Milk Vs. The Wrestler

 

 

 

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Sean Penn won the Oscar this year for his very good performance in Gus Van Sant’s MILK.  The problem is that Mickey Rourke’s character and performance in Darren Aronofsky’s the Wrestler was a much better performance. 

The Reasons for Sean Penn’s win is all about politics rather than achievement.  And though MILK was a good film, it wasn’t as interesting, personal, nor was it particular artistic or moving as The Wrestler.  Now, I admit I most likely feel this way due to my heterosexuality, and so although I sympathize and even support the gay movement in America, I felt disconnected to this film.  Because any political movement in the United States has so many people involved, that any film attempting to capture it always has too  many characters to truly be invested in almost any of them, and MILK is no exception.  All of the supporting characters (with the exception of Emile Hirsch, who although I am not a fan of this actor, did a very interesting turn as Cleve Jones) are on screen so little they have no chance to develop.

The Wrestler however as so few characters that all of them get developed and inspected and are three dimensional and heartbreaking.  Where MILK I feel is for a much more limited audience, yet is shot like a major Hollywood flick.  The Wrestler, with a much more intimate feel is definitely more accessible to the common audience. 

And on a note about biopics vs. fictional films.  The Academy Loves biopic performances, but I feel like they are lesser forms of acting.  To re-enact or imitate, or even inhabit some one who already exists is not as difficult or even as good as creating some one completely new.  Sean Penn, though doing an amazing job, is still just idiosyncratically mimicking Harvey Milk, where Mickey Rourke creates something special.  Rourke’s Character Randy “The Ram” on paper should be the worst person on the planet.  But Rourke’s performance makes him a touching, tragic, and even sympathetic character instead of a horrible father with a steroid problem and who chases and even stalks a stripper at a local club. 

I think you should watch Milk not for Sean Penn or because it is a great movie, because it wasn’t that great, and neither was Sean Penn.  But I do think you should watch the film if you are interested in the Gay Rights Movement, or if you interested in American History.  It is a necessary film for our political environment today, especially because of California’s recent Proposition 8 scandal.  However, I feel Mickey Rourke, and the Wrestler are much better than Sean Penn and MILK.

BOLT!

Bolt is the story of a dog who stars in a popular TV show. The trouble is, he thinks it is all real, and the producers of the show aim to keep it that way. That is until the network opts for a new storyline where Bolt’s “person” Penny, who he always rescues on the show by the end of shooting, suddenly gets captured by Dr. Calico during part one of a cliffhanger.

This starts him on his journey after the cameras stop rolling to try to find and rescue the girl who he loves. Along the way he joins forces with a street smart cat and a fan boy hamster. They all come together and fight the good fight, and though the story is not necessarily new, the movie is very very good.

John Travolta plays the titular dog, and Miley Sirius plays someone who isn’t Mlley Sirius. Plus look out for Inside the Actor’s Studio’s James Lipton, Malcolm McDowell as the villain, and Rhino the Hamster. (The DVD even has a short staring Rhino that you should watch after the movie.)

I am gad to see Disney has been getting a lot better in recent years. They were starting to tail spin when they closed down their cell animation department in order to produce cheap, fast, and bad computer animated and direct to DVD sequels to classic movies because they think that’s how to make money. But since John Lasseter (the brains behind Pixar) took over the animation department, they’ve been making quality movies again.

Things like Enchanted, the continuing amazing Pixar films like Wall-e, and now Bolt. It has the heart, the acting, and the look of a great family film, and you can easily enjoy it as I did with my girlfriend and some dinner. It’s funny, adorable, awesome action sequences, and Disney’s usual great attention to detail. I think you won’t be sorry.

RACHEL GETTING MARRIED vs. MARGOT AT THE WEDDING

 

 

 

 

 

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These two films are incredibly similar.  One (Rachael) is about a recovering drug addict, played wonderfully by Anne Hathaway, who returns home to participate in her sisters wedding.  The other (Margot) is about a writer, played adequately by Nicole Kidman, brings her son back to her childhood home in order to participate in her sisters wedding.

Here’s the thing.  Rachael Getting Married is good, bordering Great.  Margot at the Wedding is not.  In Rachael Getting Married, Jonathan Demme finds intimate moments of emotional truth mixed up in the dysfunctional family that both resembles and is completely different than everyone else’s.  What I mean is that The family has real problems that any one of us might face.  Their demons are put on display in a semi-voyeuristic way, and everyone in the film has this odd vulnerability hidden under layers of sarcasm, psycho babble, smiles, and food.  These are real people who deal with real problems in a completely realistic way.

In Margot the opposite is true.  The problems faced by Margot, her sister and her almost brother-in-law are fake.  They are attempting to show real problems in what I like to call a “smart people” way.  Margot is going through a divorce, but there doesn’t seem to be any problem with her marriage.  Her Sister is a free spirit living in a big house in Connecticut and has lots of money, but always seems broke.  And her brother-in-law grew a moustache ironically.  There is no realism, and Noah Baumbach seems to have a lot of parent issues and so his films seem to be his attempt to show how screwed up his family is.  (his previous work was The Squid and the Whale, which personally I found to be very overrated, but also deals with a pretentiously screwed up family.) 

And one last note about Anne Hathaway.  I read a review of Rachel Getting Married before I saw this film and the review said that Hathaway gives a performance with more depth than he thought she could have given.  I find this unfair.  Her performance is incredible for any actress.  It is something worth watching, and she deserves all of the accolades she received.  Though she did not win the Oscar for this performance, I am sure she will in the future for some other great work.  That is, so long as she doesn’t make another movie like Bride Wars…

Synecdoche New York

Charlie Kauffman’s latest is really interesting.  It is odd, beautiful, wonderfully written, and incredibly acted.  The story of a Director, whose life is in shambles, who decides to put together a massive theater piece about his life.  With the usual Kaufman flare (i.e. it’s a bit weird, but in a really amazing way) the story unfolds both inside and out side a warehouse in New York City that contains a full size replica of New York City within it.  A huge ensemble cast, including Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Hope Davis, Diane Wiest, Catherine Keener, Michelle Williams, Emily Watson, and Jennifer Jason Leigh, make this film an experience.  If you liked Being John Malcovich and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, than you should definitely check this one out.

Role Models

Vulgar, Immature, Silly, and Funny.  These are the words I would Describe for the movie role Models.  I have to say at this point that this is not a movie for everyone, nor is this anywhere near the realm of great comedies, but it is funny.  Paul Rudd plays a Spokesperson for an energy drink who is unhappy with where his life has wound up.  Sean William Scoot plays his girl crazy co-worker.  When one really horrible day lands them with the choice of either going to jail or doing community service at an organization that helps children (like a big brother/big sister program), they choose the kids.  The kids they get pair with are the two worst possible matches for them.

It’s not the greatest thing in the world, but if you want something to just turn off and watch without thinking to hard, it’s worth the trip.  Especially for the massive D&D live action role playing battle sequence…

OSCARS EDITION (WINNERS AND LOSERS)

Best Picture:

The Winner:

Slumdog Millionaire :

This film doesn’t make it out on DVD until March 31^st.  And this is a MUST SEE.  The film is about a poor kid growing up on the streets of Mumbai, India.  When he was younger, he was separated from the girl he loves, and decides to become a contestant on the Indian Version of “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?” in the hopes that she might see it.  Beautifully shot, wonderfully written, and amazingly acted by completely new and upcoming actors, Danny Boyles “feel good” movie truly deserved the Win this year.  But if you cannot wait until the DVD, check out some of the director’s previous work.  My Personal favorites Trainspotting, 28 Days Later, and Sunshine.  You should also check out the more family friendly Millions.

Cloverfield

Cloverfield is a monster movie done from the perspective of a hand-held digital camera and features characters who had been attending Robert Hawkins’ (Michael Stahl-David) going away party. The person doing the filming for the majority of the film is Hud (T.J. Miller), Rob’s best friend, who insists on filming even when all hell is breaking loose.

Despite the obvious silliness of Hud’s documentation (my first impulse on both viewings was to scream “DROP THE DAMN CAMERA!” as soon as things started blowing up), I was totally along for the ride. The monster is inventive, well thought out and beautifully crafted into the environment (in this humble clerk’s opinion, a real achievement in CG work). I liked the characters, which allowed me to sympathize with them and have a couple of inappropriate but none-the-less pleasant (and needed) laughs with them. And . . . it was SCARY! I do feel I should point out that this film depicts the destruction of New York City and may be very disturbing to some folks. Great movie though!! — BIGCOLORS

August Movies

Here’s a list of the big titles coming in August:

 August 5^th:

The Counterfeiters (For.)

Nim’s Island (Fam.)

My Brother is an Only Child (For.)

Starship Troopers 3 (Sci-Fi) 

 

August 12^th:

Smart People (Com.)

The Wire: Season 5 (TV)

Iirina Palm (For.)

The Secret (Dra.)

 

August 19^th:

Miss Pettigrew Lives For a Day (Com.)

Prom Night (Hor.)

Hannah Montana: Best of Both Worlds (Fam.)

Please Vote For Me (Doc.)

 

August 26^th:

Redbelt (Dra.)

What Happens in Vegas (Com.)

Heroes: Season 2 (TV)

Entourage: Season 4 (TV)

 

Below is the quick blurbs about the big titles for each week.

 

The Counterfeiters:

The Winner of the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Picture of the Year, The Counterfeiters is the story of the largest counterfeiting scam in human history.  In Nazi Germany, a group of Jewish engravers, bankers, and counterfeiters are rounded up by the Nazi’s and forced to counterfeit passports, documents, the British pound, and the American Dollar.  Although very well done, and the content is interesting, over all, I was not impressed.  Instead of focusing on the very interesting, and never before told story of the scam operation, it used the holocaust as an emotional crutch to force the viewer into a false emotional state.  Had the film actually taken the risk of making the entire story about the operation, rather than another rehash of the horrors of concentration camps, the film would have been something different.  And because the filmmakers tried to show both stories at the same time, they don’t tell either one very well.

 

Smart People: 

The description on the back reads as follows:

“When Lawrence, a widowed self absorbed professor, falls for his attractive former student, his all too predictable life turns sunny-side-up.  That is until his free-loading brother and his sharp-tongued daughter speak up, making “Chaos” the word of the day.”

  As you can tell Ellen page, yet again, plays the sharp-tongued daughter.  Which is somewhat unfortunate, seeing as she actually is a good actress with some kind of range.  She repeatedly, however is cast and re-cast as the sarcastic teenager.  Denis Quad, who recently has proven to me that actually can act, but it looks that his newly found acting talent is being wasted in an obnoxious and pretensions character.  Plus the movie has Sarah Jessica Parker….All in all, though I have not seen the film, I have a feeling its going to be like the Savages, a movie with real talent being wasted on pretensions garbage.  Some people would probably like it, but only if you can stand a movie about smart, rich, white people problems…

 

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day and Hannah Montana:

 

I lump the two in because they seem, to me, like the same quality of movie.  Miss Pettigrew seems like the same re-hash of a servant getting to be the served through the good graces of a rich bratty boss.  Hannah Montana is a 3-D Bad musical experience.  Take your pick, both sound just as inane.

 

On a side note, I am super excited for the 5^th Season of The Wire.  It is absolutely one of the best shows on TV.  If you haven’t seen the show you need to start watching, because the 5^th season is the final season.

 

Redbelt:

 

Though What Happens in Vegas is the bigger movie, I really don’t want to review or even discuss that horrible no good very bad pile of dog spit.  Instead, David Mamet’s Redbelt seems like it might actually be good.  However, I will say that some of the reviews I’ve read of this flick seems like it’s too much of a fighting movie for art house fans, and too art house for fighting fans.  So it may be one of those rare flicks that bring those to opposites together in not liking the same movie…

 

Side note:  it’s about time Heroes: Season 2 came out….

Lars and the Real Girl and Be Kind Rewind

There are few films that exist that, for the most part, are liked by all.  That number reduces greatly when five guys, with different backgrounds and taste, watch a ton of movies and develop very strong opinions.

That being said, in the store there are roughly 10 total films that I think we all enjoy.  Most of them are ultra-violent.  Films like Sin City or The Host.  But here, I want to talk about two new films that have come out in the past few months on DVD that the whole staff, (well, most of them anyway) love.

First there’s Lars and the Real Girl:

Ryan Gosling plays Lars, a delusional man who strikes up an unusual relationship to a life size doll he buys on the Internet.  Sounds suspect, doesn’t it?  Many people have in fact said to us that it sounds bad, or that it sounds dirty.  However this is one of the sweetest, most heartwarming films I have ever seen.  Every time you think the film is going to turn vulgar, or turn into a farce, it takes the other direction and turns into something that rings true and is just as touching as the best romances do.  The screenwriter had said in an interview that the film was about what would happen if a mental defect or illness was treated with compassion, instead of hatred and fear.  The whole town, under the instruction of Lars’ doctor, goes along with his delusion in order to help Lars.  Gosling is phenomenal in the role, turning out a painful, sorrowful and yet surprisingly charming and funny performance.  This was one of the best films I have seen in a very long time.  Funny, original, touching, beautiful, and altogether nearly perfect.  I definitely suggest this title if you have not seen it yet.

The second film is Be Kind Rewind:

Now of course, a film about video store clerks is going to be like by video store clerks… (Their really America’s unsung heroes if you ask me)…But this is a very easy film.  It’s great to just sit back and enjoy, a real movie lover’s film about movies.  Jack Black and Mos Def play Jerry and Mike, two friends who live and work in Passaic, NJ.  One day, as Jerry’s conspiracy laden brain becomes magnetized, he accidentally erases all of the VHS tapes in the local independent video store.  In an attempt to save the business, Jerry and Mike make quick re-makes of the movies and begin to rent them to the locals, who instantly fall in love with the campy, poorly shot ‘sweded’ films.  The cast clearly had fun making the film, and it looks incredible thanks to the Director Michel Gondry. For those who like Gondry’s previous works The Science of Sleep or Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, I believe you will also like Be Kind Rewind.  It’s a fun, funny, and sweet movie about people coming together and saving their neighborhood by supporting their local independently owned businesses.  Something I think we all support…

Hey, Everyone!

This is the official movie review blog for the staff of The Video Forum.  Come here to see all the latest news on upcoming DVD’s, Movie reviews for both new releases and older catalog films, and events held at The Video Forum.

To preserve internet anonimity, the staff will have usernames that are not their real names, but you can always ask us in person whose who (but you might be able to figure it out yourself *wink*.)  

anyone can comment on the reviews, just keep it clean and safe for the kids, and try not to spoil the movies for others who haven’t seen them yet.

There are rules for both staff and guests that we all need to follow:

1.  The reviews must be vauge enough so as to not spoil the flick for anyone, but that does not mean you can’t go into specifics.  it’s a hard balance, I know, but the staff wants people to make their own choices without a movie being ruined.

2.  No vulgarity.  Hopefully everyone will be able to see this, including those under 18, so let’s not get to explicit for our younger readers.  Anyone, including staff members, who break this rule will have their post or comment deleted.

3.  This is a fun place.  I really do want this to be an open, and polite forum.  I do not want this to become a place to flame or insult anyone who posts here, even if you disagree with them.  There are better, and more constructive ways to handle an argument.  Anyone who starts an insulting post or thread, will have their post or thread deleted, and will be banned from posting until cleared by the administrator.  This includes staff members…

Other than that, I hope everyone gets the most they can out of this.  you can easily request a review for any movie in the store.  The staff will do their best to see the film and let you, the reader, know what we think about the film.  So sit back, pop some popcorn, and enjoy the show…