The Master (2012)
Grade: D
Written and Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams, Ambyr Childers, Rami Malek, Jesse Plemons and Laura Dern
PREMISE: A war veteran suffering from alcohol addiction and mental illness falls in with the wealthy intellectual who runs a cult and potentially offers a new way of life.
Rated R for Strong Sexual Content (including Graphic Nudity and Graphic Sex-Related Dialogue), Language, and Intense Emotional Content
If you've never heard of Paul Thomas Anderson's The Master before this review, let me assure you you will hear of it again. Later this fall, and throughout the winter, this film will undoubtedly be in the discussion for many year-end awards, including Oscars. It will almost certainly be (not without reason) in the race for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor, and will likely be talked about as a contender for other top prizes including Best Original Screenplay, Best Director, and Best Picture. After all, writer/director Anderson's offbeat films (1998's Boogie Nights, 1999's Magnolia, 2007's There Will Be Blood) have long been pulls to the Academy's outre, quirky-is-good tastes.
Which is a shame, quite frankly. Oh, the acting is good (and I will gush a little bit about stars Joaquin Phoenix and Philip Seymour Hoffman a little bit later on), there are some memorable images, the cinematography is impressive, and certain set pieces are so involving that it takes a while for dissatisfaction with this film to grow, but, when it does, it stays. That's because The Master, an entirely original film that is intended, no doubt, to double as a commentary, a jab, and, possibly, a partially autobiographical account, is a half-story. The movie starts, the characters are established, the relationships are established, and then it all falls apart....for no actual, clear reason. All of a sudden, people who have accepted the hapless main character reject him with such venom that he falls back into loneliness and despair, and no reason is given. Oh, some are implied, but none are really given! And that's devastating for a film that, despite its oddness, draws you in. It's a nasty tease--presenting a well-acted, thought-provoking movie that's pretty to look at, but cheating the audience out of a real satisfying experience, or even a very complete one.
Oh, but, of course, that's "art". The Master will be around the end-of-year awards circuit because it's "art", and those of us who just don't get it aren't sophisticated enough to appreciate the "artistry". Right.
Plot: After fighting the Japanese in the Pacific campaign of World War II, impulsive, addictive Freddie Quell (Phoenix, powerful) becomes a victim of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. He's not wanted at home. He has nowhere to go. He begins a series of lowly jobs, whether it's as a portrait-taker at a mall studio or a cabbage farmer out west. His pitifully-poor choices and reliance on alcohol betray him at every turn. Forced to flee his farming job after allegedly poisoning a coworker, Quell sneaks onto a fancy yacht headed for the open sea, on which a festive party is taking place. Discovered after drinking and making a scene, he comes face to face with the man financing the voyage, Lancaster Dodd (the electrifying Hoffman), a husband and father and a doctor who has recently written a book about a movement he's started, "The Cause", a mix of Pantheism and Scientology that brings all beings together throughout all time, going back (possibly) before the creation of the earth. The Cause stresses patience and meditation as the keys to overcoming one's animalistic impulses. Allegedly.
Something in the disturbed, broken Freddie inspires Dodd, who begins writing again and takes him in, where he rubs shoulders with Dodd's sharp-tongued wife (Amy Adams), promiscuous newlywed daughter (Ambyr Childers), jealous son-in-law (Rami Malek) and skeptical lookalike son (Jesse Plemons). While Freddie doesn't take to The Cause very easily (his dependence on alcohol and impulsiveness-and, possibly, inherent psychosis-make that impossible) he nonetheless finds something in these people, particularly the wise, fatherly Dodd. But the rituals keep getting weirder and weirder. The practices keep going farther and farther afield. It is discovered that Dodd faked his doctor's credentials. People begin turning their backs on Freddie for his refusal to give up drinking. Dodd's second book is so far afield that is alienates even some of his most dedicated followers. And, somehow, Freddie is seen as the problem.
What Doesn't Work?
First of all, the movie doesn't come out and say anything directly. What inspired Dodd to create The Cause isn't known, the "help" The Cause gives people isn't revealed, any real motives for the people to reject Freddie aren't given, and the film keeps presenting The Cause and its practices as weirder and more foolhardly simply-it seems-because Anderson wanted it that way. Is this film meant to be a stab at Scientology? Probably. Is it meant to be a stab at all religion in general? Maybe. Sure, there are a few underlying themes (and what themes they are: even if The Master were more straightforward, Anderson's nihilistic themes wouldn't necessarily make this movie easier to like):
- Some people are utterly beyond help
- People, especially those who are a part of a religion or cult, will chew you up and spit you out if you don't become what they want you to become
- All people are crocks, and corrupt
- It's all meaningnless anyway.
Combine those last two, and you wonder if Anderson (whose much-celebrated Blood was also a furiously-dark, nihilistic film about an irredeemably dark-hearted man) is trying to say life is meaningless, or human existence is meaningless. Maybe religion is meaningless? Frankly, if you're going to aim for that, at least make your movie mean something. Ambiguity is cool sometimes, not as the main feature of a 137-minute film. The non-ending, brought about by unexplained causes, is unbelievably unsatisfying (and depressing), and that comes only after you begin to have doubts around the one-hour mark. What's with all the nudity during one sermon/sing-along romp led by a giddy Dodd? What's with the newylwed daughter making eyes at, and groping, the hollow-eyed Freddie, only to venomously criticize him at her father's knee later? What is the point of a back story describing Freddie's much younger lost true love? What is the basis of The Cause? Why are Dodd's followers so slow to realize he's just making everything up?
As I said, I believe Anderson is taking shots at the establishments, practices, and dedicated followers of religions, and he's also, undoubtedly, celebrating that, after Night, Magnolia, Blood and 2004's Punch-Drunk Love, he can put anything he wants onscreen and some people will hail it as genius. Or at least New Age. To me, The Master is depressing, nihilistic, and annoyingly pretentious.
What Does Work?
Jonny Greenwood's score and Mihai Malaimare Jr.'s cinematography are both terrific, giving The Master the makings of something really good, so it's a shame they're in service of a film is ultimately an empty shell. Ditto for the two leads, who are both deserving of awards recognition--Phoenix has the self-hating, self-pitying, rage-filled loner down to a T (all those emotions are clearly present in his eyes and face throughout the film) and Hoffman is dynamite as both a crock-in-denial and as a leader/master who will not accept anyone's doubts or criticisms. The two have a few moments together onscreen (including a bravura sequence in which Phoenix must answer a quick sequence of emotionally-grueling questions without blinking his eyes) that are incredibly powerful. It wouldn't surprise (or disturb) me to see either of these two actors in the year-end awards races; I'm just sorry they weren't given a better film to be a part of.
Content:
Surprisingly crude. Other than a few sexual encounters of Freddie's that bookend the film, there's that shocking sequence where, suddenly, every female onscreen is naked, and another in which Adams snarls nasty nothings into Hoffman's ear while excitedly caressing. This obsession with lust and sex would make the film unlikable enough, even if it didn't end up being an overall dud. There's also scores of F-words and sexual references, and Phoenix's character's erratic behavior can make this a tough one to watch.
Bottom Line: Whatever director Paul Thomas Anderson intended The Master to be-a jab at religion, a jab at Scientology, a study in hopelessness or a historical fiction-it's undermined by an ambiguous, muddled plot, eyebrow-raising randomness, and a mean-spirited undertone. Some of the acting is fine, but you should definitely skip this one.
The Master (2012)
Directed and Written For the Screen by Paul Thomas Anderson
Rated R
Length: 137 minutes
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
THE LORAX
The Lorax (2012)
Grade: C
Featuring the Voices of: Danny DeVito, Ed Helms, Zac Efron, Taylor Swift, Betty White and Rob Riggle
PREMISE: A young man seeks to woo his pretty neighbor by presenting her with a rare Truffula Tree, but to find such a tree, he must visit the mysterious Once-ler to hear where the trees have gone.
Rated PG (contains some action and rude humor)
First, you have to admire the filmmakers' nerve,
To have Taylor Swift in a musical, yet not sing a verb.
And then they took a story that's enchanting but terse,
And to make it a movie created a whole universe!
The Lorax, The Lorax, by the great Dr. Seuss,
The latest kids' book forced to pay its own dues;
By being turned into a movie that isn't so great,
This is, of late, all great children's books' fate.
The Grinch, The Cat, and Horton Hears a Who,
Were none of them masterpieces; sadly, it's true.
Like them, The Lorax will almost surely make you laugh,
But it's got more than one rather obvious gaff.
First there's Rob Riggle as a cheap, sleazy villain,
Who, like several songs, is mostly a fill-in.
Then there's a long and redundant, predictable chase,
That, when over, will leave in your mind not a trace.
Story:
Ed Helms, as the Once-ler, is frighteningly good,
As a guy with ambition who's misunderstood.
When he cuts down the Truffula trees, nature cries,
and then the little Lorax (Danny DeVito) descends from the skies.
The Lorax tells him what he's doing is wrong,
That the pretty environment will only last for so long.
But so obsessed is the Once-ler with making and selling his thneed,
He forgets about the pretty things in the world we all need.
Eventually greed gets the better of him,
Leaving him forgotten, alone, a penniless shut-in.
His spirit is revived when a boy (Zac Efron) asks about trees--
There's a really pretty girl (Swift) he's eager to please.
The Once-ler, it turns out, does have one Truffula seed,
But trees grow contrary to the main villain's greed.
He makes money, you see, by making people pay for air,
Thus filling the coffers of his company, O'Hare.
He's a gazillionaire, yes, and if there's one thing he won't see,
It's trees alive again, since they make air for free.
Ultimately this new story isn't the best,
It's pulled on and dragged out 'till it's nearly a mess.
Some of the voices are good, and the animation bright,
But The Lorax won't make true Seuss fans sleep easier at night.
Maybe it's best if we leave kids' books alone;
Why ruin people's favorites when they're all grown?
The Lorax is okay (honestly, I'd say rather bland),
But it'll work for most people; it'll meet their demand.
The bottom line, here, maybe this is all this review took:
I'd say you're better off reading the book.
The Lorax (2012)
Directed by Chris Renaud and Kyle Balda
Written for the screen by Ken Daurio and Cinco Paul; based on the book "The Lorax" by Theodore Seuss Geisel (Dr. Seuss)
Rated PG
Length: 86 minutes
Grade: C
Featuring the Voices of: Danny DeVito, Ed Helms, Zac Efron, Taylor Swift, Betty White and Rob Riggle
PREMISE: A young man seeks to woo his pretty neighbor by presenting her with a rare Truffula Tree, but to find such a tree, he must visit the mysterious Once-ler to hear where the trees have gone.
Rated PG (contains some action and rude humor)
First, you have to admire the filmmakers' nerve,
To have Taylor Swift in a musical, yet not sing a verb.
And then they took a story that's enchanting but terse,
And to make it a movie created a whole universe!
The Lorax, The Lorax, by the great Dr. Seuss,
The latest kids' book forced to pay its own dues;
By being turned into a movie that isn't so great,
This is, of late, all great children's books' fate.
The Grinch, The Cat, and Horton Hears a Who,
Were none of them masterpieces; sadly, it's true.
Like them, The Lorax will almost surely make you laugh,
But it's got more than one rather obvious gaff.
First there's Rob Riggle as a cheap, sleazy villain,
Who, like several songs, is mostly a fill-in.
Then there's a long and redundant, predictable chase,
That, when over, will leave in your mind not a trace.
Story:
Ed Helms, as the Once-ler, is frighteningly good,
As a guy with ambition who's misunderstood.
When he cuts down the Truffula trees, nature cries,
and then the little Lorax (Danny DeVito) descends from the skies.
The Lorax tells him what he's doing is wrong,
That the pretty environment will only last for so long.
But so obsessed is the Once-ler with making and selling his thneed,
He forgets about the pretty things in the world we all need.
Eventually greed gets the better of him,
Leaving him forgotten, alone, a penniless shut-in.
His spirit is revived when a boy (Zac Efron) asks about trees--
There's a really pretty girl (Swift) he's eager to please.
The Once-ler, it turns out, does have one Truffula seed,
But trees grow contrary to the main villain's greed.
He makes money, you see, by making people pay for air,
Thus filling the coffers of his company, O'Hare.
He's a gazillionaire, yes, and if there's one thing he won't see,
It's trees alive again, since they make air for free.
Ultimately this new story isn't the best,
It's pulled on and dragged out 'till it's nearly a mess.
Some of the voices are good, and the animation bright,
But The Lorax won't make true Seuss fans sleep easier at night.
Maybe it's best if we leave kids' books alone;
Why ruin people's favorites when they're all grown?
The Lorax is okay (honestly, I'd say rather bland),
But it'll work for most people; it'll meet their demand.
The bottom line, here, maybe this is all this review took:
I'd say you're better off reading the book.
The Lorax (2012)
Directed by Chris Renaud and Kyle Balda
Written for the screen by Ken Daurio and Cinco Paul; based on the book "The Lorax" by Theodore Seuss Geisel (Dr. Seuss)
Rated PG
Length: 86 minutes
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
BEETLEJUICE
Beetlejuice (1988)
Grade: B
Directed by Tim Burton
Starring: Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Catherine O'Hara, Jeffrey Jones, and Glenn Shadix
PREMISE: A couple of young, newlywed ghosts suffer outrage when a new family moves into their recently vacated home. Desperate to get "their house" back, they debate whether or not to use the services of an unpredictable jokester to scare the new family away and reclaim their privacy.
Rated PG (contains some grotesque bodily images, language and rude humor)
It's bizarre that my first real exposure to Tim Burton came in 2003, when I saw Big Fish. Oh, I'm sure I saw The Nightmare Before Christmas and Edward Scissorhands when I was younger, but Fish was the first movie I saw knowing it was a Tim Buton Film. A melodrama that contains some imaginative images, but is mostly a straight-laced coming-of-age/adventure story, it's got to be the black sheep in the director's filmography. It's not a bad film; in fact, to date, it might be my favorite movie the director's made. But that movie, which did not feature regular Burton collaborator Johnny Depp but did have Helena Bonham Carter in a small role, reflects little on the wicked creativity and dark impulses known from the director. Tell someone your favorite Tim Burton movie is Big Fish, and they'll probably look at you funny (they won't know what movie you're referring to anyway). Tell them it's Alice in Wonderland or Willy Wonka or Edward Scissorhands, and they'll know exactly what and who you're talking about.
Well, after a recent poll of what Burton films my friends like, this little number-which was released in theaters exactly a week after I was born-surprisingly came out on top. Beetlejuice was Burton's second full-length feature film, and, probably, the first that really showed the director's Touch. Before Depp, before Carter--and not even knowing it would eventually spawn an animated children's series (which I remember from my youth) that would run four seasons on ABC, Beetlejuice probably stands as the director's first "real" movie. A year before Batman, two years before Edward Scissorhands, eleven years before Sleepy Hollow and 24 years before Burton's most recent effort, Dark Shadows, Burton's weird touch and hilariously terrifying touches reached moviegoing audiences en masse. And we've never been the same.
Plot: Head over heels in love with each other and their new house, Adam and Barbara Maitland (Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis, both incredibly young) are living the dream. That is, until they both drown in a freak off-roading accident. They take to their new post-life existence well enough, once they find out they can't leave their house, but their peaceful but increasingly weird time together is disturbed when a new family suddenly moves in. The Deitzes feature a fussy yuppie matriach (Catherine O'Hara), a big-dreaming, peace-loving schlub (Jeffrey Jones), and a society-shunning Goth (Winona Ryder, also incredibly young). Deciding to scare this new family away, the Maitlands are stunned to realize that they can't scare the adults who don't believe in them, and the supernatural-embracing daughter is actually fond of them. Even when they possess the bodies and minds of the Deitzes and a group of fancy dinner guests, making them do the conga while singing in Jamaican voices, the reaction is amusement and money-mad scheming rather than fright.
While they've already learned of one failsafe way to a peaceful afterlife--hire a dirty-minded, dirty-faced, babbling miscreant (Michael Keaton in an outrageously-fun performance) to scare the family away--they don't want to resort to such unpredictable measures. But as the time goes by, and the Deitzes hire an exorcist (Glenn Shadix) to erase them forever from the house, they push the panic button. And then it's the Deitzes, their friends, and the exorcist who start panicking. Because that miscreant, Beetlejuice, has been kept quiet far too long. He's out, and ready to play, and he may just have special plans for the Deitzes's daughter.
What Works?
With the exception of the R-rated musical Sweeney Todd, I've seen every Tim Burton film since Big Fish, and so it's impressive when I say that Beetlejuice ranks near the top of the director's work in terms of characterization and flat-out entertainment. I won't deny that some of the visuals are cheesy, but the jokes are funny and the actors are game and fresh-faced. Unlike May's overindulgent Dark Shadows, which was entertaining but far too long at nearly two hours, this 90-minute filler ends at about the same time the inventiveness begins to run out--oh, if only more films followed suit. And it's a delight seeing Baldwin, Davis and Ryder so young and energetic, and all three deliver earnest, likeable performances. But, of course, it's Keaton in the title role that really picks things up.
If I didn't know it was Keaton going in, I probably wouldn't have guessed. While I only recently saw Keaton/Burton's two Batman films, I have seen Keaton in unusual roles before, such as the deceased father-turned-snowman in Jack Frost. He also killed audiences everywhere with his joyfully scene-stealing role as the voice of the fey Ken doll in Toy Story 3. Here, looking like a cross between the Jack Nicholson and Heath Ledger Jokers and acting like an even more bombastic and crass Captain Jack Sparrow, Keaton gets to mince some really funny jokes and really delicious monologues in his slurred, snarling brogue. It is a slight surprise that Keaton gets so little screen time (I'd say he's only in about 30 of the film's 90 minutes), but it's nice to know that this is the movie that inspired the animated series, rather than the other way around. Too many TV series' or movie remakes have been ruined because they're all about a single character or a single gimmick, so they have to look hard for a story into which to squeeze them. Yes, Keaton is what you'll remember about Beetlejuice, and this movie deserves him.
What Doesn't Work?
The exact function Keaton's character plays, and the drawn-out ending, might be a little convoluted, and, yes, the visuals are dated, but, for the most part, this movie is fun and intriguing.
Content: All Tim Burton movies contains a little weird or gross moments, and this one is no different. Small children might be scared (or appalled) by a scene in which Davis and Baldwin twist their faces into grotesque shapes while they ponder what forms might scare away the Deitzes, and they also visit an underground dead-people-servicing office (a mix between a waiting room and the cantina in Star Wars) which includes people who died of smoking and being run over by cars, and look it. However, most everyone will see that the effects are dated, and they're being used for comedic effect anyway. Keaton also says the 'f' and 's' words once each, and also visits (briefly) a brothel, but this is by and large a family-friendly movie.
Bottom Line (I Promise): Probably Burton's most minute-for-minute entertaining film, Beetlejuice is fun to watch, whether for some kickin' opening and closing music, the refreshingly-young faces of Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis and Winona Ryder, or for Michael Keaton's smelly, blustering mug. If you're a Burton fan, this is one is do-not-miss.
Beetlejuice (1988)
Directed by Tim Burton
Written for the Screen By Michael McDowell and Warren Skaaren
Rated PG
Length: 92 minutes
Grade: B
Directed by Tim Burton
Starring: Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Catherine O'Hara, Jeffrey Jones, and Glenn Shadix
PREMISE: A couple of young, newlywed ghosts suffer outrage when a new family moves into their recently vacated home. Desperate to get "their house" back, they debate whether or not to use the services of an unpredictable jokester to scare the new family away and reclaim their privacy.
Rated PG (contains some grotesque bodily images, language and rude humor)
It's bizarre that my first real exposure to Tim Burton came in 2003, when I saw Big Fish. Oh, I'm sure I saw The Nightmare Before Christmas and Edward Scissorhands when I was younger, but Fish was the first movie I saw knowing it was a Tim Buton Film. A melodrama that contains some imaginative images, but is mostly a straight-laced coming-of-age/adventure story, it's got to be the black sheep in the director's filmography. It's not a bad film; in fact, to date, it might be my favorite movie the director's made. But that movie, which did not feature regular Burton collaborator Johnny Depp but did have Helena Bonham Carter in a small role, reflects little on the wicked creativity and dark impulses known from the director. Tell someone your favorite Tim Burton movie is Big Fish, and they'll probably look at you funny (they won't know what movie you're referring to anyway). Tell them it's Alice in Wonderland or Willy Wonka or Edward Scissorhands, and they'll know exactly what and who you're talking about.
Well, after a recent poll of what Burton films my friends like, this little number-which was released in theaters exactly a week after I was born-surprisingly came out on top. Beetlejuice was Burton's second full-length feature film, and, probably, the first that really showed the director's Touch. Before Depp, before Carter--and not even knowing it would eventually spawn an animated children's series (which I remember from my youth) that would run four seasons on ABC, Beetlejuice probably stands as the director's first "real" movie. A year before Batman, two years before Edward Scissorhands, eleven years before Sleepy Hollow and 24 years before Burton's most recent effort, Dark Shadows, Burton's weird touch and hilariously terrifying touches reached moviegoing audiences en masse. And we've never been the same.
Plot: Head over heels in love with each other and their new house, Adam and Barbara Maitland (Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis, both incredibly young) are living the dream. That is, until they both drown in a freak off-roading accident. They take to their new post-life existence well enough, once they find out they can't leave their house, but their peaceful but increasingly weird time together is disturbed when a new family suddenly moves in. The Deitzes feature a fussy yuppie matriach (Catherine O'Hara), a big-dreaming, peace-loving schlub (Jeffrey Jones), and a society-shunning Goth (Winona Ryder, also incredibly young). Deciding to scare this new family away, the Maitlands are stunned to realize that they can't scare the adults who don't believe in them, and the supernatural-embracing daughter is actually fond of them. Even when they possess the bodies and minds of the Deitzes and a group of fancy dinner guests, making them do the conga while singing in Jamaican voices, the reaction is amusement and money-mad scheming rather than fright.
While they've already learned of one failsafe way to a peaceful afterlife--hire a dirty-minded, dirty-faced, babbling miscreant (Michael Keaton in an outrageously-fun performance) to scare the family away--they don't want to resort to such unpredictable measures. But as the time goes by, and the Deitzes hire an exorcist (Glenn Shadix) to erase them forever from the house, they push the panic button. And then it's the Deitzes, their friends, and the exorcist who start panicking. Because that miscreant, Beetlejuice, has been kept quiet far too long. He's out, and ready to play, and he may just have special plans for the Deitzes's daughter.
What Works?
With the exception of the R-rated musical Sweeney Todd, I've seen every Tim Burton film since Big Fish, and so it's impressive when I say that Beetlejuice ranks near the top of the director's work in terms of characterization and flat-out entertainment. I won't deny that some of the visuals are cheesy, but the jokes are funny and the actors are game and fresh-faced. Unlike May's overindulgent Dark Shadows, which was entertaining but far too long at nearly two hours, this 90-minute filler ends at about the same time the inventiveness begins to run out--oh, if only more films followed suit. And it's a delight seeing Baldwin, Davis and Ryder so young and energetic, and all three deliver earnest, likeable performances. But, of course, it's Keaton in the title role that really picks things up.
If I didn't know it was Keaton going in, I probably wouldn't have guessed. While I only recently saw Keaton/Burton's two Batman films, I have seen Keaton in unusual roles before, such as the deceased father-turned-snowman in Jack Frost. He also killed audiences everywhere with his joyfully scene-stealing role as the voice of the fey Ken doll in Toy Story 3. Here, looking like a cross between the Jack Nicholson and Heath Ledger Jokers and acting like an even more bombastic and crass Captain Jack Sparrow, Keaton gets to mince some really funny jokes and really delicious monologues in his slurred, snarling brogue. It is a slight surprise that Keaton gets so little screen time (I'd say he's only in about 30 of the film's 90 minutes), but it's nice to know that this is the movie that inspired the animated series, rather than the other way around. Too many TV series' or movie remakes have been ruined because they're all about a single character or a single gimmick, so they have to look hard for a story into which to squeeze them. Yes, Keaton is what you'll remember about Beetlejuice, and this movie deserves him.
What Doesn't Work?
The exact function Keaton's character plays, and the drawn-out ending, might be a little convoluted, and, yes, the visuals are dated, but, for the most part, this movie is fun and intriguing.
Content: All Tim Burton movies contains a little weird or gross moments, and this one is no different. Small children might be scared (or appalled) by a scene in which Davis and Baldwin twist their faces into grotesque shapes while they ponder what forms might scare away the Deitzes, and they also visit an underground dead-people-servicing office (a mix between a waiting room and the cantina in Star Wars) which includes people who died of smoking and being run over by cars, and look it. However, most everyone will see that the effects are dated, and they're being used for comedic effect anyway. Keaton also says the 'f' and 's' words once each, and also visits (briefly) a brothel, but this is by and large a family-friendly movie.
Bottom Line (I Promise): Probably Burton's most minute-for-minute entertaining film, Beetlejuice is fun to watch, whether for some kickin' opening and closing music, the refreshingly-young faces of Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis and Winona Ryder, or for Michael Keaton's smelly, blustering mug. If you're a Burton fan, this is one is do-not-miss.
Beetlejuice (1988)
Directed by Tim Burton
Written for the Screen By Michael McDowell and Warren Skaaren
Rated PG
Length: 92 minutes
Monday, September 10, 2012
LET ME IN
Let Me In (2010)
Grade: A
Starring: Kodi Smit-McPhee, Chloe Grace Moretz, Elias Koteas, Cara Buono, Dylan Minnette, Richie Costar, and Richard Jenkins
PREMISE: A lonely young boy struggling with bullies and his parents' impending divorce strikes up a friendship with a girl who possesses a deadly secret.
RATED R for blood and gory violence (including bloody wounds and other disturbing images), language, brief nudity, and intense emotional content including child bullying
Let Me In offers a stark contrast to most movies that are these days considered "horror". In the modern era, the term "horror movie" usually describes a movie that is about 90 minutes long, features a half-dozen or so hapless, paper-thin characters in an underdeveloped, easy-to-predict story, then begins gleefully killing them off, one by one. These movies tend to compensate for their lack of story with lots of loud music, graphic sex and, of course, gratuitous violence. In the past decade, a pair of films (Saw and Hostel) became multi-chapter franchises just because they impressed people (at the time) with their creatively original depictions of gruesome deaths.
Well, Let Me In, a 2010 film adaptation of the 2004 novel "Let the Right One In", by Swedish author John Ajvide Lyndqvist, isn't like those films. In fact, it puts those films to shame. Yes, it has a steadily-mounting bodycount and a major character who will, at particular moments, kill you as soon as look at you, but it's so much more impressive than other "horror" movies because it's a much better movie. Here, the story is resounding and real. Here, the characters are of paramount importance, which means the acting is also. Here, the cinematography matters. Here, the very things that earn this film the "horror" label (such as the presence of a violent supernatural being) are so not the focus that they're almost unnecessary-a flat-out distraction at points. But that's only because the movie, unlike most horror movies, is made with care, with purpose, and could actually have a lingering effect on the average moviegoer. In short, for a person like me, who's big on movies but tends to shy away from "horror" movies, it's a dream.
Plot: Twelve-year-old Owen (Kodi Smit-McPhee) is barely living life anymore. It's more like he's just surviving, just continuing to take breaths. He's living in a tiny Los Alamos, NM apartment with his erstwhile, soon-to-be-divorced mother (Cara Buono), who's always either working or drinking or sleeping on the sofa. When he's not at school being bullied (his primary nemesis is a nasty older boy named Kenny, played by Dylan Minnette), he's haunting the apartment complex's quiet courtyard, buying Now-And-Laters at convenience stores, or watching a neighboring couple (Sasha Barrese and Dylan Kenin) fight and make up with depressing regularity.
But, one day, two new faces come to live in the complex. There's a worn, weary old man (Richard Jenkins), and a quiet, pretty girl about Owen's age (Chloe Grace Moretz). Owen soon meets the girl, who, like him, tends to haunt the one piece of jungle gym equipment in the courtyard by night. Soon, he's taught her how to arrange a Rubix Cube and how to tap Morse Code, which gives them an additional way to communicate, since their respective bedrooms share a wall. However, he only ever sees her at night. Of course, what he can't know is that the girl is actually a very lethal bloodthirsty, demonic creature (never specifically identified as a vampire) whose "father" spends his nights finding victims for the girl to drink. Soon Los Alamos is reeling from a series of hideous murders, but Owen and the girl, Abby, are growing closer and closer. Sure, she doesn't seem to eat anything, she never comes out during the day, and she walks barefoot in the snow without complaint, but he likes her. She even advises him to fight back against his schoolyard nemeses. But, one day, he tries to make a blood pact with her, sending her into an otherworldly frenzy. Understandably spooked, he tries to figure out if there's a way to remain friends with the girl who still taps on his wall at night. But the number of murders in the town is steadily growing, and there's a detective (Elias Koteas) putting all the facts together and getting close to discovering the killers' identity.
What Works?
Unlike most horror movies, the set-up, characters, and actual story (read: not special effects) are riveting. Owen's lonely, essentially-parentless plight would probably be very familiar to many young kids, as would his gnawing fear of bullies and his desire to keep his one real friend at all costs. Kodi Smit-McPhee is tremendous in the role, by turns endearing and heartbreaking, always convincing. Unlike many child/pre teen roles, it doesn't require a particularly showy performance, but Smit-McPhee makes a lasting impression. As does his co-star, Chloe Grace Moretz. I was so impressed by the young actress's work in last winter's Hugo that I've now seen several of her films, including this and Kick-Ass, which brought her onto the movie scene in a big way in the second half of 2010; she's now gearing up for a remake of Stephen King's Carrie. As with McPhee, she's here inhabiting an against-type child role: most young female roles are very flirtatious, very emotional, or very tragic, none of which apply here (okay, so, there is a lot of tragedy to Abby and her circumstances, but they're very different from those, say, AnnaSophia Robb or Dakota Fanning have endured onscreen). Moretz and Smit-McPhee have absolutely wonderful chemistry, and are truly endearing as a pair (one scene, an unusual sleepover in which Owen asks Abby if she'll go steady with him, is as beautiful and intimate a scene as I've seen in a while).
Not only is the acting solid, but the other aspects that normally make a good movie are all terrific. There are some world-class suspense sequences (one in particular might set a new bar for "Oh-my-gosh, oh-my-gosh" nail-biting tension), some unexpected twists, some searing, lasting images, and the soundtrack is sometimes noticeable but never distracting. This is also the rare movie that is the perfect length--while I wouldn't have complained about another scene or two in the company of these fine young actors, this 116-minute film did not feel a second too long or too short. Every single scene had something meaningful in it, and that is a truly rare feat.
What Doesn't Work?
To me, the only thing that didn't work were some of the horror elements. I don't mind the director and composer not trying to scare me every few minutes with loud BANGS and things jumping out of the dark, but some of the vampiric special effects reek of cheesy CGI, and, also, there are times when the cold-bloodedness of the "necessary" murders gets to you, particularly when you consider that a child's well-being is the reason they're being carried out. The actors are endearing enough to allow you to move forward, but there is some rough stuff here, and, unlike dozens of meaningless, forgettable deaths in other horror movies, they land with a gritty thud.
Content:
Let Me In probably can't compete with Freddy, Jason, Michael Myers or The Texas Chainsaw Massacre as far as blood, guts, and overall dismemberment goes, but this film is still very bloody. Most close-up images of wounds are disturbingly real, and you never forget the victims are human. There's also a handful of four-letter words and a brief shot of a topless woman, but, true to the horror type, the bloodletting is what brings home the R rating here.
Bottom Line (I Promise): Let Me In won't win many points with so-called "die-hard" horror fans because of its lack of spectacle, but it is an impressively meaningful and powerful motion picture, and how many horror movies can claim that? The two kids are tremendous, the writing and cinematography are handled deftly, and it contains more than a few moments you'll never forget. If you've got the stomach, this one may just be worth your time.
Let Me In (2010)
Directed by Mike Reeves
Written for the screen by Mike Reeves; based on the novel "Let The Right One In" by John Ajvide Lyndqvist
Rated R
Length: 116 minutes
Grade: A
Starring: Kodi Smit-McPhee, Chloe Grace Moretz, Elias Koteas, Cara Buono, Dylan Minnette, Richie Costar, and Richard Jenkins
PREMISE: A lonely young boy struggling with bullies and his parents' impending divorce strikes up a friendship with a girl who possesses a deadly secret.
RATED R for blood and gory violence (including bloody wounds and other disturbing images), language, brief nudity, and intense emotional content including child bullying
Let Me In offers a stark contrast to most movies that are these days considered "horror". In the modern era, the term "horror movie" usually describes a movie that is about 90 minutes long, features a half-dozen or so hapless, paper-thin characters in an underdeveloped, easy-to-predict story, then begins gleefully killing them off, one by one. These movies tend to compensate for their lack of story with lots of loud music, graphic sex and, of course, gratuitous violence. In the past decade, a pair of films (Saw and Hostel) became multi-chapter franchises just because they impressed people (at the time) with their creatively original depictions of gruesome deaths.
Well, Let Me In, a 2010 film adaptation of the 2004 novel "Let the Right One In", by Swedish author John Ajvide Lyndqvist, isn't like those films. In fact, it puts those films to shame. Yes, it has a steadily-mounting bodycount and a major character who will, at particular moments, kill you as soon as look at you, but it's so much more impressive than other "horror" movies because it's a much better movie. Here, the story is resounding and real. Here, the characters are of paramount importance, which means the acting is also. Here, the cinematography matters. Here, the very things that earn this film the "horror" label (such as the presence of a violent supernatural being) are so not the focus that they're almost unnecessary-a flat-out distraction at points. But that's only because the movie, unlike most horror movies, is made with care, with purpose, and could actually have a lingering effect on the average moviegoer. In short, for a person like me, who's big on movies but tends to shy away from "horror" movies, it's a dream.
Plot: Twelve-year-old Owen (Kodi Smit-McPhee) is barely living life anymore. It's more like he's just surviving, just continuing to take breaths. He's living in a tiny Los Alamos, NM apartment with his erstwhile, soon-to-be-divorced mother (Cara Buono), who's always either working or drinking or sleeping on the sofa. When he's not at school being bullied (his primary nemesis is a nasty older boy named Kenny, played by Dylan Minnette), he's haunting the apartment complex's quiet courtyard, buying Now-And-Laters at convenience stores, or watching a neighboring couple (Sasha Barrese and Dylan Kenin) fight and make up with depressing regularity.
But, one day, two new faces come to live in the complex. There's a worn, weary old man (Richard Jenkins), and a quiet, pretty girl about Owen's age (Chloe Grace Moretz). Owen soon meets the girl, who, like him, tends to haunt the one piece of jungle gym equipment in the courtyard by night. Soon, he's taught her how to arrange a Rubix Cube and how to tap Morse Code, which gives them an additional way to communicate, since their respective bedrooms share a wall. However, he only ever sees her at night. Of course, what he can't know is that the girl is actually a very lethal bloodthirsty, demonic creature (never specifically identified as a vampire) whose "father" spends his nights finding victims for the girl to drink. Soon Los Alamos is reeling from a series of hideous murders, but Owen and the girl, Abby, are growing closer and closer. Sure, she doesn't seem to eat anything, she never comes out during the day, and she walks barefoot in the snow without complaint, but he likes her. She even advises him to fight back against his schoolyard nemeses. But, one day, he tries to make a blood pact with her, sending her into an otherworldly frenzy. Understandably spooked, he tries to figure out if there's a way to remain friends with the girl who still taps on his wall at night. But the number of murders in the town is steadily growing, and there's a detective (Elias Koteas) putting all the facts together and getting close to discovering the killers' identity.
What Works?
Unlike most horror movies, the set-up, characters, and actual story (read: not special effects) are riveting. Owen's lonely, essentially-parentless plight would probably be very familiar to many young kids, as would his gnawing fear of bullies and his desire to keep his one real friend at all costs. Kodi Smit-McPhee is tremendous in the role, by turns endearing and heartbreaking, always convincing. Unlike many child/pre teen roles, it doesn't require a particularly showy performance, but Smit-McPhee makes a lasting impression. As does his co-star, Chloe Grace Moretz. I was so impressed by the young actress's work in last winter's Hugo that I've now seen several of her films, including this and Kick-Ass, which brought her onto the movie scene in a big way in the second half of 2010; she's now gearing up for a remake of Stephen King's Carrie. As with McPhee, she's here inhabiting an against-type child role: most young female roles are very flirtatious, very emotional, or very tragic, none of which apply here (okay, so, there is a lot of tragedy to Abby and her circumstances, but they're very different from those, say, AnnaSophia Robb or Dakota Fanning have endured onscreen). Moretz and Smit-McPhee have absolutely wonderful chemistry, and are truly endearing as a pair (one scene, an unusual sleepover in which Owen asks Abby if she'll go steady with him, is as beautiful and intimate a scene as I've seen in a while).
Not only is the acting solid, but the other aspects that normally make a good movie are all terrific. There are some world-class suspense sequences (one in particular might set a new bar for "Oh-my-gosh, oh-my-gosh" nail-biting tension), some unexpected twists, some searing, lasting images, and the soundtrack is sometimes noticeable but never distracting. This is also the rare movie that is the perfect length--while I wouldn't have complained about another scene or two in the company of these fine young actors, this 116-minute film did not feel a second too long or too short. Every single scene had something meaningful in it, and that is a truly rare feat.
What Doesn't Work?
To me, the only thing that didn't work were some of the horror elements. I don't mind the director and composer not trying to scare me every few minutes with loud BANGS and things jumping out of the dark, but some of the vampiric special effects reek of cheesy CGI, and, also, there are times when the cold-bloodedness of the "necessary" murders gets to you, particularly when you consider that a child's well-being is the reason they're being carried out. The actors are endearing enough to allow you to move forward, but there is some rough stuff here, and, unlike dozens of meaningless, forgettable deaths in other horror movies, they land with a gritty thud.
Content:
Let Me In probably can't compete with Freddy, Jason, Michael Myers or The Texas Chainsaw Massacre as far as blood, guts, and overall dismemberment goes, but this film is still very bloody. Most close-up images of wounds are disturbingly real, and you never forget the victims are human. There's also a handful of four-letter words and a brief shot of a topless woman, but, true to the horror type, the bloodletting is what brings home the R rating here.
Bottom Line (I Promise): Let Me In won't win many points with so-called "die-hard" horror fans because of its lack of spectacle, but it is an impressively meaningful and powerful motion picture, and how many horror movies can claim that? The two kids are tremendous, the writing and cinematography are handled deftly, and it contains more than a few moments you'll never forget. If you've got the stomach, this one may just be worth your time.
Let Me In (2010)
Directed by Mike Reeves
Written for the screen by Mike Reeves; based on the novel "Let The Right One In" by John Ajvide Lyndqvist
Rated R
Length: 116 minutes
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