Duplicity: A Dynamic Duo Returns

Clive Owen and Julia Roberts chilled me to the bone playing a married couple in Closer. It was fun to see them in something a tad more lighthearted. There is certainly an on-screen chemistry between them, whether they are torturing one another or working a con together. In the end, the story was simple. Two people care about each other, but cannot be sure of the other's dependability. They work out their relationship against a backdrop of corporate intrigue, finally learning to rely on one another when all else fails.

The fabric of this film is cleverly woven; just different enough from other stories of the spy genre to be interesting and new, while carrying many hallmarks that gently lead the viewer to believe the protagonists will get what they want. In reality they are caught up in a much bigger scheme that hits them broadside. The filmmakers took their time putting all the pieces in place, making for a long movie that is fully enjoyable, to the very end.

I held off seeing Duplicity because my hubby described it as "not funny." I'm not sure why I expected it to be funny. I guess the trailer gave me that impression. For some reason, hearing it described as a "drama" turned me off. I'm sure some of my reluctance stemmed from negative associations with Closer. It is not an exaggeration to say that that movie traumatized the hell out of me. It was nearly as traumatic as Your Friends & Neighbors. Well, Duplicity was not funny, but it was nowhere near as dark and humorless as the two I just mentioned. Maybe "cute drama" would do it more justice than "drama". Since this is written and not spoken word, I am going to step out of the article for a brief moment and ask you to read the preceding sentence again. When you get to the word 'drama' read it as if you were making fun of a very melodramatic Shakespearean actor. Thanks. OK, I'm back.

Something I really liked about this movie were the unpredictable time jumps. The narrative skips back a few times to reveal the development of the protagonists' relationship, and in a few instances, doesn't explain the time frame at all until later. It threw me off a little, and lowered my guard, just enough so that I wasn't too frustrated, but having lost my foothold, I paid closer attention to the story right in front of me, instead of trying to figure out what was really happening (as I do when bored by the immediate). In this way, I was with the characters when the unexpected occurred. It is always refreshing when the heist blows up in the protagonist's face. Most of the time, the zany, likable thieves pull off an impossible plan and get away with tons of money (Oceans 11 and Inside Man come to mind, since they have the Julia Roberts and Clive Owen connection). I like it when the protagonists win, but sometimes I like it more when they lose. It is a nice change of pace when things fall apart.

In a way, the fantasy really works for the average Joe or Mary Jane movie-goer. Here are two smart and talented people who are very good at the kind of job we all think is super cool. But wait, they have issues, worries about finding work, doubts about their lovers; and they experience some calamitous disappointments, as we all do. Just because they are beautiful, doesn't mean they aren't vulnerable. I like this sort of fantasy; the sort where I get to relate to extremely intelligent, extremely good looking people (let's just gloss over the fact that in real life, a female spy from the CIA and a male spy from MI6 do not look like Julia Roberts or Clive Owen. They are much more likely to look like Philip Seymour Hoffman in Charlie Wilson's War)  because they lose. I get the same perverse satisfaction from the Bible, when the disciples really really screw up. They were about as perfect as you can get at following Jesus and they did some bad stuff, so I must not be so bad, right? Clears throat. I do find it comforting that these two gifted people are struggling with relationship woes and money issues, just like me. For an added bonus, I could justify my own mundane success (let's face it; good marriages and happy children are not the stuff of blockbuster entertainment), as I observe the following alongside the on-screen couple: possessing great lying skills and talent at tricking people is actually a bad thing that taints their view of the world to the point that they can never know true security with another person, Ha! They say as much, every time they talk to each other. "Can we really do this? Are we ever going to trust each other? Are we still together? Maybe. Maybe?" They may be elite, clever, dashing, but those things don't kiss you goodbye on your way to work. And this is the vague lesson of which they catch a glimmer as everything else falls down around them; the idea they cling to when all their schemes and wits leave them high and dry. Never mind that they have been working together for two years under the assumption that they can be a couple, as long as they have all the earthly luxury money can buy. The money is what they partnered up to obtain. On the brink of getting their big payoff, they confess their love for one another and their determination to make it work despite their trust issues, but that declaration was before they realized they'd been duped. What do they do now? Do they start over? A new con? That could take years. Do they take a stab at suburbia? Things look grim, but they have each other, right? Maybe. All of these questions about where their relationship stands are implied by a slowly receding tracking shot that takes us away from them and to the credits.

Well, hubby was right. It is a drama; not funny, but fun. A cute drama.

Underrated: movies I like that no one else likes

For a few days now, a list has been growing in my mind (and on little scraps of paper lying on my nightstand and in the notebook in my purse). It consists of movies I like that did not receive critical acclaim, and that is putting it politely. Some are considered trash, others just weren't as beloved as they deserved to be. However, for many and varying reasons, they have found their way into my heart. This exercise in list-making has reminded me to give every film a chance, even if I am sure the trailer has told me all I need to know.

Independence Day comes racing to the front of my mind and so to the top of the list. It is not the best of the bad, but it has its charms. I saw this movie multiple times before I realized that Dr. Okun seemed familiar and somehow likable because he was played by Brent Spiner. I was on a "Star Trek: The Next Generation" kick. It was syndicated at the time, and I would watch it whenever I could with my bff Katie and our buddy Jayson, so it all just clicked one day. His character in Star Trek is quite different from the nerdy, pompous, obnoxiously-invested-in-his-work Dr. Okun. To me, it seems, he must have drawn on his exposure to Star Trek fans to flesh out the finer nuances of a character who clearly does a lot of nerd sparring in his off time. ("Nerd sparring" describes the way in which two very nerdy people "jokingly" trash talk one another about the other's pathetic lack of knowledge regarding things that don't matter, like Star Trek trivia OR things that do matter but which are patently nerdy, like the Periodic Table of Elements. A good example can be found in the movie Trekkies, like any scene. Also, I just Googled the words "nerd sparring" and I'm pretty sure it's never been used before now. Also available were dweeb sparring and geek sparring, but I like the ring of "nerd sparring."

So, back to the movie review. Will Smith is a good actor and is good in this film. There are a lot of big stars in this movie, including one of my all time favorite actors, Jeff Goldblum. I have a thing for Jurassic Park largely because of my love of the Goldblum. His performance in Invasion of the Body Snatchers (especially playing opposite Veronica Cartwright) is what made the movie for me. Harry Connick Jr.'s performance is rather hilarious. I still marvel that he was chosen to play an elite fighter pilot. He's quirky, but in the right way.

The visual effects are totally decent. The story is as campy as any other action movie of the time. The aliens are still scary and believable. There are plenty of comedic moments peppered throughout. I am trying to think of something in this movie that I don't like. Bill Pullman's cheesy speech (and I paraphrase), "if  we win, the whole world will call July 4th Independence Day." Yeah, that part is lame.

I admit it. I have been a little bit closeted about my admiration for this film. There is a back-of-my-mind kind of secret shame going on whenever I hear Independnece Day lumped in with other so-called terrible movies by Roland Emmerich. And I finally know why thinking about Independence Day makes me feel a little guilty. It's because I like this movie, and the only thing I ever hear about it is that it is awful. I have been bullying my appreciation for this movie into a dark corner, but I can't do that if I want to call myself a critic. Whatever I like, I'm gonna like, and whatever I don't like...well, I've never had any problem expressing dislike. It felt good to get that out there. I think I'll have to do this again.

Stay tuned for the next installment in the "Underrated" Series!

Stranger Than Fiction

I just realized something while writing the  Anchorman post. Will Ferrell is a good actor, but not a good comedian. There is something from the movie Stranger Than Fiction that I think of often, but in a way where it is almost a part of me, and I don't even know I'm thinking about it, and I don't think about its being from this movie.

Will Ferrell's character is trying to woo Maggie Gyllenhaal's character. She's a hippie baker, and he's an IRS auditor who has been assigned to audit her. So, he finds her closing up her bakery and brings her "flowers." Except, we quickly learn that he is holding a small pallet of gourmet flours. I really think it is one of the sweetest and most likable things I have seen any character in a movie do for another character. It is thoughtful to the core. It would be like someone giving me seed packets in February or wool yarn in October or a duck breast to cook in June. I shall not explain further. Some of you will get it and some won't. What makes gifts thoughtful is that someone knows you and just knows exactly the right thing to do.

I really liked this movie when it came out, but I only ever saw it the once. I am planning to watch it again.

Contest #2
I will award a prize for the most touching essay about the best gift you ever received.

Anchorman

I am reviewing this film on principle. I decided that I would write something about any movie I see for the first time.

Anchorman was somewhat funny. I want to like Will Ferrell, but he so often falls short of comedy. He is too obvious or too over-the-top or something. I was pleasantly surprised by Christina Applegate's comedic performance. She was a good "straight man." I thought she had good timing. The anchorman rumble in the alley was actually one of my favorite parts. Tim Robbins puffing on the pipe (he's from the public broadcasting station) as he's maiming was pretty hilarious. Everything having to do with the dog was lame. Maybe those jokes were geared toward the twelve year old boy portion of the audience; as was the way-too-long (excuse the pun) erection joke.

It was fun enough to watch once, but I don't think I need to go there again.

The Book of Eli: so much more than bad ass sunglasses

The Book of Eli is an unexpectedly fantastic movie. I knew nothing about it because no one I know has seen it or said anything about it. Why am I not hearing more about this movie? It was very surprising, different , and quite amazing. I don't want to spoil anything.

See this movie.

When you've done that, comment on this post.

There will be a another Book of Eli post to come, but I'm going to give you a few weeks to rent it and form your own opinions.

Up In the Air

Thank you for surprising me, Up in the Air. You gave me an unexpected finale. In fact, I was rolling my eyes in dread of the formulaic love scene, as George Clooney approached his lady love's apartment. I was certain he would sweep the chick into his arms and it would be another forgettable, Hollywood moment in the can, that's a wrap, etc. I heaved a gigantic sigh of relief when it turned out she was using him, was married, had kids, was not another lonely soul like him.

Probably the spoiler alert was over-the-top on this one. I am the last person to see this, right? George Clooney is always good, so no surprises there. His reaction to finally getting the 10 million frequent flyer miles was quite good. I almost felt the heartbreak I was supposed to feel. The devastation I was supposed to experience along with the fired employees just wasn't there for me. Perhaps that is more of a critique upon my own character, rather than on the actors' performances. Not once did I get choked up, but I did laugh once or twice (at funny things not sad ones). There were charming portions scattered throughout, or rather, portions that should have been charming, but just weren't...quite.

Despite all the emotion I didn't feel, I did enjoy watching this movie. I suppose if I were feeling lonely or worried about losing my job or uncertain about my life choices, I might have connected with the story more than I did. It was a new twist on an old classic in the sense that the guy who finds out he's been living for the wrong things doesn't just get to fix his life overnight. I was left with the sense that he had some work ahead of him and that he didn't know which path he would take. It kind of reminded me of Tom Hanks at the end of Cast Away (I have yet to decide if I liked that movie), hopeful because he has a chance to be happy now that he knows what that looks like, but also sad because of the time and opportunities he's lost. It's not the resolved ending with which we are so familiar, and that is what makes it good.

Last, but hardly least, Jason Bateman is a remarkable and smug and perfect boss, with his stubbly beard and gelled-over hair. I liked him in "Arrested Development" and loved him in this role. Playing him opposite George Clooney was an interesting choice. It worked for me.

A-Team = A-minus

I just had a very enjoyable time seeing The A-Team by myself at the theater. Before I had kids I thought of going to the movies alone as a really sad thing to do. It was bliss to sit alone in the dark and watch a movie with the sound blasting. Once or twice I caught myself thinking, "I better turn this down. It'll wake the kids."

I really wanted to see this movie when I realized Murdoc is played by Sharlto Copley. I love Sharlto Copley (District 9 was so awesome, and I don't think I can say much more than that), and he didn't disappoint. None of the actors were disappointing. Even Jessica Biel lived up to my expectations of her (see below).

There were some good gags, and the actors really pulled them off. The chemistry between the characters was good. The story was better developed than those of most recent action movies. I naturally gravitate towards stories in which a close-knit group of friends fight injustice together and grow closer to one another in the process. That was a major theme throughout the movie, as was having a "plan." The word "plan" was uttered many times by multiple characters. And what Hollywood blockbuster would be complete without a slight whiff of that oh so seductive theme: love conquers all. Early in the film, Face is chastised by his mentor Hannibal for messing up the plan because of a woman. In the end, Face orchestrates a plan for defeating the bad guys and clearing their names. The crux of the plan rests on getting his old sweetheart on board. So, for Face, following his heart can be a good plan,  but Hannibal is more of a thinking planner. They balance each other well, in that regard.

I enjoy action movies in general, especially light-hearted ones in which I can watch with relative certainty that none of the characters I like will die, even though there are bullets flying and tanks falling from the sky (with the heroes trapped inside). I guess it just has to be done right. There are certainly bad movies which are bad because it feels like someone should die but they haven't. The tone of this movie was just right. It made me expect my heroes to get all banged  up but not killed. ( I have yet to get over the betrayal I felt when Leonardo DiCaprio froze to death in Titanic because there just wasn't enough room on the wardrobe door for his tiny frame to get up there with Kate Winslet).

Bad Stuff:
Some lines were cheesy. Some of the action was over-the-top, but I guess that is sort off the point. I had a really hard time understanding how Jessica Biel was "responsible" for the stolen property. They had to make her "involved" so they made up an implausible reason for her to be. That's all I can say without giving stuff away.

The action scenes were shot very close-up (think "Bourne" movies). There was some ridiculous CGI involving a tank parachuting out of a burning plane, Face shooting the tank's cannon at Drones who are trying to shoot the tank.

And let's not forget the worst line of the movie, "These guys specialize in the ridiculous," delivered by one of my least favorite actresses, Jessica Biel. Were it not for her unfortunate presence in this movie, I might have given it a plus, instead of a minus. Every other military person in this movie wears army clothes, but somehow she is always in knee-high boots and a leather trench coat.

The parts that were supposed to be big shocking moments of revelation were obvious to me about twenty minutes ahead of their "reveal moment." That's ok though; they were still pretty cool.

The worst part:
Hannibal escapes from prison by smoking a Cuban cigar laced with some sort of make-you-seem-dead compound. I am so done with the not-really-dead routine. This is freakin' Hannibal, who specializes in the ridiculous, who can get out of any pickle; and I want to see him escape from prison using something cooler than the Romeo and Juliet fake-dead poison. That is so 1600s. Here's a fun Jessica Biel connection. Know which movie featured Jessica Biel and someone not really being dead? That's right, the suckfest that was The Illusionist. Is there seriously any movie-goer alive who doesn't see the fake-dead gag coming?

Give me a few days,  when the thrill of going to the theater wears off, and I may be a little more judgmental. Or I may decide that I really am rooting for the franchise that was set up just before the credits, borrowing the tagline from the old show, "If you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can find them, maybe you can hire The A-Team."

Avatar...hmmm

I am typically about 9 months behind when it comes to watching new movies. So I finally saw Avatar. I think I will write more when I have seen it a second time, but here are my initial thoughts.

Acting - passable at times/horrid at other times e.g. Sigourney Weaver demanding her cigarette in the scene where her character is introduced (Oooohh, don't mess with her. She's a tough customer.) Her line is so bad, that it sticks in my memory, and I have a pretty poor memory. "What is wrong with this picture?" It's almost like she's begging me to ask,  "What is wrong with this  motion picture?"
Special Effects/CGI - really good
Story - good (once I got past the over-the-top obviousness of the correlation between this story and that of our country's sinister history of conquering indigenous peoples; did James Cameron steal this plot from Disney's Pocahontas?)
Made-up descriptive name for valuable metal -"unobtainium?" How about "obviousium" or "adamantium"...oh, wait, that one is taken
Character development - 2D, as with most James Cameron films (the leader of the security forces is all macho, kill, kill, kill...I don't know. It left something to be desired.)
Excessive use of voice-over to reiterate what is happening in front of my eyes, just in case I stopped paying attention - five stars

Those of you who know me, know I am wont to come down hard on James Cameron, even if I like some of his movies. Aliens is one of the best movies ever, who can argue with that? That said, I was really into this movie. I had the house to myself. Hubby was away for work, kids were asleep. I found myself really caring about whether or not the blue people were going to win. I was even tense when Jake was running from the "tiger-thing." My problem with the movie, and a lot of James Cameron's other work, is that he is so brute force. He has no subtlety at all. "What should we make the call sign for the lone human fighter pilot who helps the blue people? Rogue 1? Oh, yeah. That's great. I so didn't hear that in Star Wars thirty years ago. Do you think George Lucas would be mad at us if we had the other rebels call Jake's Avatar Rogue Leader during the dogfight portion of the movie?"

A major redeeming factor for me was Giovanni Ribisi as a constipated corporate-type. For the first two sentences he was on-screen, my brain said, "Oh, please! He's totally wrong for this. He's gonna screw this up." Then he reeled me in. He is a great actor, and I have always like him, but I tend to think of him as young and hip. The way he changed his voice for the role was kind of inspired. I bought it. I know I criticized character development earlier, but his performance managed to sneak through. Another note about characters: Sigourney Weaver's Avatar was really weird looking and gave a way better performance than human Sigourney Weaver. This was the first time I  saw Sam Worthington on screen, and he was pretty much a hottie (after the beard grew in) and not a terrible actor either.

My overall impression was that this was a good movie in spite of the cheese with which James Cameron attempted to infuse it.

Crazy Heart, booo

Crazy Heart was boring. That must be the reason it was nominated for an Academy Award. Colin Farrell is insanely gorgeous and can sing... and that is all I can say in favor of this film. The story goes almost nowhere. Maggie Gyllenhaal does a really good job of sitting placidly in the waiting room while cops search for her possibly kidnapped child. During other parts of the movie she cries very convincingly, so that must be the reason for her Oscar Nomination.

I got nothin' else. If I had an established rating system in place, this one would be at the bad end of the spectrum.

Top Ten Revisited

Today's top ten (I'm in a 'what could i watch over and over' mood)

In no particular order:
Jaws (near and dear to my heart in so many ways)
Die Hard (because it's a repeater)
Pulp Fiction (because it is indisputably one of the best ever)
Pride and Prejudice (Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth; again a repeater)
Back to the Future (I don't mind  the sequels as much as some folks I know, but they don't come close to the glory of the original; speaking of sequels, well you'll see...)
Star Wars (original trilogy; it counts as one as far as I am concerned)
The Burbs (one of the funniest movies; still makes me laugh)
Apollo 13 (I love NASA!!!!!)
Amelie (romantic, but not in a sappy, annoying way; great filmmaking style)
The Royal Tennenbaums (see above)

Barely missing the cut for today were:
The Godfather I and II (here's a teaser for the article I am writing about sequels...)
Jurassic Park (Samuel L. Jackson,  "Hold on to your butts." Fabulous.)
The Goonies (no one loves this movie more than my sister; I'll have her write a guest post)
Fight  Club (I'd switch this with "Pride and Prejudice" if this were a top ten just plain amazing, when I saw it I didn't know what to do with myself, list)
The Matrix (sequels article to come...)
The Swiss Family Robinson (never gets old)
The Lord of the Rings (all)

I'm starting to ramble. Get me your top tens.