Crazy Heart will likely be remembered as the movie that finally won Jeff Bridges the Oscar for Best Actor. He is certainly very good here as country singer Bad Blake, but it's a performance that's definitely within his typical range. He isn't asked to do anything extraordinarily difficult in this film, just sing a little and act drunk a lot. You'll be happy to know that he excels at both. I enjoyed the music of this film, especially the award-winning title song, more than the plot, what with its Hollywood take on redemption from the depths of alcoholism. The drunken-country-singer-turns-his-life-around theme has been done before and better; if you want the best version of the story, check out Tender Mercies. Crazy Heart pays a nice homage to that earlier, better film by casting Robert Duvall as Bad's friend. It's always a pleasure to see Duvall on screen. There's also a nice cameo appearance by Colin Farrell, who is a pretty talented singer himself, as Bad's former touring partner who's gone on to have a more successful career on his own. I have no idea why he isn't listed in the credits, but I hope he gets another chance to sing in a movie soon. Maggie Gyllenhaal plays a journalist who gets involved with Bad, but I found that entire subplot to be unbelievable. We all know that he's using her and her little son to make up for the bad relationship with his own abandoned son, and we should all know how badly it's going to turn out when you put your trust in a movie alcoholic who hasn't yet found redemption. Gyllenhaal was this year's surprise Oscar nominee in the acting categories. After years of good performances, the Academy chose to reward her for what is essentially a thankless, less-than-challenging part. Go figure. Maybe the Academy members were trying to redress past slights to a lot of actors, and Gyllenhaal got in the mix with Bridges and Sandra Bullock for The Blind Side and Christopher Plummer for The Last Station, but more on that later...
Edge of Darkness is the latest addition to the growing body of evidence that Mel Gibson movies are becoming increasingly obsessed with violence. This film is quite brutal. Gibson plays a police officer whose daughter is murdered when the two of them come home from dinner one night. After an initial suspicion that he was the intended target, Gibson's cop discovers that his daughter has been involved in some subterfuge at the company for which she worked. Gibson should have figured out something was wrong as soon as he discovered that the company's boss is played by Danny Huston. Is Huston turning into Hollywood's go-to bad guy these days? I'm thinking it might be time to throw him a romantic comedy lead just for a change of pace. He, of course, gets beaten up by Gibson's Thomas Craven, as does the actor playing the daughter's boyfriend and a bunch of other people. I even started to suspect that Gibson's character had arranged his daughter's murder just so he could go on this rampage. Frankly, I was exhausted and feeling a bit beaten myself when this movie was over and I could finally leave the theater. Someone should be writing a dissertation on the growing level of violence in Gibson's oeuvre. I know he didn't direct this film, so he isn't fully responsible for its content, but he did select it as an actor. There's some interesting psychosis to examine there, I think.
Fantastic Mr. Fox is, quite simply, a fantastic movie. A stop-motion masterpiece by director Wes Anderson, this charming fable about a fox who has been domesticated but still feels the urge to steal chickens from hen houses is a delight. Everyone of the voice actors--and this is some pretty high-powered talent on display--is great. George Clooney as Mr. Fox plays off his own sly public persona, and Meryl Streep as Mrs. Fox is a calm, reassuring, but firm presence. They should be paired again in a live action film. I loved the interplay between Clooney and Bill Murray as Badger, Mr. Fox's partner in crime. Badger isn't always quite up to speed on what's happening, and Mr. Fox is often frustrated by his need to repeat what seem like simple conclusions to his friend. The highlight of the film, though, is the competition between the Fox family's son Ash, voiced by Jason Schwartzman, and a young fox for whom the family takes responsibility, Kristofferson, voiced by Eric Chase Anderson. Ash always loses to Kristofferson, regardless of the contest, but then again, Kristofferson doesn't even realize there's a competition going on. I'd also point out that the set design and decoration are brilliant, a series of quite stunning masterpieces of location. The amount of time and effort the filmmakers have taken to create this gem is well worth it. This was one of my favorite movies from last year. If you haven't seen this movie yet, rent it immediately and enjoy.
It's Complicated is the kind of movie that Hollywood studios used to make, a generic romantic comedy, no particular deep messages involved, just some fun for the actors and the audience. Meryl Streep (again--what a streak she's on these days) is Jane, a divorced woman who runs a bakery. At her son's college graduation, she reunites with her ex-husband Jake, a randy Alec Baldwin (that may be redundant calling Baldwin randy, I realize), and they begin having an affair. Jake is unhappy with his new, younger wife, played by Lake Bell, especially with her non-stop attempts to get pregnant. Simultaneously, Jane begins dating the architect who is designing the addition to her home, Adam, played by Steve Martin. I don't know why Jane needs a bigger kitchen or even a bigger home. She lives in one of those mansions that only movie middle class people own, with huge rooms and lots of pillows and mementos from a lifetime of travel and such. And I also don't know why it would be difficult for her to choose between these two men; she knows what each one of them is like. Then again, we're not supposed to think too deeply about a movie like this. It's all just harmless fun, and it often brought a smile to my face, particularly whenever John Krasinski appeared on screen. He plays Jane's daughter's fiance, and he's hilarious as the only person who knows that Jane and Jake are having an affair. He may never be a big movie star on his own, but Krasinski could make a long career of playing supporting parts like this one.
The Last Station was advertised as a film about the final days in the life of Russian writer Leo Tolstoy (played expertly here by Christopher Plummer). Instead, the main focus of the plot is really on the musings of a young man named Valentin (James McAvoy) who has been sent to keep an eye on Tolstoy to ensure that the great writer's legacy, including his commitment to a life devoid of material things, is preserved--mainly because there are people like Vladimir Chertkov (Paul Giamatti) who want the Tolstoy fortune to support revolutionary changes in Russia. Chertkov's goals are, unsurprisingly, opposed by Tolstoy's wife Sofya (Helen Mirren), who wants to keep the money for herself and her children. Sofya is quite the drama queen, and Mirren is allowed to chew the scenery almost every moment that she's on screen. It's quite a histrionic performance, and I was surprised that it won her another Oscar nomination for Best Actress. This film also brought Plummer his first ever Oscar nomination (his was for Supporting Actor), and it's a shock to realize that such a long, distinguished career as his has never been acknowledged by the Academy before now. All of this would make for an okay film, but in truth, the movie is really more about Valentin and how he comes to understand what Tolstoy stands for. McAvoy's character has to figure out what kind of life he wishes to live, one that follows the teachings of the writer or one that mirrors the way that the writer actually lives. It's an intriguing question about the conflict that often occurs between one's principles and the (messy) real life one has to live. The Last Station isn't without its genuine moments of emotion, particularly Tolstoy's death at the train station of the title, a scene which much have cinched Mirren's nomination in particular. I suppose this was considered an "event film" given the way that it was released. Here in Los Angeles, it played for only one week in only one theater in December in order to be eligible for Academy consideration, and then it disappeared for a while. When it returned, it again only played for a limited time in a limited number of theaters. Perhaps the distributors were hoping to garner more than just two nominations, but frankly, they should have been grateful given the relatively mundane quality of this film overall.
The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond is based upon an unproduced Tennessee Williams screenplay, and it covers some rather familiar territory for the playwright. Bryce Dallas Howard plays Fisher Willow (terrible name for a character, by the way), a Memphis debutante who doesn't quite fit in with the rest of her alleged social circle. Fisher likes to drink and have fun and enjoys jazz music, all of the things that respectable girls in the 1920s weren't supposed to enjoy. She also has feelings for Jimmy (Chris Evans), the son of the man who runs her family's plantation, but since Jimmy is poor, they could never be allowed to marry or have a relationship. No, Fisher must listen to her grandmother, Cornelia (Ann-Margaret in a role that makes you wish she were cast in movies more often), who wants her to settle down and find a respectable young man to marry. The title diamond earring is one of a pair (family heirlooms, of course) loaned to Fisher by her grandmother for a party. Its loss is the subject of quite a number of accusations and plot contrivances, none of which, frankly, matter (although it does allow for an almost nude scene for Evans, an initial suspect in the diamond's disappearance). This is more of a mood piece than a drama anyway. Ellen Burstyn makes a brief appearance as an older woman who has led a remarkable life on her own terms, but whose current health problems will condemn her to a life under the care of her conservative, traditional family. When Howard's Fisher is in the bedroom with Burstyn's Addie, the film truly comes alive, and it's hard to imagine such a static scene would come across so well. Overall, this is certainly a minor work by the great playwright, and I don't really know that there was any urgency to film this screenplay. It isn't a disaster by any means--although some of the actors' attempts at Southern accents do qualify as such--but it also doesn't add much to our knowledge and appreciation of Williams' achievements.
Nine is the film adaptation of the Broadway musical that was itself an adaptation of Federico Fellini's film 8 1/2. Given all of that adaptation, quite a lot has been lost, and the filmmakers haven't helped their cause any by casting the wrong person in almost every role. I admire Daniel Day-Lewis as an actor, but having an Irishman with little singing ability trying to pass himself off as an Italian director is a bit of a stretch even for the talented Day-Lewis. And his character is so utterly lacking in charm or any other personality trait that would make him seem appealing, I kept wondering what all of these women saw in him. To have such a lackluster character as the centerpiece of the film seems a supreme obstacle to overcome. And, to be frank, the way that the director has chosen to present the songs--as all having come from Guido's consciousness and almost all of them presented on the empty sound stage of his next movie--is a mistake, I think. They should be more integrated into the plot rather than being delivered as if they were asides or diversions from what is a very slight storyline anyway. It's really just about Guido not having an idea for his next movie because he's got too many problems with the women in his life; that's it. I'm also not fond of having actors perform in musicals if they have little or no singing ability, and that is the case with much of this cast. Oscar-nominated Penelope Cruz plays Carla, Guido's mistress, as some sort of hot-blooded, oversexed spitfire. I guess it's mean to be a comic role; it certainly had me laughing but for the wrong reasons. Since she can't really sing, the film creates an elaborate production number for "A Call from the Vatican" in order to distract the audience from noticing her slight voice. Only two of the women in the film acquit themselves with their songs. One is, of course, an actual singer, Fergie from the Black Eyed Peas, who sings "Be Italian" with gusto. The other is Marion Cotillard as Guido's wife Luisa, but only in "My Husband Makes Movies," a delicate, gentle song about her feelings of being abandoned by her spouse. I was not as fond of her other number, "Take It All." I liked the staging of "Cinema Italiano" even if I didn't think Kate Hudson's singing was up to par. Nicole Kidman, who has demonstrated her ability to sing in Moulin Rouge!, is at a loss here with the song "Unusual Way" (which, I must confess, I didn't know was from this musical); it's a weak performance. (And she's an Australian playing a German--there's no end to the lunacy of the assignment of roles here.) I've already written too much about a movie that forces Dame Judi Dench to sing and dance her way through the ridiculous "Folies Bergere." A lot of wasted talent and a lot of bad casting choices all round, sad to say.
The Princess and the Frog takes the fairy tale story of the girl who kisses a frog and turns him into a prince and twists it in a few novel ways. This time, the prince doesn't emerge from the kiss; the girl just turns into a frog too. And this isn't set in a period long, long ago in some mythical land far, far away. This is 1920s New Orleans with all of the jazz music and period atmosphere you'd expect. Tiana (Anika Noni Rose), the "princess" of the title, really just wants to live out her father's dream and open a restaurant; she even has a big number ("Almost There") imagining what the restaurant will be like. It's a song and production very reminiscent of Disney's Beauty and the Beast and the "Be Our Guest" number, but I didn't mind the familiarity because Rose and the rest of the cast are able singers and the music by Randy Newman (with help from Dr. John) is very much in the New Orleans style. We wind up in a bayou--much like the one from the 1970s animated film The Rescuers, to be honest--and there's even a Cajun firefly who is, at times, a little too close to being like Evinrude from that earlier Disney film. Still, the lack of originality doesn't detract from the fun to be had with this film. The princess is really just an ordinary young woman in many ways, and the message that anyone could be a princess is delightfully conveyed here. I could quibble with the choice of Bruno Campos as Prince Naveen, Tiana's frog suitor, who's not African American like much of the rest of the cast, but he is so very funny and charming in the part. And there's also the divine Jenifer Lewis as Mama Odie, who represents the good aspects of voodoo, and Terrence Howard as James, who's there as the bad part of voodoo, both of them a delight to hear/watch. Much was made about how The Princess and the Frog was a return to more traditional methods of making animated films (what with drawing and such instead of computers), and I have to say that the final product is quite beautiful, a jewel of a movie and one of the best of the many good animated films released in 2009.
Shutter Island is a bit of a puzzle, and I'm still not certain exactly how I feel about it. Set during the 1950s, Martin Scorcese's film is very exact when it comes to period detail, and there's no shortage of suspense here. I can't really give too many details about the plot without spoiling it for you if you haven't seen it. Leonardo DiCaprio and Mark Ruffalo are federal marshalls sent to the title island to investigate the disappearance of one of the inmates. The remote island is home to a mental institution for the criminally insane, and a female inmate there has allegedly vanished. Mysterious things begin to happen to the marshalls, DiCaprio's character especially, almost immediately after their arrival, and it isn't long before we as audience members start to question what is real and what is imaginary. The plot hinges upon our questioning, and I was intrigued by that possibility until the last fifteen minutes or so. To be honest and without revealing too much, those final minutes almost ruined the entire film for me. It's not easy to watch what is a very skillfully made film with a lot of remarkable talent--including Ben Kingsley, Max Von Sydow, Michelle Williams, Jackie Earle Haley, and the great Patricia Clarkson in small but significant role--and not feel somewhat disappointed by the cheat of an ending. Stylistically, Scorcese has managed to recreate the look and feel of a lot of films from the decade of the 50s, but plot-wise he and the movie are hampered by Laeta Kalogridis' script.
Watercolors is a love story about a young artist named Danny (Tye Olson) who falls in love with a member of the swim team, Carter (Kyle Clare), who at first resists his attraction to Danny. It's become something of a cliche in gay films to have the shy and sensitive artist fall in love with a jock, and this movie doesn't often rise above the level of cliche, to be honest. The film begins with the adult Danny (Ian Rhodes) at his first solo art exhibit, and we realize that he's been painting images of his high school lover over and over again, much to the chagrin of his current boyfriend, Allan (Edward Finlay). I know that movies like this are important for young people to see; it helps to realize that other people are going through some of the same issues that you are. However, as an older gay man, I've grown a bit tired of watching films that duplicate this plot again and again since these films seem to be excuses to show handsome (well, handsome to some people, I suppose) young men in various states of undress. And Clare's Carter, in particular, spends a lot of time in his Speedos or underwear or nude posing for Danny. Not that I have anything against that on principle, mind you. I just think movies should do a bit more than titillate sometimes. I did admire how supportive Danny's mother (Casey Kramer) and his close friend Amy (Ellie Araiza) and, in particular, his art teacher (the great Karen Black) are, and the three women in those roles are all talented actresses. Unsurprisingly, there is a tragedy at the heart of this film that has led to Danny's artistic obsession. If you've seen gay films before about the coming out experience, you can probably figure it out for yourself. If not, consider this film a template for your future viewings of such movies; they probably won't venture too much from this standard plot either, but at least you'll get to see some cute young boys in their underwear.
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