Archive for the ‘Commentary’ Category

We are headed to the final quarter of this year and I decided to take stock of some of best bits from my blog in 2010. I went through everything starting with January and realized that I did see a lot of films but not as many as I saw in 2009.

My evidence of seeing the V&A exhibit

My first viewing in 2010 was the underwhelming Nine. By the end of January, it picked up pace with weekend back to back viewings of A Single Man and Fish Tank; the main highlight of the latter film had to be seeing Andrea Arnold (director) and Michael Fassbender (one of the leads) in person at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.

The spring did not offer too much in cinema pleasure but I did enter the summer blockbuster season watching Iron Man 2 (which I liked but did not review) – I was too busy preparing for my trip abroad, which included a very exciting trip to the Victoria and Albert Museum to see the fashion exhibit of Grace Kelly. Unfortunately we were not allowed to take photographs at the exhibit I guess you will have to take my word for it

After some time away to reflect on my recent loss, I shifted back into movie-going mode with viewings of the Sex and the City 2, the A-Team and Inception. I am still wowed by what I saw (Inception). A-Team definitely met my expectations for a summer action flick and Sex and the City – well after seeing it, definitely does not make my list of Great Girlfriend Flicks.

So, what does the final quarter of 2010 hold?

Stay tuned here and find out.

Inception was one heck of a ride. There were definitely layers within layers (within layers) but at the core I feel that the story was not directly dealing with the dream landscape but rather is a device by which we get to the heart of the story – a story that taps real (not imagined) human emotions such as longing, loss and guilt. At least, that is what I took away from the film.

I do not want to discuss the plot elements for fear of divulging too many details. If you have seen the trailer, that should provide an interesting entree into what you can expect from the film. Anything else I would attempt to articulate would do not do the movie justice and possibly spoil it for others.

As for the performances, everyone seemed properly cast in their roles. Leonardo DiCaprio has really come into his own as an actor and he is going to go from strength to strength. There is no mistaking that this is an ensemble cast anchored by a central character’s conflict. They all do a magnificent job in orbiting this world that Nolan has created; how could you really go wrong with talents such as Cillian Murphy, Ellen Paige, Michael Caine, Marion Cotillard et al? A stand out performance for me was that of Joseph Gordon Levitt (dude from the television series 3rd Rock from the Sun). He provided more than one chuckle-worthy moment and had probably the best “action” sequence (non-CGI) in recent memory. At the end of one of the longer parts of the sequence, the audience ripped into rapturous applause.

As for the auteur, writer/director Christopher Nolan – I will not belabor you all by talking about what a genius he is, etc. I think enough has been said in that regard. Just know that this film does not disappoint and adds to the tremendous filmography that he has produced over the couple of decades.

In the end, I am recommending that you do go into watching the movie bearing this in mind – it is a story of ideas. Yes it maybe could have been presented in a less mind-bending manner but that is part of the fun – it is a thought exercise in which you are left to answer questions about the plot – are we dreaming, etc. They leave you wondering what way is up and exactly what is that line between reality and what we want to be real. And we arrive at that place exhilarated and wanting more.

*Side note: in some ways I am reminded of The Twilight Zone in particular episodes such as “Perchance to Dream,” “Shadow Play” and the like. Those are just the ones that immediately come to mind.

Hi all,

As you can see I have not been posting regularly in the past month or so … stay tuned to my blog for a July 31st special post that will explain my recent scant postings.

Until then ….

On a recent trip to Paris, I thought it would be a great idea to take a location shot of one of my favorite recent films Taken. The task was simple enough a sign of the infamous “Rue de Paradis.” The execution left a lot to be desired. I got hopelessly lost in my quest and soon realized why that location was selected for the particularly scene in the movie. Not that I thought the area was entirely bad but as a non-native visiting a city you really should feel comfortable navigating your way around your environs.  Just as I would not expect tourists to go to certain areas of my nearest city, New York, the same rule holds for other international cities.

So in short, that is my travel advisory when you are “scouting” locations that have been featured in famous films: Know where you are going!

Happy Travels and Filmgoing!

Still taken from the internet - Wikimedia

What first comes to mind when I think of Lena Horne I think of her singing primarily, but the song is not is not “Stormy Weather.” but rather a Sanka jingle from the 1980′s.

The second thing that comes to mind when I think of Ms. Horne is the 5th grade. As part of Black History Month, our teacher had each of us do a project – we had to pick a famous African American and create a presentation to give in front of the class. The twist was that we had to deliver the presentation in the form of a biography in the first person. In other words we had to take on the persona of our selected historical figure and tell our classmates about our lives – costumes included. I of course chose Lena Horne.

In doing research about her life and work, I discovered that she was a trailblazer in terms of her contribution to the music and film and film industry. Her career definitely paved the way first, for performers such as Dorothy Dandridge in the 1950′s, and many of our contemporary artists (the list is too numerous to name here). I also realized that her work extended beyond mere entertainment.

As an adult I learned to appreciate her in a way that my eleven year old mind could not possibly fathom. She was a principled woman who, in some aspects of her life and career could have probably taken an easier route. But instead she stood her ground in spite of the consequences. Obviously in the outpouring of reflections of appreciation that came with her passing she was admired for who she was and her impact is not forgotten.

In closing, here is a sample recording (from iTunes) which I have had on my iPod for some time; she originally sang it in the film, Till the Clouds Roll By. It is from the musical Showboat. It would be the only time she would be able to sing the song of the character Julie; several years later, Ms. Horne lobbied to play Julie in the remake of Showboat but lost out on the role to Ava Gardner, who was dubbed in the final cut of the film.

http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/cant-help-lovin-that-man/id332120184?i=332120600

As something of a purist when it comes to screen adaptations of novels, comics, etc., I amazingly do not find myself too overcome with upset regarding the casting of Idris Elba in the Kenneth Branagh’s big screen version of “Thor.” My reasons are pretty basic and may not occur to many people that are not fully aware of the history of Mr. Branagh’s “creative casting.”

The example that immediately comes to my mind is kne of my favorite Shakespearean screen adaptations, “Much Ado About Nothing” in which Denzel Washington is cast as Prince John. Another example of Branagh’s naturally diverse casting choices is in the HBO adaptation of ” As You Like It,” in which David Oyelowo and Adrian Lester as featured performers. Furthermore, he has even shifted the setting of the play in this adaptation to turn-of-the-century Japan.

One final example that springs to mind in a film I have not seen in it’s entirety -Love’s Labours Lost”. This relatively young cast featured Adrian Lester (again) and Alicia Silverstone. One can argue that even his selection at various times of American actors in British productions is equally dubious. If anything, these casting decisions symbolize the non-tradiontional (NOT necessarily PC) process of combining star power with talent as Mr. Branagh sees it.

Film after all is the director’s domain; s/he is the creative force of its universe. And in the case of Kenneth Branagh, I would recommend that we wait until we see the finished profit before making any judgements.

An excellent distilling of last week’s festivities. I could not (and did not) have said it better myself:

http://www.totalfilm.com/features/best-worst-oscars-2010.