GROUND CONTROL TO MAJOR TOM: a review of "Moon"

"MOON"
Story by Duncan Jones
Screenplay Written by Nathan Parker
Directed by Duncan Jones
*** (three stars)

“And I think it’s gonna be a long, long time…”
-Elton John
“Rocket Man”

The genres of science fiction and fantasy are ones that have always been a source of artistic satisfaction for me. I love the idea of finding myself caught up within someone else’s imagination and then, merging it with my own as I ponder the mysteries of what lies beyond this planet and even this galaxy. Now, despite my love for the genres, I have to say that I tend not to read or see terribly much in those areas. With books and films, once I have experienced the pinnacle of some particular arena of the fantastic (in my opinion), there’s just no point in me attempting to find the equivalent of the transformative experience I had undergone. Besides, for me, literary science fiction is akin to learning a new language due to the barrage of phonetically challenging names of characters and locales, in addition to dealing with all manner of expositions, rules and new mythologies. I just become frustrated and cannot stick with it, despite knowing that some material may have immense artistic merit.

With cinematic science fiction, there’s the element of quality, as frankly, most science-fiction and fantasy films just aren’t any good! The wonderment that can be created visually doesn’t always translate to something that resonates emotionally (i.e. James Cameron’s “Avatar”). It is certainly a testament to how extremely difficult films of this genre are to pull off successfully and the lack of respect they tend to receive is disconcerting. Nonetheless, for every “Star Trek,” or “Star Wars” you will more than likely see a myriad of time-wasters like…”Jumper.” The cinematic gifts of a “Blade Runner” or “The Matrix” are ones rarely found. Ever since George Lucas and Steven Spielberg’s revolutionary re-inventions of the genre in 1977 (the original "Star Wars" and "Close Encounters Of The Third Kind," respectively), Hollywood has become over-reliant upon the spectacle. The increasing lack of discipline for the art of storytelling or even creating a film that possesses ideas at all is disturbing. Now that we are unfortunately within the vice-grip throes of a “Transformers” world, it seems as if there’s not any room at all for a science fiction film that does not resort to blowing every inch of the frame to kingdom come. What makes the arrival of “Moon,” Director Duncan Jones’ debut feature so refreshing and gratifying during this sad time in current cinema, is the reliance not on $300 million dollars worth of special effects but on strong performances, special effects that enhance the story and provocative ideas, which are conveyed through pure storytelling.

As with several science fiction movies and stories that exist in a setting of dystopia, the security of Earth’s environment and energy resources are in extreme jeopardy. After discovering the source of Helium-3 on our moon, the massive corporation of Lunar Industries has single-handedly saved the world through the harvesting of this mineral source which replenishes the planet’s energy through pollution-free power. The edgy, jittery and excellent Sam Rockwell stars in a role specifically written for him as Sam Bell, an astronaut stationed on Lunar Industries’ small, solitary base on the far side of the moon for a three-year duration, with only the computer GERTY (voiced by Kevin Spacey with feelings expressed through emoticons) as his sole companion. With only two-weeks remaining, Bell, whose mind is beginning to splinter via headaches and hallucinations, is anxious to return to Earth, and most specifically, his wife and young daughter. One day, while on a routine moon surface check of the base’s mechanical harvesters, Bell is injured, rendered unconscious and wakes up some time later, under GERTY’s care in the infirmary.

I am reluctant divulge any more information so as not to ruin any of the plot developments for you. Yet, I think that I can safely inform you that what begins as a potential tale of madness induced by extreme isolation, ultimately becomes a thoughtful mood piece. Through Sam Bell’s peculiar and poignant journey of self-discovery, “Moon” wisely explores the dark side of our over-reliance on technology combined with corporate driven greed as well as pondering if the greater good of saving humanity can be accomplished by extinguishing humanity on a seemingly smaller scale.

What I am comfortable sharing with you is the excellence found within the performance of Sam Rockwell, an actor I have looked forward to seeing ever since his starring turn in George Clooney’s 2003 pitch black adaptation of Chuck Barris’ memoir, “Confessions Of A Dangerous Mind.” He carries a visage that suggests a duplicitous shadiness that somehow intrigues and attracts rather than repels. He always appears to be holding a knowledge that is three steps ahead of everyone else. Without really breaking any of the film’s surprises, Rockwell utilizes that unique skill to perfection, as he is required to remain several steps ahead while simultaneously becoming unbalanced. The psychological undertaking of this very tricky performance must have been grueling to execute, but to his talent and our enjoyment, Rockwell subtly amazes.

As for Duncan Jones, he has made a film that is quite reminiscent of the science fiction films of the early 1970s, like “Silent Running,” (1972) and “Soylent Green” (1973) or even Steven Soderbergh’s 2002 remake of “Solaris.” Stanley Kubrick’s 1968 landmark classic “2001: A Space Odyssey” is a definite source of inspiration for Jones as he illustrates his film with its own atmospheric and chilly setting, deliberate pacing, meticulous presentation, and of course, the unnervingly calm voice of GERTY, which clearly echoes the tone of the immortal HAL. However, Jones’ “Moon” does not exist solely as an homage but with a clear directorial vision that honors films’ past while also looking ahead.

As I continue to ponder “Moon,” its concepts and some of its “throwback” compositions, I cannot help but to wonder if there just might be something in the air cinematically. Perhaps some sort of an underground movement slowly arising. While the box-office behemoths have nothing to fear presently, a few years down the road may prove something of significance. Within several of my recent reviews, I had made comparisons of modern films, including “Up In The Air,” “The Lovely Bones,” “Whip It” and “Crazy Heart” to works from the 1970’s, a time which has arguably been deemed as Hollywood’s last Golden Age. It was an era when films contained a personality, an agenda, and a vision that represented filmmakers’ sometimes self-indulgent explorations of their passions and whimsies. We now exist in a cinematic era where very few major league Hollywood filmmakers are allowed to exhort a personal vision and the ones that do, (M. Night Shyamalan and surprisingly, Cameron Crowe for his extremely undervalued "Elizabethtown") tend to be critically hazed for their efforts.

I must inform you right away that I have nothing against big-budget box office as a personal rule, especially as “Star Wars” was indeed the first film that made me understand the power of cinema. But, as I stated at the start of this review, I have to question when did the tenor of the science fiction genre shift from ideas to numbing, thoughtless spectacle? Why are the science fiction films with real ideas relegated to smaller budgeted films with a fraction of the distribution that Michael Bay can command? With 2008's mammoth success of Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight," I am hoping that filmmakers committed to stories, characters and ideas will ultimately overthrow the hacks who callously appeal to our basest visual instincts by creating films you know very well they do not believe in. Only time will tell...

For now, we do have "Moon." While it is not a landmark film, or revolutionary and it will probably not blow your mind, the head games quietly set into motion and the overall humanity expressed within and throughout, makes this film worthy to seek out at your local video store.

And I have a gut feeling that Duncan Jones is a Director worth keeping an eye on.

2000-2009 TIME CAPSULE: THE TOP 25 PART TWO

And now, I am proud to raise the cinema curtain and shine the projector lights on my Top 10 favorite films from the decade of 2000-2009...

10. "THE LORD OF THE RINGS TRILOGY" (2001/2002/2003) Co-Written, Produced & Directed by Peter Jackson
Of course, technically this is a collection of three films consisting of "The Fellowship Of The Ring," "The Two Towers" and "The Return Of The King," but it is my list and I'll rank 'em however I please! Seriously dear readers, I have to express that somewhere during my first viewing of the third film, with the pay-off of the entire series set brilliantly and furiously into motion with a war that re-defined "epic," I knew that I was in the middle of one of the best films I had ever seen. Within that particular epiphany and by that film's conclusion, the fullness of Peter Jackson's complete achievement had been revealed to me.

"The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy" was the decade's classiest, grandest, and most spectacular saga as it faithfully honored J.R.R. Tolkien's untouchable source material while also standing firmly on its own weight as a massive cinematic accomplishment. The special effects wizardry completely enhanced the sometimes gut-wrenching emotional content. And honestly, who had any idea that Peter Jackson would be the one to adapt material (sacred to some) that was potentially unfilmable? As an additional side note, the longer versions available on DVD are even better than the theatrical versions. Just incredible!

9. "LOST IN TRANSLATION" (2003) Written & Directed by Sofia Coppola
Sometimes films are not exclusively about stories or plots. Sometimes movies are about a mood, a feeling, a place or moment in time. In the case of Sofia Coppola's hauntingly melancholy second film, she created an entire film experience dedicated to the haze of ennui, loneliness, feeling adrift and discovering the magic that happens when two souls connect--if only for a fraction of time. Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson gave perfectly pitched performances launched from Coppola's minimalist screenplay and evocatively sublime direction. This film shone blinding lights on on middle-aged and marital stagnation combined with strong comedy and a poetic visual presentation. It was like being lost in a brilliant foggy dream.

8. "THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS" (2001) Co-Written & Directed by Wes Anderson
This is my favorite film from Wes Anderson! The beauty of this film for me resides within the meticulously designed layers which revealed the sad truths of a fractured family and rascally patriarch, perfectly portrayed by Gene Hackman. This elegant production felt like a J.D. Salinger styled novel starring John Irving styled characters come to life in the glowing artifice of the New York of Anderson's fantasies. The film breaks my heart as I am laughing...and that slow motion shot of Gwyneth Paltrow exiting a bus as Luke Wilson regards her achingly (and set to Nico's "These Days") is one of the most memorable shots for me during this last decade.

7. "ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND" Directed by Michel Gondry
Screenwriter Charlie Kaufman has quickly and easily become one of my favorite writers due to the audaciousness of his seemingly endless creativity. There is not any way whatsoever to be able to predict where one of his mind-benders will twist and turn. Yet, instead of just existing as cinematic puzzles, they are emotionally resonant and this film, starring Jim carrey as a heartbroken man who wants to have the memories of his failed relationship with Kate Winslet literally erased from his brain, made for the decade's best love story. It is a film about memory as well as fate and Director Michael Gondry not only elicited a career best performance from Carrey, he utilized creative special effect techniques that not only gave audiences the sensation of travelling through Carrey's memories, they enhanced the beating heart of this story to sorrowful and beatific degrees.

6. "SYNECDOCHE, NEW YORK" (2008) Written & Directed by Charlie Kaufman
This is probably the most impenetrable film on this list and I understand completely how it could frustrated viewers profusely. Yet, like "Eternal Sunshine," this film has a beating heart that is painfully aware of the human condition and is as reverential as its stunning visual landscape. Phillip Seymor Hoffman gave a revelatory performance as theater director Caden Cotard; a man convinced that he is dying who desires to make one final artistic statement. Hoffman always found the truth in this performance and film, even in large sections and sequences that may not even exist in a real world. It is a film about failure, the artistic process and the painful or blissful art of dying. While not depressing, this film forces you to think about your life in ways you may not want to. It is challenging, witty, and an emotionally exhausting work that is unforgettable. I have a friend who works at my locally owned video store who loves this film so much that he feels that Kaufmann should not even make another film as this one was so complete with its concepts and ideas. I disagree. I would hate for someone of this caliber not create another film but I do have to admit that I truly have no idea how he will scale heights of this artistic level again.

5. "THE DARK KNIGHT" (2008) Co-Written & Directed by Christopher Nolan
This film was the game-changer and it not only scaled new heights within the comic book film genre, it transcended them all, thus raising the bar for all films that follow. Nolan's staggeringly intense and incredible sequel to his "Batman Begins" (2005) created an adult experience that extended itself from the eternal between Batman and the Joker to a battle for the soul of Gotham City. It was a story of the futility of a vigilante fighting crime against a foe, whose level of evil is ever changing, evolving, growing and unstoppable. Heath Ledger's performance was iconic and the film as a whole elevated the entire comic book genre on film forever. For me, if a film cannot even attempt to scale this height then don't even come to play! Hollywood got this one so extraordinarily right!!

4. "KILL BILL VOLUMES 1 & 2" (2003/2004) Written & Directed by Quentin Tarantino
Technically two films, but again, it's my list! For all of the deserved love Quentin Tarantino has received for the groundbreaking 1994 film "Pulp Fiction" and last year's "Inglourious Basterds," the saga of The Bride relentlessly hunting down the assassins who placed a bullet into her head on her wedding day remains his glowing masterpiece. With visual styles lovingly cribbed from Asian cinema and Spaghetti westerns, Tarantino created a 21st century "The Good, The Bad and the Ugly" that was just all his own and there hasn't been anything like it before or since. What saved this ultra-violent film from being a soul crushing gore-fest was the orgiastic glee Tarantino obviously has for film and filmmaking. His writing is peerless as his gift of story telling and dialogue lifted this band of anti-heroines and villains to a near mythical quality. The many action sequences also raised Tarantino's visual representation to grand heights as he never forgot to keep telling the story within the gorgeously detailed fights. And I have to say that Uma Thurman gave the performance of her life as The Bride and seemingly, Tarantino is the only filmmaker that knows how to use her properly.

3. "A.I.: ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE" (2001) Written & Directed by Steven Spielberg
Spielberg's greatest film of the decade was definitely his most challenging and most polarizing; something I guess to be expected when taking on the project from deceased filmmaking friend and collaborator Stanley Kubrick. Spielberg, who also delved into a rare bout of screenwriting, never feared from the even the most disturbing elements in this story of a robot boy (a terrific Haley Joel Osment) trying to discover his own humanity. It was a darkly grim adult version of "Pinocchio" presented in a world where robots are tortured, the most hoped for dreams die and the human race faces and meets its own extinction. Chilling and difficult while never losing its heart, this film again showed why Steven Spielberg is one of the greatest filmmakers to ever stand behind the camera.

2. "BAMBOOZLED" (2000) Written, Produced & Directed by Spike Lee
For nearly 25 years, Spike Lee has been a cinematic giant with an output of high quality material that most filmmakers would kill for. He is a born talent, often misunderstood, misrepresented and sadly ignored and he is as fair-minded as cinematically gifted. This particular film, which was barely released and remains stunningly under seen, is one of his most brilliant, incendiary and blistering works.

"Bamboozled" is a satire starring Damon Wayans as a television writer who dreams up the most offensive and preposterous concept he could think of: a modern day minstrel comedy program starring African-Americans (Savion Glover and Tommy Davidson) in blackface. Shockingly and depressingly, the program becomes a nation-wide ratings smash. What Spike Lee has done is to hold African-Americans to task for the images we portray of ourselves within the media. Yes, there was a time when we solely played the slaves, the housekeepers, and all manner of characters meant to demean our spirit and self-image but, without Butterfly McQueen there would be no Denzel Washington. This film argues that since we now hold more power within the media and have more than enough means to shape our visual image amongst pop culture (BET, are you watching?), what happens to us when we create the cartoons and imagery designed to keep ourselves from moving forwards? This was honest filmmaking at its most uncomfortable, pointed and completely focused on its target. I would also think that it is just ahead of its time as there are too many who are not ready to receive and ponder the messages Lee presented. A masterful achievement.

1. "ALMOST FAMOUS" (2000) Written & Directed by Cameron Crowe
This pick was surprisingly easy. In fact, when I first began conceptualizing this entire list, this film and its ranking was the first thing to pop into my mind, and I ultimately had to work backwards from this peak. I do not have enough words to use when I speak of this beautiful, beautiful movie that serves as Crowe's memoir of his family and his own teen-years writing for Rolling Stone, as well as a love-letter to rock and roll, to writing, to music journalism, to the relationships between artists and fans, to the entire era and everyone who influenced that time. Certainly the material speaks tremendously to my personal passions yet even for those who know nothing about rock music, this is a film to be treasured and embraced.

It is sentimental without being cloying. It is truthful about the period while not delving cynically and callously into darker waters. Every single performance is pitch perfect (Kate Hudson has NEVER been better than she is here as the band's self-described "Band-Aid, Penny Lane)as Crowe's empathetic and journalistic screenwriting gives fully developed characters to everyone in this piece...and that even includes the tour bus!

The film features one GREAT sequence after another including, but definitely not limited to that moment after guitarist Russell Hammond's (played by Billy Crudup) brief sabbatical from his band Stillwater which results in a bad drug trip ("I AM A GOLDEN GOD!!' he bellows from a fan's rooftop). Coming down from his trip on the tour bus, and also during the aftermath of band tension, the entire group find themselves in a stunning moment of connection and bonding...to Elton John's classic, "Tiny Dancer." I got chills just from writing about that scene...

"Almost Famous" is like Homer's Odyssey set to The Beach Boys' "Sloop John B" ("I have to go home," teen journalist William Miller--played with a gorgeous awkwardness by Patrick Fugit--often says) and I guess I have to use a character to express my love for this film best. It comes from Band-Aid Sapphire (played by Fairuza Balk) and occurs near the end of the film, after Penny Lane's suicide attempt. She informs Hammond about the nature of being a fan when she says that it is, "to love some silly little piece of music or some band so much that it HURTS!"

I love "Almost Famous" that much. It is a yearning, gorgeous hurt filled with love, deep humanity, generous spirit and lovely bittersweetness. If I could, I would watch it RIGHT NOW!

"Almost Famous" is a gift to anyone who chooses to open it.

(As a SIDE NOTE: I cannot recommend enough Cameron Crowe's Director's Cut of the film which is entitled with the film's original moniker ("Untitled") and runs nearly 40 minutes longer than the two-hour theatrical cut. It is a fuller, richer and even better experience.)

There you have it and it was certainly along time coming but there's just one more nod to the last decade that I have to sift through. The WORST films I saw...

Stay tuned for 2000-2009 TRASH COMPACTOR: The Worst Films of the Decade...

COARSE, CRASS & CALLOUS: a review of "The Hangover"

From the archives, a review originally written October 15, 2009

"THE HANGOVER" Directed by Todd Phillips
** (two stars)

Once the final scatologically filled frames of "The Hangover" completed dancing across the screen as the end credits began to scroll, I thought to myself, "This is exactly why I don't have many male friends." The supreme shallowness. The epic boorishness. The shameless lowbrow, loutish and insensitivity. The unbelievable extent to which some males will descend themselves to any manner of puerile pursuit. It is a sensibility that I have not ever entertained and just do not think is exactly a key part of my DNA. That said, those aforementioned “traits” combined with how men view each other and the world surrounding them are perfect ingredients for film exploration, especially in comedy. The massive influence of the eternal “National Lampoon’s Animal House” continues to loom large over every R rated comedy released since 1978 and when done well, we are graced with anarchistically sublime modern day classics on the level of say “Stripes,” “There’s Something About Mary,” and “The 40 Year Old Virgin.” When it is not handled well, you get…”American Pie” or even worse, ”Porky’s.” When it was all said and done, “The Hangover,” Director Todd Phillips' latest raunchy ode to male-bonding, fell somewhere in the middle for me. It wasn’t exactly a disappointment but one that just didn’t leave the desired effect.

The film begins very promisingly as the bride-to-be receives a fateful telephone call from her fiancee’s best friend Phil (Bradley Cooper) who is standing battered and bruised in the middle of the Mojave Desert. It turns out that Phil, dentist Stu (Ed Helms) and the bride’s brother Alan (Zach Galifianakis) have lost the groom (Justin Bartha) after a disastrous bachelor party and completely forgotten night of limitless debauchery during which a police car was stolen, a wedding had taken place, major gambling earnings had been won, a tooth had been extracted, a price Mercedes convertible had been discarded (and who is that locked in the trunk?) and Mike Tyson’s pet tiger had miraculously found a new home in the foursome’s hotel suite bathroom. From that opening phone call, the film completely skips over the night in question to ultimately create a strong and vulgar adventure which indeed builds a surprising amount of comic suspense. Phillips and his screenwriters Jon Lucas and Scott Moore, do a fine job of keeping us on our collective toes with one unexpected revelation and escapade after another. It is very sure footed storytelling with a clear sense of purpose, execution and destination.

So, what was the problem, you ask. Well…it is a comedy and I just didn’t find myself laughing that much throughout. Yes, there are some BIG laughs here and I must give special mention to Ken Jeong and Rachael Harris (when will someone give this woman her own movie or HBO program?) as they appear in supporting roles as a viciously effeminate gangster and a volcanically mean girlfriend respectively. They inject the film with fierce comic energy but on the whole, the film just was not consistently funny enough to the point where it could transcend its preposterous situations into comic hilarity. Comedy wrongly receives so little respect as a legitimate art and that is unfortunate as the nature of what is funny to each of us is subjective to such an acute degree. What is funny to me may not be funny in any conceivable way to you and in the case of “The Hangover,” I realize that I am in the minority as it just didn’t reach me. For some elusive reason, the actual humor, not the story, felt at times to be generic and recycled.

My biggest issue with the film was the actual trio of Phil, Stu and Alan themselves. I just didn’t like these guys at all and felt they deserved every bit of misfortune they received. This observation is not the fault of Cooper, Helms and Galifianakis. They all handled their respective roles with ease, and they presented a realistic collective with effective chemistry unlike many films where casting is based upon marquee value and you cannot believe that those people would ever have a conversation let alone be involved with any on-screen exploits together. Again, what bothered me were the characters. They were coarse, crass, and callous, also great qualities for comedy but in this case, I was not able to be swept away and it all felt a bit mean-spirited and a bit backwards.

Over the years, this particular genre has had its own evolution especially through programs like “Entourage” and films from Writer/ Director Kevin Smith and Writer/Producer/Director Judd Apatow. In films such as “Clerks,” “Chasing Amy,” and “Knocked Up,” we were given a broader insight into the secret world of men, their foibles, failures, and fears which scaled new comedic heights while not dialing down the raucousness. The film “Sideways,” directed by Alexander Payne also boasted a male friendship that proved to be a sublime comedy experience while also probing the toll certain friendships can take as you reach middle age. “The Hangover” seemed superficial by comparison. And it also had a creepy chauvinism that just didn’t sit well with me as all of the primary female characters existed not as characters but solely as either passive hand-wringers, ferocious bitches and worst of all, the cliched hooker with a “heart of gold” (Heather Graham in a completely thankless role). Not to sound politically correct about the whole thing but the film seemed to be the equivalent of a clubhouse with “No Girls Allowed” scrawled across the front door in dripping paint. Not necessarily a bad thing but it was the film’s tone that just put me off from entirely embracing it.

But, the film has made a fortune and the inevitable sequel is on the way and I have to say that sounds like a terrible idea. Honestly, what are they going to do? Have another festive celebration go wrong where they wake up the next day having to piece the forgotten night together…again? Ugh! Here’s an idea. Let’s shake up the genre. Get Rachael Harris, Leslie Mann, Amy Poehler and Kristin Wiig together. Get Tina Fey to write it with her trademark savage humor. I would love to see what they could do with that kind of a hangover.

I wonder if I can get this idea floated to them somehow…

THE DECAY THAT WILL CONSUME US ALL: a review of "Capitalism: A Love Story"

An archived review originally written October 6, 2009

"CAPITALISM: A LOVE STORY" Written, Produced and Directed by Michael Moore
**** (4 stars)

I realize, going into this particular review, that trying to place a critique upon a Michael Moore film almost invariably comes with analyzing the man (or persona) himself. After 20 years of filmmaking, beginning with 1989’s groundbreaking “Roger and Me,” Moore has presented his uncompromising vision of a flawed America that has consistently left him open to a blitzkrieg of attacks on his representation of facts, his character and overall patriotism. For me, I have thoroughly enjoyed his work over the years, which has always provided me with a deeper insight into the cracks in our supposedly superior political and economic systems. But, starting with 2002’s highly controversial “Bowling For Columbine,” there seemed to be something deeper at work for Moore than during the snarky cinematic eye-pokes of his earlier efforts, most notably his two television series “The Awful Truth” and “TV Nation.” His gaze became more wide-screened, his passions and sorrows even more overt, his humor became more savage and his rage became brutal. The stakes had been dramatically raised by the material our country and its leaders had been providing him and it seemed that the more outrageous the powers-that-be performed and operated, Moore was there with an equally and preposterously flagrant vilification. After taking on former President George W. Bush and the Iraq war in 2004’s “Fahrenheit 9/11” and the health care industry in 2006’s mournful “Sicko,” Moore now arrives with “Capitalism: A Love Story,” an enormously entertaining, informative, perceptive and at times, pulse pounding epic that seems to be the culmination and defining statement of all of his work thus far.

After a tongue-in-cheek warning to the audience about the intensity of the film’s content of which we are about to see, we are presented with a brief review of the rise and fall of the Roman Empire juxtaposed with modern day images of life in America. Moore argues that America is currently in a parallel state of decline as the abuse of capitalism by the top 1% of our country has effectively destroyed democracy and replaced it rampant avarice, greed and power-mad control. It may be more than a little easy to dismiss his bellowing as reactionary, hyperbolic pap but as his film continues, I would think it would be difficult to fully disagree with him and besides, what is past is prologue.

As the film continues, we are presented with a kaleidoscope of stories ranging from people losing their family homes during the mortgage crisis, the closings of factories nationwide and the eventual desolation of neighborhoods. Moore returns to his hometown of Flint, Michigan for a poignant sequence with his father, a man who worked for the auto industry for 33 years and provided for his family through a capitalism that, at the time, was comparatively decent and fair. The look on his father’s face as he surveys the scorched earth landscape of what was once a thriving community is heartbreaking. Was this the world he had expected would be left behind for future generations? And so it goes. Again, Moore explains that we have all been failed by a corrupt system that is now eating itself from the inside because ultimately, the system as we now know it is evil and “you can’t regulate evil.”

Probably the most powerful section comes near the film’s conclusion as we are graced with footage of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, shortly before his death, speaking to the camera with his proposal of a Second Bill Of Rights which states that ALL Americans should have the RIGHT (not a privilege) to proper health care, strong education and a home in which to live and raise your families. Moore eloquently states that in the 65 years after his death, America has had none of those rights for its citizens while Europe and Japan have them all. The effect is scathing, sobering, blood boiling and overwhelming. Yet before, the audience can feel completely disillusioned and helpless, he gives us two stories of those who rose upwards and defended themselves against the system and were victorious. For me, this presented a spirit of the America I see in my head where we come together and help each other not for any personal gain but just because it is the right thing to do.

And now, of course, the man himself. Michael Moore’s filmmaking skills simply cannot be denied, even by his detractors, as he is a master of pacing and finding exactly the right image to fit the mood, tone and concepts of which he is describing and rallying against to simultaneously humorous and devastating effect. Of course, this has provided his critics with issues of his possibly bending the truth to fit his ends and that he is most likely not even a documentarian anyway. Well, to that, I say that his films really are not documentaries. They are the cinematic equivalent of Op-Ed pieces and yes, he does use imagery to fit his themes and present his vision of how he sees the country. It’s his film starring his opinion and there’s nothing wrong with that. Choose to see it or not. I am certain that someone with the opposing viewpoint could take the same images and spin them to fit their views too and I invite those people to do so for a cinematic debate of this nature would be exciting and provide more voices into the dialogue we desperately need to have. There is truth in facts, but facts are not necessarily the truth. I can see how his passions may allow Moore to possibly go too far at times, but I do applaud this tendency because we are living in times in which those that have all have indeed gone too far.

Some reviews have even called out certain weariness to his gadfly tactics and showboat grandstanding. That the lack of subtlety in his work is tiring and even disgraceful. I can understand that criticism too but again, we are not living in times that demand subtlety. It demands outrage. For me, as I look out into a world that has become so desensitized to the horrors our government and top 1% percent have enacted upon us, especially over the previous eight years, I think Moore’s unsubtle tactics are just what we need and more than ever. He has been lambasted by a few for shoving a camera into the crying faces of the defeated. That it is tasteless to see a family forced to exit their farm after four decades due to nothing more than government greed. That it is discomforting and maybe gratuitous to watch another family, and small child in particular, tearfully recounting the loss of the young matriarch. Well…it IS gratuitous and it SHOULD be because this family in particular is at a loss to understand how the company she once worked for (in this case, Wal-Mart) had secretly taken out an insurance policy on her and collected millions of dollars after her death—a sickening and shocking tactic known as “Dead Peasant Insurance.” These images Moore chooses to present to us are designed to empathize and enrage, for the crimes being committed are possible to occur to any of us now that the politics of Reagan and unending deregulation have finally and disastrously come to pass. What should we be angrier about? A movie or a government and economic system that would even devise of something like “Dead Peasant Insurance” or even “derivatives,” a completely illogical and purposefully confusing financial scheme meant to gamble away the money we all earn? Yes, the image of Moore wrapping Crime Scene tape around the New York Stock Exchange is a typical shocking move but it is one filled with honest anger at a system that exploited the very people that created it and continues to steal from them even after a massive bail-out.

Michael Moore is obviously not against making money, as he himself is a very rich man who made his fortune from the capitalist system in which we, the public, chose to see his movies over others. Like “Sicko,” what Moore is decrying is not based in a partisan issue as people from all walks of life and political ideologies are being bled dry, like the victims of a vampire, from the actions of the powerful few on both sides of the political aisle. What Moore is talking about and what we are currently dealing with is a profoundly moral issue. We have somehow morphed into a time where there is no such concept as “enough” and the cards are stacked so high that we have become disillusioned, apathetic and some of the victimized succumb and even support the very politics that are holding us all under. And how can we continue to allow this to happen? We must remember that these people are public servants who are ultimately in the positions they serve because they are elected. We still have the power to send them out of power and we must somehow find that strength to not become anesthetized and rise up for what we believe in.

For Moore’s fans, you will most likely enjoy this film. His detractors of course will have much to say and probably not even see it at all. However, I do gently urge them to see it as having the information allows for the debate to continue properly and perhaps there is something previously unknown to discover. The reach of Moore’s film is wide and somewhat of a swan-song as Moore asks us to pick up the mantle he has carried for so long and take part in the outcome of our nation. As he boldly states near the film’s conclusion, “I refuse to be part of a nation where these things are allowed to happen…and I am not leaving!”

Michael Moore says what needs to be said, and most importantly, bothers to ask the questions that need to be asked, especially since our mainstream media has long given up trying. “Capitalism: A Love Story” is one of my favorite films of 2009.

?: a review of "A Serious Man"

As I will soon post my favorite films of 2009, I would like to include some reviews from the archives.

This review was originally written October 25, 2009

“A SERIOUS MAN” Written, Produced and Directed by Joel and Ethan Coen
**** (4 stars)

The high rating I have bestowed upon this film has not come easily or lightly. My admiration and appreciation for this film is more than evident but I am still not sure how much I actually liked it. Perhaps the fullness of my determination will come in time. I will even venture to gather that “A Serious Man,” the latest effort from the supremely talented Coen brothers, is quite possibly their most confounding experience where upon its final frames, the cumulative result left me and my companion with a resounding “WTF?!?!” expression. As I continue and continue to ponder exactly what “A Serious Man” all meant, what its intents and purposes could’ve been, I still feel as if I have been led down a blind alley which took me to a rabbit hole where ultimately nothing is discovered once the other side has been reached. Perhaps the meaning is that there is no meaning at all. Who knows?

This is the very conundrum experienced by Larry Gopnick (played by Michael Stuhlbarg), a mathematician and university professor who lives, with his family, in a middle class suburban community in Minnesota, circa 1967. Poor Larry is trapped in a world he never made as he is confounded by the obstacles and enigmas life has seemingly hurled solely in his direction. His vindictive wife (Sari Lennick) is having an affair with the unctuous and duplicitously supportive Sy Abelman (Fred Melamed) and subsequently wants a divorce. His daughter, obsessed with her hair, is also stealing his money for a possible nose job. His perpetually stoned son Danny (Aaron Wolf) is preparing for his Bar Mitzvah while also running from the Hebrew school’s drug dealer and trying to retrieve his confiscated transistor radio on which contains the money needed to pay off said drug dealer. His brother Arthur (a terrific Richard Kind) is the family’s layabout who endlessly monopolizes the family bathroom yet he is also a genius mathematician and mental capacities are becoming more and more unhinged. And at all times, Larry is viewed by his family not as a man with any sense of emotional influence or council but as a cipher, a human jellyfish, removed of its sting, and meant to be manipulated at all times for any whim even as trivial as fixing the TV antennae for a clearer picture of “F Troop.”

And his problems do not cease at the home front. Larry’s desires for tenure are at odds with a collection of anonymous and seemingly damaging letters that are being sent to the university. He is constantly being hounded by telephone calls demanding payment for rock albums he has not ordered from the Columbia Record House, an organization he inadvertently became a member of simply by NOT denying membership. He is also being simultaneously bribed, and extorted by a South Korean math student to whom he has given a failing grade. And finally, each moment of resolve and understanding he seeks by the community Rabbis, including the almost diabolically secretive Marshak (Alan Mandell), leaves him more confused and anguished than ever. Even his dreams provide no safety or respite. Larry Gopnick is seemingly a nihilistically bleak cosmic joke as the more solace and control he seeks, the universe responds equally in the opposite and as the walls and jaws of live continue to converge upon his gentle spirit, the film becomes an intensely dark paranoid comedy. Parables, introduced to deliver spiritual answers and deliverance, in the end offer nothing. Playing by the honorable rules of social morality ends up rewarding with cruel vengeance. And THEN, there’s the film’s head-scratcher of an ending which has redefined the meaning of abrupt.

I have to admit that the Coen brothers are on a roll right now with their third film in as many years that has presented a bleaker world view than any of the films of their past. The brutal “No Country For Old Men” was quite possibly a study of the unstoppable and ever changing face of unrelenting evil. “Burn After Reading,” while a tad lighter in tone, seemed to be an exploration of how humanity’s increasing sense of narcissistic stupidity will be our collective undoing. Now, we reach “A Serious Man,” where we find a good man desperately trying to maintain control over events he has no control over. He continues to seek meaning when there possibly isn’t any meaning anyway because once you’re dead, you’re dead and who cares? The Coen brothers, time and again, have created their own cinematic worlds unlike any others and this film is no exception. They have again proven to be born filmmakers and storytellers with exemplary writing and searingly strong direction, editing, cinematography, tonality and pacing. The cast is uniformly excellent and Michael Stuhlbarg gives a wonderful performance that never makes Larry a sad sack, a dolt or one the audience can laugh at. He is a kindly man with a hopeful outlook even when he is about to fall down life’s chasm. The film also possesses a wicked sense of humor, fatalistic or otherwise. Jefferson Airplane’s classic “Somebody To Love” figures prominently and in several unexpected fashions. A Rabbi’s fable set to Jimi Hendrix’s “Machine Gun” also contributes to the topsy-turvy proceedings. Wet dreams turn sinister and fatal. A sequence featuring Danny’s Bar Mitzvah is a show-stopper. But, the creeping footsteps of fate are always present, barreling down on Larry like an unending curse. The result is surreal, unsettling and unnerving and the Coens are masters at the game they have set into play.

Much has been written about how this film is a modern day version of the Book Of Job, or an exploration of Jewish symbolism and teachings or even an autobiographical tale of the Coen’s upbringing. Maybe so but not more or less than “Fargo” was supposedly based on real events or how “O Brother, Where Art Thou” was supposedly based upon Homer’s “Odyssey.” Maybe none of that even matters at all.

What I do know is that Joel and Ethan Coen have not rested on their respective laurels in the least after winning their Oscar two years ago. In fact, they have become even more uncompromising as they have given us another film where they offer no loopholes of any kind to the audience to help us along or to provide safety nets. I believe that they are respecting their audience enough to give us non-disposable art that allows and encourages us to do the heavy lifting. Or maybe the Coens are having a dark laugh on us all.

The film opens with the notation, “Receive with simplicity everything that happens.” On that sentiment, this film is simply a success on several levels. It is a feature length “Why Me?” that deeply resonates and refuses to be ignored. It is challenging, playful, infuriating, and builds to a crescendo of awesome power that…well…I’m just not sure.

But, I know I will not forget it.

BROKE DOWN AND BUSTED: a review of "Crazy Heart"

“CRAZY HEART” Written for the Screen, Produced and Directed by Scott Cooper
***1/2 (three and a half stars)

There is an unexplainable art within every formula. It is a code I am certain that every filmmaker would love to crack because if that feat were possible, then every film made would qualify as a triumph. For better or for worse, such knowledge does not exist. Whenever I do happen to ponder the mystical art contained inside of a formula or film genre, I cannot help but to wonder if filmmakers sit with some sort of mythical checklist, marking down all of the necessary ingredients needed to complete a particular story in the most successful manner. Whatever the methods and means, no formula succeeds solely due to the ingredients. It is solely through the execution and in the right hands, viewers may be witness to cinematic alchemy.

In my previous review of Drew Barrymore’s “Whip It,” I remarked that although her film contained a familiar story with no real surprises or revelations, she and her film succeeded because she knew how to effectively utilize the ingredients of the formula of the “coming-of-age” genre and to not lazily allow the ingredients to use her. I now enthusiastically come to “Crazy Heart,” the beautifully realized and highly impressive debut feature from Writer/Producer/Director Scott Cooper. Like “Whip It,” this film contains a story as old as the hills with an arc that also contains no real revelations or surprises. But, Cooper’s execution, combined with Jeff Bridges thoroughly lived in performance, resulted in an excellent film with seriously rich and astute attention to character and realism.

Bridges stars as Bad Blake, a veteran and once highly regarded Country music singer/songwriter, now in the painful downward slide of his life and career. At the age of 57, his fame long behind him and nursing a nasty addiction to alcohol, Blake continues to slowly make his way, via an ancient pick-up truck, from one erratic performance to another to the delight of his dwindling and aging fan base. Like many once celebrated and now fading music veterans and legends, Blake is now relegated to performing in small town saloons and as the film opens, in the back of a bowling alley, a truly humiliating blow to his legacy. Yet the seeds for a potential late second act to his long career are planted via two avenues. The first is a proposed joint concert tour/recording session with current Country music shining star and former sideman/guitarist/protégé Tommy Sweet (Colin Farrell in a strong performance of equal parts swagger and sensitivity)—despite the fact that Blake has not written any new material in years. The second is through Jean Craddock (Maggie Gyllenhaal), a small town music journalist, and single Mother of a 4-year-old boy, who meets Blake for an interview, and subsequently begins a romance that is emotionally tumultuous due to the baggage each carries.

“Crazy Heart” is one of those films that does not exist to pursue a plot or even an actual story but does indeed adhere firmly to the formula of the embittered artist in the twilight of his career seeking redemption. What this film accomplishes in its avoidance of falling into any formulaic pitfalls is by presenting itself as a character study, where each development is not designed to serve as calculative move to drive the film’s momentum. It is a film of acutely observed behavior. And here is where I must heave mountainous praise upon the film’s cast, as they make this musical story sing graciously.

Jeff Bridges is one of our finest acting treasures and when I recently read that he has inexplicably not won an Oscar at any point over the last 40 years, I was honestly dumbfounded. I am seriously hoping that he can finally receive the recognition that has long eluded him as his performance as Bad Blake was transcendent in its searing authenticity. Actually, I would say that what he accomplished was less of a performance and more of a state of being. Bridges became Bad Blake and he had me completely fooled. He simply was this man and I actually began to believe that Blake was a real musical artist with landmark albums from the past that I could potentially go to i-tunes or my local library and search for musical treasures. Of course, Bridges handling all of his own singing (to great effect) added tremendously to the illusion, as all of the songs sounded like material he may have written himself.

Beyond the music, Bridges never strikes one false note in his physical and internal depiction. From his line-ridden face and whiskey-ravaged voice, to his almost arthritic appearing gait, what had once existed solely as a character from Thomas Cobb’s novel of the same name, now lives and breathes as a human being—as real as you or I and the person sitting next to us in the movie theater. As previously stated, Bridges works this character brilliantly from the inside out and the variety of levels we see in him, sometimes all in the same scene, is starling work. We are shown his rage-fueled indignity with a world that has largely long forgotten his fame and notoriety merged with a solemn acceptance of his current status, as it is buried under an alcoholic haze. He shows a tenderness and natural parental ability with Gyllenhaal’s son, yet he is terribly narcissistic and tragically self-damaged to ever really serve as a potentially positive role model. While he is open to discussing most of his musical and personal history within an interview setting, he also conducts those meetings as seductions, leaning back on that bottomless charm that had served him well with one-night stands, yet has produced five failed marriages is their wake. He is mercurial and sorrowful. Blindingly self-aware and hopelessly clueless. Jeff Bridges nails all of this territory perfectly, empathetically, subtly and magnificently.

Maggie Gyllenhall is Bridges’ equal is every possible way, and in a role that receives less attention as the film is indeed Bridges’ showcase. Gyllenhaal is able to go toe-to-toe with bridges and emerge completely unscathed and like Bridges, she works her character from the inside out, making her a realistic 21st century woman. The character of Jean Craddock is no fool and does not suffer them lightly. She gives as good as she gets and you do indeed feel the weight of her own personal scars and her willingness to not repeat past mistakes under any circumstances. Realistically, Craddock is undone by her own lack of good judgment and her romance with Bad Blake is a knowing mistake. You can simultaneously see her inner warning signs blaring in her brain, but also seeing how she is swept away by Blake’s considerable charm, despite his drunkenness and fame, despite its fading luster. In fact, Gyllenhaal tenderly gives us a character study of the classic situation of women falling for bad men, possibly with the misguided hopes that she would be the one to tame this particular brand of beast unlike any other woman from his past. Usually, the woman in question is wrong. Craddock knows this truth abundantly well but decides to test the fates regardless.

The fact that this is Scott Cooper’s debut feature as a Director is shattering to me. To be this good on your first try!! Like the great Clint Eastwood, he allows deep trust within the actors, material and characters, giving them the proper room to resonate in the most sufficient means. Cooper, while greatly handling all of the messy romantic material and perfectly finding every nuance in their dangerous relationship, he also gives us a film that is extremely savvy about the music business. Cooper shows us how the musical trajectory of Bad Blake’s life did not echo Willie Nelson’s but the ones of the long undervalued, under appreciated and long forgotten. We see how he is treated as a walking artifact and not as an artist in his own right and in ways, we how his legacy hasn’t even the strength to stand on its own two feet but it is something that must be defended and people must be reminded of. Tommy Sweet remains gracious and vigilant, always providing his legion of fans and uncaring record executives of Blake’s legacy and worth. Blake is also second-guessed by the technicians of today, as presented in a great rehearsal sequence set at a pavilion. Most perceptively, we see how the likelihood of Blake’s possible return to financial glory would never occur through the act of performing but only due to songwriting as he would reap true rewards through publishing rights. Cooper is masterfully in tune with all aspects of this story.

Bad Blake and Jean Craddock are living, breathing versions of country song characters; the aching, painful truths that live inside the clichés. What conduits we have in Bridges and Gyllenhaal, these two deeply skilled actors and Scott Cooper, an extremely gifted filmmaker at the helm, to rise so high above the constraints of formula by making them so exceedingly and vibrantly real.

(SIDE NOTE: So, why not four stars? Like "Up," another film I saw in 2009, that I had nothing but the highest praise for, all I can say is that I saw several other movies in 2009 that I had an even greater response to. "Crazy Heart" is an excellent film and I encourage you to check it out if you are able!)

SAVAGE CINEMA COMING ATTRACTIONS FOR FEBRUARY 2010

The creation of this blog has already proven to be deeply satisfying for me. While I would certainly love to have an enormous base of readers, waiting with the bated breath for each new installment, I am so happy to have a forum where I have been able to express my love of writing and film, even if it is just for me.

At this time, I would love to alert you to some upcoming entries.

1. I will continue to post older reviews from my archives, most of them will be in conjunction with other postings.

2. My Top 10 Films of the Decade. The Time Capsule series will finally conclude this month as I reveal my favorite films that were released within the last ten years. I will also take one last stab at the ones that caused me the most cinematic misery. So, instead of a Time Capsule, I have decided to contribute those selections to the...Trash Compactor.

3. I will also reveal my Top 10 Films of 2009 either mid-month or closer to the Oscar telecast.

4. I will have new reviews of "Crazy Heart," (hopefully late this week) as well as Martin Scorsese's "Shutter Island" and Spike Lee's "Passing Strange" later in the month.

So, I THANK YOU once again to anyone out there who has taken the time to join me on my journey and I'll see you very shortly when the house lights go down...