9 - 2009

Director: Shane Acker

Writers: Pamela Pettler & Shane Acker

Starring: Elijah Wood, Christopher Plummer, John C. Reilly, Jennifer Connelly

"Sometimes fear is the appropriate response." In the universe of 9, a Communist country has made robots to bring peace to the world. Naturally, the robots turn on humanity and destroy everyone. The scientist responsible, seemingly the last remaining human, creates as his final act nine dolls, which director Acker loving terms "stitchpunks."

1. the zealot of a leader
2. a kindly inventor
3. one of a pair of curious (yet silent) twins; eyes can become film projectors
4. the other of the twins
5. "healer" and mechanic; apprentice to 2; has only one eye
6. has visions he is compelled to draw; rarely speaks, and says odd things when he does
7. the daredevil of the bunch; only "female"
8. bodyguard for 1; not bright
9. newcomer; challenges authority

These nine little dolls are charged with the Herculean task of ending the evil robots' reign. (Essentially, it's "Little Big Planet vs. Skynet," as I read on one message board about the film.)

DISCLAIMER: this film is PG-13 (despite having no foul language or nudity) for a reason. Don't bring the little ones, as it gets rather intense at times.

The CGI and foley work for this film are both remarkable; you see every difference in construction between each of the dolls, down to the stitching itself, and hear every metallic scrape and fabric thud when the characters move. The environment in which they live is a rich and unique one, from the simple magnet that 8 uses for an inebriation-like experience to the Victorian-seeming hologram projector. Yes, you read that right. If a few more people see this film (current box office data has it at a disappointing less than 1/3 of its budget so far), it could bring the glory of steampunk into the mainstream. Furthermore, I'll go on the record as saying that despite mixed critical reviews, this is the best non-Pixar CGI film ever made, and probably better than everything CGI period except for Up and WALL-E.

Today in film

Two films I recommend watching today, and then promptly reshelving the rest of the year.

United 93

Director: Paul Greengrass

Writer: Paul Greengrass

"Let's roll." This film's about the events taking place on the plane that was diverted from hitting a third building when the passengers rushed the cockpit. Who knew a Brit would make the best September 11th film?

Reign Over Me

Director: Mike Binder

Writer: Mike Binder

" I don't need to talk about her or look at pictures... 'cause the truth is, a lot of times, I see her... on the street. I walk down the street, I see her in someone else's face... clearer than any of the pictures you carry with you. I get that you're in pain, but you got each other. You got each other! And I'm the one who's gotta see her and the girls all the time. Everywhere I go! I even see the dog. That's how f*cked up I still am! I look at a German shepherd, I see our g*dd*mn poodle." This fictional film looks at the life of a man (Adam Sandler) who lost his wife and daughters on 9/11, and has since cut himself off from the world. His former college roommate (Don Cheadle) struggles to reconnect with him and help him function properly in society. Definitely Sandler's best role of his career so far.

Extract - 2009

Director: Mike Judge

Writer: Mike Judge

Starring: Jason Bateman, Ben Affleck, Mila Kunis, Kristen Wiig, JK Simmons

In the return (no one counts Idiocracy because of its poor studio situation) to the silver screen of Office Space writer/director Mike Judge, Joel (Jason Bateman) owns an extract company, and is having some trouble with his wife (Kristen Wiig). He's thinking of selling off the company, but a possible lawsuit from an injured employee complicates things. The gold-digging Cindy (Mila Kunis) and Joel's druggie best friend Dean (Ben Affleck) don't exactly make his life any easier either.

Office Space was a remarkable film, and maybe it's unfair to compare this to that. Unfortunately, everyone going to see it is going to do the same thing. You'd think a film with such an all-star cast would have to be good, but that would be a mistake. Kunis can't break the role of Jackie from That 70s Show, Bateman's usual Michael Bluthesque character falls flat--not even a small appearance by Gene Simmons as a bus-stop-bench-ad lawyer saves this film. On top of this, Judge essentially rewrote Office Space. Both films contain:

• a white-collar main character with a lower-class friend
• main character having relationship issues
• character that talks too much, keeping people from getting where they want to be on time
• an annoying female coworker
• the death of a fat guy

Unfortunately, lightning can't strike twice for Mike Judge. The film's not quotable at all (there goes cult classic status), and I DIDN'T LAUGH ONCE. Kevin Smith said he got into the film industry to "make Clerks over and over again." I hope Judge doesn't take another page out of that book anytime soon.

Risky Business - 1983

Director: Paul Brickman

Writer: Paul Brickman

Starring: Tom Cruise, Rebecca de Mornay, Joe Pantoliano

"I don't believe this! I've got a trig midterm tomorrow, and I'm being chased by Guido the killer pimp." For the five people in North America who don't know, Risky Business is about 18-year-old Joel Goodson (played by a then-unknown Tom Cruise) whose parents leave town for a week, leaving him home alone, and he proceeds to do what every straight red-blooded American male would dream of doing in the same situation.

Knowing a movie this good can exist from a first-time filmmaker amazes me, yet at the same time reduces my hope about the quality of the masses of Hollywood lately. Brickman's writing is fresh and vibrant, so visceral that it's not too hard to think of Cruise's character as that guy from your economics class. The cinematography, especially in the first half of the film (notably that one famous scene), is truly inspired. Not only is the film technically brilliant, but it did well at the box office upon its release (made 10 times its budget) and launched the careers of virtually all the major actors. Who could ask for anything more?

Boondock Saints II

A little something to tide you over until I go see Extract (minor spoiler if you didn't see the first movie):

Ten years ago, Troy Duffy made a nice little film about two Irish Catholic fraternal twin brothers in Boston who run around exacting their own form of justice upon the wicked, and the homosexual FBI agent (played by Willem Dafoe) trying to piece together the puzzle left at the "crime" scenes. Mr. Duffy, while despite having written and directed phenomenally, had the poor fortune to finish the film around the time of the Columbine massacre, after which the media did its best to quash violence wherever possible. (He also had quite a few conflicts with the studio system, which can be seen in more detail in the documentary Overnight.) Nevertheless, the film went on to become a cult classic on DVD, and after a decade of waiting, the McManus brothers are coming back to the silver screen in Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day.

This might seem like your steretypical stupid shoot-em-up flick, but I guarantee that if it's HALF as good as the original, you'll go home happy.

Something to ponder

There is a fifth dimension, beyond that which is known to man. It is a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity. It is the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and supersition, and it lies between the pit of man's fears and the summit of his knowledge. This is the dimension of imagination. It is an area which we call the Twilight Zone.

Our story this evening concerns two directors, one from each side of the Atlantic Ocean. Until recently, they hadn't met, and they share no DNA. However, something very peculiar is going on. Judge for yourself.

Edgar Wright:

• Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010)
• Hot Fuzz (2007)
• Shaun of the Dead (2004)

Jason Reitman:

• Pierre Pierre (2009)
• Juno (2007)
• Thank You for Smoking (2006)

To paraphrase Shakespeare, "Two gentlemen, both alike in dignity, in fair Hollywood where we lay our scene..." Back to your regularly scheduled program come Friday, with Mike Judge's Extract.

Photo from http://www.twitter.com/jasonreitman.

Gremlins - 1984

Director: Joe Dante

Writer: Chris Columbus

Starring: Zack Galligan, Howie Mandel (voice), Phoebe Cates, Corey Feldman

"They're watching Snow White. And they love it." In Joe Dante's Gremlins, a man goes to Chinatown in search of his son's Christmas present, and leaves with a strange animal called a mogwai. He is given three rules to follow:

1. Keep it out of bright light, especially sunlight, which is fatal.
2. Don't let it come into contact with water.
3. Don't feed it after midnight.

But wouldn't you know it, rule two gets broken, so our hero goes from having a single nice, cute pet to six, five of which are equally adorable, but not as nice. The father, a would-be inventor, immediately sees the marketing potential in the creatures, and the son takes the original to a local science teacher, and they make another duplicate for the teacher to run tests on (quite an advanced school they have, isn't it?). Adding to the never-ending stream of complications, all six of this new batch end up being fed after midnight, and enter pupal (cocoon) stages, despite being mammalian in nature. They break out of the cocoons distinctly reptilian, and proceed to wreak havoc on the town.

Let's keep this concise: there's a reason this movie is a classic. It appeals to both the young (although it does get a tad violent) and young at heart. I'd say the best scene of the film takes place in the family's kitchen and involves the mother (Frances Lee McCain, who'd co-star with Feldman again in Stand By Me) and a few of the evil gremlins. You'll know it when you see it. And finding out that Howie Mandel provides the voice of Gizmo, the original mogwai, is a pleasant surprise. Columbus does try to give the movie a message at the end, but it's still great despite that.

Julie and Julia - 2009

Director: Nora Ephron

Writer: Nora Ephron (adapted from Julie Powell & Julia Child)

Starring: Meryl Streep, Amy Adams, Stanley Tucci

CAVEAT: If you're going to jump down my throat for seeing a chick movie, don't even bother reading this. You've judged a movie for what it's not (sort of), and are already too far gone to ever appreciate it.

Ephron's Julie & Julia explores two women's lives, and how they are changed by food: Julia Child, during her Parisian rise to become the master chef we all know, and Julie Powell, a humble New York City bureaucrat who decided to blog about her own experience spending a year cooking through Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking.

One could argue that this is two movies in one, which is "one more than it needs to be." (Yes, that's an actual quote from a review.) One could also argue that Ephron's presence in the script is an unmistakable one, as quite a bit of screentime is devoted to the two women's relationships with their husbands, rather than the more plot-essential events in their respective lives. And as I've already said, calling it a "chick flick" would be a mistake; it's more than that, I promise. What really saves this movie is Meryl Streep's performance as Child--the voice is mimicked perfectly, and her distinct lilt (much like Jon Stewart's impression of Elizabeth II) shall haunt me for days to come. Stanley Tucci, never one to disappoint, also comes through with flying colors in his scenes as Child's husband. I even forgot for a moment that Julie was none other than Amy Adams from the despicable Enchanted, so that's a good sign. When it comes out on DVD, I might even go back for a second helping of this delicious film.

I'm really, really sorry about the puns. I couldn't help myself.

Stand By Me - 1986

Director: Rob Reiner

Writers: Bruce A. Evans & Raynold Gideon
Starring: Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman, Jerry O'Connell

"It happens sometimes. Friends come in and out of our lives, like busboys in a restaurant. " In Rob Reiner's Stand By Me, four 12-year-old boys set off into the Oregon woods in August of 1959 in search of a dead body.

I was expecting quite a different movie than I got. Before tonight, I had only seen once scene of the film, which lulled me into the false belief that this was going to be a comedy, which made sense considering some of Reiner's other work. All the boys have family issues: a dead brother (played by John Cusack, of all people), a battle-fatigued WWII vet father, things of that nature. While there are a few comedic moments, the film is mostly serious, especially one scene in particular involving leeches, although it's all very tame for a Stephen King adaptation. And for mostly child actors that never got big as adults, the performances are phenomenal! They can go from over-the-top excited to verbally abusing each other to openly weeping in no time flat. Another thing I liked about the young actors: the roles were edgy. These kids were smoking cigarettes and cursing up a storm; while I wouldn't approve of such things in real life, there was a certain draw to the viscality of the characters for me because of that. I wish I had seen this one sooner, or better yet, had a group of friends like the ones in Stand By Me when I was younger. Everybody needs somebody they can have a good time with, but also knows they'll look out for them.

Taking Woodstock - 2009

Director: Ang Lee

Writer: James Schamus

Starring: Demitri Martin, Imelda Staunton, Liev Schreiber, Emile Hirsch

Ang Lee's sixth English film Taking Woodstock depicts the real life story of Elliot Tiber, a nice Jewish boy from the Catskills, who ends up essentially hosting the defining cultural moment of the 20th century in his backyard.

Content warning, before I go on with the actual review: this film contains heavy nudity from both of the major genders, as well as gay content (Tiber was present at the Stonewall Riot, which gets a casual mention). If either of those bother you, don't see the movie (or feel the need to revisit this blog). Also, the concert itself receives virtually no screentime, so don't go in expecting to hear great music from the 1960s.

I'm going to break my trend of current films and put this in the category of "you don't need to see it tomorrow, but it's worth at least matinee price." While Martin's acting does fall a bit flat at times, the script and supporting cast back him up nicely. Staunton's old Jewish lady is so good, you'll forget she was ever Dolores Umbridge, and Hirsch's portrayal of a PTSD-suffering Vietnam veteran is spot-on. There's even a nice acid trip (come on, it's inevitable) scene with Paul Dano, of Little Miss Sunshine and There Will Be Blood fame. And as for Schreiber...there's just something about seeing the ex-Sabretooth don a blonde wig and dress and chase bigots around with a baseball bat. I didn't even mind that Ang Lee utilized the same split-screen technique he did in Hulk. In fact, I think I can finally forgive Mr. Lee for that travesty of a superhero movie.