On days like this, when I'm so tired that I can hardly think, I'm not worthy of a new movie. Exhausted, only a familiar movie would do. And so I looked for a dear one. And I was missing Michael Cera already, since Scott Pilgrim.
This way, Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist was the perfect choice. Based on one of the three books Rachel Cohn and David Levithan wrote together, it is one of the few cases in which I enjoyed the film more than the book.
Don't take me wrong, I liked the book a lot, but it is harder, more crude than the super cute film. Since the first scene, before the title sequence, we know that we are in a special place. Songs, characters, actors... every detail here conspires to an overload of cool cuteness. Nick's friends are the best, the beefy guy is incredible, and even the over clichéd exes don't compromise this story.
And the soundtrack? A character by itself.
I always get to the end with my heart full. The city that is waking up to the two new lovebirds speaks really loud about youth and possibilities and the joy of finding people that understand us perfectly. That was not the last time I saw it, for sure (and now I want to re-read the book too :).
Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist. Directed by Peter Sollet. Cast: Kat Dennings, Michael Cera, Aaron Yo. Writers: Lorene Scafaria from the novel by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan. USA, 2008, 90 min., SDDS/Dolby Digital/DTS, Color (Netflix).
PS: Cohn and Levithan wrote one of my favorite books in life. and it has a cameo here on Omad: in Dash & Lily's Book of Dares, Nick and Norah has a special cameo too. I was screaming (no shame at all) at the quote on the bathroom door that Lily finds out while looking for a clue from Dash: "The Cure. For the exes. I'm sorry Nick. Will you kiss me again?"
Every time my niece and her friends have a sleepover at my house, they choose the same kind of movie to see - the teen girly kind. I try to introduce them to different kind of films, but sometimes I'm not successful. On this carnival monday, though, I convinced them to watch Little Shop of Horrors, the 1986 version.
Actual 12 years olds are not the usual fans of musicals. At least those three weren't, and I had to present some strong arguments in order to keep them in front of the screen at the first scenes. This dare was one of them. But soon they were involved by this bizarre story adapted from the off (off) Broadway play (the songs on the movie are from the play) based on the 1960's movie. This last one I have seen with my niece some years ago, and she could enjoy it even if the copy was not dubbed (it wasn't even subtitled). My niece is accustomed to 80's productions, and her first reaction was: ah, this is sort like Gremlins, right? Oh, the crazy 80's.
This production is great, I think. The scenarios, songs, the plant's puppets... there's an atmosphere here of a true B horror movie that is precious. And it was nice to see the girls relate to it, even if it's a different aesthetics to them. At the end, the songs weren't weird to them anyore, and they're were cursing at Audrey II, horrified by how evil it is. Me? As usually happens when a see a movie with the kids, I was amazed by their reactions, and how they went from estrangement to entertainment and understand so quickly.
Little Shop of Horrors. Directed by Frank Oz. Cast: Rick Moranis, Ellen Green,Vincent Gardenia. Writers: Horward Ashman, based on Roger Corman's movie. USA, 1986, 94 min., 70 mm 6-Track/Dolby Stereo, Color (DVD).
The odd thing about Annie Hall, the awarded production of 1977 by Woody Allen, is how modern and aged it is at the same time.
Regarding what is funny in this comedy, I think that only someone at the time or one that had lived that reality could relate properly to it. I could identify that there was a pun there, but I was unable to be touched by it every time. Some times, yes; others, no way. What was innovative here at the time is a Allen's trademark nowadays. It is something that someone familiar to his movies will never get back to, like a first kiss or the first time we were surprised by something.
On the other hand, there are timeless aspects in here, and because of it I got to the end nodding my head in astonishment. The character's development, the dialogues, the way a relationship is depicted, it is all there, in the true colors of almost 40 years ago.
It is important to add how incredible Diane Keaton is here. She's so young, and her scatterbrained Annie is so different from her usual roles. Another perk of going back in time through movies: seeing admired actors today the environment that made them what they are to us today.
I still love Manhattanmore, though (sorry to add this futile commentary).
Annie Hall. Directed by Woody Allen. Cast: Diane Keaton, Woody Allen Tony Roberts (plus Christopher Walken and Jeff Goldblum in small cameos). Writers: Woody Allen, Marshall Brickman. USA, 1977, 93 min., Mono, Color (Netflix).
A movie adaptation of a comic that goes beyond the original and blows our minds with its amazing features? A dream come true here, my friends, and its name is Scott Pilgrim vs The World. The reason why I kept away from this film so long is that I love the comic - and I've read only the first book. All the characters are too good to be true, Scott specially. And Wallace. And Kim. And... Well, you got it. Everything in it is a delight. A welcome overdose of holly nerdiness. And the cast that gives life to those characters? Perfect, just perfect. That was what I realized throughout the movie: how careful this adaptation is in each important detail, and even in those aspects that we are not expecting to be there and make this movie a hell of a good one. But I didn't know that, so I was a bit cautious about this film at first. Mandy and Mel, my two nerd gurus, told me not to be scared at all. As usual, they couldn't have been more right. What to say about people with not enough faith? Aka me? Because this movie is a mind blowing nerdy experience. My niece Fla was watching it with me, and she couldn't hold her amazement. I wanted to rewind every scene soon after seeing it, what of course I didn't. But I'll watch it over and over again, as Mandy told me. It is the only the only way to get enough of this incredibly good movie, with surreal characters and great plot. The songs are still with me, specially Garbage Trunk, that had become a bit of an obsession. Truck, truck, truck.
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. Directed by Edgar Wright. Cast: Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Kieran Kulkin. Writers: Michael Bacall, Edgar Wright, from the graphic novels by Bryan Lee O'Malley. USA/UK/Canada/ Japan, 2010, 112 min., SDDS/Dolby Digital/DTS, Color (DVD).
I'm terribly missing the movies. This week has been a bummer, with me recovering from a faringitis that put me out of movie theaters for a while. But I'm not facing the risk of being ill again, so my television will have to do for now.
An odd week, a weird day. After a few doctor appointments, I come back home without a slight idea of what I was going to watch. Cable TV provided an answer in the form of Taboo (2012), that I started to see. 30 minutes into it, I paused the movie and decided to take a nap - I was shattered. At night, with a restful mind, I unpause it, only to realized that it was better if I saw it another day with a friend (the movie kept reminding me how she would enjoy it). I had ordered a burger on delivery, and it wasn't a meal to this kind of movie (call me crazy if you want). Burger, french fries, soda, friday night before carnival... That's how I decided than for Puncture.
This movie was not what I thought - an entertaining and gripping action movie. Based on true events, it is actually a tribute to Michael (Mike) David Weiss, "lawyer, genius, fool, son, brother, visionary, playboy, madman, druggie, friend", as we can read on the dedication at the final credits. This words describe the character better than the movie though - I was able to enjoy appreciate what I've just seen because of this description.
Written by Weiss' best friend and fellow lawyer, Paul Danziger, this movie presents some roles on the story that I thought fit to a "real story" movie. There's things that even Weiss closest friends won't able to tell. What I thought was a fatal flaw on the script, at last looked like a respectful and honest way to tell about facts that are not fully disclosed.
Not the movie I was expecting, but a nice story to be aware of, and a strong character depicted by the always interesting Chris Evans (yes, there a big crush going on here in Omad). By the way, one of the reason I was interesting in this movie is its resemblance to the darker Evans in Snowpiercer.
Puncture. Directed by Adam Kassen, Mark Kassen. Cast: Chris Evans, Mark Kassen, Vinessa Shaw. Writers: Chris Lopata from the story by Paul Dasinger and Ela Thier. USA, 2011, 100 min., Dolby Digital, Color (Netflix).
When I think about movies like American Beauty(1999),an odd image come to my mind. Late 90's, early 2000's were in a weird place. Well, when the world is not weird? But for now, for example: I have a sense of coming back to the perverse 50's, with all the fossil ideas I've been seeing about life especially in social media. It is like we're indeed going backwards sometimes, and it is dreadful.
The 2000's? I'm not sure, but it looked like we had a lot of straight ideas about the world, and some movies, by amazing and innovative filmmakers, reflect this kind of perception. The sort of criticism that thinks it is better than the "ordinary" people, that sees beyond. That's what I thought while watching Requiem for a Dream.
The cinematography and aesthetics is pure Aronofsky, and it is outstanding. the format screams late 90's. It is scathing, fierce, crazy, with all the repeated takes creating the sense of horror that the movies evokes in its attempt to take a look of the new millennium society. What is your fix?, Jared Leto asks to his mother, Ellen Burstyn, amazing in her claustrophobic performance. The clear intent here is to look at the downfall of modern society by its many perverse traps, the addiction one of them.
That's all good until the last half of this movie, when another element was heavily added: the judgment. Those people are addicted because they seek meaning in all the wrong places, it seems. So, their fate could only be their absolute downfall, by their own fault. I was petrified by it. It reminded me the usual behavior on the streets nowadays, with people showing all their superiority to others: "Oh, are you stressed out because a monster truck almost runned over you on a residential street? Why aren't you like me? I'm not stressed by anything..." Well, it is a weak example, but you get the picture. There's tons of "inspirational" posts on facebook that scare the hell out of me. You do that, you don't do the other and all instructions how to be better, how to reach the truth... One of those posts even begins with "Verily I say unto thee..." Oh, hello God, I didn't realize you're on fb. There's not enough words to express all my horror to things like that.
I shouldn't have been surprised here, because it is a common trait in movies at that time, like the aforementioned American Beauty, that I saw again during my master degrees and was astounded to realize how biased and stereotypical it is, under the disguise of being a critic look at society. Requiem for a Dream was not different, but at least it brings an interesting aesthetic, that keep us locked on the horrors we are witnessing. The most dreadful thing, though, I repeat, was how judgmental of people's choices it is. One thing is to take a careful and fierce look to society; another is say how those people worth less for their choices.
I couldn't stand it by the end, when the only purpose was the chocking factor. No, thanks, I'll pass your opinion this time, Aronofsky. Even admiring your innovative way of being the judge of others, I'd rather a more understanding and respectful view.
Requiem for a Dream. Directed by Darrenn Aronofsky. Cast: Ellen Burstyn, Jarred Leto, Jennifer Connelly. Writers: Darren Aronofsky, Hubert Selby Jr., from the book by Hubert Selby Jr. USA, 2000, 102 min., Dolby Digital, Color (DVD).
PS: the aesthetics in here reminded me an amazing Brazilian short documentary, that utilizes the same kind of narrative by repeating images that Aronofsky in Requiem for a Dream. In Ilha das Flores (Island of Flowers) the reason was mostly economic, because there were not enough money to shoot new scenes - and so the reutilized frames became an alternative way of carefully tell about a perverse social trap (without a biased view, I must add :).
On this day, I didn't want to laugh, be entertained, forget about the world. I didn't want to be distract, that wouldn't work out for me on a day that brought me some bad and sad news from beloved friends. Distraction was not an option. I just wanted to be in front of people and their realities in life.
Call me Crazy, a film in five parts directed by known actresses as Laura Dern, Ashley Judd, Bryce Dallas Howard, looked like a good choice, even if I had the strong feeling that it would be more a lecture about mental illness than I movie per se. And I was not wrong.
Stories as a way of illustrating a theme are not novelty. It is a tremendous waste of a story. Fiction can talk about the most sensitive subjects in a way that is far beyond what we find on just a lectured narrative. Not that movies like that shouldn't be presented. Every bit of awareness about taboo subjects are essential, and debates around mental illness are a matter of public interest, no doubt.
I just wanted to see less illustration here and more real life. Many aspects of mental illness are addressed, many sad boxes are checked. The characters and stories are perfect on paper, but in the screen they become a bit plain, and they shouldn't, ever. But I think it is inevitable in this kind of production, in which the main goal is discuss some specific aspects o a subject - there is other installment, dedicated to breast cancer (I can only imagine what I'll find in there). All very relevant subjects that must be discussed. I only wished there were more subtly and delicacy in here.
Call Me Crazy. Directed by Laura Dern, Bryce Dallas Horward, Ashley Judd, Bonnie Hunt, Shirley Maguire. Cast: Jennifer Hudson, Sarah Hyland, Melissa Leo, Brittany Snow. Writers: Deirdre O'Connor, Jan Oxenberg, Howard J. Morris, Stephen Godchaux, Erin Cressida Wilson. USA, 2013, 85 min., Color (Netflix).
On days like this, when I'm so tired that I can hardly think, I'm not worthy of a new movie. Exhausted, only a familiar movie would do. And so I looked for a dear one. And I was missing Michael Cera already, since Scott Pilgrim..jpg?format=1000w)
