Archive Analysis: "The Fall"

The Fall

Directed by: Tarsem Singh
Starring: Lee Pace, Cantinca Untaru
Rated: R for some violent images

One of the joys of watching film is when you stumble upon a relatively unknown film that takes your breath away and brings tears of joy to your eyes. Tarsem Singh's 2006 film The Fall is the latest one such experiences, and immediately jumped from a film that I had never heard of to one of the greatest cinematic experiences of my life. The film is set in a Los Angeles hospital, where Alexandria, a five-year old Mexican girl with a broken arm befriends Roy, an injured and depressed stunt man. As a way of getting Alexandria to bring him drugs needed to "kill his pain", Roy begins to build a relationship with her by telling her an epic fairy tale of vengeance. This allows the relatively resume-less Tarsem, who financed the film himself, free reign with his creativity, and he delivers one of the most beautiful and creative films to date, from the opening credits to the closing shots. With nothing but cinematic genius, the story is wonderfully and beautifully shot by Colin Watkinson, with perhaps some the greatest cinematography I've ever seen on film. The landscapes are wonderful, the effects are mind-bending, and the score (which utilizes Beethoven's Symphony #VII) is purely magnificent. However, as the tale starts to resemble Roy and Alexandria's lives, the story becomes weightier than one could ever imagine. This highly artistic fairy tale is actually a story of redemption and the value of life, even for those who don't deserve it. Even for those whose scene is a split-second stunt that no one notices before it's over. Because, in the end, someone does care. Someone loves you unconditionally, despite your many faults or your mere split-second performance. What makes The Fall a masterpiece (and I am not using that word lightly) is not only the beauty of how the story is told but it's message that, because of someone's unconditional love for you, you are more than a fairy-tale hero ever could be.

Watch the Trailer here:

Movie Review: "Last Night"

Last Night

Directed by: Massy Tadjedin
Starring: Keira Knightley, Sam Worthington, Guilluame Canet, and Eva Mendes
Rated: R for some language

Massy Tadjedin's debut film Last Night is yet another attempt at a personal and intimate take on a struggling relationship. The film is valiant, not letting plot or crafty visuals get in the weight of the heavy subject, giving us a toned down, more theatrical than cinematic film. While I praise the films' attempt (and it's overall relatively tame content), the execution falls short. Tadjedin does not understand the underlining complexity of the Mike Leigh-esque relationship drama. While the actors certainly aren't bad, none of them truly understand their characters, leaving the audience even more perplexed at what is happening on screen (with the exception of Guilluame Canet, who is breath of fresh air in the film.) But, perhaps the worst of part is how the film really fails to bring any commentary or theme to it's subject. The beauty of a good relationship drama (like Blue Valentine) is how much it brings to the table in the discussion. The bad ones lie or turn to cliches. Last Night does neither, leaving you with very little to walk away or discuss. While far from a bad film, Last Night feels more like a an ill-fated attempt of something deep that fails to say anything at all

Watch the trailer here:

Archive Analysis: "Henry V"

Henry V

Directed by: Kenneth Branagh
Starring: Kenneth Branagh, Derek Jacobi, Ian Holm, Christian Bale,
Brian Blessed, Judi Dench
Rated: PG-13 for a bloody battle

William Shakespeare didn't write for the screen. His scenes are long, dialogue-driven tongue twisters that, for the average layman watching it on film, gets lost trying to comprehend it along with the visuals of the story being shown. Yet, there is often so much heart and passion in his work, one finds that, when adapted well, Shakespeare can be quite a powerful screenwriter. This applies to Kenneth Branagh's adaptation of Henry V, perhaps my favorite Shakespeare performance and adaptation. Branagh balances his understanding of Shakespeare with his understanding of film, giving us the pace we need and the visuals the medium demands, yet staying true to Shakespeare's work and themes and letting the performances drive the story. And by assembling an all-star cast, the performances are nothing short of terrific, from Ian Holm's incredible performance of Captain Fluellen, to Judi Dench's heartfelt Mistress Nell, to Emma Thompson as the French princess Catherine, to Derek Jacobi's dramatic role as The Chorus, to the young Christian Bale, to Branagh, himself, as the charismatic and inspiring title hero. On every level, Henry V is an epic of masterful proportions, giving us the now headstrong and valiant Harry (who became king at the end of the previous play Henry IV) who learns that, despite having the passion and willingness to lead, that true leadership is putting yourself as someone no-greater than the brothers who fight beside you, the layman you fight against, or the God who guides your path.

Here is the trailer:


As a bonus, enjoy this speech from the play, perhaps the greatest lines and interpretation ever on screen.

Movie Review: "Thor"

Thor

Directed by: Kenneth Branagh
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Anthony Hopkins, Kat Dennings, Tom Hiddleston
Rated: PG-13 for sequences of intense sci-fi action and violence

When great Shakespearian director Kenneth Branagh signed on to direct Marvel's superhero film Thor, most were wondering what the Oscar nominee saw in the story that made him interested in the franchise. Mainly we wondered this because, well, we weren't seeing it. After all, it doesn't have the synopsis of a typical Oscar-potential film, following the exploits of the Norse "God of Thunder", his banishment from Asgard, and his exile and exploits on Earth. While Marvel considered this their most difficult franchise to adapt, Thor may be one of the better superhero films to come around in years. Thanks to Branagh's direction, it doesn't feel like a superhero film, but more like a mythological mashup, as if Del Torro's Pan's Labyrinth suddenly collided with Twain's A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. Because of this, Thor feels very fresh, and comes across as very entertaining. It down plays the atypical fight scenes and origin story, and gives us humor and a relationships in stead. It avoids the cliche "human becoming a hero" storyline for a "hero becoming a human" one. And, while Branagh balances wonderful design, great adaptations of Mythology, and an intriguing story not built of fight scenes, the best aspect of Thor was the character, himself.

Casting unknown actor Chris Hemsworth may be Branagh's best contribution, giving us one of the most unique heroes since Downey Jr's portrayal of Tony Stark in the first Iron Man movie. Hemsworth balances his work so well, giving us the reckless and headstrong son of Odin while remaining extremely likable. He is incredibly built, but still has a weakness and vulnerable feeling throughout. His wanderings on Earth are really comedic genius, and his charisma and charm really work opposite Natalie Portman's character, who, despite not being interesting, has great chemistry with Hemsworth. The film isn't perfect, it has plenty of problems and I believe that a sequel would be a terrible choice simply because the aspects that made this film so entertaining would no longer work in the sequel. Yet, in the end, Thor is a good movie that shows us importance of self sacrifice and humanity in the face of tribulation. Who would have guessed that the story of a pagan deity would have almost a Christ-like theme and symbolism, or that a movie about the "God of Thunder" would be a fun, popcorn-munching blockbuster that packs more heart than bite. I know one person who would have guessed that; Kenneth Branagh.

Archive Analysis: "Following"

Following

Directed by: Chris Nolan
Starring: Jeremy Theobald, Alex Haw, Lucy Russell
Rated: R for language and some violence

Chris Nolan's first film, the ultra low-budget thriller Following is an idyllic start for this now classic filmmaker. Like most of his films (especially his earlier fare) the film is complex to comprehend and predict but simple in premise. It has a very similar feel to Memento, but not as polished or intriguing. The story is about a young writer who fights off writers block by following individuals around in order to learn about their lives. However, the hobby turns into obsession, and the turns into a complex web of lies, keeping you always on your toes in order to predict what will happen next. While the language and voyeuristic creepiness earns the film a solid R-rating, the movie portrays a rather Biblical message on a level, that one's sin will find them out. While it's nothing outstanding in comparison to his later films, Following is a fine starting point for a director who, ten years later, would be Hollywood's most successful director.

POST #100

I am pleased to announce that this is my 100th post on the site. It's been a great privilege of mine to review these films, and I always appreciate your comments, criticisms, recommendations, and input. I look forward to the next 100 posts.

Movie Review: "Like Dandelion Dust"

Like Dandelion Dust

Directed by: Joe Gunn
Starring: Barry Pepper, Mira Sorvino, Cole Hauser
Rated: PG-13 for mature thematic elements including domestic violence and alcohol abuse

Like Dandelion Dust feels more like a Hollywood film than Christian film; it has bigger name actors, better production value, and a hardly Christian message. The story follows a struggle for a child's custody between his biological parents, who claim they didn't give up for adoption, and his rich adoptive parents, whom are willing to spend every dime in their possession to keep him. The storyline of the biological parents pack a lot of power, especially thanks to the riveting performance of Barry Pepper as the boy's biological father, who is a recently released inmate, recovering from alcoholism. One of my biggest issues of the film was that he had to share the screen time with the adoptive parents who weren't likable, relatable, and pretty bad actors all-around. (The wife looked like she had a perpetual chip on her shoulder throughout the entire film.) But, while the film goes into the realm of ridiculousness at the end of the story, I couldn't help but grow frustrated that, at the end, the "Christian" characters were as shallow as the non-Christians, without any revelation of their sin or criticism of their hypocrisy. If you will, the Christians in the film are almost the villains of the story. To end without any form of redemption, repentance or, at the least, condemnation, Like Dandelion Dust turns from Christian to Hallmark, and from a potentially decent film to an extremely disappointing one.