Movie of the Week! (3/31 - 4/6)

The Comedy (2012)

The documentaries over the last couple of weeks brought a welcome change to the usual MotW drill we had become accustomed to since early 2013. We had been touching on some heavy topics moral topics and seeing some of those topics displayed in real life was a great experience. Since today is Easter Sunday, I thought about throwing something easily digestible at you guys. In the end, I settled on something that I think will be something of a head scratcher. I chose the 2012 dramedy, The Comedy, starring Tim Heidecker. It doesn't have well-formed narrative or any driving force, but it examines some real philosophical issues. It's a movie that forced me to examine the deepest questions in life.

Tim Heidecker gives an incredible performance, one I really didn't think he had in him, as the lead character Swanson. Swanson is not a relatable or likable guy, but Heidecker makes you crave more. Swanson has no sense of what manners or responsibility are and it's unclear as to whether he can even feel. So, give The Comedy a chance and let's study this interesting and entertaining character.

Movie of the Week! (3/24/13-3/30/13)

The Queen of Versailles (2012)

For this week’s Movie of the Week selection I have decided to follow Josh’s lead (‘copy’ may be a better term) and go with a documentary for the second week in a row. This week’s selection, The Queen of Versailles, focuses on Jaqueline Siegal and her billionaire husband David Siegel, founder of the Westgate Resorts time-share business, as they attempt to build the largest mansion in the United States, a replica of the one in Versailles. Everything starts to go south though when the economy crashes in 2008 and Westgate runs into major financial problems. The couple now must put the construction of their house on hold. These financial woes cause for a raw look at who these people really are which makes for a film that looks directly at the impact fortune has on the human condition.      

Review: 'Life of Pi'

Fox 2000 Pictures

Life of Pi is the story of a young man by the name of Pi, stranded at sea with no one but his enemy, a tiger by the name of Richard Parker. How can he survive? What does he turn to find strength? Whether it is the simplest of things like how he and Richard Parker got their names or how he survived months of being stranded at sea, Pi’s story is mesmerizing even at its weakest moments. Even though Life of Pi’s conclusion may be misleading considering how it’s set up plays, Director Ang Lee’s combination of visual’s and story make for a film that is eycatching to say the least.    

Years after Pi’s remarkable journey when a writer (Rafe Spall) arrives at Pi’s home wanting to hear a story that will ‘make him believe in God’. This leads to Pi (Irrfan Khan) telling him not just about his time stranded at sea but also his experiences growing up in India. With Pi’s story beginning long before his time at sea, the audience is given a proper and nothing short of fascinating introduction. From early on in Pi’s life, it becomes clear that he a person that uses creativeness to get him through difficult situations. With this creative nature comes curiosity which contributes to him becoming a Hindu, Christian and Muslim. This interest in religion and a higher power leads him to develop an understanding of faith. All of these qualities and experiences play a role in Pi’s greatest challenge. 

Richard Parker, the other half of the duo stranded at sea, is also given a solid introduction in Pi’s story. When Pi attempts to feed Richard Parker, a Bengal tiger in the zoo his parents own, his father quickly stops him and explains that a tiger is not a friend and should not be treated as one. He demonstrates this by placing a live goat in the same cage as Richard Parker, a scene that, although not the easiest to watch, helps to explain the relationship of Pi and Richard Parker. This is also where the spectacular animation that is Richard Parker can be seen. The life like animation of Richard Parker, along with all the animals in the film, never becomes noticeably unreal and is choreographed in such a way that gives each animal a personality, drawing the audience to more than just the human characters.

Pi goes on to tell the writer that when he was 16 years of age his father decided to move his family to Canada and sell the animals of the zoo. On the way to Canada though, a horrific storm causes for the ship that Pi, his family and several animals are aboard to sink. Pi is on deck while the rest of his family is below sleeping when the ship starts to fill with water. He attempts to wake his family so they can get on a life boat but before he can do so, one of the crew members throws him into one of the boats. This scene, as tragic as it is, is visually stunning due to the way that the animals are incorporated into the organized chaos of the ship sinking. 

The majority of Life of Pi takes place in the middle of ocean with Pi (Suraj Sharma) being stranded in a life boat with Richard Parker. Whether it be artsy visuals featuring ocean life, Pi doing everything in his power to stay alive and away from a dangerous Richard Parker or the strong personality given to Richard Parker, it becomes difficult to take your eyes off the screen. At the base of Pi’s time at sea and really the entire film though is faith. Through the use of voice over, it becomes clear that Pi’s faith in some type of higher power keeps him alive. The other thing that keeps him alive is Richard Parker. As Richard Parker becomes dependent on Pi to keep him alive, Pi becomes dependent on Richard Parker. In a way, the idea of Richard Parker can be related to God. Although Pi claims to practice three religions, he often refers to Christianity’s God. So like God, Richard Parker is something to fear but at the same time provides strength to push through. 

When Pi and Richard Parker finally wash up on shore and Life of Pi has to wrap everything up is when it runs into problems. When stranded at sea, Pi and Richard Parker’s relationship goes through changes and development but the expected path that this relationship goes down is not only different from the actual result, it is rather flat. When watching this relationship develop it is easy to believe that its conclusion or future will be of a grand style but instead it goes a different direction that does not mesh well with both character’s arc along with the arc of their relationship. It comes off as too subtle and dismissive of the magnitude of events that just took place. 

Even though it may not have the desired finale which may causes it to appear bigger than it really is, Life of Pi is a film that should be experienced anyway. In a time when visuals are rarely incorporated into a story, Life of Pi is a breath of fresh air. Ang Lee has always been a director that can successfully mix story with aesthetically pleasing images but with Life of Pi he takes this skill to another level, making for an engaging experience that you cannot take your eyes off of.     

Grade: B

Movie of the Week! (3/17/13 - 3/23/13)

The Imposter (2012)

Here's a first, a documentary! The Imposter is the story of missing son and the time he was found and came back with a strange accent three years later. It's a fascinating story, one that is unsettling to know that it actually happened. The Imposter is a good companion to Brad's solid pick last week, Compliance. Both are dark and show just how far people are willing to go in an outrageous web of lies. Put in a terrifying or a remarkable situation, people are more gullible than normal, they are open to believing anything.

Review: 'Oz The Great and Powerful'

Walt Disney Pictures

Oz The Great and Powerful is a film that never lets the audience forget where it takes place: The Land of Oz. Throughout the film there are constant reminders that come in the form of a yellow brick road, witches, the Emerald City and Munchkins. Due to the popularity of L. Frank Baum’s book series and one of its film adaptions, The Wizard of Oz, all of these reminders have become legendary in their right.

So why not allow them to play a major role in the Land of Oz’s newest big screen adventure. The problem in Oz The Great and Powerful is that the elements that the Land of Oz has to offer are only used as things that look nice, possibly nostalgia inducing instead of being an actual part of the story. Oz The Great and Powerful has it all when it comes to looking like the Land of Oz but this proves to be nowhere near enough to make up for a weak, drawn out story. 

Oz The Great and Powerful begins in 1905 Kanas where we first encounter Oscar Diggs (James Franco), a struggling magician in a traveling circus. One of Oscar’s favorite off stage performances is to trick women into falling in love with him by telling them all the same sentimental story. This act catches up with him though when the circus Stongman (Tim Holmes) discovers that his girlfriend has become one of Oscar’s latest victims. With the angry Strongman after him, Oscar has no choice but to escape by jumping into a hot air balloon.

While all of this is happening there is a massive tornado in the horizon. Oscar gets stuck in the middle of the tornado which quickly places him in the Land of Oz. Shortly after this he meets Theodora (Mila Kunis), one of several witches that occupy Oz. Theodora believes that Oscar is the same wizard that has been prophesied to defeat the Wicked Witch. Oscar, being the professional con artist that he is, doesn’t pass on the opportunity to fill the role. Because of this he must then set out to defeat the Wicked Witch.  

If you saw any image or clip from the film, it will come as no surprise that CGI backgrounds and effects work overtime in Oz The Great and Powerful. Yes, some vibrant colors, rapid water featured in a waterfall scene and China Girl (voiced by Joey King) pop off the screen in a dazzling manner but with the year being 2013, CGI isn’t anything new. Also, with the elaborate CGI work, Oz comes off as an animated feature instead of live action as the human actors and non-CGI props awkwardly stand out. Shouldn’t this be the other way around?

Oz The Great and Powerful pays homage to The Wizard of Oz throughout but maybe the ultimate tribute would be to strip down the CGI to a minimum, give more attention to the story along with the characters and create something as if it is 1939 again. Now, that would be something new (as odd as it may sound).

It is Oz’s story that is neither great nor powerful. In fact, to find any story one will have to wait until the film’s final 20 minutes, a long wait considering the 130 minute running time. Up until this point, there are plenty of chase or getaway scenes that forget to include any kind of frantic urgency and actually add up to something. In this slow running time leading up to the finale, there are some laughs, curtsey mostly of China Girl and Finley the flying monkey (voiced by Zach Braff), for the younger audience but they are few and far between. For parents, an older audience, the humor may not help to ease the long running time.

The dialogue certainly does not help in picking up the pace. With unnecessary, awkwardly placed lines such as “I don't want to die! I haven't accomplished anything yet!” throughout, Mitchell Kapner and David Lindsay-Abaire’s script leaves nothing unsaid which contributes to the slow, choppy pace.  

It also does nothing to help support the characters, the leads in particular. The script adds no depth to characters that, given their origins and motives, could be very interesting if handled well. Oscar, Franco’s performance as a result, is so one note and poorly written that the character and performance are never able to stand out. As a result, it is quickly over shadowed by supporting characters such as China Girl and Finely.

With all this said though, the biggest victims of a poor script and character arcs are Mila Kunis, Rachel Weisz and Michelle Williams as the three witches. These actors are given so many throw away lines that if they were given no dialogue, there impact would be the same, most likely better. I will say that Weisz as Evanora is given some freedom in terms of character but Kunis and Williams’s talents are misused and wasted.

Given the story of Oz and the characteristics of the Land of Oz, I can’t help but think that   a story of this nature would play better if given a mush darker, suspenseful spin. Yes, the younger demographic would be lost but the twisted elements and darker aspects of the Land of Oz basically beg for something a little more adult oriented. With his background in horror films, director Sam Raimi may be more effective in going this direction.     

If you can hang in there though and survive Oz The Great and Powerful’s far from impressive first two acts, then you will be rewarded with a semi satisfying finale. Though it will not blow anyone away, it has a nice message with effects that are actually worked into the story. Like I said though, it still cannot make up for the time leading up to it, which makes it hard to recommend to anyone. Kids will find some entertainment but, like the adult’s in the audience, will be bored a majority of the time. This film is for the ones that are looking for the same land that The Wizard of Oz featured. Yes, the yellow brick road, witches, Emerald City, Munchkins and flying monkeys can all be seen in Oz The Great and Powerful but presents is just about all they function as.  

Grade: D+                  

Movie of the Week! (3/10/13-3/16/13)

Compliance (2012)

For this week’s Movie of the Week, I am getting away from the addiction themes and triple feature, Oscar extravaganzas from the past. For this week’s selection, Compliance, I have unintentionally stuck with the work place setting of Josh’s pick, Office Space, from a week ago. Compliance takes place in an Ohio based fast food restaurant by the name of ChickWich. It is a usual busy Friday night at ChickWich for manager Sandra (Ann Dowd) and her staff until the restaurant receives a phone call from the a police officer. It is quickly revealed to the audience, not the individuals at ChickWich, that the person on the other end of the line is not a police officer but a prank caller. This prank caller, posing as Officer Daniels (Pat Healy), informs Sandra that there has been a report by a customer that an employee by the name of Becky (Dreama Walker) had stolen money from their purse. Sandra then takes Becky into a back room to help ‘Officer Daniels’ with his investigation. The more that Sandra and others comply, hints the title, with the bizarre request coming from the prank caller, the harder it becomes to believe what is going on. An important aspect to note though and something that is made clear before the film begins is that it is inspired by true events which you can read about here. This will definitely impact on how you view and think about Compliance. Compliance forces you to think about why people do the things they do and what role authority plays into it. It also becomes impossible not to think about what one’s self would do in this situation and where they would draw the line. Compliance is a film was made for a deep discussion so give it a watch (available on Netflix) and come back for the conversation it desires.        

2013 Academy Awards: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

It was not difficult to look forward to the 85^th annual Academy Awards. There were a handful of categories that appeared to be far from done deals, including a few major categories. Even a few of the sure thing categories were interesting due to their record breaking fashion or the circumstances surrounding them. It had been announced that the show would feature a James Bond tribute along with performances centered on past and present Oscar nominated musicals, which is different than the more recent performance light ceremonies. There is also the automatic anticipation on how the master of ceremonies, the Oscar host will work out and with this year offering up a first time host in the form of Seth MacFarlane, the anticipation was through the roof. Like I said though, this was what there was to look forward to. The question that has to be asked, now that the big night has come and gone, is whether or not it delivered. Could it live up to the hype? Let’s just say, this year’s Academy Awards offered plenty of good, bad and ugly.   

THE GOOD                                                                                                                                                       

Seth MacFarlane attempts at being different: In his first go around as host, Seth Macfarlane didn’t exactly knock it out of the park but at times, he did add something fresh to the show. His opening monologue was unlike anything we have seen before when he brought a William Shatner from the future into the mix. Shatner told McFarlane how his performance as host would be despised and what he needed to do to change this. Not only was this the most entertaining aspect of MacFarlane’s hosting job, it also addressed the tight rope that an Oscar host walks and how hard it is to please everyone which was made for a fascinating opening monologue.

Up for Grabs Categories: Even though my predictions took a major hit when it came to these categories, there were a handful of major categories that appeared to be anybody’s to win. The first announcement of the night, Best Supporting Actor, was possibly the hardest to predict of all the major categories as there were four nominees that would come as no surprise if any of them were to win. Christoph Waltz was the name read by presenter Octavia Spencer, disproving theories about Oscar politics. It was also nice to see Django Unchained receive even more love when Quentin Tarantino won for Best Original Screenplay, another categories that could have gone to anyone. Best Director was another interesting category to see play out as I was determined that Steven Spielberg was going to take home Best Director statue number three but instead it was Ang Lee winning his second. Even though they are a headache to predict, the categories that could be won by anyone make for fun and exciting Oscar moments.

Daniel Day-Lewis’s Historic Win: This year’s Oscars offered plenty of surprises but one them was not Daniel Day-Lewis’ winning best actor in a leading role. In fact, this was foreseen a couple of years ago when Day-Lewis signed on to become the United States 16^th President. It is a monumental role filled by a monumental actor who handled it brilliantly to say the least. Although this win was inevitable, it does add to the ongoing debate of where Day-Lewis ranks among the all-time greats. If Oscar wins are being factored in, it is important to note that Day-Lewis now has three Academy Awards for Best Actor in a Leading Role, an accomplishment only he can claim. On top of solidifying his dominance when it comes to the Oscars, Day-Lewis gave possibly the funniest Oscar speeches of the night. Who knew that he was in talks to play Margaret Thatcher? Maybe he should be given hosting duties next year. 

THE BAD             

Seth MacFarlane Over Use: Like I said, Seth MacFarlane did attempt something different by addressing the ‘damned if you, damned if don’t’ notion that is attached to hosting the Oscars. The problem is he never got away from it and eventually ran it into the ground by making it more about him than the movies. That’s one thing about Billy Crystal that I always admired. Yes, he would bring himself into a joke from time to time and usually play it safe but he let the audience forgot that the Oscar is a celebration of movies and not the host. MacFarlane didn’t exactly do this which caused for his performance to grow old in a hurry.

My Predictions: On the morning of February 24, Oscar Sunday, I posted an article titled Predicting the Oscars: The Locks, Safe Bets and Up For Grabs but looking at the actual winners, maybe I should of just commented on the The Locks. The locks that I highlighted were in the Best Picture, Actor, Supporting Actress and Foreign Film categories. I went four for four in these categories but there is a reason they are labeled as ‘locks’: they are extremely easy to predict and anyone can do it. It was in the ‘Safe Bet’ and ‘Up for Grabs’ categories that I struggled. I was 95% sure, if not 100% sure, that Steven Spielberg was going to win Best Director. Come Oscar night though, it was Ang Lee making a speech, not Spielberg, so the safe bet wasn’t that safe. Since I correctly predicted the rest of the ‘safe bet’ categories, this one wrong prediction is easier to stomach. What isn’t easy to stomach is the fact that I went 0 for 2 in the ‘up for grabs’ categories. I claim to know a few things about predicting Oscars, so not letting bias influence a prediction should be a no brainer but my appreciation for Wreck-It-Ralph and lack thereof for Brave had an impact in predicting Best Animated Feature. I went with my heart and picked Wreck-It-Ralph. The winner: Brave. In this case, being optimistic was a mistake. The other ‘up for grabs’ category, Best Supporting Actor, was hardest major category to predict this year. Come to think of it, I do not remember a more up for grabs Oscar race in recent memory. It could have been De Niro. It could have been Hoffman. It could have been Waltz. It could have been Jones. I went with Jones. Waltz won. Don’t get me wrong though, I am more than fine with Waltz winning. Django Unchained was one of my favorite films of the year, so I’m glad to see it get the recognition. On top of that, Waltz gave an excellent performance. Yes, I want to get as many predictions right as I can but I also want an exciting show with plenty of surprises. This year offered those desired surprises, making it alright to be wrong on a few things.              

THE UGLY

James Bond Tribute: Going into Oscar Night, I was looking forward to the James Bond tribute more than any other non-award related aspect of the show. Maybe this is why, I was left so disappointed. I know Bond films are never the best thing cinema has to offer but I have always enjoyed the music and the sleek persona of Bond. Due to all of this, I thought that an entertaining segment could be created. Instead, the montage of Bond clips was easily forgettable and Shirley Bassey’s “Goldfinger” performance felt somewhat out dated and out of place. It would have been nice to see four or five different Bond theme songs briefly performed while the montage was taking place. Personally, I would have like to see Duran Duran, Madonna or even Jack White with Alicia Keys take the stage. Maybe Adele’s performance of “Skyfall” would have enhanced the tribute instead of having her perform in a separate segment like she did. 

The ‘Get Off The Stage’ Music: This is nothing new. Every year each award winner is given a certain amount of time for their speech and when that time is up, the orchestra starts to play. This year though, the orchestra, not even in the same building, was much louder and aggressive. I’m pretty sure I heard the Jaws theme at one point. I understand that the show cannot go on forever but let’s show a little bit of respect and class. For many, winning an Oscar is a once in a lifetime moment. Shouldn't it feel that way?          

The Closing Song and Dance Number: Using the word ‘ugly’ to describe Seth Mcfarlane and Kristin Chenoweth’s closing musical number is a compliment. It was out place and offered not one ounce of entertainment. Moments before this, Argo wins best picture and Ben Affleck gives a heartfelt speech. This should have been the shows finale not a song about the losers. In this case, tradition is a good thing. Ending the show with the presentation of Best Picture has and always will be a fitting ending.  

Movie of the Week! (3/3/13 - 3/9/13)

I watched 5 movies on Netflix this weekend but I really don't feel like talking about any of them. Sure, some were entertaining, but none of them can merit being MotW. At least not this week, they just don't deserve to follow the impressive collection that Brad picked last week. Movies like The Babymakers just can't compete with the likes of Forrest Gump, so it doesn't feel right. So with that out of the way, it's time to unveil the next MotW!

Office Space (1999)

I have seen Office Space so many times that I can almost recite the entire thing from memory. Hell, I could probably write a fairly complete version of the script if somehow all memory, except mine, of the film was erased from the world. Now, I certainly couldn't make a masterpiece like Mike Judge did, but I could make a serviceable replacement. As far as I'm concerned, there is not another movie that captures the mundane elements of life in as humorous a way that Office Space does. It says so much about the human condition and what it means go to work everyday.

Since it was released over a decade ago, Office Space has built an amazing cult following and has ingrained itself into the American pop culture. Have you ever heard someone mention a TPS report? Ever been accused of having a case of the Mondays? How about asked about your flair? All of these originated in Office Space and if you don't get the references, it's time you did. So watch it, then come back and talk about your favorite quotes, moments, Superman 3, TPS reports, page load letters, and the work of Micheal Bolton.