I’m Back
It’s been a while since I took more than a passing glance at Milk Plus, much less write anything for it. A lot has changed in my life over the past two years, and as a result, I’ve had far less time to devote to watching movies (let’s say that my movie-fu has atrophied considerably). Nevertheless, the itch to watch and write about movies never really went away, and I think it is about time that I gave it a good scratch. I hope that some of the other contributors will eventually return and the doldrums that have infected this blog will pass. To help get me back up to speed, here are some short thoughts on some movies that I recently watched on DVD or cable:
Across the Universe (d. Julie Taymor, 2007) – Back in 1999, after I subjected myself to the god awfully pretentious
Titus, I vowed never again to watch a film directed by Julie Taymor. While I managed to miss
Frida all together, I knew my oath would soon end when my Beatles-loving fiancée went to see Taymor’s 2007 musical this past fall. She loved it, so I not only bought her the extended soundtrack, but also the DVD for Valentine’s Day. We watched it last weekend and quite surprisingly, it was far from the horrible experience that I was initially dreading. Though the narrative was a total, fucking mess and its pretensions of comprehensively documenting the 60s were simplistic and laughable, the film did work rather well as a musical, especially in the more grounded first half, before Taymor being Taymor, gave in and over-indulged in some faux avant-garde navel gazing prior to settling in for the predictable conclusion. I thought the cast acquitted themselves fairly well and nobody butchered any of the songs.
Crash (d. Paul Haggis, 2004) – Um, how in the hell did this screenplay win an Oscar? For that matter,
this was the best picture of 2005 (the Oscars were never less relevant)? With the exception of the acting (which managed to salvage the trite dialogue), everything about this film rang utterly and completely false, and I thought it was hopelessly forced. Note to Paul Haggis, a movie about multiple, intersecting lives only works if you cannot see or care about all the strings you are pulling; and by the way, directing involves more than an over-reliance on slow-motion and dramatic music cues. If I want to watch a film about race and racism in America, I will take the messy exuberance of
Do the Right Thing over this self-congratulatory white elephant. To make matters worse, if I say
Crash is a masterpiece, nobody will even bother to think of Cronenberg’s 1996 film.
28 Days Later (d. Danny Boyle, 2002) – I rented this movie for my fiancée’s benefit and because I wanted a refresher prior to renting
28 Weeks Later. God, remember the days when super fast zombies were revolutionary? However, this is still a great horror film and I particularly love the opening shots of an empty London. Even though it’s thematically appropriate in the way Doyle presents it, the idea of a bicycle messenger besting a squad of British soldiers still seems a bit far-fetched, but that’s only a minor quibble.
American Gangster (d. Ridley Scott, 2007) – Narratively, this is your standard issue, criminal rise and fall story, supposedly based on a true story, but probably 99% BS. Still, Ridley Scott can shoot a movie, the late 60s/early 70s vibe is stellar, and the two leads (Russel Crowe and Denzel Washington) ooze charisma, even if their characters are ultimately ciphers. In addition, I’m assuming that Ruby Dee’s Oscar nomination was a lifetime achievement sort of thing, because I was not that impressed (though I did correctly identify which scene they would play for her performance clip).
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The Reader, The Wrestler and Flight 1549...
If the universe is fractal, a family comprised of unique parts yet each related, then patterns can be found where none were directly intended. It's the nature of things.
How is that Marconi, Tesla, Popov, Lodge, Fessenden, Hertz, Dolbear, Loomis, Stubblefield and Maxwell all conceived of the radio and invented its necessary parts, separately and apart from each other at the same time? But it was Marconi who nailed it - he owns the radio - Tesla went on to other things, but Stubblefield? - Lost except to Google and 3 radio historians in a library somewhere.
In the movie, The Wrestler, Randy -The Ram - Robinson and his junto of wrestler/performers put on a show, an American show - staged, pure fakery - the ritual is more powerful than the reality.
In the movie, The Reader, Hannah Schmidt, is tried for the murder of 300 Jewish prisoners trapped in a burning church. The Defendants and Judges sit on stage - we know there is a deeper explanation than the evidence will admit but the Court will render its verdict - its ritual of punishment meted.
Two days before the inauguration of Barack Obama, flight 1549 is steered to safety by an unlikely hero, a rather standard issue guy who saves 155 lives just as Obama, an unlikely President, starts his attempt to steer the country to an economic soft landing in hopes of saving countless livelihoods. Sully, the pilot, is a seemingly reluctant hero, no interviews, no show, no ticker tape parade - just did his job and turns a respectful but cold shoulder to the limelight of the 24/7 cable TV spectacle. By nature more Stubblefield than Marconi, our pilot is more than brave - he is decent.
The Reader and The Wrestler - one refined and utterly sad, the other gritty and utterly sad. Two very different films but each bound by connective ligature to the pyramidal (and maybe particularly modern American) kernel of human isolation - that core inside all of us that our flight 1549 pilot seems to have (amazingly) excised from his DNA: the it's-the-outside-that-matters-not-the-inside gene; a/k/a longing for adoration; a/k/a pride - amour propre.
Hannah Schmidt (in the Reader), the former SS guard stands accused of murder and she is illiterate. Robin "Randy The Ram" Robinson, (in the Wrestler) the former wrestling headliner, stands all blond haired, steroid pumped, heart failed image and he is emotionally illiterate.
Hannah Schmidt has a "kid" (she calls her young lover - who reads to her before they make love - "kid") and Ram has a kid, a grown up daughter whom he has not seen in years. Hannah's kid, her lover, reads to her and teaches her heart-love and in return she teaches him fuck-love (he seems the better pupil than she) - but in the end - it's not enough. Ram's kid, his lost daughter, teaches Ram forgiveness - but in the end - it's not enough.
Hannah's pride, her refusal to admit her illiteracy, leads to her confinement without kid. The Wrestler's pride in his past glory and refusal to kick his addiction to the known commodity - impersonal fame (no matter how small time) for the unknown cold turkey love of one single woman -- who says to him all anyone can ask or give: "I'm here, aren't I?" - leads to his emotional imprisonment (without his kid too). She goes to jail. He remains confined in the isolation of the roar of the crowd. For both its a life sentence.
In the end, Hannah, still behind bars in her jail cell, climbs up a stack of shaky but carefully balanced books and from on high hangs herself. In the end, the Wrestler, behind the ropes in his jail cell of a wrestling ring, shakily climbs up the corner post, carefully balanced, and from on high throws himself down to the canvass for his last jump.
Two movies as related in their sadness and regret as Marconi and Stubblefield were in their invention. We shall see how Sully fares when the talk shows come calling. Its the nature of things.
Yeah, Paul Haggis's Crash has to be one of the most overrated movies in recent memory.
And I remain more than a little annoyed that Haggis, and the studio, were able to rip off the title of Cronenberg's film, a far more accomplished and provocative piece of work.
Check out the cult film of the modern era.
"The Myth of Time" is a 2012 prophesy straight from
source. Filmed over 5 years in Guatemala, it is the
unwritten chapter of the Popol Vuh. Compared to
great cult classics El Topo, Aguirre, and Kurosawa's Dreams.
www.TheMythofTimeTheMovie.com
www.themythoftime.wordpress.com
wow ! what a blog
wow ! what a blog
I just love this blog ... all the latest movie news and interaction with new people is just fantastic.
Love the blog...love the way you write However I don't feel the same way about Crash, though I feel Titus was a trash!
By the way,I have just started a new movie blog...it's a slightly different movie blog.... would love all you guys to visit.
http://diaryofanescapist-sharit.blogspot.com/
So, did you disappear again?
esla went on to other things, but Stubblefield? - Lost except to Google and 3 radio historians in a library somewhere.
http://www.telebizarr.de
http://www.spannertv.com
http://www.spanner-tv.com
Crash is the rare American film really about something, and almost all the performances are riveting. It asks tough questions, and lets its audience struggle with the answers.
You should post something about Parker Posey's new movie, The Love Guide!! She's my favorite actress and this movie looks awesome so I really want people to see it! It comes out on June 19th!!!
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