August 23, 2008

Boy A

New Movie Review.

Written by Mark O'Rowe
Directed by John Crowley
Starring Andrew Garfield, Peter Mullan, Shaun Evans and Katie Lyons

Boy A is a heartbreaking drama about a child criminal (Andrew Garfield), who, after 14 years, is released back into society to start again. In the opening scene, we are introduced to the two main characters, the child criminal, now 24, and his fatherly caseworker, Terry. We are thrown into the story with practically no exposition. Straight away, Terry (Peter Mullan) tells "Boy A" he can name himself. After some consideration, he settles on the name Jack. He must assume a new identity to avoid a life of scrutiny and danger. There are people out there who would like to exact revenge. He starts his new life in Manchester, he gets a job with some sort of shipping company. He loads the company van with packages and delivers them around town. This will come into play later, in a powerful and important scene, when Jack discovers a car that skidded off the road. He frequently meets with Terry to discuss his reintegration into a normal life as well as his coming to terms with his past.

As the movie goes on, we see flashbacks to Jack's childhood leading up to the incident that lead to his incarceration. We see him as a passive boy, who's best friend, Phillip, is a budding sociopath. We learn early on that Phillip took his own life from the guilt. Soon we discover they murdered a little girl, but it is not until the end of the film that we see what happened. Even then, we don't see the actual murder. Jack is portrayed as a broken but well-meaning person with a nearly unbearable weight on his shoulders. He does, however, make friends at work despite his social awkwardness. He even gets a girlfriend, Michelle, played by Katie Lyons. They begin to fall in love, he and his friends become close and he becomes somewhat of a town hero. Of course, we know this can't last.

It's surprising how long it does last, percentage wise, in the plot of this film. The major conflict emerges late in Boy A. Once it arrives, what has been a thoughtful but slow film becomes fast-paced and devastating. Unfortunately, in society, a person can end up being defined by one action, one mistake. That is the case here. We see Jack as not just ordinary but a valuable member of the community, certainly not as a murderer. That is the point of Boy A, that Jack as an adult is responsible and kind hearted, and not the killer he was sentenced as. Of course taking a life is nothing short of horrific, but he was a child then. Now Jack has become the victim, and the inner struggle is too much to bear.

I was unsure of Boy A early on, especially because it relied so much on Andrew Garfield's performance. Thankfully, Garfield ends up being successful in creating his sympathetic, tortured character. Peter Mullan is also very good as Terry, bringing just the right amount of charm and sincerity to the role. They are both instantly likable on screen, and their relationship is one of the most interesting things in the movie. Katie Lyons is another endearing personality that helps the film's cautious pace work.

John Crowley's direction allows the movie to take it's time with each detail to develop every scene carefully. He knows he must present Jack as a believable human being or the film's point is lost. The sensual scenes between Jack and Michelle are masterful and achieve a level of realism in their relationship. I was disappointed that Crowley decided not to show the murder, which would have contributed a lot to the film. It's almost cheating to do so, it makes it too easy to be on Jack's side. A more fair film would have let us see the crime. I think Boy A could have been more provocative if they did.

The movie is rather slow but it pays off late, when the levee breaks. I was deeply affected by the ending, one of the more memorable sequences in movies this year. I don't think I can recommend this to all casual moviegoers, but if you're patient it's worth it. Or, if you are someone who believes strongly in second chances, you will believe strongly in Boy A.


August 06, 2008

Pineapple Express

New Movie Review.


Written by Evan Goldberg & Seth Rogen

Directed by David Gordon Green

Starring Seth Rogen, James Franco & Danny McBride


The latest Apatow production is Pineapple Express, a stoner action comedy starring Freaks & Geeks alumni Seth Rogen and James Franco. For those who don't know what Freaks & Geeks is, find out and watch it. It was how these guys got their start, discovered by Judd Apatow himself. It's great to see Rogen and Franco on screen together again, and it's especially great to see Franco doing comedy again. Rogen wrote the script alongside his childhood best friend Evan Goldberg, with whom he wrote Superbad. The story follows Dale Denton (Rogen) and his drug dealer Saul Silver (James Franco) on the run from some very bad people including a drug kingpin (Gary Cole) and a corrupt lady cop (Rosie Perez). Dale witnessed a murder and left his "Pineapple Express" joint he purchased from Saul at the scene. Ted Jones, the drug kingpin, discovers the joint, identifies it as the rare Pineapple Express which only Saul Silver sells and the chase begins.

From start to finish this movie is very fun, hilarious and even a bit sweet. The story of the budding relationship between drug dealer and buyer here is sincere. We see them go from virtual strangers to best friends, and it's very believable. The characters are also quite endearing. Saul is obviously very lonely and spends his time in his apartment watching TV, when Dale initially comes over just to buy some weed, Saul tries to get him to stay to hang out. Franco gives one of the better performances of the year by completely sinking into the character and making him a sympathetic, lovable person. Quite simply, James Franco is the best part of Pineapple Express. Dale is a 25 year-old process server who is in a relationship with a high school senior. Early on, we see him visit Angie (a very well acted small part by Amber Heard) in between classes. Interrupting their conversation is a high school jock who seems to have the hots for Angie, making Dale very uncomfortable. Dale is obviously insecure and Rogen brings a really sweet quality to his character instead of making him seem pathetic. Seth Rogen isn't exactly a method actor, but for what he does, he may be the best. When it comes to line delivery, improv and just the right amount of realism, Rogen is the man. The comedic chemistry between these two actors is undeniably awesome. A comic duo for the ages that hopefully will be reunited again.

The supporting cast is very good, but I don't see what the big deal is about Danny McBride. He plays Red, a middleman between Saul and Ted, who has to decide whether to sell out his friend or join him. Now, the character is kind of funny and he gets some great lines, but whenever he showed up in the movie, I kind of wish he didn't so we could have more Rogen on Franco only action. Craig Robinson and Kevin Corrigan are great and make their two characters, a pair of hit men after our heroes, more interesting than one might expect. Bill Hader pops up (when doesn't he?) as well. The film opens with a black & white flashback to when the US government was first testing marijuana. Hader is very funny as the guy who gets to test the weed.

The screenplay here is not as solid or laugh heavy as Goldberg and Rogen's Superbad, but it does deliver. However, there are some disappointing, major flaws. First of all, the movie works best when it's somewhat grounded in realism. I'm not saying get rid of the action or car chases, but a specific scene comes to mind. There's a point where Dale goes to Angie's house to have dinner with her family. It goes about as bad as possible, as the parents figure out Dale is stoned. What doesn't work, is the dad gets furious and grabs his gun, and fires it at Dale, seemingly trying to kill him. This bizarre act is so over the top I was taken right out of the movie. Before that point in the film, my subconscious was dreaming of handing out another perfect score to the Apatow clan. The next flaw is a scary one as it is a sign of weak writing. The wonderful subplot that is the love story of Dale and Angie is left unfinished. One of the best parts of the whole movie is a phone call between the two of them, but it ends up being the last we hear of that storyline. It's an unforgivable lazy mistake to leave that open-ended, especially when one more scene would have been enough and it could have been one of the more affecting moments of Pineapple Express. Luckily, this movie has more successes than shortcomings so we can try and forget the bad, but no one can claim this movie is perfect.

Uber-talented indie director David Gordon Green made an unexpected career move by signing on to do this film. Thank the heavens he did, because he was the perfect choice for Pineapple Express. He has a real eye for comedy and brings the film up a level of credibility and quality. He and director of photography Tim Orr made this movie look beautiful and even sophisticated. Whether it's Dale trying to drive out of a tight parking spot, or Saul doing the worm, it all looks a little better than it should. It's a rare occurrence having such an artistic director do this, but I hope to see it again. I also hope that the mainstream exposure will help Green be noticed as one of the better directors working today.

Pineapple Express is not on the level of the Apatow classics (The 40 Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up, Superbad, Forgetting Sarah Marshall) but it's still better than nearly all else in the world of comedies today. It is a lot of fun, with memorable lead performances and a little heart and sincerity which helps make it one of the best comedies of the year.

August 04, 2008

My Winnipeg

New Movie Review.

Written & Directed by Guy Maddin
Starring Ann Savage, Amy Stewart, Brendan Cade, Wesley Cade

Guy Maddin's My Winnipeg is a surreal mix of fact and fantasy in the form of a documentary. It follows writer/director Maddin's bizarre decision to reenact his childhood in Winnipeg, a place he claims to have never left. He states at the beginning of the picture that his goal is to move on and finally leave Winnipeg. Easier said than done, it seems, as we see him on a never ending train ride out of town throughout the film. He has hired actors to play his family. His two brothers, one who would die at 16, his sister, his mother and even his chihuahua (now replaced with his girlfriend's pug). Oddly, in the film, he claims the actress playing his mother is actually his mom who agreed to do the project, but it is an actress by the name of Ann Savage. This is the type of deception you are subjected to during My Winnipeg. Maddin, who narrates nearly the entire 80 minutes, spins stories of his youth as well as Winnipeg's. The tricky thing is, sometimes the stories seem a little far-fetched, while some stories are very believable and in fact true. It becomes obvious he is embellishing or perhaps completely making things up. However, it doesn't matter that some things are fact and others are fiction, because they're all true. What do I mean? That's as hard to explain as the movie itself.

The type of stories you'll hear are how, after a stable fire at a racetrack, horses fled into a river and froze to death, with their heads above the ice. The townspeople would visit the dead horses for romantic walks and picnics. Or how Maddin himself, was born in the dressing room at the Winnipeg arena during a hockey game. Whether he was actually born there during the game isn't the point, he was born with hockey coursing through his veins.

I have to mention that this is the first and only Guy Maddin film I have seen. More specifically, all in one day, I discovered who he was, that he has made great films, that My Winnipeg was playing downtown and now I'm writing this review. I am now compelled to seek out all his previous work, in the hope of finding the same originality and flare evident here. My Winnipeg is such a fantastic breath of fresh air to enjoy amongst summer blockbusters. A reminder that convention is the enemy and that artistry and depth are to be valued more than explosions and one-liners. That success isn't always making a movie that people want but making a movie the film maker is driven to make. Maddin shoots his film in black and white, with a silent film era-like nostalgia, and mixes it with historical archive footage. The result is a very unified, potent look that makes for one of the most memorable visual experiences to be had in a movie theatre this year.

Guy Maddin's narration is pitch-perfect. His voice is commanding but gentle, and he weaves in and out of dreamlike prose in a hypnotizing manner. He makes sure to repeat himself. "Winnipeg...Winnipeg...Winnipeg". He describes Winnipeg as a sleepy place. "...It has 10 times the sleepwalking rate of any other city". As he repeats this, we see him dozing on the train. We become mesmerized. It is clear he has issues with family. The portrayal of his mother is sometimes frightening. This is a very personal work, but strangely it feels universal. He guides us through his history and we relate and recall our own.

My Winnipeg is very much a meditation on memory. Maddin describes his unique childhood home to us, but admits it always changes shape and size in his dreams. However, it's still his home. The whole fact vs. fiction thing is very much a recurring theme. The film is also an examination of how where we come from shapes the person we will become. This is a thought I had previously dismissed, but this movie has caused to me to reconsider. It isn't necessarily the specific location that affects us, although it is a factor, but rather the idiosyncrasies that subtly creep into our essence. Everything in this film is somehow relevant to Maddin's self. Even though the history of Winnipeg recounted here is occasionally before his time, it is in his blood.

My Winnipeg reminds me of last year's I'm Not There (the Bob Dylan bio-pic) in that they are both unorthodox deconstructions of a human being. This is a much better movie though. It is very, very funny, particularly in the early-going
. By the end it is also cold, lonely and sad. It is also some of the finest film making I've seen this or in any recent year.


August 03, 2008

Just A Quick Notice...

It has been brought to my attention that because I don't necessarily put movie titles in the titles of my reviews that it is difficult to navigate the archives of The Bronze. So, for now on the title will simply be the title of what film I am reviewing. I will go back and change the old titles as well.