Vice

When Vice came up as my brother and I were talking about this year’s Oscar race, he dismissed it. “What do I care about Dick Cheney? That was years ago and it’s just gonna be about how he shot that one guy in the face.” I had to laugh, but I told him he really should check it out. I know my brother isn’t the type to care about politics and wouldn’t want to see some dry biopic about an old man who was vice president when he was in high school, but Vice is far from dry.

Directed and written by Adam McKay, Vice carries a similar entertaining yet informative tone as his previously Oscar nominated film, The Big Short. The film is a biopic, in that it details Dick Cheney’s life, leading up to and in Washington D.C. with focus on his pushed boundaries and strong hold as vice president to a green and gullible W. Bush (Sam Rockwell). From the beginning of their marriage, his wife Lynne (Amy Adams) pushes him to succeed, rather than be a lineman in Wyoming with multiple DUIs. Instead, he channels that recklessness into systemically seizing power throughout his career. By the end, after multiple betrayals and heart attacks, he feels like a Darth Vader-esk villain complete with replacement parts, destroying his own daughter’s happiness and ominous music.

Christian Bale has been known for some extreme transformations for his movie roles and Vice is near the top. It’s said that Bale gained forty-five pounds, shaved his head and bleached his eyebrows to pull this look off. In the makeup Bale is nearly invisible and his voice only carries the disguise further. It is uncanny how much he looks like they Cheney I knew on the evening news. I expect this film to win best makeup. It’s a shame we won’t be able to see the well deserved award accepted during the broadcast.

There are so many odd and hilarious moments that happen throughout this film that only Adam McKay could pull off. While the narrator reminds us that we can only speculate how the Cheneys discussed running with Bush, they speculate hilariously letting Lynn and Dick spout some long winded Shakespearean bullshit while laying down sleep. Bale breaking the 4th wall as Cheney is a work of genius. And you won’t believe the grotesque connection between the narrator and Cheney. But my favorite is the fake ending in the middle of the film, that got huge laughs from the audience.

Vice is nominated for eight Academy Awards including makeup, original screenplay film editing and Best Picture. McKay has received his second nomination as director. And Bale received his fourth acting nomination, this time as lead actor. Amy Adams and Sam Rockwell are nominated in the supporting acting categories.

One of the funniest and most brilliant moments of this film happens in the credits, so don’t rush out. McKay realizes some may complain about how this film seems to have a liberal bias and takes a moment to address the three types of people who will be in the theater. It’s a great laugh to end on after so much doom and gloom.

“I can feel your incriminations and your judgment, and I am fine with that. You want to be loved? Go be a movie star.”

Arrival

Arrival is an alien encounter film like none before. It is a brilliant mix of science fiction, mystery and political allegory, all surrounded in glorious visual artwork. It uses a very dim but clear style of cinematography. It makes the film very gloomy and very realistic. It makes it easy to imagine something like this happening in the near future.

In Arrival, twelve alien spaceships mysteriously appear across Earth. They are massive, dark monolithic and silently hover just above the ground. Louise (Amy Adams), a linguistics professor, is brought in by the government to help interpret the alien’s language. Without time to settle into the camp set up in remote Montana, she and a small team are sent into the alien’s ship and meet with the aliens every few hours. Within a few sessions, they discover the alien’s written language. As the team tries to understand the new language and find out why the aliens have come to Earth, the world outside is frightened of the new arrivals and is edging closer and closer to war.

Throughout Arrival, there is a consistent theme of things not being linear, but rather a loop or palindrome. The aliens write complex sentences in a circle, resembling an enso. There is a child named Hannah. And ever present is the idea that time may not be linear either. As Louise delves deeper into understanding the alien language, she seems to unlock a greater understanding of this herself. It’s a bit of a head trip, but really beautiful.

I am disappointed that Amy Adams did not receive an Oscar nomination for her performance in Arrival. She is the central character grounding the strange events and translating them into an emotional, tangible response. When things are extremely stressful, like arriving at the alien ship and only minutes later going inside to meet the aliens, she portrays a kind of panicked serenity.  When others would be trembling in panic, she is breathing faster, but still able to keep her feet on the ground, no matter if gravity suddenly turns ninety degrees. She portrays Louise as curious, smart, charismatic and tenacious enough to lead the way learning to communicate with the aliens. Sadly, science fiction films are rarely recognized for their acting.

However, Arrival did receive eight other Oscar nominations. They include Best Picture, adapted screenplay, cinematography, sound mixing, sound editing, film editing and production design. Denis Villeneuve also received his first nomination for best director. Eight nominations is quite an honor for a predominantly science fiction film.

The most frightening moments within Arrival are not actions of the aliens, but of people. Human nature in a stressful, mysterious, global situation can bring out the worst in people. We hear news reports of riots and looting. We see the damage polarized radio shows can produce. As one camp makes worrisome progress with their pair of aliens, they assume the worst and cut off communications with the others. Attacking the alien ships and plunging into global war is a terrible threat that looms closer and closer. Isolation, refusing to communicate and rogue violence do not help.

Arrival is a brilliant film about the importance of effective communication and not jumping to conclusions about outsiders, no matter how alien. Language of any sort is a tool, a gift and sometimes a burden. We must be thankful for it and use it wisely.

“Now that’s a proper introduction.”

The Master

Since the fall of 2012 I’ve heard people talk so excited about The Master.  From various critics, bloggers and other film enthusiasts I heard praises of the acting, the directing, the story, the style, everything.  Naturally, my expectations were very high.

In The Master, Joaquin Phoenix plays Freddie Quell, a wandering Navy veteran.  He seems to have no aptitude or talents other than women, boozing and making liquor out of household chemicals.  His brew is potent, dangerous and causes him to run from one job to the next.  That is, until he becomes a stowaway on a yacht with most unusual passengers.

After his presence is discovered on the ship, he is brought before the group’s leader,  Lancaster Dodd (Philip Seymour Hoffman).  Rather than punish Freddie, Dodd takes special interest in him, Dodd seems intrigued and inspired by him.  After an intense scene where Dodd grills Freddie with questions, some very personal, we learn that he is the leader of a movement simply called The Cause.

Most of the details about The Cause are left very vague other than they believe in past lives and reaching back in your mind to them to help find inner peace.  It looks like a cult, sounds like a cult, moves like a cult and Dodd is the perfect embodiment of the charismatic cult leader.  And Freddie is a simple enough man to stay with Dodd after the ship has reached shore.

For a while, it’s hard to tell if Freddie is believing in The Cause or just doesn’t have anything better to do.  He follows whatever Dodd and his wife, Peggy (Amy Adams) say like an overgrown child.  In his own manner, Freddie defends them in front of those who question The Cause, passes out flyers on the street, even goes to jail with Dodd.  Later in the film, it seems Dodd and his followers try to brainwash Freddie.  It’s a long and slow process that can wear on the viewer much like it does Freddie.

Scenes between Hoffman and Phoenix are intense and powerful in many different ways, many different times throughout the film.  It’s obvious Dodd is a more intelligent and sophisticated man, using those skills to charm Freddie and keep him at his side.  Nearly the opposite, Freddie is destructive, wild and unpredictable like an animal.  While these opposites create natural friction, it’s amazing how well they fit together as well.  My favorite scenes were Freddie’s first interview where he is told not to blink and the jail cell scene, a perfectly constructed long, still shot.

What bothers me about this film is that this Cause, cult, movement, whatever is the central idea, yet nearly everything about it is hardly addressed.  What does one gain when joining?  What does it take to join?  Does Dodd believe he’s a genuine prophet or looking to make money?  This film feels like it has so much it meant to say, but got so focused on the characters, it forgot to get the words out, or even point us in the right direction.

The Master is a quietly intense and captivating film with great actors doing great acting.  It’s pretty great.  However, I felt that I had the bar set to high and was a little disappointed that I was not completely blown away.  It’s the sort of story that feels right to come from Paul Thomas Anderson, who also directed There Will Be Blood.  The Master is coldly captivating and beautifully filmed, yet it leaves me trying to connect dots and make sense of things that are left way too vague.

“What a day.  We fought against the day and we won.  We won.”

American Hustle

David O. Russell’s American Hustle is a con plot, wrapped in a couple love triangles and then further complicated by the mob.  Honestly, the whole point A to point B can get a little confusing, but the film easily keeps a captive audience on board every moment due to fantastic performances by great actors who breathe amazing life and quirk into their characters.

First off, we have Irving (Christian Bale).  He’s the epicenter, the main con man, experienced and damn good at what he does.  After years of running multiple scams on his own, he meets Sydney (Amy Adams).  She is up for the adventure and thrill of a good con and brings her own touch to a new phony lone business.  She and Irving begin a passionate relationship, even though he is already married.  His wife, Rosalyn (Jennifer Lawrence) is an unpredictable woman with a young son who spends her time tanning, painting her nails and doing other frivolous things.  She knows Irving is having an affair, the two women just haven’t met, yet.

When Irving and Sydney’s bogus loans are busted by an FBI agent, Richie (Bradley Cooper), he makes a deal to release them if they help him arrest a few politicians.  Richie wants to entrap the mayor of Camden, New Jersey, Politio (Jeremy Renner).  Irving brings in a friend to pose as a Sheikh looking for potential investments in America, specifically with Polito.  But Richie’s over-eagerness nearly screws up the whole deal.  Thankfully, he has Irving and Sydney to help him out, but little does Richie realize that they are playing him, while Sydney is seducing him.

As Politio is making friends with a phony Sheikh and going out to dinner with Irving and his wife, Irving starts to have second thoughts about the whole operation.  It becomes a moral dilemma for him, seeing that Politio really is a nice family man just trying to make his city better.  And when Irving finds himself getting involved in the mob, and his wife starts talking too much, things might get out of control.

There is so much to enjoy about this film even if a con plot doesn’t sound like your cup of tea.  Each actor brings charm and has their own great moments, including Louis C.K. in a great minor role as Richie’s boss.  Though they may not be truly good guys, each character is so charismatic that you can’t help but love them, even be on their side to some extent.  If you’re a fan of late 70s fashion, the wardrobes and hairstyles will delight.  It’s rather hilarious to see Amy Adams dancing at a disco, Bradley Cooper in curlers and Christian Bale meticulously perfect his strange comb-over.

American Hustle is tied with Gravity for receiving the most Oscar nominations this year, a total of ten.  Among them are Best Picture, costume design, film editing, production design and original screenplay.  David O. Russell received his second consecutive nomination for best director.  And among the actors, Christian Bale for lead actor, Amy Adams for lead actress, Bradley Cooper for supporting actor and Jennifer Lawrence for supporting actress.  It is not often a film lands nominations in each acting category, but this film sure deserves it.

My personal favorite scene really has nothing to do with the whole plot, but is just a hilarious moment with Irving’s ditzy wife using an early microwave, or as they call it, the science oven.  We see her in the kitchen, talking to herself in a mocking voice about how she was warned not to put any metal in the science oven.  Psh, what’s the harm right?  Then she tosses in something in aluminum foil, and boom, you know what happens.  But her breezy, whatever attitude suddenly replaced by instructing her son to get the other fire extinguisher is so flawless and hilarious, I can’t let it go.  If Jennifer Lawrence wins her second Oscar for American Hustle, it will be because she blew up the science oven.

“Bring something into this house that’s gonna take all the nutrition out of our food and then light our house on fire?  Thank God for me.”

Summer 2013 Movies: Part II

I’ve been prowling around my local theater again, fueled by popcorn and misguided trust in the summer blockbuster.  Honestly readers, I was only excited for one of the following films.  Another my husband wanted to see and pounced on some tickets.  The last I saw out of superhero/blockbuster obligation.  Is this summer just full of lackluster movies, or is it just me?

Man of Steel

I try to avoid spoilers and reviews until I have seen it myself, but I did hear muffled praise and grumblings alike for Man of Steel.  Generally, I enjoy superhero films and Zach Snyder films (I love Watchmen), so I figured I was in for a good time.  I left the theater with a headache and more than a grumble.

When it comes to superheroes, Superman is close to the bottom of my favorites, but I do find his origin story fascinating.  Here, we get a lot of that, including time on Krypton, until it implodes.  Clark’s growing up on Earth is washed over in a few flashbacks, however, that is where the heart of the film lies.  Seeing him as a conflicted boy in Kansas is where we can most identify with him, and all of those scenes are great, I just wish there had been more.  Then there is the present, with Clark (Henry Cavill) as a wandering man trying to discover who he is and where he comes from.  And Lois Lane (Amy Adams) gets all up in his business.  Then the bad guys come and take over the action and the film goes downhill in a hurry.

I have never been so bored during a film’s climactic action scenes.  It was nothing but SMASH, POW and CRUSH over and over.  All the loud, repetitive cracking and smashing gave me the worst headache.  When I thought it was all over I sighed, physically relieved, only to see that Zod (main villain played by Michael Shannon) was still around.  And…let me put up a massive ***SPOILER ALERT*** while I rant.  All it took to kill Zod was a quick snap of the neck?  We waited all that time for that?  Yes, I understand Clark didn’t want to kill, but I’m pretty sure lots of people were killed or at least seriously injured in all those building they destroyed in their final battle.  It doesn’t make sense to me and left me very unsatisfied.

The story is the best part of Man of Steel (thank you Christopher Nolan), the effects are top notch, the acting is fine, but action carries on for way too long and the cinematography bugged me.  I don’t want to feel like I need sunglasses in a movie theater.

Monsters University

This was the one film I have been excited for all summer.  I love all Mike and Sully and all that Pixar does!  While I didn’t expect it to be great, it was still pretty good.  It was a fun way to bring back some fun characters and bring in some new ones.

Monsters University is a prequel to Monsters Inc., which makes sense for interests sake, we want to see our monsters scare.  And that’s something they go to college for, scaring.  It seems to be the toughest major at Monsters University and Mike Wazowski (voiced by Billy Crystal) has dreamed of doing nothing else his whole life (the opening scene shows this perfectly!)  While Mike is the smartest student, Sully (voiced by John Goodman) is a natural scarer, a classic example of  those students who may know everything but can’t put it into practice and vice versa.  After an accident during finals, Mike and Sully are both kicked out of the school of scaring, but find a way to win their way back in, if their fraternity can win The Scaring Games.

While this isn’t a perfect Pixar film, it is still very good.  Monsters U isn’t the cartoon answer to an eighties college movie, like the trailers and commercials may suggest.  It’s the origin of Mike and Sully’s friendship.  There are plenty of laughs for both kids and adults.  Best of all, this college world invites the kids in, rather than excluding them like I was afraid would happen.  Anyone remember An Extremely Goofy Movie?  I was so afraid Monsters U would make the same mistakes.

World War Z

I have read both World War Z and The Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks.  I’m plenty prepared against any classic slow zombies, but those fast ones scare the hell out of me.  Well, they all do, but that’s not the point.  While WWZ doesn’t really stick to the book at all, it’s mostly a fun, scary thriller.

That being said, sometimes the whole film feel bogged down in all these military operations.  Gerry Lane’s (Brad Pitt) old job is obscured, but it had something to do with going into hostile places and figuring out the problems.  Therefore, he’s the perfect candidate to be flown all over the world trying to figure out how to stop the zombie disease.  In exchange, his family is safe aboard an aircraft carrier.  Israel’s situation is particularly interesting, and becomes one of the best scenes in the film.  Then there is a scene where Lane is trapped in a laboratory that just isn’t as suspenseful as it’s supposed to be.  But it all evens out to an enjoyable zombie thriller.

I would highly, highly recommend seeing World War Z with that friend who jumps at everything.  I got lucky and sat next to a woman who jumped and screamed at nearly every gag.  It made the movie so much more enjoyable!  Thank you for the fun evening, but lady, you are not part of my zombie plan.

The Fighter

Based on a true story and directed by David O. Russell, The Fighter is about the rise of lightweight boxer, Micky Ward (Mark Wahlberg) and the redemption of his entire family in Lowell Massachusetts.  Seven years older than Micky, the young pride in the family, is his half brother Dicky (Christian Bale), an ex-boxer who once had all of Lowell rallying him in his big fight against Sugar Ray Leonard.  That was fifteen years ago, this story takes place in the mid nineties with Dicky trying to juggle his crack addiction and training Micky.  An HBO camera crew follows Dicky around making a documentary on crack addiction, but Dicky tells everyone it’s to record his comeback.  He’s not kidding anyone, no one believes he could come back and he’s just an embarrassment to the whole town.

Always in Micky’s corner is his mom and manager, Alice (Melissa Leo).  Problem is, the way she ignores Dicky’s drug issues and puts so much trust into him to be a major role in Micky’s career takes away from her focus on Micky.  She books fights that only leave Micky scarred and bloody.  When Micky starts dating Charlene (Amy Adams), a college dropout turned bartender, she’s able to see his issues from outside the family.  Dicky and Alice are simply bringing Micky down and if he ever wants to make a real boxer of himself, he needs to remove them from his team.  It’s easy to replace Dicky when he ends up in jail, but replacing your own mother can be difficult, especially when she’s got seven ugly, beer fed daughters to descend like an angry, teased-hair mob onto your girlfriend that they’re obviously jealous of.

Bale performance absolutely blew me away.  From the weight he lost for the role to the backwards hat and baggy pants, he pulls off that nineties crackhead look far too well.  He portrays the big brother who thinks he’s building up his little brother, but does not realize he won’t get out of the spotlight.  Bale makes Dicky a real double edged sword, he knows how to train Micky well and has the right tactics in certain fights, but the drugs and crime are just too much.  I don’t want to jinx it, but Bale may be taking home his first Oscar in a few weeks.

One detail that I really loved was the use of old HBO cameras from the nineties to film the documentary and the final fight.  Not only does it feel real and gritty, but it adds to the style, it reminded me of watching an old boxing match on TV as a kid.  As a child of the nineties, The Fighter has become one of the few films I can feel a real nostalgic sense of time.  I remember baggy clothes, ugly patterns, backwards hats, Adidas tracksuits and when TV had that slightly grainy look.  All those films glorifying the eighties right now are just missing the mark with me, I’m looking forward to my generation remembering our first full decade in the films to come.

If The Academy chooses a smart, but gritty film about family, fighting and redemption, The Fighter will win Best Picture.