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Often, films try to earn an emotional rise out of us that rests on simple tactics: to scare us, to make us chuckle and so forth. The really good films--the ones that endure--use these primal behavioral responses we create as their initial base and then these films continue to climb up our minds, hearts and way of living. Joseph Ruben's criminally underrated "Return To Paradise" is one of those really good films. Adapted from the 1989 French film "Force Majeure," "Paradise" follows three young guys having a great time in Malaysia. Alcohol, drugs, free-spirited sex with the locals and a beach hut help with this great time you see. The film's opening section closes with two of the guys headed back to the States. Tony (David Conrad) and Sheriff (Vince Vaughn) are on their way out when Sheriff throws the rest of their hashish into the beach hut's garbage can. The third guy Lewis (Joaquin Phoenix) decides to stay in Malaysia because he has plans to join some activist groups. Flash forward a couple of years later and a woman named Beth Eastern (Anne Heche) enters the picture. Things get real complicated from this point on.

It turns out that shortly after Tony and Sheriff left for the USA, Malaysian police officers came to the beach hut inquiring about a rental bike the trio hadn't returned. In their snooping around, they found the hash in the garbage can. This didn't turn out good for Lewis: the Malaysian government is very hard on drug dealers. And even though Lewis wasn't a drug dealer, there was well over the required amount of hash in the can when the police found it. This is why Beth's character is so complex. As Lewis' active lawyer, Beth has tracked down both Tony and Sheriff here in the States. She drops the news on them: Lewis will hang if Tony and Sheriff don't turn themselves in and serve 3 years each in a Malaysian prison. Beth also carries an unqualified emotional investment in the matter that is later explained.

Tony and Sheriff are pretty shocked to hear this piece of news. The idea that Lewis has been rotting in a Malaysian jail cell since their departure years ago is baffling. Further, Tony and Sheriff have moved on with their lives. Tony is engaged and ready to be married to a beautiful woman. Sheriff has carved himself a career as a limo driver. The days of Malaysian shenanigans are behind them. Why do they each have to sacrifice 3 years of their lives?

A film like "Return To Paradise" succeeds largely because we in the audience are searching within ourselves for an answer. Could we actually do this? Turn ourselves in and go to jail for 3 years? In another country?

Especially effective in this film are the performances by the principle actors. Light years before his blockbuster-molding persona as the frat pack funny guy, Vince Vaughn plays Sheriff as equal parts vulnerable and assured. Between Tony and Sheriff, Vaughn makes Sheriff the film's quiet hero. He may not be as accomplished as Tony but Sheriff has a value system that isn't fully formed until the film's close and this makes him tremendously accessible to the audience. Tony on the other hand may come off villainous in his reasoning but to paint him solely in that color would be unfair. Tony makes valid points regarding responsibility, reality and how the two can't be chosen at once. The juxtaposition between these two characters highlight the film's raw power; it isn't about good vs. evil but rather an ethical argument of right vs. wrong.

Joaquin Phoenix is absolutely devastating as Lewis. It's an Oscar caliber supporting turn (a performance the Academy acknowledged by giving him a nod for the ridiculous "Gladiator," two years later) that is expertly written. Other "courtroom dramas" would have a character like Lewis bounce around for gimmicks, trying to play up the victim role. Phoenix--who is seen very little in the film--delivers cries, whimpers and words that are all from the gut. Nothing is forced. When Lewis speaks into a camera for a video that will be sent to Tony and Leiws, Phoenix makes it such a physical delivery that every word seems like it could be his last. Truly devastating moments are created.

Heche does her best work here. To go into depths about her character's being would mean revealing a crucial plot development. Let me just say that Heche, in every scene really, is challenged with letting her character fall into the one-note seductress or high-brow power figure. She rises above those shortcomings gracefully. To watch her scenes with Vaughn, especially in the third act, are truly rewarding. In a late scene she reaches her hand out to Sheriff and he holds her hand. The two look at each other without saying anything. That moment is great.

But enough for now. Go out and Netflix it or hit up the Blockbuster. And then share it with your friends. You won't be sorry.

 

Posted by nelsoncarvajal at 01:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

 

There is a moment in Wes Anderson's "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou" when the title character (effortlessly played by Bill Murray) is desperately trying to convince his supposed son Ned Plimpton (Owen Wilson) that he--Steve Zissou--had dibs on a sexy, pregnant reporter (Cate Blanchett) who is documenting their sea voyage. Ned insists that Steve misspoke during an earlier exchange: "No, you said "Not this one Klaus."" Steve pauses for a second, levels his eyebrows and quips: "So you heard me."

It is precisely this sort of fleeting, way-under-the-radar humor that permeates throughout Anderson's grossly misplaced "Life Aquatic." Such a negative backlash began with the initial reception for this film that it plagued Anderson's subsequent filmography (a short named "Hotel Chevalier" and the feature "The Darjeeling Limited") with the misfortune of never being placed in the same universe of his "Royal Tenenbaums" or "Rushmore." So why bring "Life Aquatic" up now? We are on the eve (literally less than a week away) from the theatrical premiere of Anderson's latest opus: a stop motion Roald Dahl adaptation named "Fantastic Mr. Fox."

So in the world of film discussion/criticism/deconstruction, today is a watershed moment for the Anderson rhetoric. And you know what? "Life Aquatic" gets richer with every viewing.

I'll admit that when I first saw "Life Aquatic" I too was less than blown away. Of course, coming off the career highlight that was and still is "Royal Tenenbaums" (Anderson's sole Oscar nomination to date) the only way Anderson was going to top himself was by ______________ (I honestly don't know how). So in the first defense for "Life Aquatic" it had a hell of a cross to bear already.

Anyone reading this UNDERRATED SERIES piece is surely very familiar with this film (why else are you reading an online blog entry featuring a shirtless Bill Murray at the top?) and probably savors the movie as well. We know, as with most of Anderson's work, that "Life Aquatic" deals with the father/son dilemma and that painful search for familial identity--and more importantly acceptance. By the end of the film we learn that Ned Plimpton is not Steve's biological son ("Steve shoots blanks") but in the wacky, aqua-antics Zissou universe that scientific fact is irrelevant. After their eventful at sea odyssey, the relationship between supposed son and loner father reaches profound truths. Ned was and will endure in memory as Steve's son.  For a film steeped in hordes of science perhaps the biggest punchline the film offers is that sometimes one's real (or preferred) family is not of blood relation. In a way, by Steve Zissou accepting Ned Plimpton into his family (even after death) Anderson is sort of answering another desperate plea by a character he created in "Tenenbaums": Eli Cash (also played by Wilson). Who doesn't remember Cash's quietly brutal confession of "I always wanted to be a Tenenbaum" in that film?

But the resonance in the closing chapters of "Life Aquatic" is only half the picture. Charlie Kaufman explained in an interview regarding his "Synedoche, New York" that he tried creating a film that more resembled live theatre rather than an absolute movie. Kaufman said most movies were "dead." When watching live theatre, on the other hand, you never see the same performance twice. You can watch the same play over and over but each time your experience will be different. Kaufman does achieve it in "Synedoche."

And like Kaufman, Anderson achieves it in "Life Aquatic." In every scene, there are so many wheels turning, from the humor in the subtext of the screenplay to the massive set pieces involving multiple speaking parts, the film is seldom settled or still. By packing each frame of the film with such detail (a trademark of his) Anderson on the surface manages to make "Aquatic" look like his other films. Yet because his themes of loss and acceptance aren't as immediately clear in this picture, repeated viewings only enhance the film's relevance and payoff.  And when watching a DVD at home can be as inspired and exhilarating as watching live theatre unfold before your eyes, well that's pretty extraordinary. And if you roll your eyes at this feat, well allow me to quote Steve Zissou in Anderson's defense: "I mean, obviously people are going to think I'm a showboat, and a little bit of a prick. But then I thought... that's me. I said those things, I did those things. I can live with that."

Posted by nelsoncarvajal at 09:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

 

In March I wrote about Soderbergh and the bottom line is--I admire the guy. Greatly.  Peter Travers of Rolling Stone made the point of saying that Soderbergh really made fluff features like "Erin Brockovich" & the "Ocean's 11" trilogy strictly to have the finances and permission to make smaller, independent and more personal films like "The Good German."  It's a process I believe that is liberating.  Just last week I was fortunate enough to sit down and watch his latest indie project: "The Girlfriend Experience" starring porn star Sasha Grey.  Not a bad feat when considering the whopping masterpiece Soderbergh Directed earlier this year: "Che."  Yet, 2006 was a strange year for "The Good German."  It didn't bode well with too many critics and audiences.  It had a dicey Christmas release date and premiered around the same time as Robert DeNiro's similarly titled "The Good Shepard."  To this day, every time I mention "The Good German" someone immediately responds "Oh, that movie was too long & Angelina Jolie is barely in it."  Two things: 1) "German" is less than 2 hours (and is also in black and white!)  & 2)  Jolie is in "The Good Shepard"--not "German."

But now I'm veering off.  Back to Soderbergh's "German": Using solely the camera, sound & lighting equipment available during the heyday of B/W movies (1940s/1950s) Soderbergh purposefully limits himself aesthetically. Without the use of camera zooming (everything is in focus!) or having lava mics (thus just using a boom mic), what "The Good German" becomes is both a throwback to great cinema as well as a return to the old fashioned form of actually Directing.  Static shots often test the limits of direction.  There is no hiding from it.  You can't pull a Michael Bay and manic edit your way out a scene.  As an audience member you notice every shadow, figure, and performance. 

So what's the movie about?  Well the title does not refer to any of its marquee stars. George Clooney plays Jake Geismer, Tobey Maguire plays Tully (more on him in a bit) and the versatile Cate Blanchett plays Lena Brandt.  It's the end stages of the second World War and Berlin is the location for what looks to be a "Casablanca" marginal love triangle between our three leads.  The so called 'good' German character we don't meet until the third act.  Of course, as with any film that touches on noir (this film in particularly is up to its knees in it), nothing is what it seems and as the story unfolds we see character motivations that fuel the story--not the other way around.  Nowadays, writers treat story as a gimmick, a big "Gotcha!" punchline.  In today's films, there is the hostage situation in a hotel or a TV gameshow that plots the points along the way.  It's what we're used to. So if by the end scene of "The Good German," you feel the like the air has been let out, it isn't mistaken.  Here we have a universe chartered by morals, loyalties and hell, even romance.  The climax happens a good 15 minutes before the roll of end credits.  Dénouement was once an academic term you know.

On a final note, I must say that this is Tobey Maguire's film.  I don't know how awards and critics group passed him up on a Best Supporting Actor nod.  Though he has less than half of the screen time of both Clooney and Blanchett, his presence rings throughout the film as much as that of Jude Law's in "The Talented Mr. Ripley" or Rachel Weisz's in "The Constant Gardener."  Some have complained that Maguire's bad soldier boy performance is over the top & campy, but it is exactly what the material calls for.  Soderbergh isn't making "The Crying Game" with his "The Good German," but is lifting the veil of the American cynicism hiding in those classic B/W films.  Maguire is the wretched embodiment of the American dominant male that was muted in every Bogart picture.  I mean he has the balls to call Clooney a "stupid fuck" after beating him senseless outside of a Berlin bar.  You don't need a lava mic for that.

Watch the trailer for Soderbergh's missed gem here.

 

 

Posted by nelsoncarvajal at 02:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

 

Before the masses of Johnny Depp fans crowd the auditoriums this summer for the highly anticipated "Public Enemies," let us take the time to revisit an overlooked gem of Director Michael Mann: "Ali." As the next in a filmography of such 90s seminal masterpieces as "Heat" and "The Insider," "Ali" (2001) was set to start the new millennium with measures of unparalleled success. Even Steven Spielberg declared, before Mann shot a single frame of photography, that it would "be the greatest boxing movie ever made."

Well, it didn't score a Best Picture Oscar nomination (just acting nods for Will Smith & Jon Voight in his scene stealing Howard Cosell role) and it didn't exactly draw the massive crowds of other Smith vehicles like the wretched "I Am Legend." So what happened?

Three hours of dizzying editing (a mixture of long takes and awkward digital shots), scenes that did not seem to fit in the movie at times (the entire Malcolm X subplot for example) & a misjudging of desires on behalf of the movie going audience. For every two people, one was there to see the Fresh Prince of Bel Air do some boxing and the other was there to be emotionally enveloped in a cop-bad guy/journalist-whistle blower Mann-type sophisticated thriller. 

What "Ali" was and still is, is a grand love letter from an adoring champion of film to a champion of the most brute and physically dangerous sport practice: boxing. If Muhammad Ali can be seen as the stubborn practitioner of employing personal style into an otherwise preordained field of work, so too can Michael Mann. A big pusher of High Definition filmmaking, Mann in these last years has pissed off colleagues and moviegoers with labors of love such as "Miami Vice" (2006) and the upcoming "Public Enemies" (2009)--a period mob movie that is so pristine in its picture, it looks like an HD History Channel special (judging from the theatrical trailer recently released). Where's the film-look? Where's the glamour? Where's the mystique?

Perhaps Mann found in Ali's at times bleak--if not wholly colloquial--vernacular, a sort of profound beauty. Ali would just tell it like it is. Mann obviously likes to show the world in his films, in a magic-less way evoking gritty realism. In other words, Mann shows it "like it is." But yet again, I digress.

It's easy to love the film to great extents now, with the luxury of the DVD, where you can revisit certain segments and fight scenes (notably the one against Sonny Liston which seems to cast a shadow over the ending fight with Foreman). But in case you don't have several hours to dedicate to this underrated whopper of a movie, at least watch the opening sequence/montage which triumphantly captures every theme, prejudice, aesthetic look, performance and overall celebration I think the film represents to Mann. And if you catch yourself quietly taken away by an image or a movement, well that's just the beginning.

Watch that sequence: "ALI" OPENING MONTAGE 

 

Posted by nelsoncarvajal at 01:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

After a night of partying at the neighbor's, Bacon--readily buzzed--gives his sister-in-law a hard time about her side profession: hypnotism. She in turn performs an act of hypnotism on him but in the process accidentally opens a paranormal door in his psyche that creates a channel of communication with a dormant spirit in his home. And rather than turn up the shock volume with shaky camera movements or over the top gore, Koepp keeps a tight rope around his narrative letting the scares arise sheerly through the fact that we start to believe more and more in--ghosts. Or at least forms of an afterlife actually existing.

It's not a preaching movie. Not a message movie. Even though the ending offers some sort of closure to characters (dead and alive) there is a haunting final shot of Bacon's son looking out the back of a car window. The events and every "scare" moment leading up to the impressive final act (all English majors sit up and listen: write the word "foreshadow" down) are all a result of the stellar acting--pay special attention to character actor Kevin Dunn--and an awesomely controlled atmospheric aura of "Oh Shit-ness." Some critics have given the movie guff for some overly-symbolic gestures, like "digging" for the truth (see the pic above), but to say that these attributes take anything away from the movie is simply not true.

In a time when almost every American horror movie is a remake of a far superior foreign film, "Stir Of Echoes" is a thrilling gesture toward U.S. audiences, one that is sure to stay with you for some time.

In the first addition The Underrated Series, "Stir Of Echoes" reminds us that going to the Blockbuster or renting from Netflix can offer us some of the best entertainment around these days.

Oh, and Happy Halloween. 

Posted by nelsoncarvajal at 03:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)