The Best Film of the Year (so far)
Film 164
"Solitary Man"
starring: Michael Douglas, Mary Louise Parker, Susan Sarandon, Danny DeVito, Jenna Fischer, Jesse Eisenberg, and Imogen Poots
Why is Michael Douglas so good and convincing at playing a sinner, and therefore, sort of an asshole, greedy guy? I don't know, but, as he's gotten older he seems to be playing more and more of these types of roles, maybe because this is what he is choosing to be typecast as such. For this role he plays Ben Kalman, a celebrity/good-guy with good intentions all in his own mind. When, in reality, he's the epitome of a liar and a cheater, to his customers and lovers/wives/companions, respectively. He knows what to say and how to say it to get exactly what he wants and what he believes his counterparts want, too. Or, he can convince them he is exactly what they want (or that his specific used car that he's selling is what they want to buy). Yup, he's a used car salesman (or he used to be). Seems rather cliche, especially for this role. But, fitting. He cheated on his wife (played by Sarandon), who seems to still stand by his side when he needs it. He has continuously disappointed his daughter (played by Jenna Fischer, slowly trying to shed the role on "The Office"). And now he finds a particularly creepy and shitty way to cheat on his most recent companion/conquest, since a man like him really is predestined to be a "solitary man." Hmm, now I get the title, and the appropriate use of the Johnny Cash song! Just kidding, the appropriateness of the title is pretty obvious from the beginning. Anyway, Ben is set to take Jordan's (Mary Louise Parker) daughter for a college visit, because mom's sick and besides he went to the college and knows the dean, so he can smooth talk him. What ends up happening is that Ben actually meets his match in the daughter, Allyson (played by Imogen Poots). Yup, they sleep together, but to her it was simply something to do, something to get out of her system. Shit hits the fan when they return and everything seems to go downhill from there, for poor old, liar and cheater, Ben.
This is a film about more of a character study then actually telling a story, even though there's a story here (Ben has lied and cheated his way into a bit of a debt with some people and he's in a hole he needs help out of but people are tired of his antics).
Ben is a charmer. He is persuasive. He is a smooth talker. He is a womanizer. Ben is a winner (on paper). And then you meet him, get to know him, or even just take a closer look at him. It's sort of a one-man "American Beauty" character study. You want to like Ben. Or at least the filmmakers want you to, but I honestly hated him from the beginning, perhaps I've always hated real men like him since I could remember. I've never been able to to "that" type of guy. And by that, I mean, shallow, to the nth degree, solely looking to get my rocks off any way I can (although I cannot deny his selection of women being somewhat of decent taste, I mean, Mary Louise Parker is gorgeous, she has that dirty, bored housewife look in her, maybe from her seasons on "Weeds"). Ben offers advice to anyone who'll listen, even if they don't want to listen or hear what he has to say. He finds a protege on the college campus, whom he tells this teenager how to get women and how to sell yourself to them. Listening to him, you'd think he wrote the book on "the Game." To him, everything is a game, though, a game that he can and should win, every time. The trouble is Ben is a character in a film playing a character, because perhaps he's never been happy with who he really is.
This is a great indie film filled with many stellar performances. It is smart when it needs to be, funny in other moments, and serious when it needs to be, as well, and none of this is to fill gaps or voids because the script calls for it. It is a tragi-comedy. A serious film with a few laughs because Michael Douglas deserves what he gets, but you don't want to see him fail (sort of). I love that he met his match in an 18 year old who used him the way he uses women. Everything falls apart from that point and it's an interesting trip. It's a bit of a one-man show and all the other characters are simply along for the ride and only act as a way to help Ben down Revelation Road. This is a great film to watch and study the art of character acting.
............................................................
Film 165
"Frances Ha"
starring: Greta Gerwig
Written and Directed by: Noah Baumbach
Look at Noah Baumbach's track record, as a writer, and you cannot help but be impressed (he's also directed most of them):
Kicking and Screaming (1995)
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004)
The Squid and the Whale (2005)
Margot at the Wedding (2007)
Greenberg (2010)
and now....Frances Ha (2013)
As I talked about character studies above, Noah Baumbach seems to be a master at these types of films. "Frances Ha" is his latest project and he simply and completely knocks it out of the park. His writing on this film, which he shares credit with Greta Gerwig (the star and also Noah's real-life significant other- I don't care about the obvious nepotism here at all, because it is a perfect film), is incredible. It is completely dialogue driven and I almost think there wasn't anything longer than 1 or 2 minutes without some kind of talking going on the entire film. He has his characters engaged in each other the entire time and everything moves with them. Because they are engaged, you are engaged and you almost are not allowed to take a moment to breathe and take in the mastery you are watching. I think I need to see it again to take it all in.
All right, I may come off a little biased here, already toting my love for his films, but "Frances Ha" is probably my favorite film of the year, so far.
Here is a study of a girl who is a walking contradiction: she's a dancer whose career is over before it ever really has a chance to take itself off the ground. She's stuck as an understudy and teacher, before being "let go" right ahead of the Christmas performance she has her heart/mind set on performing in. She is gorgeous, yet unkempt, in a hipster sort of way. She's 27 but seems to be going on 14. She is "undateable" according to one of her friends/roommates, whom she could possibly date, if this was a romantic comedy- but it's not. Noah Baumbach won't allow it, which is good, because his obvious point of reference is Woody Allen (re: Annie Hall), in how he treats the film almost like a love-letter to New York and the way he writes the dialogue and interactions between the characters.
Frances has a love of her life already, anyway: her best friend, co-conspirator, and roommate, Sophie. But, here's what's happening: Sophie is moving on with her life, growing up and moving in with her boyfriend. Frances is stuck in limbo, moving from apartment to apartment after wearing out her welcome (which doesn't take long, because Frances is quite the character). But, mostly, she is lost without her best friend.
The script really takes female friendship and the bond between both girls seriously, and I can't help but think Baumbach really needs to thank and give due credit to his other half, Greta Gerwig, because she must have really helped him write both ladies. I want to think no man could know and dissect women so well, besides another woman. If he does, he is my new god! I mean, I have a lot of female friends, and I'm still completely baffled by the opposite sex. Seriously. But, I still love them!
Anyway, Baumbach's "Frances Ha" is also an interesting look at the end of an important decade, in regards to growing up: your 20s, as well as perfect timing for this generation of college graduates, coming out of college with little to no prospects in life (re: career-wise). The film ends perfectly with Frances getting her moment of self-discovery and you are happy that she took the long way around to get there, because her haplessness is certainly entertaining. Because she feels lost without her best friend and the way things transpire, their friendship and moving on plays out like a relationship ending and break up (complete with all the different stages one must go through).
This is absolutely to best film of the year (so far). It's funny, entertaining, serious. It's a homerun!
"Solitary Man"
starring: Michael Douglas, Mary Louise Parker, Susan Sarandon, Danny DeVito, Jenna Fischer, Jesse Eisenberg, and Imogen Poots
Why is Michael Douglas so good and convincing at playing a sinner, and therefore, sort of an asshole, greedy guy? I don't know, but, as he's gotten older he seems to be playing more and more of these types of roles, maybe because this is what he is choosing to be typecast as such. For this role he plays Ben Kalman, a celebrity/good-guy with good intentions all in his own mind. When, in reality, he's the epitome of a liar and a cheater, to his customers and lovers/wives/companions, respectively. He knows what to say and how to say it to get exactly what he wants and what he believes his counterparts want, too. Or, he can convince them he is exactly what they want (or that his specific used car that he's selling is what they want to buy). Yup, he's a used car salesman (or he used to be). Seems rather cliche, especially for this role. But, fitting. He cheated on his wife (played by Sarandon), who seems to still stand by his side when he needs it. He has continuously disappointed his daughter (played by Jenna Fischer, slowly trying to shed the role on "The Office"). And now he finds a particularly creepy and shitty way to cheat on his most recent companion/conquest, since a man like him really is predestined to be a "solitary man." Hmm, now I get the title, and the appropriate use of the Johnny Cash song! Just kidding, the appropriateness of the title is pretty obvious from the beginning. Anyway, Ben is set to take Jordan's (Mary Louise Parker) daughter for a college visit, because mom's sick and besides he went to the college and knows the dean, so he can smooth talk him. What ends up happening is that Ben actually meets his match in the daughter, Allyson (played by Imogen Poots). Yup, they sleep together, but to her it was simply something to do, something to get out of her system. Shit hits the fan when they return and everything seems to go downhill from there, for poor old, liar and cheater, Ben.
This is a film about more of a character study then actually telling a story, even though there's a story here (Ben has lied and cheated his way into a bit of a debt with some people and he's in a hole he needs help out of but people are tired of his antics).
Ben is a charmer. He is persuasive. He is a smooth talker. He is a womanizer. Ben is a winner (on paper). And then you meet him, get to know him, or even just take a closer look at him. It's sort of a one-man "American Beauty" character study. You want to like Ben. Or at least the filmmakers want you to, but I honestly hated him from the beginning, perhaps I've always hated real men like him since I could remember. I've never been able to to "that" type of guy. And by that, I mean, shallow, to the nth degree, solely looking to get my rocks off any way I can (although I cannot deny his selection of women being somewhat of decent taste, I mean, Mary Louise Parker is gorgeous, she has that dirty, bored housewife look in her, maybe from her seasons on "Weeds"). Ben offers advice to anyone who'll listen, even if they don't want to listen or hear what he has to say. He finds a protege on the college campus, whom he tells this teenager how to get women and how to sell yourself to them. Listening to him, you'd think he wrote the book on "the Game." To him, everything is a game, though, a game that he can and should win, every time. The trouble is Ben is a character in a film playing a character, because perhaps he's never been happy with who he really is.
This is a great indie film filled with many stellar performances. It is smart when it needs to be, funny in other moments, and serious when it needs to be, as well, and none of this is to fill gaps or voids because the script calls for it. It is a tragi-comedy. A serious film with a few laughs because Michael Douglas deserves what he gets, but you don't want to see him fail (sort of). I love that he met his match in an 18 year old who used him the way he uses women. Everything falls apart from that point and it's an interesting trip. It's a bit of a one-man show and all the other characters are simply along for the ride and only act as a way to help Ben down Revelation Road. This is a great film to watch and study the art of character acting.
............................................................
Film 165
"Frances Ha"
starring: Greta Gerwig
Written and Directed by: Noah Baumbach
Look at Noah Baumbach's track record, as a writer, and you cannot help but be impressed (he's also directed most of them):
Kicking and Screaming (1995)
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004)
The Squid and the Whale (2005)
Margot at the Wedding (2007)
Greenberg (2010)
and now....Frances Ha (2013)
As I talked about character studies above, Noah Baumbach seems to be a master at these types of films. "Frances Ha" is his latest project and he simply and completely knocks it out of the park. His writing on this film, which he shares credit with Greta Gerwig (the star and also Noah's real-life significant other- I don't care about the obvious nepotism here at all, because it is a perfect film), is incredible. It is completely dialogue driven and I almost think there wasn't anything longer than 1 or 2 minutes without some kind of talking going on the entire film. He has his characters engaged in each other the entire time and everything moves with them. Because they are engaged, you are engaged and you almost are not allowed to take a moment to breathe and take in the mastery you are watching. I think I need to see it again to take it all in.
All right, I may come off a little biased here, already toting my love for his films, but "Frances Ha" is probably my favorite film of the year, so far.
Here is a study of a girl who is a walking contradiction: she's a dancer whose career is over before it ever really has a chance to take itself off the ground. She's stuck as an understudy and teacher, before being "let go" right ahead of the Christmas performance she has her heart/mind set on performing in. She is gorgeous, yet unkempt, in a hipster sort of way. She's 27 but seems to be going on 14. She is "undateable" according to one of her friends/roommates, whom she could possibly date, if this was a romantic comedy- but it's not. Noah Baumbach won't allow it, which is good, because his obvious point of reference is Woody Allen (re: Annie Hall), in how he treats the film almost like a love-letter to New York and the way he writes the dialogue and interactions between the characters.
Frances has a love of her life already, anyway: her best friend, co-conspirator, and roommate, Sophie. But, here's what's happening: Sophie is moving on with her life, growing up and moving in with her boyfriend. Frances is stuck in limbo, moving from apartment to apartment after wearing out her welcome (which doesn't take long, because Frances is quite the character). But, mostly, she is lost without her best friend.
The script really takes female friendship and the bond between both girls seriously, and I can't help but think Baumbach really needs to thank and give due credit to his other half, Greta Gerwig, because she must have really helped him write both ladies. I want to think no man could know and dissect women so well, besides another woman. If he does, he is my new god! I mean, I have a lot of female friends, and I'm still completely baffled by the opposite sex. Seriously. But, I still love them!
Anyway, Baumbach's "Frances Ha" is also an interesting look at the end of an important decade, in regards to growing up: your 20s, as well as perfect timing for this generation of college graduates, coming out of college with little to no prospects in life (re: career-wise). The film ends perfectly with Frances getting her moment of self-discovery and you are happy that she took the long way around to get there, because her haplessness is certainly entertaining. Because she feels lost without her best friend and the way things transpire, their friendship and moving on plays out like a relationship ending and break up (complete with all the different stages one must go through).
This is absolutely to best film of the year (so far). It's funny, entertaining, serious. It's a homerun!
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