demons for her performance that made the snetiment more potent. 

-"Cosmic Love" by Matthew Shuler

 

This performance could end up on the list for the vocal slide alone, but the rest of the performance was dramatic and spot-on.

-"Electric Feel" by Preston Pohl 

I can't tell if the song is just awesome or Preston is that good, but this performance has a wicked vibe that feels retro and modern at the same time. I think it has to do with the song's worldly beat and Preston's raspy voice.

-"Hallelujah" by Matthew Schuler

 

In two ways, "Hallelujah" is one of those overdone songs: someone sings it every season of every singing competition, and they always put everything in the production to make it a "moment". The grand effect only happens if the musical cues fit with the lyrics, and Matthew did hit the right notes at the right time, making it a passionate rendition. 

-"I Put a Spell on You" by Jacquie Lee

Jacquie's first live performance gave us a clue as to the rhetoric we will come to expect from her from now on, which was bluesy songs about heartache and larger than life notes, and even though she's sixteen and probably never experienced such pain, she was able to become invested in the song.

-"Let It Be" by Tessanne Chin and Adam Levine

This performance seemed less like a duet between a competitor and their coach, and more like a performance between two well-established entertainers. The reggae groove at the bridge was a nice touch, too.

-"Sail" by Kat Robichaud

The week before Kat performed this, she showed a softer side of herself, but fans were like, "We want rockin', kick-ass Kat!" And boy, did she bring. Too much for most to handle, I think, because lyrics like "maybe I should kill myself", and "blame it on my A.D.D." may be too dark for the Voice audience. You can't say you didn't ask for it. (Also, the crowd surfing, while short and obviously staged, was still kind of sweet.)
 
-"The Way I Am" by Caroline Pennell

There have been a lot of soft-sung, anti-diva singers throughout the seasons. There seems to be a token one every season. Caroline proved to be the best one so far because of her ability to actually hit the big, powerful notes, as proved in her performance of "The Way I Am", when she riffs towards the end, and it's pretty and pretty magical. She may seem shy, but she knows what she's doing.

-"Underneath It All" by Tessanne Chin

I feel like the Voice shies away from more fun, groovy numbers for bigger, emotional moments. This can turn the show into a shouting match, so I love moments like "Underneath It All." Tessanne's performance of the faux-reggae No Doubt song made it sound legit and bossy.

Honorable Mention: "Do What U Want" by Lady Gaga and Christina Aguilera

I didn't look at any of the performances done by the established singers, but I have to say that this one is kind of awesome. It's kooky (surprise!) and the two women sound good together. I didn't really like this song until I heard this rendition of it. If only Lady Gaga could replace R. Kelly with Christina.

The Icebook

I recently had the pleasure of viewing The Icebook at the Arthur and Mata Jaffe Center for Book Arts in Boca Raton, FL. Created by directors and designers Davy and Kritsin McGuire, this stop in Florida was the only American stop of their world-wide tour. The McGuire's created a pop-up book that can take projections, with the end result being a fairy tale on a minute and charming scale. It is unlike anything that I have seen or even heard of and captures wonderment that I imagine existed when "peep show" devices were being used at the dawning cinema.

The film follows a lonely man (portrayed by Davy) on a cold night who gets a magical message coming out from one of his books, created by the Ice Queen (played by Kristin.) Every scene transition takes place with the turn of a page. The first scene shows the front of the man's house, and we see him turn on lights, make his way through the house, and pick up fire logs on the porch. The actor, the lights, and the snow are all projections, while the house itself is a paper pop-up. This is a true 3-D film, unlike the phony bologna 3-D films that are rampant these days. The actors interact with the pop-ups, placing items on top of pop-up shelves, walking through the paper forest, or jumping in a pop-up boat. The work had to have been meticulous in order for everything to sync together, but the McGuires were able to create the full effect that they were shooting for.

There are many striking moments in the 17-minute film (do I call it a film?) Our protagonist journeys in a boat, where he encounters a lightning storm and icebergs. Through manipulation of the the light, and the movement of the background, the stationary, lifeless paper boat sails. It is whimsical and is nothing short of black-and-white perfection. The protagonist makes his way towards the Queen's castle, which is grand in size, as we see can barely make out Davy walking along the castle's grounds. These set pieces are clear, and subtle; not once did I feel like they were shoving their medium in my face. The pop-ups and projections are blended so well, that I forgot what I was looking at, until the very end, when the lights turn. Still, I had a sense that the action was happening right in front of, that this book had come to life. It was a surreal experience.

The story's silent, accompanied with music and sound effects, but contains no intertitles. The story doesn't coddle the viewer, and much of the motivations and results will have to be left up to them, but that is how silent films usually work. They're the universal storyteller, which explains why the McGuires have been able to tour the world with their production.

As I've said before, The Icebook brought to mind the history of film and the inventive and fantastic experiments that came about with the new medium. At this time, The Hobbit is showing in theaters, which has gained special press because it filmed at a rate of 48 frames a second, instead of the usual 24. Does it really matter? No. Will you be able to watch other films despite their slow 24 frame rate? Yes. While I admit I haven't seen the film, this is just another technological "enhancement" that is made to sell tickets. There was a time when innovative film techniques changed the way you viewed the film, like adding sound or color, but mainstream filmmakers are finding it harder to create that cool admiration. Where you can find it is on a smaller, local scale: at museums, galleries, local theaters, and exhibits to showcase the narrative, poetic, and mechanical properties of film.

That's what The Icebook does. The intimate size and the dimensional quality create a dreamlike environment made for fantasy. The McGuires have stated that a fantasy, dreamy storyline is too spot on the nose, and will try something more edgy and different. There are unless possibilities, really. A crime noir filled with pop-up city streets and smokey alleys would be neat, or a period piece featuring a home-sick soldier with his lonely wife trying to take care of their pop-up farm. Whatever their next pop-up theater show is, let's hope they come back to Florida.

Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow

Flying fortresses, robots, ray-guns, and dinosaurs are all showcased in the nostalgic Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow. Directed by Kerry Conran, his film features an ace pilot and his reporting love interest who investigate the mysterious disappearances of notable scientists. The film was created completely using green scene and features some amazing visuals, but overshadows the human element of the film.

It starts off in New York City, where Dr. Jorge Vargas (Julian Curry) seeks out the alliterative reporter, Polly Perkins (Gwyneth Paltrow). He tells her that he is being chased by a Dr. Totenkorf, who is kidnapping scientists. Before he can give her more information, the city is attacked by giant robots seeking the city's generators. A special pilot called Sky Captain (Jude Law) from the Flying Legion arrives to save the day and disarms a robot, but the horde leaves suddenly without anymore conflict.

Polly seeks out Sky Captain, also known as Joe, as they are ex-lovers. They quickly start bickering over their dysfunctional history involving a secret affair and a sabotaged plane. After they settle down, they come to the conclusion that the missing scientists and the robots are connected, and decide to work together. It becomes clear to the audience that Polly is one of those intrepid reporters that will have to be rescued in the end, so Joe is wary of having her around. Before they can gather any more real clues, the Flying Legion base is attacked by flying drones. The Flying Legion's top scientist, Dex (Giovanni Ribisi), is able to figure out where the drones came from, but gets kidnapped by the robots. He leaves Joe and Polly clues, which begins their adventure around the world.

As this was the first film to be completely filmed with a "digital backlot," I could tell that Conran wanted to movie to really stand out. The first scene, where the Hindenburg is docking at the Empire State Building, is breathtaking, and the visual POW doesn't let up throughout the whole movie. It has a cool vibe that is similar to German Expressionist films and film noir. The actors' faces always have a romantic glow to them, reminiscent of older films. Sky Captain is filled with allusions that will please sci-fi and movie geeks, which include the Fleischer Superman cartoons, The Shadow, The Wizard of Oz, and King Kong, along with designs from Norman Bel Geddes and Hugh Ferris. I'm a big fan of the 1920's, 30's, and 40's, so I enjoyed myself collecting the large gamut of references, and even if you don't know them, one can still enjoy the visual feast.

The story is a little more to be desired. It is very straight forward and simple. Clues lead to new locations, where goons always show up without real explanation, and friends intervene to save Joe and Polly. Joe and Polly easily fall into squabbling, and they easily fall out of it. It seems that Paltrow and Law could have had a better time with their characters, but I think that may be caused by a lack of good directing. I image it is hard to feel emotionally involved in a scene when there is nothing but a green around you, and the director is telling you what you see. There were times that when Paltrow and Law are running, and it looks completely insincere. This is most likely caused by the soundstage being smaller than the digitial locations. Close-ups of the actors are beautifully shot and altered, but with the long shots, there seems to be an obvious disconnect.

Sky Captain still has the capabilities to be a great movie. At times, I felt like I was six again and was watching Raiders of the Lost Ark for the first time with my mouth wide open. With the right direction, this could be a perfect adventure story. I wish the film industry would remake films with great ideas but require a little tweaking, instead of remaking films that were great to begin with. Sky Captain would be perfect for Spielberg, Jackson, Bird, or an older, more experienced Conran, but only if he gets his skills with the actors up there with his skills on the computer. Sky Captain is a must see for fans of pulp fiction and vintage sci-fi. It may have its flaws, but you can't say the filmmakers weren't trying.

Also, there is a notable cameo by Angelina Jolie as Commander Franky Cook, where she has an eye-patch, a goofy, British accent, and dialogue like "Alert the amphibious squadron!" If that sounds like something you'd want to see, rent this movie right now.

Basic Instinct

Basic Instinct was the erotic-thriller hit of 1992. Directed by the lover of guilty-pleasure movies, Paul Verhoeven, the film doesn't divert from his usual repertoire: shallow, pun-filled dialogue and hyper-sexual, hyper-violent scenes. The film is fun and held my attention, but I ended up thinking that this was one curious case that I could erase from my memory.

It stars Michael Douglas as L.A. Detective Nick Carran, who has a notorious trigger finger caused by cocaine and alcohol abuse. How he still on the police force is beyond me, but Nick is sent to investigate the murder of a rock-and-roll star that was killed by an ice pick while having sex. The police interrogates the last person to see the deceased musician, his girlfriend, the seductive Catherine Tramell, famously played by blond-bombshell Sharon Stone. Tramell is a psychologist and crime novelist who published a book about a rock-and-roll star who is murdered in bed with an ice pick.

That's when the movie takes us to the absurd, as if it wasn't already there. The police don't classify Tramell as the number one suspect because, as she puts it, "I'd have to be pretty stupid to write a book about killing and then kill him the way I described in my book. I'd be announcing myself as the killer. I'm not stupid." Ugh. So, the detectives ultimately decide that the killer is actually someone obsessed with Tramell. Nick is sent to investigate Tramell for clues, and she begins a game of cat and mouse. She declares that he is her new pet project because she's writing a book about a detective who falls in love with the wrong woman and ends up murdered (cue the dramatic music). So, of course, Nick falls for her while trying to treat her like a murder suspect, but his defenses crumble in her hands.

I won't give too much away about the plot, because this is a mystery film that does keep you guessing the whole time, as long as you haven't seen too many crime films. Writer Joe Eszterhas uses many of the genre's tropes and lays out the clues that are easy to find, if you know how to find them. The film is reminiscent of noir stories like Double Indemnity, but while those films featured grey versus gray conflicts of morality, Basic Instinct is a black versus blacker narrative. Nick is amoral cop who clearly cares only about himself and seems to have a death wish, which he gets to satisfy by canoodling with Tramell. She obviously has an unhealthy lifestyle and aspirations, whether she's the killer or not.

The message of the story is truly uninspiring, too. The film preaches that the best sex is violent sex. The sex between Nick and Tramell has an underlying sense of danger because of the possible ice pick that might impale him. Nick describes the sex as the "f*ck of the century," perpetuating a sexual ideal that I think is too evident in our society. There is even a scene featuring a date rape that results in no negative consequences to the rapist, and the raped ultimately shrugs off the incident.

Also, the film is highly homophobic. Tramell is bisexual and is in a lesbian relationship, which makes her girlfriend a suspect. And the fact that Tramell is in this relationship makes her more dangerous, and there is a lurking sense that the film is a conflict between straight men and lesbians. Nick has a discussion with Tramell's girlfriend that concludes with her feeling inadequate, and Nick is seen as the main lover for Tramell. There is another female character that is revealed to have had a lesbian affair in the past, and this past affair also puts her on the suspect list. While Nick and the other heterosexual men in the film aren't widely depicted as being noble citizens, the image of the dangerous, sexual lesbian is a recurring typecast in movie history. (I suggest viewing The Celluloid Closet for further discussion on the history of gay and lesbian representation in cinema.)

Not as socially dangerous as the themes of the film, but still hurtful, is the acting. I've never understood Michael Douglas' appeal, and the film made these feelings even worse. His face is so wooden and cold, but not in a cool, stoic fashion like Clint Eastwood, but more like there isn't much thinking going on behind those furrowed brows. His line reading during the more romantic scenes are truly dull. Stone puts all of her effort into it, and I can tell she is really having fun with her role. Tramell is calculating and manipulative while holding a smile on her face. She did the best she could with the character, which has become a culture icon, thanks to the humorous, vagina-exposing interrogation scene. Tramell is what I classify as scenic emotional character, meaning that the character only displays one emotion throughout the scene. She's sly, sad, surprised, happy, slutty, etc., but only one emotion at a time, which makes for flat characterization.

Basic Instinct does satisfy my presumptions about the film. I expected steamy suspense, but I didn't realized that it was going to be a camp-filled, bloody, sex romp. I should have known better, since this is from the same filmmaker of Showgirls and Starship Trooper, but Basic Instinct takes itself more serious than Verhoeven's other works, and that may be the film's greatest fault.

Cloud Atlas

Cloud Atlas is a film about epic love that transcends time and space, and this love motivates the future and creates webs toward freedom. Directed by siblings Lana and Andy Wachowski and Tom Tykwer, the film presents six stories with little to no relationship. These stories are edited in a back and forth manner that may be frustrating for most audience members, but the film can a real treat for the daring viewer who doesn't mind doing some of the work.

The six stories all take place in various times and locations around the world. The first one takes place in the Pacific Ocean in 1849, in which Adam Ewing (Jim Sturgess) is heading back to California following a business trip and helps a stowaway slave (David Gyasi) find freedom. Then, in 1936's Great Britain, Robert Frobisher (Ben Whishaw) becomes an amanuensis to an aging composer (Jim Broadbent), but Frobisher's bisexuality and notorious past may get in the way of their professional relationship. Fast forward to San Francisco, 1973, where journalist Luisa Rey (Halle Berry) discovers a plot to cause a disaster regarding the city's new nuclear reactor, but further investigation may cost her life. Then, in present day England, book publisher Timothy Cavendish (also Jim Broadbent) gets tricked by his brother into staying in a prison-like nursing home. Further in the future, in Neo-Seoul, 2144, Sonmi-451 (Donna Bae) is a cloned waitress, who escapes her captors to become a revolutionary leader. The last story takes place in Hawaii, 106 years after "the Fall" of civilization, where primitive tribesman Zachry (Tom Hanks) helps technologically advanced Meronym (also Halle Berry) send a message to outer space.

It is clear that this is an eclectic and peculiar combination of narratives. The stories and genres they represent aren't overly inventive. The Luisa Rey story is a straight up journalistic thriller, and the Neo-Seoul scenes practically borrows the mise-en-scène from every futuristic sci-fi movie in the last 20 years. Cavendish's ordeal's is a light-hearted escape narrative reminiscent of films like The Great Escape (or more appropriately, Chicken Run). None of these films are genre redefining, but what makes them engaging are the thematic and dramatic connections that are interlaced in the stories.

It's at these moments that the film makes its most dramatic punches. There are some beautiful and poetic montages that link the stories together, and it's through these moments that make the film watchable. I found myself pretty quickly losing interest in making concrete connections and started watching the movie like I was reading a poem. I looked for repeating words and themes, and that may be the best way to approach a film this big.

Let me tell you, this is a big film. Not only is it a daunting 172 minutes, but the worlds created felt real and fully conceptualized. The city of Neo-Seoul is expansive, menacing, and futuristic, while the filmmakers' San Francisco looks straight out of the '70's, albeit an exaggerated version of it. Because each location and era is so distinct, the transitions weren't as jarring as I thought they would be. I had a good footing with every transition. The filmmakers had a rough task to make the film seem fundamentally coherent, and they were effective in doing so.

Because of the directorial collaboration, they were able to get a large, star-studded cast, and they got their use out of them. Each actor performs a different character in almost every story line, regardless of race or gender, with the help of make-up. It's pretty unnecessary, and at times, detracting . Hugo Weaving portrays a deadly assassin during the Luisa Rey story line, and then plays a brutal, female nurse in the modern day story. There are some really great performances that come out of the movie, particularly from Whishaw, Broadbent, and Bae. The film's most prominent stars are Halle Berry and Tom Hanks, as they show up in every story line. Berry does a good job with her performances, but Hanks is utterly annoying in the film. He works too hard with every role, creating distracting accents for each one.There was a particular moment in the film when Hanks' overacting and his awful make-up made the audience chuckle. The only time his acting made sense was during his main story line when he portrayed Zachry, but the problem with that story line is that everyone talks in a new slang and it's almost impossible to tell what anyone is saying.

I don't think I've seen an audience so divided in a film. I watched numerous couples leaving the theater within the first 45 minutes, while at times I heard people clap and cheer at various points. I found myself not once being bored with the film. The film works at a brisk pace, and when one story reaches its climax and begins to fall, it shifts to another story. All this shifting can drive a viewer crazy. I found myself getting frustrated because I was getting into one story, then I was being transported to another. Still, the film can be admired for its grand aspirations. While the Wachowski siblings and Tykwer are both remembered because of one film, they are noticeable for their risk taking, even if the results aren't always on the mark, like with Cloud Atlas. If you're a fan of The Tree of Life or The Fountain, then I think Cloud Atlas is something worth checking out (although, I feel like the end quality is more on par with the latter and not the former). If you're unfamiliar with either film, then I would just cautiously recommend the film. It is more than amazing when it hits the mark, but also crashes and burns more than it falls flat. Yet, I see Cloud Atlas as a film that will be widely studied and dissected in classrooms in the years to come.

Werckmeister Harmonies

Werckmeister Harmonies, directed by Béla Tarr and Ágnes Hranitsky, is a pallid drama set in the Hungarian plains. The directing duo presents to us a bitterly cold and dry village that is on edge due to the emergence of a grotesque and supernatural circus coming through town. We view this sense of dread through the eyes of the main character, János (Lars Randolph).

János is the town's paper deliverer and caretaker for the town's most acclaimed citizen, a music theorist. János is dewy-eyed and fascinated with how the world works and contains a spiritual wonderment. He keeps an astronomical poster by his bed, and in the first scene, he lectures the drunks at the bar about the rotation of the Earth, the Moon, and the Sun.

Every scene features János, and rarely does the camera linger far away from him. The audience gets a good sense of his curiosity when the citizens start ranting about a traveling circus that features a giant stuffed whale and the shadowy Prince, a demagogue who is rumored to possess magnetic powers that can rip trees out of the ground. The citizens take extra measures to safeguard their houses, but János is excited by all the commotion. 

Randolph holds the weight of the film well. This isn't a character piece, with the pictures and the emotions they create being the true main character of the film, but Randolph gets the message across with his subtle aura of wisdom, loneliness and reflection. János is built up so that if anyone could make sense of the current events, it would be him.

When the circus arrives, it enters in a ridged, pieced together metal box. János is the not only the first in line to see the rotting whale, but the only one in line. János acclaims that the whale is the event of the century, but no one in the village will listen to his glowing review, for they fear what will happen when the Prince shows up and gives a speech to the growing audience. Many men from different parts of the country have gathered around the box to listen to the Prince, and when he gives his rabble-rousing speech, everything will change. 

The increasing anxiety is created masterly by the directors' decision to compose the film with only 39 tracking shots. With the film being 145 minutes long, that is an incredibly small number of shots. To put it in perspective, film editor and sound designer Walter Murch stated that the standard movie contains an average of 5,000 cuts. The film's long and expertly choreographed shots allow the viewer to remain, unbroken, in the scene. The movement of the camera flows so smoothly that you don't notice that a there hasn't been a cut in the last five minutes. It's like watching a film without really blinking.

This realist approach to the film's sparse editing highlights the images that the Tarr, Hranitsky and cinematographer Patrick de Ranter have created. The air looks thin and frigid, like it will crack the skin of your hands. There is no warmth in the sunlight, and at nighttime, even the shadows have shadows. And when the chaos comes, you can feel the energy irrupt, but that, too, is cold. There is a sense that the town was in dire conditions even before the commotion with the circus.

The film takes its time to get to the action, and much of it takes place off-screen. Also, the ending may be a bit of a letdown for some, but Werchmeister Harmonies is a meditative, strange, and demanding look at how quickly widespread manipulation can sprout when the soil is right.