Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010)

An epic of epic epicness.

The rewards decreased as the film progressed. In the first reel, the effects were novel and fun, and I was excited and thought it was going to be really good. In the second reel, I started thinking, OK, but is this it? By the third reel, I had resigned myself to thinking that, after all, it was a film aimed at adolescents and teens.

What's good about the film? One nice thing is the way young people and their attitudes, etc, are portrayed, which seems pretty realistic. Another thing, especially in the first reel, was the swift cross-cutting between different times and places, reminiscent of the brilliant cross "cuts" in Joseph Heller's Catch 22 and following that, in Mike Nichols "The Graduate", and which are especially effective when Billy first becomes obsessed with Ramona, creating an emotionally genuine virtual internal space-time, really clever.

The synesthesia effects, transferred from the comic books, and tongue-in-cheek homage to the TV Batman series style, are also really effective, especially while still novel earlier in the film. For example, in the music store, when Knives's declaration of love for Billy streams across the space between them in the form of pink "smoke" letters, and which he wafts aside with his hand.

The video game borrowings are fun, e.g. the use of on-screen scores; the way characters die as a shower of coins, as in the Lego character games; the way Billy is able to re-approach a scene by getting a second life (after death) and "going through the levels again" to get to the same scene, as in Groundhog Day (but kind of chucked at the screen quickly here).

What wears rather is the repetition of having to battle all seven exes, especially the repetition of stylised non-lethal fight sequences; the dependence on the audience having spent time with a range of video games, e,g. guitar-based games, to get the joke.

Part of the problem was that I'd just seen the lead actress, Ramona (Winstead?), in Sky High, which really delivered and which I really enjoyed, and I couldn't help comparing the two. That had a fun take on young superheroes, but it also had a clever story with a strong message. Billy Pilgrim, by contrast, squanders a promising premise: a young man fancies a young woman, but has to battle his feelings of inadequacy, which take concrete form in the shape of her previous romantic partners, each of whom appears superior in one or more ways, and against whom she will compare him. How can he possibly match up to her idea of an ideal match?

The premise is excellent, but the potential poignancy and power of this metaphorical plot device, unlike that of Groundhog Day, is somehow not realised, and in the end, we are left with a series of rather repetitive fight sequences. Why is it not realised? Winstead is very good. The supporting cast is very good. I think, apart from the script, that the problem may be Cera, who seems too shallow to suggest the psychological depth required.

• Rating: High matinee
• When seen: 4 Sep 2010
• Where seen: Cinema
• More information: IMDB | RottenTomatoes | Wikipedia

Amendments: Added writer tags: "Michael Bacall, Bryan Lee O'Malley"; actor tags: "Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Kieran Culkin, Ellen Wong, Alison Pill, Mark Webber, Johnny Simmons". Removed link to Wikipedia-sourced image. Added ranking image. Changed "Catch 22" to "Joseph Heller's Catch 22". Changed "as in Groundhog Day" to "unlike that of Groundhog Day".

The Hangover (2009)

Some guys just can't handle Vegas.

This is a pretty funny film, with a good lot of laughs. It has a clever structure which keeps the audience guessing as new evidence emerges to fill in the missing pieces in the puzzle of what happened the night before. The stakes propelling the characters forward into further action are compelling: to locate their missing friend.

I was reminded of a couple of other black comedies set, or partly set, in Las Vegas, and with similar storylines: "Very Bad Things" (lent to me by a colleague) and the middle section of "Go". Better than the first, worse than the second.

I can't see myself wanting to watch this film again. The characters are rather stereotyped, and generally unpleasant. At the outset, the thought of spending time with such characters in Vegas did not appeal, so I was pleasantly surprised by the fun to be had along the way, especially in the first half. The second half was less convincing, with the camp Oriental gangster and the cameo by a celebrity sports personality. Quite a few of the jokes do fall flat, but there are so many that a lot also hit home.

It's a blokey movie. Women get pretty short shrift and their characters are very 2D: the two main female characters are a nasty shrieking shrewish narrow-minded fiancee and a tart with a heart (rather a waste of the luminescent Heather Graham!).

It didn't seem to be ABOUT much. The only story arc of personal change was that of the dentist, and that is so banal.

The best thing about it was the way the script played with the audience's expectations, with frequent unexpected twists and turns in the story, which did work very well for most of the film. I guess that's down to a good script, good direction and good performances. And that is exactly what Michael Dequina, TheMovieReport.com said too: "The raucous, raunchy laughs are indeed plentiful and the gags often outrageous, but what really drives the film is the unpredictability of the script." Roger Ebert loved it though: "Now this is what I'm talkin' about. The Hangover is a funny movie, flat out, all the way through. Its setup is funny. Every situation is funny."

• Rating: High matinee
• When seen: 25 Sep 2010
• Where seen: Home
• More information: IMDB | RottenTomatoes | Wikipedia

Amendments: Added writer tags: "Jon Lucas, Scott Moore"; actor tags: "Ed Helms, Zach Galifinakis, Heather Graham, Justin Bartha, Jeffrey Tambor". Removed link to Wikipedia-sourced image. Added ranking image.

Avatar (2009)

Enter the World.

Ground-breaking motion capture animation, creating a totally believable alien world with characters that seem to live and breathe, with full emotional range.

Plot and characters somewhat less special. That said, I couldn't help falling in love with the lead female character played by Zoe Saldana.

The theme of avatars is interesting. Cinema-goers often identify with - or perhaps are normally led to identify with - the protagonists in films, especially perhaps when they are movie stars. In effect, without any special technology, the lead characters function as our avatars. This is mirrored by the plot-line in Cameron's film, doubling the use of avatars. The lead character, who is our virtual avatar in the world of the film, is himself using an avatar.

3D or not 3D? This is the best use of 3D I have seen so far. Even so, do we really need 3D? Modern man is long used to interpreting all kinds of two dimensional images - photos, paintings - as having three dimensions. We learn to do this from infancy, and readily do this with new images, particularly moving images. So, if we already are already adept at interpreting two dimensional images as having three dimensions, using our mental powers, do we really need this to be done for us by technology?

What destroys filmic illusion for me is poor film-making - poor plotting and characterisation, bad acting - and that operates in both two and three dimensions. Create a compelling storyline and believable characters that draw me into their world and I don't need the special effect of 3D.

• Rating: Full price
• When seen: 20 Dec 2009
• Where seen: Cinema
• More information: IMDB | RottenTomatoes | Wikipedia

Amendments: Added actor tags: "Zoe Saldana, Stephen Lang, Michelle Rodriguez, Joel David Moore, Giovanni Ribisi, Sigourney Weaver". Removed link to Wikipedia-sourced image. Added ranking image.

The Evil Dead (1981)

Can They Be Stopped?

Very effective horror. Lots of gore, but that is the least of it. It's the masterful use of suspense that is so gruelling. This comes from the script / direction / camerawork, giving us just the right POV at any time. I was on the edge of my seat, or had my face in a fixed grimace of apprehension for most of the running time.

The budget must have been tiny ($350,000 according to IMDB), but the film-makers maximize what they've got. Very minimal setting: essentially just a house and its immediate surroundings for almost all the film.

Was keen to see this film because of Sam Raimi's great work in Spider-Man, particularly Spider-Man 2, and his frequent use of Bruce Campbell, who surely merits a much higher profile than he has had. Campbell is terrific in the central role. Went to see Raimi's recent "Drag Me To Hell" for the same reason.

Haliwell's Film Guide is missing the point: "Semi-professional horror rubbish, blown up from 16mm and looking it." Quality of image does not a good film make. Other aspects (script, direction/editing, performance) are far more important. Witness my appreciation of this even watched streamed from LoveFilm, in poor visual quality, but really gripping even so.

• Rating: Full price
• When seen: 9 Oct 2010
• Where seen: Home (LoveFilm Online)
• More information: IMDB | RottenTomatoes | Wikipedia

Amendments: Added actor tags: "Ellen Sandweiss, Betsy Baker, Hal Delrich, Sarah York". Removed link to Wikipedia-sourced image. Added ranking image.

Winchester '73 (1950)

Fantastic western with many adult themes and a large cast very well handled by the great Anthony Mann. Highly credible due to excellent script seemingly very authentic and well researched, realistic locations, and solid performances by all actors. No silly comedy characters or sub-plots.

Modern in its use of a protagonist whose morality is grey. Remarkable for the dark vengeful character of the protagonist, McAdam, a vigilante in modern terms, verging on the psychotic. Observe the wild conflicted delight on his face while shooting dead attacking Indians. And again, in the finale reel, the single-minded unswerving passion with which he pursues his mission of vengeance.

Also the excellent psycho gunman portrayal by Dan Duryea (like a reflection of a possible future Stewart), and the very fine portrayal of the coward by Charles Drake. Even Shelley Winters (an actress I normally find unappealing and annoying) is good.

The final shootout is very well orchestrated, clearly showing the action and tactics used, and drawing us in.

• Rating: Exceptional
• When seen: 5 Jan 2011
• Where seen: Home, on iPad
• More information: IMDB | RottenTomatoes | Wikipedia

Amendments: Added writer tags: "Robert L. Richards, Borden Chase, Stuart N. Lake"; actor tags: "Shelley Winters, Dan Duryea, Stephen McNally, Charles Drake". Removed link to Wikipedia-sourced image. Added ranking image.

Witness (1985)

Harrison Ford is John Book - a big city cop who knows too much. His only evidence: a small boy who's seen too much...

I really love this film. It is so clever, using our identification with the honest but cynical and violent Detective Book (Harrison Ford) to draw us into an alternative culture, existing alongside ours in virtual islands. As Book gets to know and falls in love with Rachel (Kelly McGillis), we ourselves learn about and fall in love with the old-world values of Amish life, with its insistence on pacificism and strength of community (who can not weep a little for our alienated modern life-style during the barn-raising scene?).

The direction (Peter Weir) is outstanding, with numerous bravura sequences of fluid apparently-meandering camera-work and no / almost no dialogue, notably the early sequence with Samuel at the train station, the sequence with Samuel in the police station, and the explosive final reel in the barn. Also of note is Weir's technique for creating chemistry between the two leads, in the remarkable "ballet of alternating looks" that creates tension.

The performances are amazing, with McGillis showing a range from demure to openly sizzlingly wantonly lustful, and Ford turning in a career best, e.g. in one or two scenes doing more with the back of his head and shoulders than many actors can do with the front of their faces, to say nothing of brilliant turns from Haas, Rubes and Godunov. Roger Ebert said: "Harrison Ford has never given a better performance in a movie."

Put all that together with thrilling action sequences and a story with real heart, and you have one of the best films of the 1980s.

• Rating: Exceptional
• When seen: Unrecorded
• Where seen: Home
• More information: IMDB | RottenTomatoes | Wikipedia

Amendments: Added writer tags: "Earl W Wallace, William Kelley, Pamela Wallace"; actor tags: "Kelly McGillis, Jan Rubes, Danny Glover, Lukas Haas, Viggo Mortensen". Removed link to Wikipedia-sourced image. Added ranking image.

Dances With Wolves (1990)

Inside everyone is a frontier waiting to be discovered.

I have to say I love this film.

Funny seeing this film again after recently seeing Avatar, nicknamed "Dances with Smurfs", at the cinema. The revisionist take on the Western here reaches an apex, with the army officer protagonist, Lieutenant John Dunbar (Kevin Costner), arriving from the Civil War torn east coast, having volunteered for this post, (naively?) wanting to experience "the frontier" before it disappears.

The story stands up very well, and is more sophisticated than may appear at first glance. Dunbar's courage is established at the outset, contrasting with the malaise of the rest of the Union troops, in an act of (possibly fever-fuelled) bravado that pre-figures the bravery of the native American warriors later in the story, counting coup.

The early part of the story functions mainly to establish the crappiness of white Americans, who are almost all either cowardly, deranged, or boorishly ignorant, strengthening the contrast with the character of Dunbar, and the American Indians he meets, heightening their bravery, dignity, ferocity and/or humanity.

The scene where he reports for duty to his superior officer is very interesting too. It functions as a sneakily innocuous bit of staging, with the deranged officer apparently living in a fairy tale, so that Dunbar receives his orders as if he were a medieval knight being sent on a crusade.

As well as courage, further character-building devices include the contrast between Dunbar, with his appreciation of nature and his literary and artistic ability, revealed through the first person narrative voiceover and his use of a journal, and his boorish undignified guide, with his poor personal hygiene, his childish practical jokes.

At three hours in length, the style is unhurried.

Costner plays it just right. Mary McDonnell (brilliant too later in her career as the President in Battlestar Galactica) is luminous in the role of Stands With A Fist, and does a great job of playing someone reaching for a language they haven't spoken since they were a small child, even later speaking it with curious inflections, as would someone for whom it was a second or foreign language.

The native American actors are great, in particular Graham Greene as Kicking Bird, also the chief, Ten Bears, played by Floyd 'Red Crow' Westerman, and Kicking Bird's wife, Black Shawl (Tantoo Cardinal), and the Pawnee villain (Wes Studi). Their makeup and costumes are really impressive.

• Rating: Exceptional
• When seen: 21 Aug 2010
• Where seen: Home
• More information: IMDB | RottenTomatoes | Wikipedia

Amendments: Added writer tag: "Michael Blake."; actor tags: "Mary McDonnell, Graham Greene, Rodney A. Grant". Removed link to Wikipedia-sourced image. Added ranking image.

Pleasantville (1998)

Nothing is as simple as black and white.

A really wonderful funny charming fantasy fable or allegory with real substance and real heart. Structurally, it resembles that other great fantasy fable Groundhog Day: a reality top and tail, sandwiching the main fantasy segment in which the protagonist goes through a narrative arc.

The story is rich with metaphors, centred around fear of personal and by extension social change. In the black and white versus colour dichotomy, it finds an excellent if obvious vehicle to talk about skin colour discrimination. It charts the development of a more liberal set of values, a broadening of horizons beyond the local community, as well as the development of a distinct youth culture. It also charts the development of popular music in the second half of the 20th century, along with the suspicion and hostility such new kinds of music aroused in older generations.

The script is excellent, as are the special FX, to achieve the juxtaposition of black and white and colour. The performances too are excellent. Joan Allen in particular is riveting as Betty. Walsh, whose last film this was, is also very good.

The video on the DVD of Fiona Apple in the Pleasantville Soda Shop singing the Beatles song Across The Universe, while reactionary black and white townspeople smash the place up, is very affecting, even after several viewings.

• Rating: Exceptional
• When seen: 20 Jan 2011
• Where seen: School
• More information: IMDB | RottenTomatoes | Wikipedia

Amendments: Added actor tags: "Jeff Daniels, Joan Allen, William H. Macy, J. T. Walsh, Reese Witherspoon". Removed link to Wikipedia-sourced image. Added ranking image.

Once (2006)

How often do you find the right person?

A lovely gentle musical film with three main strands of interest: the developing relationship between the two leads; an overview of the music-recording process, from street performing to the professional production of a studio CD; and lastly, an insight into the lives of the kind of people we see in the street selling things and performing.

The film is very naturalistic, with a kind of intimate small story about believable people. John Carney, the director, was a drummer in Glen Hansard's band The Frames, and the musical side of things seems entirely authentic. The leads, Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová, are musicians and wrote and perform their music themselves. In an interview on the DVD, Carney explained that the story underlying the film was purposefully short and simple. For people with short attention spans, there may be a dearth of action, and too many musical sections, allowed for by the simplicity of storyline. As well as a great amount of music in the film, a notable feature is the diegetic nature of almost all the music.

The arc of the relationship between the two leads and its denouement is very interesting and well done. I was told by a Russian student that when he asks her in Czech if she still loves her husband, and she answers mysteriously in Czech, and won't translate, that what she says is that she loves HIM. I read that in real life, the leads had a romantic relationship, but that it only lasted a couple of years.

The final crane shot, pulling back from the final configuration of characters, with one of them looking out, is very emotional for me, still after several viewings.

• Rating: Exceptional
• When seen: 27 Jan 2011
• Where seen: School
• More information: IMDB | RottenTomatoes | Wikipedia

Amendments: Added actor tag: "Markéta Irglová". Corrected spelling of "diegetic". Removed link to Wikipedia-sourced image. Added ranking image.