Pop On Lock

CLASSIC GYLLENHAAL.

(Source: capn-horan)

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

I’m writing my thoughts on this movie the way Lisbeth Salander would: straight to the point; no nonsense. 

- Rooney Mara gives the leading actress performance of the year as Ms Salander. 

- Daniel Craig also contributes a very strong performance that grounds the whole picture in reality. 

- I want to live in director David Fincher’s Swedish world. 

- The tense and enticing atmosphere contributes as much to the story as anything else.

- Yes, the film lives up to the incredible marketing and advertising pre-screening. 

- Two girls in front of me in the theater literally walked out during the graphic rape scene and didn’t return. 

- The near 3 hour film flew by and I never once glanced at my watch. 

- This genuinely has to be one of my favorite films of the year, from cast to director to screenplay to editing to visual effects to sound design. 

- Every single shot had a purpose and screen time wasn’t wasted. 

- If a message could be communicated without dialogue, it was. 

5 Stars

11/22/63

I just now finished the lengthy 850 page novel 11/22/63, the latest book from one of my favorite authors, Stephen King. 

While I came into the book very excited for new fiction and an interesting concept from a literary icon, I left feeling a little deflated. Normally when King devotes such an expansive amount of time and pages to a topic (examples: The Stand, It, Under the Dome) he really immerses me in his world and I just love spending time with the characters.

In 11/22/63, I honestly couldn’t wait for it to be over. I could have cared less about every single one of the main characters, and was actually rooting for the love interest Sadie to die within about two chapters of meeting her. The leading man, George/Jake made a lot of poor decisions and steered clear of asking the questions I would have wanted to ask if I had found a wormhole to time travel into the past. The love story line really highlighted how much King got off track from the main plot of traveling back in time to prevent the Kennedy assassination in ‘63. I would have even preferred getting to know more about the simple time and culture that existed a distant, yet nearer-than-we-think time. 

Actually, the most redeeming part of the book was the last 50 pages where King explored more of the mythology of time travel and the ripple waves the “butterfly effect” can have on the future. More sci-fi focus or horror scenes would have kept my interest much better. 

This was an interesting study in an author stepping out of his comfort zone, but ultimately I just wanted him to stick to his strengths.

Hugo

Go see this film now! 

Martin Scorsese’s latest entry to a wonderful body of work delves into the world of “children’s movies;” just don’t expect Goodfellas, Jr. At the very least, I was not disappointed whatsoever with a step out of his comfort zone; at the high points, I was completely mesmerized by the world he created in vintage France. While I would hesitate to call this a children’s movie, other than the fact that the central characters are children, I would absolutely commend the film for presenting a world of child-like wonder. 

Hugo is an orphan boy living in the Paris train station and who spends his days running all of the terminal clocks by himself. He loves tinkering with machines and has a keen eye for how to fix any technical blunders that arise. However, since his parent’s have passed, he leads a very lonely life and is looking for his purpose. Enter Isabelle, played by the outstanding Chloe Moretz, the daughter of a shopkeeper and lover of books. The two leads carry the film with ease and to Scorsese’s credit, he never plays down to a child’s supposed level of intelligence and always treats these bright actors as adults. 

The supporting cast of Sir Ben Kingsley and Sasha Baron Cohen both shine as well as unique and lovable character’s with rough exteriors. 

I’m sure if you have read any reviews of this film, critics have been quick to point out how much the film is a love letter to cinema, and a call to action for film preservation. This is ever more important as a DVD is already outdated by Blu-Ray, and I’m sure the next format is not far away, not to mention silent celluloid films or even the old VHS sitting in your basement we have all quickly forgotten about. 

Scorsese reminds the audience why we attend films in the first place, harking back to the most basic means of entertainment, from physical humor to daring and magical acts. He stealthily incorporates some of the most popular and accessible films of the early 1900’s, from Safety Last in the ‘20’s, to A Trip to the Moon by early pioneer filmmaker, Georges Melies (cinephiles who recognize that name will have a different experience with the film than someone who is not familiar with Melies). 

I had a very pleasant experience being immersed in a time gone by, yet presented with cutting-edge 3-D technology that was highlighted by superb set design, cinematography, and atmospheric lighting. Sometimes the best way to pay tribute to the past is by looking forward, with a quick glance over the shoulder to remind you where you’ve been. 

4.5 out of 5 Stars

Tabloid

This was such an intriguing documentary! 

For those of you not in the know, this doc, directed by the true craftsman Errol Morris (The Thin Blue Line) centers on a British tabloid scandal from the 70’s. The truest treat of this film is the “star” Joyce McKinney who plays the innocent victim of tabloid fodder.

The story written about her in the press indicates that she was a sex-maniac who flew from America to Britain to be with a Mormon man she was obsessed with, eventually kidnapping him and tying him to a bed for 3 days in a remote countryside cottage. Her side of the story is that she is a hopeless romantic rescuing him from a “cult” of Mormons and she is just an innocent and naive Southern belle ex-beauty queen trying to find her prince charming. 

I was fascinated as the story unfolded and I got to witness the vast discrepancies between the two tales. While there was some very manipulative filmmaking and clear intent to paint McKinney as a crazy and delusional old woman, there was also a sense of straightforward filming where Morris just set the camera in front of his subject and let her present her tale. Morris is so good at finding truly fascinating stories and subjects and presenting them in a way that is both manipulative and truthful. 

I highly recommend watching this if you are a documentary fan like me. Also, if you enjoy crazy people. 

4 Stars