Bond’s Triumphant Return in SKYFALL


Daniel Craig made an impressive debut as Ian Fleming’s super spy James Bond in Casino Royale, but its followup, Quantum of Solace, was a marked drop off which threatened to derail the franchise. Enter director Sam Mendes (American Beauty), a well honed script (Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, and John Logan), and a dream cast. The result is a well acted, emotionally compelling adventure thriller that takes the formula and rips it open to expose Agent 007 as we’ve never seen before. It is also one of the best films of the year and certainly one of the very best Bond films.

British secret service agent James Bond (Daniel Craig) and fellow operative Eve (Naomie Harris) are in pursuit of a killer who has stolen a hard drive containing the names of all NATO agents imbedded in terrorist groups. A fateful decision by MI6 boss M (Judi Dench) leads to Bond being put out of commission. While M is being leveraged into retirement by her supervisor (Ralph Feinnes) and Bond has lost his edge, a mysterious figure (Javier Bardem) from M’s past begins a reign of cyber terror and revenge. As agent 007 struggles with his future and his loyalties to M, he must look to his past to reconcile his biggest challenge.

There are obvious comparisons to The Dark Knight Rises with a fallen hero searching for his ‘mojo’. Most Bond films operated superficially and featured unusual characters, and with rare exceptions (On Her Majesty’s Secret Service and of course the more recent Casino Royale) did we delve into the personal side. While early incarnations of the super agent showed him nearly invincible, this Bond is a more humanized reinvention without emasculating its hero. For the first time, Craig’s Bond has a sense of humor with puns and quips (a staple of the earlier films). In fact, much of the dialogue is sharp.

By delving into the core relationships, the filmmakers have added layers and twists to a conventional formula. The main themes center on loyalty, sins of the past, and tradition clashing with the new order. There are parallels between Bond and M as relics of an age gone by and between Bond and his doppelganger as direct opposites.

This is Dench’s showcase as M. Although her allegiance to Bond was a recurring theme in the previous two films with Craig, never before has her character been shown in such depth. After seven Bond films, her M has gone from background to foreground as a primary plot point, and she does not disappoint.

There is a nice buildup to Bardem’s entrance whose psychological motives are questionable including his sexuality. This is not your father’s Bond villain. As Silva, a man with a dark past whose methods are bold and brazen, Bardem instills a decided creepiness and cunning that is refreshing. Think of Bardem’s character as the black sheep of a dysfunctional family with M in the maternal role.

A strong supporting cast includes Ben Whishaw as the new quartermaster Q, a young computer whiz who represents the new breed of spy, Bérénice Marlohe as a stunning beauty who holds the key to her dangerous employer, and Harris in a pivotal role.

With splendid global locations (Istanbal, Shanghai, and Scotland), this may be the most beautifully shot Bond film (Roger Deakins) since You Only Live Twice. Some scenes are visual standouts like a sultry shower rendezvous and a moment of hand-to-hand combat all done in shadows and silhouette.

In this age of 24, Jason Bourne, and Homeland, the stakes are much higher in depicting realistic action and techie scenes, and Skyfall holds its own with solid set pieces including a subway bombing and a tense climax with echoes of Straw Dogs. There are specific references to the Bond canon including the reappearance of a certain iconic car.

It is remarkable how current, top directors have been directly influenced or inspired by these movies. Steven Spielberg did the Indiana Jones movies as homage to Bond films and even cast former Bond, Sean Connery, as Indy’s dad! James Cameron did his take on a super spy with True Lies. Christopher Nolan filmed an entire sequence in Inception as tribute to Bond. David Fincher’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo has Bond style, opening credits; (Skyfall has terrific credits and a sultry, throwback theme song by Adele). Even Quentin Tarantino suggested several years ago that the Bond films needed to get gritty and basic; think the filmmakers took notice?

As J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek and Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins showed, a classic franchise can be reinvented or updated while reaping enormous dividends. With the most touching finale to a Bond film, there are big surprises and a distinct familiarity by film’s end that sets the series for a grand run. For Bond purists, this is uncharted territory, but by ‘shaking’ up the mythology, Bond’s story has become ‘stirring’.

***1/2 of **** stars

Truth Is Better Than Fiction in ARGO

Ben Affleck has been a leading man with credibility behind the camera as the Oscar-winning co-writer (with Matt Damon) of Good Will Hunting. Having shown promise as a director in Gone Baby Gone and then excelling in The Town, he has peaked in his craft with Argo, a thoroughly engaging, real life thriller grounded in historic fact and abetted by a superior screenplay (Chris Terrio from a news article).

On November 4, 1979 in revolutionary Iran, angry students storm the US embassy and take civilian and military hostages, but unknown to the public, six Americans escape to a nearby Canadian’s home where they remain stranded with no hope of rescue. Despite a myriad of standard tactics to spirit them out of Iran, every plan has a serious flaw, and each passing day heightens the probability of the Americans’ discovery, capture, and possible execution as spies. Enter Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck), an expert at ex-filtration or the liberating of valuable government assets for the CIA. His plan is a bold, imaginative conceit: a Hollywood movie crew scouting locations in Iran while sneaking the Americans out as part of the film crew. Despite the misgivings of highly skeptical State Department and CIA officials led by Jack O’Donnell (Bryan Cranston), the mission is given a ‘go’ with little hope of success. Compounding things is the fact that the Iranians are painstakingly sifting through the embassy’s hastily shredded documents. With the assistance of an Oscar winning makeup artist, John Chambers (John Goodman), and producer Lester Siegel (Alan Arkin), Mendez creates an elaborate, fake science fiction movie named Argo complete with a script and cast. Will this movie cover work and can Mendez get the six Americans to freedom in time? As a true story only recently declassified by the US government, these actual events lead to a breathtaking finish.

The authentic reenactment of the embassy takeover is expertly, vividly intercut seamlessly with real news footage. Affleck has a keen eye for detail, and he convincingly captures the chaos and paranoia that grips the trapped Americans. Good use of handheld camerawork adds to the authentic feel of this quasi-documentary narrative. It’s like an episode of TV’s Mission Impossible, and, in fact, this could easily have been a made-for-TV movie, but it works better on the big screen where it has maximum impact. There are more than passing similarities to Wag the Dog and its phony movie ruse.

The Anti-American sentiment and mistrust fosters a claustrophobic atmosphere as the six Americans are under great pressure. The film depicts the real threats and atrocities in the city streets including random executions. Not knowing who to trust, the Americans bicker amongst themselves with some expressing serious reservations about this unusual rescue premise while others are feeling despondent. Their fear is not unlike those of pursued Holocaust civilians in World War II.

Mendez, who risks his life to save these strangers, is also a father, and it is that relationship that frames his character in the film emotionally. Chambers and Siegel (a composite character) are patriots with big egos, and while their comic relief is welcome (including a running gag: an off-color play on the word Argo,) in an otherwise suspense-filled narrative, one wonders what truly motivates them?

The final airport sequence is unbearably tense as it ratchets up the threat, and such a relatively basic situation is executed to great effect. We know how the story will end yet it affects us in a visceral way. If the filmmakers take some dramatic license at the end, the film has earned the right to embellish the facts a bit further. After seeing their story, to see the images of the actors and their real life counterparts in the closing credits adds poignancy and credibility.

One can only hope that Affleck can excel to loftier heights with his next project. He is already in rarified air, and an Oscar nomination awaits. In Argo, he has fashioned a nail-biter that never ignores the humanity that binds us together, whether it be father and son, husband and wife, or a rescuer and his newly found friends.

***1/2 stars of ****

Nolan’s Grand Finale in THE DARK KNIGHT RISES (or How Batman Got His Groove Back)

Director Christopher Nolan helped legitimize the comic book hero Batman, as grounded in the real world in Batman Begins and its landmark sequel, The Dark Knight. Many trilogies fail to maintain the promise of the superior sequel (Spiderman II, The Godfather Part II, and Road Warrior), but in rare cases, there have been great third acts like Toy Story 3, Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, and now The Dark Knight Rises. Though it fails to surpass its predecessor, as an ambitious film with grand designs and elaborate themes, it mostly succeeds.

Several years after the events of The Dark Knight, the legacy of Harvey Dent lives on as crime has been stifled in Gotham City and the wealthy and elite hold sway. Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) has become a hobbled recluse whose masked hero, Batman, has been hunted and banished under false pretenses. Gotham is pristine and ready for a new age, and relics like Batman and even Commissioner Gordon are not needed anymore and obsolete. A mysterious masked villain named Bane (Thomas Hardy) begins a calculated reign of terror which paralyzes the city. But what is his motive and what does this have to do with Batman? As Gordon (Gary Oldman) pleads for the return of the caped crusader and the city cries out for salvation, Batman must overcome a very powerful Bane to save the city. He is aided by his servant Alfred (Michael Caine), technical wizard Lucius (Morgan Freeman), and a young cop, John Blake (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), and bedazzled by two mysterious women, Selina (Anne Hathaway) and Miranda (Marion Cottilard). But first, Bruce Wayne must return from the abyss to confront his past and battle for Gotham City’s future.

The briskly paced 2 hour 45 minute film is always engaging with memorable moments. The opening sequence is a marvelous midair hijack right out of a Bond film. (Come to think of it, Nolan’s got the Bond thing down as in the snowy climax of Inception.) A scene where a doctor gives Wayne failing marks in his physical is amusing. The climactic action between the forces of good and evil recalls the finale to Metropolis and the face off of its protagonist and antagonist are right out of Enter the Dragon.

Nolan likes intricate puzzles; witness Momento and Inception. He takes previous storylines including the convoluted ending of The Dark Knight and serves some nice twists here. The film is a cleverly built trap, and Batman’s fall from grace is a rapid decent into the depths of hopelessness and despair. To be great again, he has to literally and figuratively climb his way back; in a sense, the fates of the masked avenger and Gotham City are linked.

The film is able to explore some interesting relationships both past and present, and duality of key characters is a recurring theme. For Wayne, Commissioner Gordon and Alfred are fatherly figures through his orphaned childhood and adult life. Selina and Miranda are women with different backgrounds and agendas. Blake, the idealistic, honest cop shares a common bond with Wayne. Even Batman, the tortured, self sacrificing hero has a counterpart in Bane, the ultimate, super terrorist, who is intelligent, cunning, and ruthless.

With so many characters, it is remarkable how Nolan and screenwriter/brother Jonathan Nolan are able to weave together storylines featuring each role prominently. In particular, the paradoxical Selina is a ‘cat burglar’ and a survivor who has to learn how to trust another person. Her interaction with Wayne always intrigues as they play out a kind of dance, and we wonder her true motives. She is a kind of outsider and observer of the events that will determine the fate of Gotham City.

The film boldly tackles major themes adding layer upon layer. It’s about past sins and morality: the great deception over Harvey Dent for the greater good presents risks and has severe consequences here. Amid complacency there is class warfare: as Bane incites the masses and bolsters his numbers, the city faces a dichotomy of the proletariat versus the bourgeoisie. The film also tests the concept of trust and faith: sometimes the ones we trust betray us while others may surprise us with their loyalty.

There are minor missteps e.g. immaculate streets when the city’s infrastructure is at a standstill. A brief moment at a cafe at film’s end reveals a bit too much of a truth when subtle reactions could have sufficed. The film’s tone is dark, angst filled with rare moments of humor. That’s not a knock on the film but don’t go expecting Avengers type of laughs. There’s also an amusing cameo in the role of President and a macabre return of a key villain.

Hans Zimmer’s minimalist pulse keeps the mood humming along. Visuals are technically outstanding with minimal use of computer generated effects, and this is where it deviates from the more colorful, super heroes of The Avengers and X Men. Here we have a hero and backdrop that is set in a believable world which heightens realism and credibility.

Brimming with ideas as it challenges us in ways most action films movies don’t, The Dark Knight Rises is a strong conclusion to the trilogy. A deeply allegorical film that demands repeated viewings to truly appreciate its intricacies, it dares to bend and reinvent the mythology of the caped crusader, and although it doesn’t quite trump The Dark Knight, which set the bar impossibly high, its vision at times carries its audience to wonderful, lofty heights.

*** ½* of **** stars

The Annual Mid Atlantic Nostalgia Convention again in Hunt Valley, MD, was a sentimental trip down memory lane as a vast array of vendors hawked their books, posters, dvd's, and toys to recall the older movies and TV shows. Several entertainment personalities showed for pictures and autographs including William Sanderson (Blade Runner and Newhart), Jay North (the original TV Dennis the Menace), Ron Ely (TV's Tarzan), and Robert Colbert (The Time Tunnel) among others. 

But the highlight was movie and TV star Shirley Jones who was Laurey in Oklahoma, a hooker in Elmer Gantry which won her an Oscar, Marian the librarian in The Music Man, and of course, the mom of the Partridge Family on TV. In fact her little co-star in Music Man and The Courtship of Eddie's Father (film) whom she still keeps in contact is Ron Howard!  Another big name attending the convention was singer/actor James Darren who was boyfriend to Gidget (film), a hero in The Guns of Navarone, a scientist in my favorite, The Time Tunnel, and a holographic singer/sage in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.  It was a thrill to meet these icons.

Shore Leave returned to Baltimore in Hunt Valley for a weekend of science fiction media related celebration including celebrities from TV and movies. Various vendors were present with movie posters, dvds and books to name a few. Highlight was the appearance of two Star Trek TV stars-Kate Mulgrew who, as Capt. Kathryn Janeway in Voyager, was the first female lead as a captain, and LeVar Burton who played Lt. Cmdr. Geordi La Forge in Next Generation. Both shows ran seven glorious seasons at the peak of the Star Trek popularity. For Star Trek fans, this was a special moment.

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN Re-Tingles the Franchise

For the past decade, Marvel Comics has been churning out film versions of its iconic super heroes, but in this case, Spiderman, only a decade before, had been rendered successfully by director Sam Raimi. Well, a poor third film meant a reimagining of the franchise, and as The Hulk and Batman series have shown, studios are willing to try to reclaim a tentpole blockbuster. The risk can be a marginal failure as in Superman Returns. Not so here. With well cast leads and strong supporting roles, The Amazing Spider-Man is quite entertaining especially toward the end, and it displays emotional resonance that enhances its storyline.

Young Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) lives with his Aunt May (Sally Field) and Uncle Ben (Martin Sheen) after his parents abandoned him as a child. Now an awkward, bullied high school student, he has a crush on cute blonde, Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone), who has an authoritarian father (Denis Leary). Upon discovering his dad’s old files, Peter seeks out his father’s former colleague, Dr. Curt Connors (Rhys Ifans), who is researching the regenerative, healing capabilities of reptiles in his lab at Oscorp. Parker snoops around the lab and gets bitten by a genetically enhanced spider, and soon he begins to develop superhuman strength, agility, reflexes, and the ability to crawl on walls as well as shoot a powerful web. His self absorption sets in motion events that will exact personal loss. Guilt stricken, he becomes a masked avenger, catching criminals much to the chagrin of the police who think he is a vigilante. Meanwhile, a desperate Connors is forced to test a serum on himself which transforms him into the Lizard who menaces the city streets and threatens to infect the entire population with the chemical. As Spiderman confronts The Lizard in a grand battle, the fate of the city including Gwen hangs in the balance.

How does this compare to the previous Spiderman? It’s nearly as good but with a different take and still retains the essential ingredients that made the former film a standout. The film always keeps the focus on the relationships between Peter and Gwen and Peter and his family. Those grounded bonds form the soul of the film and make the film a more enriching experience. There is no Mary Jane Watson or J. Jonah Jameson yet.

The filmmakers, director Marc Webb (500 Days of Summer) and screenwriters James Vanderbilt (Zodiac), Alvin Sargent (Ordinary People), and Steve Kloves (Harry Potter series) made the smart choice of starting with a younger version of Peter Parker, perfectly embodied by Garfield, whose adolescence and psychology are part of a fully realized character. Garfield and Stone make an adorable couple and display good chemistry that is endearing. Fields and Sheen are quite effective as Peter’s guardians and the screen lights up whenever they appear. Leary, proving he can do drama as well as comedy, makes the most of his role as Stacy’s dad who is a police captain in conflict over the rogue Spiderman. Marvel legend Stan “the Man” Lee has another amusing cameo.

Although bereft with open ended plot points by film’s end (likely to be resolved in future sequels), there are a couple of nice touches that lift this film above most standard comic book adaptations. In one particularly affecting scene, a construction worker rallies a team of crane operators to assist Spiderman, whose earlier courageous act now pays timely dividends. During the rousing climax, Spiderman is rescued when an unlikely savior intercedes. Even Connors’ Lizard is not your stereotypic villain and figures in a surprising and unexpected act at film’s end.

Special effects were pretty good in the older Spiderman, but they are even better here especially in the trademark web swinging between skyscrapers. If the musical score sounds like a cross between A Beautiful Mind and Aliens, it’s because James Horner does the honors on each film.

Despite the odds, what is ‘amazing’ is that lightning has struck twice for the franchise. The Amazing Spider-Man is a familiar yet refreshing take on a formula that works quite well here. And yes, stay for the end credits which reveal a teaser for the next film.

*** of **** stars (add ½ for comic hero fans)

The Testament of PROMETHEUS


It has been over thirty years since director Ridley Scott (Gladiator, Black Hawk Down) made two highly influential, game-changing science fiction films, Alien and Blade Runner. Now he revisits his earliest triumph, Alien, not as a sequel but as a kind of prequel that has threads connecting both films. An intelligent science fiction film with elements of horror, Prometheus embraces bold concepts of human origin and its creation by ‘ancient astronauts’. The film is not quite a classic, but should thoroughly satisfy purists and general moviegoers alike.

An archeological couple has pieced together remarkable clues from early human drawings revealing a stellar map that may lead to the source of mankind. The couple, Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace) and Charlie Holloway (Logan Marshall-Green), join a crew and its Captain Janek (Idris Elba) on a two year mission to a mysterious planet aboard the spaceship Prometheus. Financed by the Weyland Corporation and represented by Meredith Vickers (Charlize Theron), the only non-human on board is an android named David (Michael Fassbender). Prometheus lands near some structures which, upon investigation, reveal evidence of life, but the discovery has startling implications leading to a desperate struggle for survival that threatens the earth.

The film is not without some surprises and plot twists, and without giving too much away, Scott likes to end his films with an ambiguous sense of hope. There are some unanswered questions, however, and there is one glaring injustice that gets lost amid the film’s fascinating conclusion. One pivotal, incredible scene involves a remarkable, graphic emergency surgery that strains the limits of credibility, but nevertheless holds the viewers’ agonized attention.

The story has a compelling setup and when the crew goes inside the structure, they discover a series of chambers that takes the journey closer to potential answers or deadly threat. It’s like the ultimate funhouse of terrors. It’s also a safe bet that nasty things happen when curious humans meet invasive, alien life forms.

Having to live up to its predecessor, Prometheus builds its own fascinating world and broadens storyline implications for future films. It’s not Alien, whose novelty and groundbreaking creature designs stunned audiences, but there are certainly enough connections to draw parallels between the two films. Alien is referenced in several ways including bits of dialogue, a sampling of Jerry Goldsmith’s original theme, and culminating with markedly familiar set pieces. (Ironically Alien itself was a big budget reworking of a B-movie, It the Terror from Beyond Space.)

The film does feel a bit derivative at times and borrows liberally from other science fiction classics. The early scenes where David is the only conscious crew member who wiles away his solitary existence with basketball, watching holographic dreams of the hibernating crew, and admiring Lawrence of Arabia, harken back to the Discovery crew of Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey. Some scenes are not original as they seem lifted right out of Alien vs. Predator, Leviathan and various episodes of TV’s The X Files.

Fassbender, who shines in the film, does a very convincing job imbuing his android with almost human characteristics and a potentially sinister side. Think of 2001’s disembodied computer HAL and you get the idea. Strong female leads are a staple of Scott’s films (Thelma and Louise), and Rapace is a strong female heroine whose faith is sorely tested amid personal loss and her obsessive hunt for the truth about mankind’s beginnings.

Cinematography has always been a strong point in Scott’s films, and the film’s stunning visuals display the planet’s otherworldly beauty. The production design is imaginative particularly inside the structure with its myriad of biomechanical architecture and impressive special effects. Swiss artist H. R. Giger, who designed the original Alien monster, contributes a bit of reverse engineering that fans will appreciate.

Prometheus is a thought provoking adventure that not only can stand on its own, but rises tall among most science fiction films. It’s a visually impressive epic with an ambitious agenda that doesn’t completely work, but even so, this antecedent to Alien is a worthy bookend to the series.

*** of **** stars

Whedon Assembles a Mighty AVENGERS

In the 1960s, Marvel Comics pioneered mature storylines for its super heroes, of whom many have been successfully adapted into blockbuster films (Spiderman). The Avengers were a group with individual icons like Iron Man who had already established identities contrary to The Fantastic Four and X Men. Marvel began to feature stand alone films that methodically built this core of characters, and several years later, it has culminated in The Avengers, a thoroughly entertaining adventure that never fails to engage and ‘marvel’ its intended audience. As orchestrated by versatile writer/director and comic book fan Joss Whedon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), the results set a high standard in filmic super heroics; it’s nirvana, a comic lover’s dream come true.

The Tesseract is a cube with unknown powers and coveted by the fiendish Loki, Thor’s half brother. Kept for study by SHIELD, the elite security agency, (and once possessed by The Red Skull in Captain America: The First Avenger), the cube can open a doorway to another dimension. When Loki steals the cube to unleash a demon army and conquer the earth, the SHIELD agents are no match for his supernatural powers. What to do? Who ya gonna call?

Well, there’s nothing like ‘puttin’ the band together’ for the first time. Assembled by SHIELD director Nick Fury (Samuel Jackson) and aided by Agent Coulson (Clark Gregg), the Avengers Initiative sought to collect special operatives in the event of an insurmountable threat that was beyond human response. These Avengers comprise of six extraordinary individuals: an otherworldly warrior, Thor (Chris Hemsworth), a genetically enhanced superhuman from the past, Steve Rogers AKA Captain America (Chris Evans), a meek scientist, Dr. Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) and his anger induced, gamma radiated monster, The Hulk; inventor Tony Stark, in super armor as Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), and two SHIELD agents, master archer Hawkeye, Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner), and top assassin Black Widow, Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson).

When Loki’s legion of soldiers descend on Manhattan, it’s ‘Avengers Assemble’ time. Drawn by remarkable circumstances and led by Captain America, it’s teamwork at its finest as The Avengers battle these nasty hordes to save the earth.

After initially bickering and fighting each other, it is fascinating to witness such disparate personalities coalesce into a fighting unit as they flow from self to selflessness. This film can stand on its own for newbies not familiar with the previous films, but it certainly does not hurt to have seen Captain America: The First Avenger, Thor, Iron Man, and The Incredible Hulk. Whedon and company neatly tie the threads of those films together with sufficient focus given to each hero’s personal life.

We learn some interesting background on Romanoff and Barton, who you think would be outmatched by their superhuman colleagues, but they more than hold their own and figure prominently in the explosive climax. Rogers, the honorable, idyllic soldier, has to adjust to a world like a modern day Rip Van Winkle. Dr. Banner keeps his anger at bay, but what will that mean for the Avengers if it can’t be controlled? Whedon also cleverly includes familiar supporting characters e.g. Stark’s assistant, Pepper (Gwyneth Paltrow), from other the films.

All the stars perform ably including Tom Hiddleston who is appropriately devious as Loki. Downey, who clearly improvised much of his dialogue, has a rousing, good time. Jackson embodies Fury as the manipulative leader who does whatever it takes to safeguard humanity.

This is the third movie version of The Hulk, and while Ruffalo does a very good job as the sensitive and haunted Banner, his alter ego beast actually behaves so unpredictably that some of his actions become comedic and the results are a riot. To say more would spoil some hilarious moments. The filmmakers got this Hulk right.

A couple things don’t quite add up like how does The Hulk decide to be a do-gooder at a critical moment? Who is the mysterious Council (resembling the Syndicate from The X Files) that SHIELD answers to, and what are their intentions? There are, however, nice touches like the Stark building in the finale and what is left of its logo as an obvious tribute to the Avengers. When the grand showdown is imminent, there is a marvelous circular shot of the Avengers that is iconic.

When the evil army attacks, one is reminded of Ghostbusters and the apocalyptic scenes of Superman II and any Transformers film. Whedon, though, never forgets to include intimate moments and details. Although each Avenger gets a heroic moment to shine, the film never loses sight of personal loss amid the spectacle. The film is also about self sacrifice, and people do perish in this film including a major character.

Despite a 143 minute running time, the film is full of subplots and well-paced action, and every bit of the enormous, effects laden budget is on the big screen. The Avengers is perhaps not the best super hero film ever made, The Dark Knight being the apex, but it is the most complete, entertaining, multi-hero film to date. The question now is what do you do for an encore, and how can anyone hope to top let alone match this achievement? It would require the abilities of a James Cameron or Peter Jackson, or maybe studio executives can plead for Whedon’s return. Let’s hope so. (Do stay for the end credits for a double dose treat.)

*** ½ of **** stars (add 1/2* for Marvel comic fans)

Greed and Love Intersect in THE RENDEZVOUS

A cinematic exercise in film noir with a touch of modern fatalism marks the promising debut of writer-director Stephen Smith’s short film, The Rendezvous.

A beautiful, married woman, Alice, opens a closet safe and extracts a special locket which contains a mysterious, glowing object of great value. Together with her lover, John, they conspire to betray her husband and to sell the locket for an astronomical sum.

At the rendezvous in a posh mansion, she comes across a special package which contains sexy, provocative lingerie and the promise of romantic adventure. But as she searches the house for John, a sudden and terrifying realization leads to a tense cat and mouse pursuit and ultimately a violent, ironic fate.

Smith wastes no time building suspense, especially in the moments as Alice, dressed in vulnerable, provocative clothing searches the house for John and hears a nostalgic, ominous song which beckons her. Polished visuals by cinematographer, Mike Panzcenko, Jr., are complemented by clever use of sound or lack of it. The musical score by Mark Koval enhances the scenes without being overstated. Production values are topnotch, and computer generated, pyrotechnic effects are effectively rendered.

The film, whose tone of betrayal echoes such noir classics as Jade and Body Heat, reflects Smith’s cinematic background including the tense editing of Alfred Hitchcock and the static, impersonal mood of Stanley Kubrick.

Anouk Dutruit shines as Alice, the femme fatale, whose sultry beauty belies her greed.  The film essentially focuses on her point of view and pulls in the audience as complicit participants to a crime ã la Hitchcock. Ken Arnold is appropriately menacing as Alice’s husband while Michael Davis registers in a brief turn as John.

Naturally at twelve minutes, the running time only allows for a bare minimum of storytelling. It actually could be considered one important sequence of a feature. One wonders what Smith can do with a larger, feature length canvas and a bigger budget. How about expanding The Rendezvous to its full concept as a more complex narrative? We could learn more about the background of its protagonists. How did Alice and John meet, and where did the ‘great whatsit’ locket come from? Is it some exotic gem, a source of unworldly power, or a mystical artifact? Its enigmatic secrets allude to Quentin Tarantino’s glowing attaché case in Pulp Fiction and even Robert Aldrich’s Kiss Me Deadly with its memorable black box. Perhaps the locket is nothing more than a MacGuffin, a Hitchcockian plot device.

The Rendezvous is a fine exercise in emotional tension that demands repeated viewings to study and appreciate Smith’s command of his craft. In a way The Rendezvous is a classic tragedy in modern trappings complete with immoral subterfuge. Consider this a nice stepping stone to bigger and more ambitious endeavors from a rising talent.

*** of **** stars

The Bloodsport of THE HUNGER GAMES

A mega-best selling trilogy by Suzanne Collins has spawned this first installment, The Hunger Games, adapted by Collins, Billy Ray, and director Gary Ross for the big screen as a satisfying adventure thriller featuring a terrific performance by budding superstar, Jennifer Lawrence. The film avoids the pitfalls of previous best-sellers turned into films that lacked a sound structure for the uninitiated readers (as in The Da Vinci Code); it works quite well for newbies. The filmmakers have kept the main storyline compelling and emotional within the framework of an action film.

 

In the not too distant future, a group of twelve districts has been punished for 74 years for a failed rebellion. Each year, they must participate in a random lottery or ‘reaping’ of their youth for a lethal competition, a fight to the death with only one winner. The games are grand, lavish events that are in essence, public executions in the guise of entertainment. There are specific rules and boundaries except when they suit the whims of the game masters. Food, weapons, and supplies are made available but not without an accompanying danger, and there are sponsors who can provide life saving assistance and support in timely ways.

In one district, Katniss (Lawrence) is a teenage girl who is good with a bow and arrow and dotes after her younger sister, Primrose, and their mother. She is close to a boy, Gale (Liam Hemsworth), who has strong feelings for her. When Primrose and a boy, Peeta (Josh Hutcherson), are chosen for reaping, it sets off a surprising series of events including a desperate sacrifice by Katniss as the chosen few must train for their lives in a competition that is televised nationwide. The contestants are feted like celebrities and are mentored by a former survivor named Haymitch (Woody Harrelson) with support from Cinnas (Lenny Kravitz effective in a brief role). When these modern day gladiators are released into the wild, loyalties are tested and survival instincts take over, and a grand spectacle is replaced by a grim fate that awaits all but one survivor.

Director Ross (Seabiscuit) knows how to tell a good story and he is aided immensely by a strong cast that melds newcomers with seasoned veterans like Harrelson, Wes Bentley, Stanley Tucci, and Donald Sutherland. Special mention goes to Elizabeth Banks as a macabre emcee. Lawrence (Winter’s Bone) shines in a physically demanding role, but she never shortchanges her ability to show feelings and angst in a convincing way. You root for her and feel her pain. Her portrayal of Katniss has a genuine decency and soul which, despite the savage nature of the games, reveals her humanity for the world to see. Might her actions and deeds register among the masses and have far reaching consequences?

This brave new world of deadly sport (that plays like a perverted version of TV’s Survivor), is authentically realized by impressive set designs and costumes which contrast two disparate worlds-a pauper class of citizens and the gaudy elite. If much of this film’s storyline sounds familiar, it draws from pop culture sources as Shirley Jackson’s short story, The Lottery, and films like The Most Dangerous Game, The Truman Show, and The Running Man. Even elements of Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 and George Orwell’s 1984 come to mind with its oppressed societies and ever watchful video screens, and when cannon fire signals a fallen victim, it echoes moments from Capricorn One. The sacrificial humans are dubbed ‘tributes’, a contradiction of terms not unlike Orwellian propaganda and its mixed meanings e.g. “War is Peace”.

While The Hunger Games ends in a manner that could be considered a conclusion, it does leave events open to a followup. Strong, emotional ties that are formed during the games have powerful implications at home, and the outcome sets the stage for the germination of a movement. I for one am very curious what will happen next.

*** of **** stars (add ½* for Jennifer Lawrence)

OSCAR PREDICTIONS FOR 2011

I have seen all best picture nominees and couple of the others. Here are my picks. Enjoy!

BEST PICTURE-The Artist becomes the first silent film in 85 years to win this prize.
BEST ACTOR-I thought the best actor was George Clooney who acted his guts out in The Descendents. But his buddy Brad Pitt (Tree of Life, Moneyball) is siphoning votes leaving possible a win by Jean Dujardin who really excelled without saying a word. Isn’t it interesting there is no Ryan Gosling nominated since the vote was likely split among Crazy Stupid Love, Drive, and Ides of March.
BEST ACTRESS-One day Meryl Streep is going to get Oscar #3 but not in a mediocre film like The Iron Lady. My pick, Viola Davis, who should have won in Doubt, also registered briefly in Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. Honorable mention to Michelle Williams, superb in My Week with Marilyn.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR-Christopher Plummer in Beginners.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS-Octavia Spencer had the best scene in any movie this year.
BEST DIRECTOR-Michel Hazanavicius is an unknown but he put together a valentine to Hollywood.
BEST ORIGIAL SCREENPLAY-Midnight in Paris
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY-The Descendents although I loved Moneyball
BEST ANIMATED FILM-Rango
BEST FOREIGN FILM-A Separation
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY-The Tree of Life, a lock
BEST SOUND MIXING-Hugo
BEST SOUND EDITING-Hugo
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE-The Artist despite borrowing substantially from Vertigo.
BEST ORIGINAL SONG-Man or a Muppet just for the visuals of this song alone.
BEST COSTUME DESIGN-The Artist
BEST DOCUMENTARY-Pina
BEST ART DIRECTION-Hugo
BEST FILM EDITING-The Artist
BEST MAKEUP-The Iron Lady
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS-Hugo may sweep techie awards and upset Rise of the Planet of the Apes.
The Artist may end up with most awards at 5 technical followed closely by Hugo.

The ARTIST and the Golden Age of Tinseltown

The Artist is a little gem of a silent film that was shot in black and white. This clever throwback to old Hollywood was the work of a French production team with American support and headed by director Michel Hazanavicius. Not since Mel Brooks had the clout and audacity to make his Silent Movie in 1976 had a silent film been shot on a grand scale. Brooks had the advantage of blockbuster name recognition from his previous films and enlisting A list stars to do his film in color no less. The Artist has no superstars, and instead the film relies on telling a compassionate story that is surprisingly accessible to modern audiences.

In 1927 Hollywood, George Valentin (Jean Dujardin) is a matinee idol whose films are popular with the masses. At one Hollywood premier, he shows off his loyal dog (Uggie), and at the red carpet, he bumps into a fan, Peppy Miller (Bérénice Bejo), who has dreams of making it in movies. George’s home life is not so happy as his eccentric wife (Penelope Ann Miller) disapproves of his carefree antics. Meanwhile, Peppy auditions for and wins a bit part in a chorus line and by chance meets Valentin again who hires her for his film despite the grumblings of the studio boss (a wonderful John Goodman). During a dance club scene, the two have instant chemistry and a romance is blossoming even as Valentin has doubts and feeling guilty as a married man. When the studio begins to embrace the sound era, he refuses to change with the times and finds sinking box office grosses and waning popularity while Peppy is a fast rising star. When the stock market crashes, Valentin is ruined financially and, his career in a heap, all hope is seemingly lost until a shining beacon comes to his aid with a novel plan.

This is a silent film that caught everyone by surprise with its deceptively simple plot of romance, drama, comedy, and pathos. If that sounds like a Charlie Chaplin film, the kind of film they don’t make anymore, it’s because they haven’t for over eighty years! People who respond to this film owe it to themselves to rediscover the classic silent films like Chaplin’s City Lights and The General by Buster Keaton. The Artist is an ideal introduction to these and other masterworks.

The film borrows liberally from past cinema, and its main plot is right out of A Star Is Born. When Valentin is seated at the dinner table with his judgmental wife, it begs comparisons to the famous transitions at the dinner table in Citizen Kane. The scenes where the studio is switching to sound pictures is reminiscent of the same dilemma in Singin in the Rain. The dog, who steals the film, is terrific as comic relief and figures in a scene where he attempts to rescue his master from a burning building-Rin Tin Tin anyone?

Although the musical score by Ludovic Bource is quite good particularly in the playful main theme, it uses several minutes of a love theme from Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo for a climactic sequence. It works just fine, but purists who recognize Bernard Herrmann’s haunting score may find it a tad annoying. There are also a couple brief instances when actual sound is employed to great effect.

There are memorable moments including a loyal chauffeur (James Cromwell) who refuses to leave Valentin during his decline. There is a sentimental scene where Valentin has sold all his belongings and stands wistfully at a pawn shop, his refection superimposed with a tuxedo on display. And this may be one of the only times you see someone flip the bird in a silent film!

Sure, some of the scenes are filled with old fashioned movie clichés, but what is noticeable throughout the film is an energy and enthusiasm that becomes infectious even after the novelty of watching a soundless film wears off. And consider this-an engaging silent film with no nudity or violence that is riding a wave of sentiment and love all the way to the Oscars.

***1/2 of ****stars

A Life in Retrospect in The DESCENDENTS

Alexander Payne has written and directed films (Sideways, About Schmidt) about men at unique crossroads in life and coming to grim, sobering realizations that cause a reevaluation of the past and an uncertain future. In The Descendents, he focuses on a man’s family dealing with grief and the hidden truths that threaten to tear it apart. George Clooney is outstanding as a naïve husband and father who must confront life after a terrible series of events.

A water skiing accident in Hawaii has left a woman in a coma and her husband/lawyer, Matt (George Clooney), grief stricken and stunned by the news that she was having an affair with another man. It seems that everyone knew about the affair but Matt who was too busy with his work to even notice, and he must come to terms with it and rebuild his family. Matt’s daughters are a troubled ten year old Scottie (Amara Miller) and his older teen, Alexandra (Shailene Woodley) who has a spacy boyfriend, Sid. As the family realizes that their mom may never recover, they must make some major decisions, and Matt must find the truth even if it means confronting the man who stole her heart. Meanwhile, Matt, as the primary trustee for the extended family, has an impending major land sale he must decide upon that could be a financial windfall for his relatives. Determined to meet his wife’s lover, Matt does some detective work and, with some help from his daughters, finally arranges to meet the object of his obsession which causes him to reassess his own life and his relationship with his daughters.

This is Clooney’s film all the way, and he gives a thoroughly convincing portrait of a man betrayed and oblivious to his wife and his family. He is not the handsome, dashing Clooney of Oceans 11 or Ides of March but rather an unglamorous fellow who is vulnerable. The pain and realization he emotes is heartfelt. Woodley lends excellent support as the knowing daughter who helps her father’s quest.

Through much of the story you wonder if Matt will exact some kind of revenge on the creep or do something impulsive. That bit of tension only adds to an engaging plot. In the end, Matt does the right things and brings closure for his family. The final shot is great as Matt tries to become a dad again to his girls. A major subplot involving the land deal gets even more complicated as surprising information is revealed when Matt investigates his wife’s lover. There are occasional moments of hilarity as when Matt is at the end of his rope and resorts to asking Sid for advice. It is a riot of a moment.

There are good details which add to our understanding of Matt’s family including his cranky father-in-law (Robert Forster) and a mother-in-law who has Alzheimer’s disease. What is special about a film like this is that each major character evolves through events and changed to a degree by the end (including spacy Sid). That marks good character development. These are not cardboard caricature but fully etched individuals with weaknesses like anyone, and our initial impressions about each are dispelled by film’s end.

The Hawaiian scenery is gorgeous but never used as a travelogue. It merely sets the scene as did the wineries in Sideways and in some ways, the tropical paradise serves as counterpoint to the despair and angst that Matt must endure.

You could imagine a Broadway version of this story since it relies more on characters and situation. The film makes you care for and sustain interest in the main characters (brought to life by a strong cast) and what happens to them. In the end, there is sadness and regret but also hope, the kind of hope that strengthens and bonds a family.

***1/2 of **** stars

The HELP and the Women Behind the Scenes

Based on the best seller by Kathryn Stockett and adapted and directed by her childhood friend Tate Taylor, The Help is a personal film that is affecting in its depiction of social injustice in the treatment of black females who served as nannies and maids in the Old South during the turbulent 1960’s. As an ensemble piece, it features a host of memorable, Oscar caliber performances.

A black female, Aibileen (Viola Davis), in Jackson, Mississippi, during the 1960’s relates a story of life during that period where white families relied on black housekeepers to cook, clean and even raise their white children. These housekeepers in effect became second mothers to these children and did so for generations. Aibileen works in one such household, as does her combative friend, Minny (Octavia Spencer), who works for the stern Hilly (grandly played for nastiness by Bryce Dallas Howard). Fresh from college, Skeeter (Emma Stone) has a reunion of sorts with her old friends (including Hilly) from the community. Absent is the local outcast, Celia (Jessica Chastain), who is shunned by the group. Dreaming of being a writer, Skeeter has been curious about the life of these house servants and the injustices and humiliating treatment they must face that border on outright racism that has been passed down from family to family. Even as a child, Skeeter has fond memories of her own housekeeper Constantine (Cicely Tyson) who left one day under mysterious circumstances. Encouraged by her publisher, she decides to write a book based on the experiences of these servants. Under the fear of being discovered and fired (or worse), one by one these black women come forth to tell their stories. When civil rights activist, Medgar Evers, is murdered, it creates a firestorm of violence as these women risk everything to get the truth in print, and the results will forever alter their lives.

As a chronicle of a lesser known civil rights issue and injustice, this film offers some interesting insights into a modern form discrimination. While most of the white community is portrayed as villains and almost caricatures, perhaps that’s just the point: that such a backwards culture existed not that long ago. There are a number of subplots including the attempts to set up Skeeter on a blind date and Celia’s awkward attempts hide her domestic inadequacies from her husband by hiring a maid. Then there is the fate of Skeeter’s Constantine that is heartbreaking.

As much as the acting is superior across the board, the film does not quite work as a whole as well as one would hope. The narrative seems a bit uneven so things don’t flow smoothly from scene to scene. It’s the only thing that keeps the film from being even better than it is. In a way the parts or scenes are better than the whole, and many of those scenes are quite good and authentic. Despite its serious subject, the film does have its humorous moments especially in the infamous confrontation between Minny and Hilly where justice is served! It is the highlight of the film.

There are any number of performances that shine particularly Davis (a standout), Spencer, Howard, Chastain, and Stone. Even Sissy Spacek has a witty, offbeat role as an elderly mom at odds with her daughter Hilly. But it’s the film’s moments that will stay with you; they buoy The Help into our hearts.

***1/2 of **** stars

A Genius Is Rediscovered in HUGO

Martin Scorsese has a deep love for movie history and film preservation. Both passions are imbued in Hugo, a charming tale of a child’s personal search that leads to a treasure of memories and redemption.

At a Paris train station in 1931 a young boy, Hugo Cabret (Asa Butterfield) lives a solitary existence. The train inspector (Sacha Baron Cohen) lurks about looking for stray children to send to the local orphanage. One day Hugo notices an elderly watchmaker (Ben Kingsley) who sits lonely and silent. Joined by a curious girl, Isabelle (Chloe Grace Moretz), the two join forces to investigate the old man and learn that there is much more to him than meets the eye. Add to this a mysterious mechanical man built by Hugo’s father and known as an automaton whose cryptic writings may provide clues to the past. But how to unlock these secrets? What the young couple finds will lead them back to the old man as there seem to be a surprising connection, and through the old man, a remarkable past is rejuvenated that will harken back to the birth of movies.

As the mysterious, old man, Ben Kingsley provides the gravitas to flesh out a character that at first seems dull and lonely, whose past catches up and reveals a lifetime of hope and genius heretofore forgotten by the public until Hugo and Isabelle rediscover it. The kids are well cast although Hugo comes across a bit of an oddball whereas Isabelle is a sweet girl who compliments him. Cohen, quite effective in a villainous role, is properly mean and threatening until he has a change of heart near the end, and you wish there had been more of him because his character evolves toward the end.

In fact the whole heart concept permeates Hugo. There is the budding love between Hugo and Isabelle, the old man’s romance in his past, and even the hint of love from a flower girl. There is the heart shaped key that unlocks the automaton’s mechanism. The automaton serves as a static character, a kind of Pinocchio in scenes where Hugo talks to it in the absence of his father. Above all, it’s all about a love for movies past and present.

It is clear how much Scorsese loves movies in smaller, intimate scenes as when Hugo and Isabelle sneak into a Harold Lloyd film or when he shows snippets from earlier moving images. The main thrust of Hugo’s plot provides Scorsese the excuse to restage classic kinescope and film clips. It’s like reliving history. Film buffs will love these moments as Scorsese lovingly and painstakingly recreates early silent film. We see history and magic being made simultaneously!

A minor problem with the film is that it feels a bit uneven at times, and you never feel fully engaged with the characters as much as you want to be. Hugo and his friend Isabelle should be the focus all the way, but the film seems to occasionally stray from their journey. As a couple, they are more tentative and reserved than Harry Potter and his friend Hermione in the Harry Potter series. It lacks a strong emotional center. One wonders how a director like Steven Spielberg or Tim Burton would have interpreted the story.

Technical and production quality are superb. This is a fully realized fantasy world especially with the overall design and art direction and costumes within the train station and immediate neighborhood. Even the visual effects work well within the story without being a distraction.

The film does works for both children and adults. Hugo in a way represents the painful and joyous past that people keep hidden until it is released by patience and love.

*** of **** stars

A Boy’s Quest in EXTREMELY LOUD & INCREDIBLY CLOSE

Ambitious in concept, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close is the love story of a troubled boy whose bond with his father transcends death and events beyond his understanding. Director Stephen Daldry (Billy Elliott, The Hours) has put together an interesting study in post trauma and rediscovery. It doesn’t always work, but it still registers on an emotional level.

A funeral signals the death of a family member and a boy’s alienation to the world. In flashbacks, Oskar (Thomas Horn), who has trouble communicating and may have Asperger Syndrome, adores his father (Tom Hanks) who challenges him with riddles and treasure hunts to meet people outside his apartment. Both father and mother (Sandra Bullock) are loving parents, and the world becomes an interesting laboratory for exploration and discovery. Life is idyllic until 9/11 when everything changes and Oskar is witness to his father’s last moments trapped in one of the Twin Towers. A year later, looking in his father’s closet, he discovers a key in an envelope with the letters ‘black’. Who or what does the key belong to? Oskar sets out to find out by systematically tracking down every ‘Black’ in the phone book and visiting each person for a clue. This big scavenger hunt is at best a daunting task.

His grandmother who lives across the street has a mysterious renter (Max Von Sydow) who does not speak and can only communicate by jotting on a note pad or displaying ‘yes’ and ‘no’ written on each hand. The renter takes a liking to Oskar and accompanies him on his quest. This is a search that proves overwhelming as each person they find has a story too. When all hope seems lost, the road leads back to that fateful September morning and opens Oskar to the truth about his parents and himself.

At first you wonder if this hunt will be meaningful and be rewarded or if it is a waste of time. Oskar’s obsession keeps him connected to his father; to fail is to lose whatever he has left of that relationship. In a way, it is about trying to make sense of his father’s death and coming to terms with it. It is also about the forgiveness of guilt that nearly consumes Oskar.

You kind of think that at some point a miracle may occur or that something profound may happen, but what does reveal itself does not quite answer all the questions, and maybe that’s just the point to the film, that life is part mystery and we never truly understand its riddle.

When you take stock of all the people that Oskar encounters, you realize that every one of them can sympathize or has suffered some kind of loss, and how they react to that in relation to Oskar shows how the trauma of loss can be a common bond. You wish you could learn more about some of these people.

Von Sydow gives a memorable performance without uttering a word as the renter who has a personal, family secret. Why does he remain mute? Was he a survivor of something so traumatic like the concentration camps of Europe that he does not speak? In a supporting role, Viola Davis is effective playing a character who figures prominently at the beginning and the end.

In the end, Oskar has learned something about himself and his family, and through his journeys, he has matured in a new post-9/11 world. Ultimately, the revelation at the end is bittersweet and that without the power of forgiveness, closure is incomplete. It also speaks to a part of humanity that we all share.

*** of **** stars

The Remarkable Lessons of MONEYBALL

Truth may be stranger than fiction, but when the sports world is shaken by a methodology that will revolutionize the business of baseball, it becomes an amazing story born out of need. Adapted from the Michael Lewis’ bestseller by Aaron Sorkin (The Social Network) and Steven Zaillian (Schindler’s List) and directed by Bennett Miller (Capote), Moneyball is a fascinating look at how the sport of baseball was turned on its head and its implications that reverberate to this day. It’s also about the bond a father has with his daughter that is stronger than any contract.

In 2001, Oakland Athletics general manager and former player Billy Beane (Brad Pitt) is trying to keep his star players from being bought by financially wealthier teams like the New York Yankees. Desperate to field a winning team with a hopelessly limited budget, he happens upon an analyst for the Cleveland Indians named Peter Brand (a winning Jonah Hill) who has statistics to back up his theory that the best players are not necessarily the costliest ones. Rather than compete with the big teams, Beane realizes that the underrated players who are statistically on base the most will translate into runs scored and ultimately wins. The remarkable thing is that these players can be obtained at bargain basement salaries. The concept goes against conventional wisdom and immediately creates friction among the veteran scouts and even the A’s manager (played to perfection by Philip Seymour Hoffman). A former star recruit himself, Beane blew his chance for stardom at an early age and is now sharing custody of his teenage daughter with his ex-wife (Robin Wright). He loves his girl and fears that losing his job will force him to move farther away from her. As the team begins to show signs of becoming a winning organization, a remarkable string of wins begins that will make history and have far reaching consequences for the game of baseball.

This is one of the best roles Pitt has ever had. The dialogue is perfectly suited to him, and he delivers flawlessly. It’s the kind of role you could easily picture with a younger Robert Redford. When he says things that stun his personnel staff by deviating from common practice and status quo, it is a hoot. I mean he really shakes things up because he is willing to try just about anything to win games, and it also means changing a culture of losing into a winning attitude. Just watching the negotiations and deal making behind the scenes is fascinating. You also get a realistic perspective from the clubhouse as players come and go, but these are people too with families, and the film does not shortchange this point of view.

What elevates this film from its novel plotline is the genuine relationship between Billy and his daughter that influences his priorities. He isn’t just a general manager but a father, and the film never loses this perspective to its credit. When the team’s fortunes change dramatically by the end, an astonishing opportunity presents itself to Billy that puts him at a career crossroads, and the baseball world takes notice.

Even non-baseball enthusiasts may find this a fascinating story because it is character driven with strong performances by its cast. (Sports movies get made with semi-regularity, but when did a studio make a film about personnel management of a major sports team?) When you think about the recent championship success of teams like the Boston Red Sox and look at this film, the connections are mind boggling. And while this new age in personnel management is a story onto itself, the one constant through it all is a father’s love for his daughter. Top notch all the way.

**** of ****stars

MIDNIGHT IN PARIS -A Valentine to the City of Lights

One of the most productive and sought after directors (by actors), Woody Allen, has made dozens of films that deal with the often turbulent relationships between men and women. Almost exclusively a New Yorker by heart, Allen has begun a renaissance of sorts with his exploration of European settings in particular Paris, France, and although his films of the past decade have varied in quality, his latest, Midnight in Paris, is a standout and represents the writer/director at the top of his game.

Opening with a spectacular collage of vignettes, Paris never looked more enticing or romantic (Manhattan redux). At the fabled Giverny, Monet’s source of inspiration, an American couple, Gil (Owen Wilson) and Inez (Rachel McAdams) are engaged to be married and yet squabble constantly. An idealist, He is smitten by the culture and history of Paris, and one night while strolling the streets alone, a vintage car drives by and gives him a ride to a café. Gil realizes that he has been transported to 1920’s Paris and is mingling with the celebrities of its heyday including some famous American ex-patriots like Ernest Hemingway, Gertrude Stein, and F. Scott Fitzgerald. Gil is struggling with a novel and needs some advice, so who better than Gertrude Stein (amusingly played by Kathy Bates) to critique the manuscript? Upon his return to present day Paris, Gil wonders if it was all a dream but the scene repeats itself the next evening at midnight when he meets Pablo Picasso and the beautiful Adriana (Marion Cotillard), who captures Gil’s fancy. Thinking that Gil has lost his mind, Inez begins to show interest in another male friend. Meanwhile Gil is obsessed with Adriana, and as the couple visits the Moulin Rouge, they find themselves transported to an even earlier, romantic period in French history. Gil finds that Adriana has her own ideas about life, and he is about to find true love in the unlikeliest of places.

This is Allen in high gear and, though it does not necessarily rank among his best, it certainly is a throwback to his vintage period of Manhattan and the film that this will be most compared to The Purple Rose of Cairo, with its similar combination of wistful fantasy, storybook romance, and sophisticated comedy. You do wonder how Gil and Inez could ever become a couple considering how much they bicker about most everything. It’s also interesting how Allen uses a bit of sleight of hand by focusing our attention on Gil and Adriana that we miss an obvious connection. Such is love.

Gil is a surrogate for Allen’s inner voice. (One could even picture a younger Allen actually performing the role.) He is also a romantic in contrast to Inez’s friends who are intellectuals. As for Paris, it plays a supporting role as its landmarks are adoringly featured throughout the film without detracting from the characters or story. It is clear Allen is smitten with the City of Lights as he was with his home base of New York City.

There are some amusing scenes including the fate of a private investigator hired to follow Gil and ends up caught up in a different time running for his life. When Gil listens to old Cole Porter recordings or sees Picasso paintings in a museum, the joke is that he actually has met these men in real life! In another scene, Gil suggests to a young director, Luis Bunuel, a film idea which is the plot to The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie that he will make many years later (and win an Oscar). As Salvador Dali, Adrien Brody hams it up to great effect in a brief scene.

Sure Allen has made some good films recently like Match Point and Vicky Cristina Barcelona, but it’s been a long while since he made anything as imaginative, comedic, and romantic at the same time. Vive le Woody Allen!

***1/2 of ****stars

The Moments of Existence in The TREE OF LIFE

The Tree of Life is the latest film by reclusive director Terrence Malick (Days of Heaven, The Thin Red Line) whose previous films displayed a simple narrative abetted by haunting imagery. This film takes a step further by telling its story in grand strokes of imagery. Though its technique may lead some to wonder the point of this exercise and dismiss it as confusing, others will hail it an ambitious masterwork. Let the viewer beware.

One family deals with a personal loss as it ponders the meaning of life through the point of view of its oldest son (Sean Penn), now an adult in the business world. Celestial forces of nature signal the very creation and existence of the universe and provide a majestic background to the birth and evolution of life on earth. We witness the beginnings of an American family from the Midwest in mid-twentieth century. Led by a stern, proud father (Brad Pitt), and a doting mother (Jessica Chastain), three sons experience the joys and pains of growing up. Through a rapid series of short scenes, this tapestry of sounds and images forms a mosaic of life’s precious moments. All the while a voice asks the great questions of life and God.

Certainly the most ambitious film in the enigmatic director’s career, it is also the most challenging. This is pure cinema, and it is remarkable how the film is able to communicate visually albeit without much in the way of lengthy dialogue. These fragments of life almost seem surreal as if from a Fellini film. In a way it is kind of an experimental film on a grand scale. It seems to ask, ‘what is the purpose of existence amid great loss’? (Despite being a very spiritual film, creationists might not like the premise of some of the scenes that strongly suggest an evolutionary development of life on earth.)

Those who are able to decipher the abstract nature of Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey will likely have a clue on how to access the style and meaning of this film. Indeed, some of the impressive visuals were created by Douglas Trumbull (Blade Runner) who did the 2001 special visual effects and helped to realize Spielberg’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki has captured some stunning visuals of landscapes and life that are at times overwhelming in their beauty. The musical score alternates between classical and operatic pieces although one almost expects a minimalist, Philip Glass-type score to pop up.

There are many unanswered questions. Which brother died and how? And what is the background of the oldest brother as adult? How has the father changed since the loss of his son and how does this affect the family? As much as the oldest son asks for answers, we want more information and must settle for pieces from a larger puzzle.

The film serves as a search for meaning and hope amid the vastness of existence. As we see the father teach his sons about manners, chores, music, fighting, and death, we may see something in our own common, shared experiences. Life is portrayed as a series of events that sometimes blur over time.

This exploration of the meaning of life may prove to be too abstract and a turn off for some, but to those who are open to a visual experience unlike any other, it may prove to be a fascinating exercise in pure cinema. Kubrick would be proud.

*** of **** stars (for those that are game for a sensory experience)

The Nobility of WARHORSE

The courage of a horse and its bond with a young man amid the horrors of war serves as the backdrop to a saga of loyalty and survival in Warhorse, Steven Spielberg’s take on World War I and its effect on a British family. Adapted from a novel and inspired by the stage play of the same name, this is old fashioned filmmaking that could have easily been made 50 years ago back when epic war dramas like Lawrence of Arabia and Dr. Zhivago ruled the screens.

A teenage boy, Albert (Jeremy Irvine), and a colt, Joey, form a bond amid the English countryside. Albert’s mother (Emily Watson) worries over the house being repossessed as his father (Peter Mullan), an alcoholic and war veteran, struggles to harvest crops from the harsh land. Threatened with eviction, Joey is sold to the army to assist in the fighting in Europe during World War I. Heartbroken, Albert vows to find Joey and be reunited. We can see early on that Joey is a special horse who is smart and brave whether he submits to being a plow horse, outracing a motor car, or lugging German war machines up a mountain. As the years pass from 1914-1918 and the war amasses its destructive toll on men and animals on both sides, Joey’s ownership changes hands, but through it all, he finds a succession of kind souls to watch over him. When Albert joins the battle, an unlikely series of events will bring him closer to Joey.

Joey is an allegory to slavery as he is being sold as a commodity to hard labor and taken as property by either side in the war. The story is primarily told through his eyes, and each set of people Joey encounters has a personal story: the British officer who makes a promise to bring Joey back to his rightful owner, a young German soldier who dotes protectively over his brother, or a German farm girl who is cared for by her grandfather. In wartime, making friends and losing them is a way of life, and Joey is no different whether it is a human or fellow mare. Some common themes emerge from all these people, namely their affection for Joey and the toll that war exacts on loved ones.

Production values are superior especially the vivid cinematography by Janusz Kaminski who employs color schemes especially at the end that emulate the palettes of Gone with the Wind. Irvine is ideally cast as the son who refuses to give up on his horse and friend.

There are not a lot of the trademark Spielberg moments that you expect; Clint Eastwood could have been the director without much difference. There are memorable scenes that resonate including a tragic charge by British cavalry on a German position and an auction with an army ‘band of brothers’ pitching in for a worthy cause. Then there is the harrowing, desperate escape by Joey that culminates in him getting tangled in barbed wire in No Man’s Land and help coming from an unlikely source which results in a most unusual standoff. Such scenes may seem clichéd but register nonetheless.

The ending does have an emotional payoff, but there are some missed opportunities along the way. There are relationships that could have been developed more like Albert’s father who is a one dimensional character but has suffered trauma from a previous war. The possibility of romance for Albert during a race between Joey and a car carrying a pretty girl never develops. Spielberg also meant this as an antiwar film as in the scenes of brutal trench warfare where Albert witnesses his own comrades die, but such scenes are relatively brief and do not linger like his World War II saga, Saving Private Ryan.

Warhorse is about the bringing together of a family torn apart by war. It’s about the common humanity that unites strangers. It’s also about a boy turned man and his love for his horse.

*** of **** stars