A Couple of Stellar Indie Films, Like a Goldmine ("Starlet" and The Giant Mechanical Man")
All right, so maybe this week I didn't necessarily stay true to my word of keeping up-to-date with my writing, but I've had a busy first-half of the week.
Monday night I went to see mewithoutyou at Port City Music Hall. I'd seen them once before, open for Brand New at UNH, but it was the wrong kind of crowd because they got booed and were completely unappreciated. This crowd was a bit disappointing as well, but only in quantity. There were only about 50 of us in the crowd. The quality of the crowd was decent, though, because we were all clearly there because we enjoy their music. It was a good time.
Then, Tuesday night, I was back at Port City Music Hall, this time with my buddy David, to see a hardcore band I've been into for almost 13 years: Everytime I Die. They put on one of the best, most energetic sets that I've seen in a long while. The entire crowd was into it, dancing, moshing, crowd-surfing. Hell, even at the end, the band let some of the audience on stage. The only that sucked, for me, was that afterwards, I found out they'd been playing their second, phenomenal album "Hot Damn!" in its entirety up until their show here in Portland. This album brings back such great memories for me, it would've been awesome to see them perform it front to back. I cannot believe the album is 10 years old at this point. It's a mere 27 minutes in length and it is fast-paced and great all the way through. I recently saw Taking Back Sunday in concert a few months back and they also performed their 10 year old album "Tell All Your Friends" in its entirety, which was great. But, at the same time, with these albums turning a decade old, it makes me feel really old, now.
I wish I had the setlist for you, but no one's posted it yet.
...................................................................................
Film 232
"Elysium"
starring: Matt Damon, Jodie Foster, Sharlto Copley, Alice Braga
written and directed by: Neill Blomkamp
Neill Blomkamp came out of nowhere, left field some might say, in 2009 with the unbelievably visionary film with a message "District 9," which also told a social commentary while presenting itself as a mockumentary. But, it totally takes itself seriously and you cannot help but take it seriously, too. This film shot him to the top of his game pretty quickly, so it's understandable that expectations would be extremely high for his sophomore effort. Some naysayers might have even been looking for the sophomore slump and almost been hoping that this film would disappoint. Case in point: one need only look to M. Night Shyamalan, who came out of the gate swinging hard for the fences with his Hitchcock homage/inspired film "The Sixth Sense" then lost steam with his second effort "Unbreakable," but then I think "Signs" was his best film, but everything else has been a disaster since then-- "The Village," "Lady in the Water," "The Happening," "The Last Airbender," and most recently "After Earth." Anyway, Blomkamp does not disappoint his audience with "Elysium" another futuristic tale set in Los Angeles circa 2154. There has been an environmental collapse which has also led to an economic disaster. The rich folks, though, have use their money to decamp themselves to a place they developed and designed themselves, a place called Elysium, where the poor folks of Earth hope and dream to one day be a part of. The social message that Blomkamp tells is clearly one of economic and class structure. Definitely a relevant point nowadays. The class war has always seemed to be the go-to topic of most sci-fi films dating all the way back to "Metropolis" and "Blade Runner," but with the advancement of technology, I love watching these types of films evolve with the times, while keeping the message/story fresh for the telling, and not so much boring and overdone. Here, Blomkamp's direction definitely keeps an old story fresh.
Not only can Blomkamp write a rich and refreshing script, but his stories also have characters with depth and feelings you can get behind- but in this film, who wouldn't get behind characters that have been given the shaft?
Matt Damon plays Max, a convicted felon who is a factory worker, helping put together the very robotic army that keeps its eye closely on him. An accident occurs early on and Max is doused with a toxic chemical that gives him only days to live (unless he can find his way to Elysium, which has houses that are all equipped with "healing bays" that can cure someone of any imaginable ailment). Max is clearly the hero from the very beginning of the film, the guy you're supposed to sympathize with and you do because he deserves a second chance. Max keeps the glint in his eye and the passion in his heart as he makes it his mission to get up to Elysium, if not to save himself from the fatal toxic radiation he's ingested, but to also make sure that the people of Earth get their fair share of the Elysium-pie. It's socialism versus pure and unadulterated capitalism.
Then we have Max's love interest, Frey (played by Alice Braga) who happens to be a nurse at the hospital Max is attempted to. She works long and hard hours. She has a leukemia-stricken daughter, whom she wants desperately to cure. Frey and Max have known each other since they were young kids together at an orphanage. They've clearly been in love with each other for years, and so it's slightly inevitable that they find each other again and the candle they've held for one another has never dissipated. It's a bit of a cheesy element to add to the story, and in my opinion unnecessary, but it does move the story along. That's another thing Blomkamp is wonderful at, even so early into his career. He is a natural at pacing and moving a story along so that you don't get trapped and lost in the details (and with sci-fi films that can be hard because often times they become convoluted with providing every little detail to the story).
Perhaps the best, most entertaining and juiciest character comes at us in the form of Kruger, a mercenary on Earth there to keep order and make sure nobody undeserving gets up to Elysium. So, of course, he is on a mission to find Max. Kruger is played by "District 9" lead actor alum, Sharlto Copley. In that film he was the hero, so it was really nice to see him play the polar opposite here. Kruger is a psycho killer with his own set of beliefs and ideals. He follows a logic that is clear and reasonable to him, which makes him even more terrifying to watch. Thankfully, he also provides a dark sense of humor to his personality.
Message and commentary aside, this is a highly entertaining, visually stimulating piece of art. The special effects are great and do not lose you in the story. You are immersed in Max's and Frey's journey to Elysium. And once they get up there (spoiler alert!) the action really picks up, ending with a spectacular final battle of "good versus evil."
I really enjoyed this second helping of Blomkamp's sci-fi vision.
.......................................................................................
Film 233
"Outside Providence"
starring: Shawn Hatosy, Amy Smart, Jonathon Brandis, Jon Abrahams, Alec Baldwin, George Wendt
This is the first time I've ever seen the 1999 comedy (?) "Outside Providence" and it simply reminded me of an extended episode of "That '70s Show." Why? Well, for starters, it takes place in the ripe age of the 1970s. Instead of Wisconsin, though, the film is set in Rhode Island. It has a perpetual screw-up in the lead role, Tim Dunphy (played by Shawn Hatosy, who can be a good actor, just not here, at all), and his equally screw-up, get high, group of cronies. Hell, they even seem to hang out in the same places (re: atop some kind of tower, a water tower perhaps). And, Tim Dunphy falls for apparently the only female within a 20-mile radius of his boarding school campus, played by Amy Smart (who was really an unknown actress at this point and has since been in a ton of films much better than this one).
Tim Dunphy is kind of an idiot who definitely needs to grow up. He gets in trouble, one too many times; the last time, he hits a parked police cruiser (geez, I think "That '70s Show" even did an episode with this plot) and that gets him sent off to prep boarding school. He avoids jail and/or probation because his dad (a severely miscast and painful-to-watch Alec Baldwin) is friends with a dude in the mob who knows the judge. Really?! Come on!
The film has many cliches and I guess that's to be expected, since the screenplay came from one of the Farrelly Brothers (Peter) who have become synonymous with slapstick comedy films, especially at the end of the '90s and into the early '00s (definitely an exhausted genre at this point and I think the Brothers have rode out their 15 minutes of film fame for far too long and given us really only one or two decent films- I'm thinking "There's Something About Mary," Dumb and Dumber" and maybe "Kingpin"-- it's no coincidence that these are their 3 earliest films and then they seemed to settle with less-than satisfying mediocrity, because to a movie studio their toilet humor was box office gold, psst, not really, if you look at the lack of success the rest of their films has had). The film, "Outside Providence" is just predictable scene after predictable scene, so much so that you could probably follow it in your sleep. Tim Dunphy arrives at boarding school as the outcast, with his "luggage" in a giant trash bag. He quickly makes a name for himself as a hero to the other students because he stands up against authority. He parties and gets in trouble at school, but somehow talks his way out of trouble. And then, all of a sudden, he's dating the most popular girl at the neighboring school. Really, she's the only girl we see in the film. Those poor teenage boys! The script also decided to call for a lot of unnecessary "outsider" additions that are supposed to make Tim Dunphy a more likable, sympathetic character: his wheelchair-bound little brother and their three-legged dog. Oh my God! Lay it on thick.
The film just seems to go through the motions, from one obligatory scene to the next in order to move our character along to the pay-off/climax. Tim Dunphy finally has a heart-to-heart talk with his father, whom up until this point as referred to his screw-up son as "Dildo" (another unnecessary thing), about Tim's mother. The entire ending is just as unnecessary as everything else about this film.
Quite a waste of time, but I got through it, so thankfully you don't have to. You're welcome.
May I suggest perhaps reading "A Separate Piece" or "Catcher in the Rye" for a much better boarding school/boy coming-of-age story.
...................................................................................................
Film 234
"The Giant Mechanical Man"
starring: Jenna Fischer, Chris Messina, Malin Akerman, Topher Grace
written and directed by: Lee Kirk
I really enjoy finding small, independent films that blow my mind with how well-crafted they truly are. It's like rummaging through a haystack and finding that needle everyone said would be impossible to find. Independent films like "The Giant Mechanical Man" being one of those needles.
First off, let's talk about the actors and their roles. Chris Messina is a recent actor-find of mine that is quickly turning into an indie favorite. He seems to have certainly paid his dues and been on television shows that have come and gone, as well as some not-so-familiar movies, but look at the few that I've seen, which I didn't even realize he was in (minus a few exceptions):
1. Towelhead
2. Vicky Cristina Barcelona
3. Brief Interviews with Hideous Men
4. Away We Go
5. Julie and Julia
6. Greenberg (finally in my Netflix queue)
7. Monogamy (watched for this project)
8. Like Crazy (watched for this project)
9. Celeste and Jesse Forever (need to see)
10. Ruby Sparks (need to see)
11. Argo (watched for this project)
As well as 3 amazing shows-- The Mindy Project, Newsroom, and Damages
And then there is this film, where Messina plays the title character, whose name is actually Tim. Tim is a performance artist, struggling to be taken seriously (by his girlfriend, who soon dumps him because of his pipe dreams versus reality check). He is a street performer, as he dresses up in silver paint, a silver suit, a bowler hat (silver, of course), and stilts. he then goes out on the streets of New York (?) and acts like a robot for money. He is the romantic artist with a message to give the world. He is a walking/performing commentary on the millions of "lost" souls stuck in the grind of devotion to their working-life/careers. Deep, man, deep. Message received, unfortunately not by the right people, I suppose, in the film.
And then, there's Janice (played superbly with just enough awkwardness and undertones by Jenna Fischer, you know, from "The Office"-- I sweat Messina must love working with these ladies from "The Office"). Janice is a lost soul, but not in the sense that the Mechanical Man is commenting on. Instead, she's lost because she doesn't really know what to do with her life. She doesn't necessarily have any direction. She's been working for a temp agency, when we meet her, going for job to job, with nothing really sticking. In fact, she gets fired for inadequacies are left rather undefined and certainly do not help her gain anymore perspective into who she is or what she should be doing.
But her sister (played with just enough spunk and life by Malin Akerman- p.s. I love this girl!) certainly knows what Janice's life is missing (re: a guy, found in Topher Grace's awful character, who is a self-help guru with terrible-looking long hair). In her sister's eyes, they are the perfect pair, because he can help Janice get over her inadequacies, which seem quite clear to her sister, but are still left undefined to the audience. Janice seems like any one of us, stuck in a mid-mid-life crisis of direction- but not in the same way that Lena Dunham's characters in "Girls" are. There's something more to Janice.
Janice meets Tim at the zoo they both end up working at. Here is where Janice finally feels comfortable with her life. She seems to be doing something she slightly enjoys, well, no, because she's selling refreshments, but has bigger aspirations- and realizes she'd like to do something at the zoo. Tim understands her. Janice understands Tim (after she discovers he is the Giant Mechanical Man) and can see that he has a message in his performance art. They encourage each other to pursue their dreams, together, as they slowly fall in love with each other. But...fear not, the love story is not told or done in a cheesy rom-com fashion. When these two people finally meet or gaze at each other, in matter of speaking, you can sense all of the sincerity that the film needs to win you over. These are two people stuck in dire straits who just connect with each other over simple conversations. Theirs is the kind of love story I'd love to write for myself, and often find myself looking for, since I want to write my own life, as perfectly as I can make it.
Writer/director Lee Kirk (a first time for both hats) is a charmer right out of the gate with his first feature film. The two protagonists in the film (Tim and Janice) are endearing with their awkwardness, in both their approach to life and each other. And the antagonists (Tim's ex and Janice's overly-bubbly sister) are grotesque caricatures of everyday people who have been stuck in the grind of expectations (which perhaps not ironically the Giant Mechanical Man is commenting on).
This is a gem of a film. A simply story about two simple people told in simple terms. It's about the connection two people can make and/or have to each other and I appreciate it for all that it is and all that it avoids being. Well done!
......................................................................................
Film 235
"Starlet"
starring: Dree Hemingway, Besedka Johnson, Stella Maeve
written and directed by: Sean Baker
Here is another independent film that really grabs your attention with its simplicity.
"Starlet" is indie film gold. This film was suggested to me through Netflix after I watched a different movie. I read the synopsis and figured it would be worth a viewing, especially perfect for this film project of mine. I was blown away with how great this film truly is. The acting is great, from a few unknowns. The story is simple and the pacing is perfect. It really captures you from the very first few minutes of the film and your eyes are transfixed to the screen as the story unfolds and you are waiting for a shoe to drop (metaphor, for you).
Also, it's pretty cool that Dree Hemingway is the great-granddaughter to Ernest Hemingway. And the old woman in the film was found at a YMCA by the director. Even though the title refers to Jane's pet chihuahua, it could easily be referring to Jane (who is a budding porn industry starlet) or even the two women actresses that this first time writer/director discovered. Great finds!
The story follows a simple premise: a budding starlet in the porn industry is shacking up with her friend and her friend's pimp-like boyfriend while trying to make a name for herself in the porn industry. She's a tall, with legs that don't seem to want to quit, blonde, beautiful young girl, who also has a bright personality that makes her very likable (to guys, but also to the audience watching the film). The question asked here: What would you do if you found $10,000 is a thermos/vase that you found at a yard sale? The answer that the film provides is an interesting one, as the girl in question decides to keep the money, but not spend it frivolously. Instead, she hides it in a pair of her knee-high red leather high heel boots, spending it occasionally. Ultimately, she decides to befriend the apparently unknowing owner of the money, who happens to be a rather unfriendly (although she warms up as the story continues) 75 year old widow of a gambler (the money probably belonged to her dead husband).
It seems to take place in a small suburban neighborhood just outside of the Hollywood Hills, in San Fernando Valley, where many young adults land as they are trying to break into the film business. Ironically or not, San Fernando Valley is well-known/infamous for its pornography business. True story. People don't seem to care, in the film, and they just seem to go about their business as usual. The story is so well-crafted that the director/writer makes sure we like and can identify with this 21 year-old, tall, blonde girl before showing us exactly what she does to earn her living. Hemingway has a very attractive build, long legs that don't seem to ever want to quit and her character Jane wear short shorts to accentuate that fact throughout the entire film, and yet she doesn't come off as "slutty."
In fact, we don't follow Jane to the set of her porn filming until about 45 minutes into the film (and even though it's a rather explicit scene, the camera goes from blurry to clear to blurry and back again, so the nudity and explicitness of the scene clearly is not the focus point the director is going for). And then, we see her at an Adult Video Convention, where she's just as likable and genuine as she signs autographs and poses for pictures with her fans. There's nothing about this girl that you don't like and you sort of forget that she ultimately has $10,000 that doesn't necessarily belong to her. But, she's paying it forward, because she decides to befriend the elderly woman. She gives her rides to and from the grocery store (much to the chagrin of the old woman, at first), she even "bothers" her at her weekly BINGO games. You can tell, as the friendship develops between the unlikely duo, that each person is getting something out of it. Jane welcomes the distraction from the pettiness at her shared house- by the way, her friend is a total trainwreck and self-obsessed, unsympathetic girl in the same industry as Jane, as well as the desensitized feelings she's developed because of her career choice. The elderly woman could also be seen as the mother that Jane perhaps never had but always wanted, despite Sadie's (the elderly woman) age.
I applaud the writer/director Sean Baker for not glamorizing the industry that Jane works in and/or glorifying it, by answering the question: "What would you do if you found $10,000?" well, spend it frivolously, of course. No, instead, Jane travels along an emotional awakening journey that comes to a surprising head at the very end of the film. The pay off is great and it's an awesome, well-deserved ending to a spectacular film that really surprised me with how well it was done.
You have to watch this film!
.....................................................................
Film 236
"Little Birds"
starring: Juno Temple, Kay Panabaker, Kate Bosworth, Leslie Mann
written and directed by: Elgin James
They say, write what you know. It scares me a little bit that Elgin James is doing precisely that with his debut film, "Little Birds" (which you don't get the connection until the final scene and the soundtrack's song plays, which is actually a Tift Merritt song (a great alt-country singer-songwriter, as showcased by this simple song).
A little history before diving into the film's plot: Elgin James is a former gang member from Boston, MA. He was a prominent member of the Boston-hardcore-music scene gang, FSU (Friends Stand United) in the 1990s. He was also a member of the straight edge, hardcore band, Wrecking Crew. His gang's ultimate, original idea was to purge the music scene he was devoted to of the often-violent, white power (Neo-Nazi) skinheads that seemed to dominate the scene, especially at shows. Interesting fact, FSU originally stood for "Fuck Shit Up" because they would go to shows with the intent of causing trouble with the people they did not agree with. I only know about this faction of the hardcore scene because, even though I was never really "in" it, I had friends that were devoted to the hardcore scene, when I worked at Bull Moose in 1999-2001. I enjoyed the music, but I never went to the shows, because I figured it was a scene I just wouldn't have fit into. I've never liked getting mixed into a crowd of mosh pit, violent dancing, bigger-than-me dudes. I figured I'd just get crushed! Although, I did go to a few shows that my friends played at, keeping a safe distance form the rowdiness. I distinctly remember, though, hearing about one show that my buddy had gone to for the Boston-based band, Blood For Blood (the name just invokes havoc). He recalled the show the next day, saying the members of FSU showed up and ripped shit it. A kid was thrown around and dropped hard enough to almost break his neck. The show was stopped, instruments unplugged, and people were escorted out. People left bloodied up and I was thankful that I didn't go to the show with him. I think it's shows like that, in the hardcore scene, that give the music a bad name and people automatically assume that loud, fast, heavy music invokes violence/violent tendencies. It's simply not true. I mean, I went to a show Tuesday night for Everytime I Die where there was moshing and dancing, but everyone was clearly there to just have a good time and listen to the music, albeit, they were moved to dance wildly, but nobody wanted to hurt anyone. It was a show filled with positive energy.
Anyway, so, here is "Little Birds." I think every teenager can sort of relate to these types of stories and characters, because they are both steeped in the ennui that young-adulthood, small-town living seems to breed. Lily (played by Juno Temple, a newfound actress who has potential if she can break away from the typecasting she seems to find herself mired in at the moment) is a 15 year old girl living in the boring town of Salton Sea, CA. We first see her in the bathtub, running her fingers over self-inflicted cuts on her thighs. Is she really serious about killing herself or is she just trying to overcome her boredom and feeling stuck in a life that she doesn't want for herself? She has witnessed what sticking around can do: case in point, her mother (Leslie Mann) and her too-young aunt (played by Kate Bosworth, interesting choice). Lily clearly doesn't want or see their lives as her future. But, she's only 15 years old, so she of course thinks she's better than it all. She believes she's already outgrown the city that birthed her. Cut to: she gets her heart stolen from a seemingly cool skater boy, who also steals her first kiss. He's from L.A. (a much cooler place to be). This is the perfect excuse to leave for Lily. But, she needs a way out. So, she enlists the help of her best friend, Alison (played by Kay Panabaker), who steals her uncle's truck and together they drive out to L.A.
The character of Lily is clearly looking to fill a void with male validation, in the way that she behaves around her "boyfriend" and his two best friends, because she pretty much does anything to impress them as well as anything they want. She's so eager to please that it's aggravating to watch, because you can see where everything is going from this simple character study. If the film hadn't gone down the violent route, it's clear that girls like Lily are the ones who end up in the porn industry that Jane (from "Starlet") portrayed. The boys recognize her eagerness and vulnerability and almost sickeningly prey upon it, as they ask/demand her to be the pawn in the criminal schemes (re: to lure older men to their vacant building, where they've been living, in the hopes of sleeping with this underage girl, they then rob the man and threaten him to keep his mouth shut). It is all working well, and everyone is happy, except for Alison who continually objects from the sidelines (only to be made fun or and ostracized).
"Little Birds" is a nice first-feature film effort by Elgin James and he clearly has something to say that's worth watching, although I'd like to see his vision expanded more, if given the opportunity.
I think this paragraphs sums up the film nicely,
Without feeling didactic, “Little Birds” is about nothing if not the impulses that make stray souls want to belong to something bigger than themselves. The takeaway, as articulated by characters old enough to know and intuited by Alison (who looks younger than Lily but seems to have a more mature grasp on things), is that Lily is merely running away from herself, and a change of geography won’t make her life any less miserable. If she wants to avoid the unhappiness she senses in others, she’ll have to learn to love herself first.
Monday night I went to see mewithoutyou at Port City Music Hall. I'd seen them once before, open for Brand New at UNH, but it was the wrong kind of crowd because they got booed and were completely unappreciated. This crowd was a bit disappointing as well, but only in quantity. There were only about 50 of us in the crowd. The quality of the crowd was decent, though, because we were all clearly there because we enjoy their music. It was a good time.
Then, Tuesday night, I was back at Port City Music Hall, this time with my buddy David, to see a hardcore band I've been into for almost 13 years: Everytime I Die. They put on one of the best, most energetic sets that I've seen in a long while. The entire crowd was into it, dancing, moshing, crowd-surfing. Hell, even at the end, the band let some of the audience on stage. The only that sucked, for me, was that afterwards, I found out they'd been playing their second, phenomenal album "Hot Damn!" in its entirety up until their show here in Portland. This album brings back such great memories for me, it would've been awesome to see them perform it front to back. I cannot believe the album is 10 years old at this point. It's a mere 27 minutes in length and it is fast-paced and great all the way through. I recently saw Taking Back Sunday in concert a few months back and they also performed their 10 year old album "Tell All Your Friends" in its entirety, which was great. But, at the same time, with these albums turning a decade old, it makes me feel really old, now.
I wish I had the setlist for you, but no one's posted it yet.
...................................................................................
Film 232
"Elysium"
starring: Matt Damon, Jodie Foster, Sharlto Copley, Alice Braga
written and directed by: Neill Blomkamp
Neill Blomkamp came out of nowhere, left field some might say, in 2009 with the unbelievably visionary film with a message "District 9," which also told a social commentary while presenting itself as a mockumentary. But, it totally takes itself seriously and you cannot help but take it seriously, too. This film shot him to the top of his game pretty quickly, so it's understandable that expectations would be extremely high for his sophomore effort. Some naysayers might have even been looking for the sophomore slump and almost been hoping that this film would disappoint. Case in point: one need only look to M. Night Shyamalan, who came out of the gate swinging hard for the fences with his Hitchcock homage/inspired film "The Sixth Sense" then lost steam with his second effort "Unbreakable," but then I think "Signs" was his best film, but everything else has been a disaster since then-- "The Village," "Lady in the Water," "The Happening," "The Last Airbender," and most recently "After Earth." Anyway, Blomkamp does not disappoint his audience with "Elysium" another futuristic tale set in Los Angeles circa 2154. There has been an environmental collapse which has also led to an economic disaster. The rich folks, though, have use their money to decamp themselves to a place they developed and designed themselves, a place called Elysium, where the poor folks of Earth hope and dream to one day be a part of. The social message that Blomkamp tells is clearly one of economic and class structure. Definitely a relevant point nowadays. The class war has always seemed to be the go-to topic of most sci-fi films dating all the way back to "Metropolis" and "Blade Runner," but with the advancement of technology, I love watching these types of films evolve with the times, while keeping the message/story fresh for the telling, and not so much boring and overdone. Here, Blomkamp's direction definitely keeps an old story fresh.
Not only can Blomkamp write a rich and refreshing script, but his stories also have characters with depth and feelings you can get behind- but in this film, who wouldn't get behind characters that have been given the shaft?
Matt Damon plays Max, a convicted felon who is a factory worker, helping put together the very robotic army that keeps its eye closely on him. An accident occurs early on and Max is doused with a toxic chemical that gives him only days to live (unless he can find his way to Elysium, which has houses that are all equipped with "healing bays" that can cure someone of any imaginable ailment). Max is clearly the hero from the very beginning of the film, the guy you're supposed to sympathize with and you do because he deserves a second chance. Max keeps the glint in his eye and the passion in his heart as he makes it his mission to get up to Elysium, if not to save himself from the fatal toxic radiation he's ingested, but to also make sure that the people of Earth get their fair share of the Elysium-pie. It's socialism versus pure and unadulterated capitalism.
Then we have Max's love interest, Frey (played by Alice Braga) who happens to be a nurse at the hospital Max is attempted to. She works long and hard hours. She has a leukemia-stricken daughter, whom she wants desperately to cure. Frey and Max have known each other since they were young kids together at an orphanage. They've clearly been in love with each other for years, and so it's slightly inevitable that they find each other again and the candle they've held for one another has never dissipated. It's a bit of a cheesy element to add to the story, and in my opinion unnecessary, but it does move the story along. That's another thing Blomkamp is wonderful at, even so early into his career. He is a natural at pacing and moving a story along so that you don't get trapped and lost in the details (and with sci-fi films that can be hard because often times they become convoluted with providing every little detail to the story).
Perhaps the best, most entertaining and juiciest character comes at us in the form of Kruger, a mercenary on Earth there to keep order and make sure nobody undeserving gets up to Elysium. So, of course, he is on a mission to find Max. Kruger is played by "District 9" lead actor alum, Sharlto Copley. In that film he was the hero, so it was really nice to see him play the polar opposite here. Kruger is a psycho killer with his own set of beliefs and ideals. He follows a logic that is clear and reasonable to him, which makes him even more terrifying to watch. Thankfully, he also provides a dark sense of humor to his personality.
Message and commentary aside, this is a highly entertaining, visually stimulating piece of art. The special effects are great and do not lose you in the story. You are immersed in Max's and Frey's journey to Elysium. And once they get up there (spoiler alert!) the action really picks up, ending with a spectacular final battle of "good versus evil."
I really enjoyed this second helping of Blomkamp's sci-fi vision.
.......................................................................................
Film 233
"Outside Providence"
starring: Shawn Hatosy, Amy Smart, Jonathon Brandis, Jon Abrahams, Alec Baldwin, George Wendt
This is the first time I've ever seen the 1999 comedy (?) "Outside Providence" and it simply reminded me of an extended episode of "That '70s Show." Why? Well, for starters, it takes place in the ripe age of the 1970s. Instead of Wisconsin, though, the film is set in Rhode Island. It has a perpetual screw-up in the lead role, Tim Dunphy (played by Shawn Hatosy, who can be a good actor, just not here, at all), and his equally screw-up, get high, group of cronies. Hell, they even seem to hang out in the same places (re: atop some kind of tower, a water tower perhaps). And, Tim Dunphy falls for apparently the only female within a 20-mile radius of his boarding school campus, played by Amy Smart (who was really an unknown actress at this point and has since been in a ton of films much better than this one).
Tim Dunphy is kind of an idiot who definitely needs to grow up. He gets in trouble, one too many times; the last time, he hits a parked police cruiser (geez, I think "That '70s Show" even did an episode with this plot) and that gets him sent off to prep boarding school. He avoids jail and/or probation because his dad (a severely miscast and painful-to-watch Alec Baldwin) is friends with a dude in the mob who knows the judge. Really?! Come on!
The film has many cliches and I guess that's to be expected, since the screenplay came from one of the Farrelly Brothers (Peter) who have become synonymous with slapstick comedy films, especially at the end of the '90s and into the early '00s (definitely an exhausted genre at this point and I think the Brothers have rode out their 15 minutes of film fame for far too long and given us really only one or two decent films- I'm thinking "There's Something About Mary," Dumb and Dumber" and maybe "Kingpin"-- it's no coincidence that these are their 3 earliest films and then they seemed to settle with less-than satisfying mediocrity, because to a movie studio their toilet humor was box office gold, psst, not really, if you look at the lack of success the rest of their films has had). The film, "Outside Providence" is just predictable scene after predictable scene, so much so that you could probably follow it in your sleep. Tim Dunphy arrives at boarding school as the outcast, with his "luggage" in a giant trash bag. He quickly makes a name for himself as a hero to the other students because he stands up against authority. He parties and gets in trouble at school, but somehow talks his way out of trouble. And then, all of a sudden, he's dating the most popular girl at the neighboring school. Really, she's the only girl we see in the film. Those poor teenage boys! The script also decided to call for a lot of unnecessary "outsider" additions that are supposed to make Tim Dunphy a more likable, sympathetic character: his wheelchair-bound little brother and their three-legged dog. Oh my God! Lay it on thick.
The film just seems to go through the motions, from one obligatory scene to the next in order to move our character along to the pay-off/climax. Tim Dunphy finally has a heart-to-heart talk with his father, whom up until this point as referred to his screw-up son as "Dildo" (another unnecessary thing), about Tim's mother. The entire ending is just as unnecessary as everything else about this film.
Quite a waste of time, but I got through it, so thankfully you don't have to. You're welcome.
May I suggest perhaps reading "A Separate Piece" or "Catcher in the Rye" for a much better boarding school/boy coming-of-age story.
...................................................................................................
Film 234
"The Giant Mechanical Man"
starring: Jenna Fischer, Chris Messina, Malin Akerman, Topher Grace
written and directed by: Lee Kirk
I really enjoy finding small, independent films that blow my mind with how well-crafted they truly are. It's like rummaging through a haystack and finding that needle everyone said would be impossible to find. Independent films like "The Giant Mechanical Man" being one of those needles.
First off, let's talk about the actors and their roles. Chris Messina is a recent actor-find of mine that is quickly turning into an indie favorite. He seems to have certainly paid his dues and been on television shows that have come and gone, as well as some not-so-familiar movies, but look at the few that I've seen, which I didn't even realize he was in (minus a few exceptions):
1. Towelhead
2. Vicky Cristina Barcelona
3. Brief Interviews with Hideous Men
4. Away We Go
5. Julie and Julia
6. Greenberg (finally in my Netflix queue)
7. Monogamy (watched for this project)
8. Like Crazy (watched for this project)
9. Celeste and Jesse Forever (need to see)
10. Ruby Sparks (need to see)
11. Argo (watched for this project)
As well as 3 amazing shows-- The Mindy Project, Newsroom, and Damages
And then there is this film, where Messina plays the title character, whose name is actually Tim. Tim is a performance artist, struggling to be taken seriously (by his girlfriend, who soon dumps him because of his pipe dreams versus reality check). He is a street performer, as he dresses up in silver paint, a silver suit, a bowler hat (silver, of course), and stilts. he then goes out on the streets of New York (?) and acts like a robot for money. He is the romantic artist with a message to give the world. He is a walking/performing commentary on the millions of "lost" souls stuck in the grind of devotion to their working-life/careers. Deep, man, deep. Message received, unfortunately not by the right people, I suppose, in the film.
And then, there's Janice (played superbly with just enough awkwardness and undertones by Jenna Fischer, you know, from "The Office"-- I sweat Messina must love working with these ladies from "The Office"). Janice is a lost soul, but not in the sense that the Mechanical Man is commenting on. Instead, she's lost because she doesn't really know what to do with her life. She doesn't necessarily have any direction. She's been working for a temp agency, when we meet her, going for job to job, with nothing really sticking. In fact, she gets fired for inadequacies are left rather undefined and certainly do not help her gain anymore perspective into who she is or what she should be doing.
But her sister (played with just enough spunk and life by Malin Akerman- p.s. I love this girl!) certainly knows what Janice's life is missing (re: a guy, found in Topher Grace's awful character, who is a self-help guru with terrible-looking long hair). In her sister's eyes, they are the perfect pair, because he can help Janice get over her inadequacies, which seem quite clear to her sister, but are still left undefined to the audience. Janice seems like any one of us, stuck in a mid-mid-life crisis of direction- but not in the same way that Lena Dunham's characters in "Girls" are. There's something more to Janice.
Janice meets Tim at the zoo they both end up working at. Here is where Janice finally feels comfortable with her life. She seems to be doing something she slightly enjoys, well, no, because she's selling refreshments, but has bigger aspirations- and realizes she'd like to do something at the zoo. Tim understands her. Janice understands Tim (after she discovers he is the Giant Mechanical Man) and can see that he has a message in his performance art. They encourage each other to pursue their dreams, together, as they slowly fall in love with each other. But...fear not, the love story is not told or done in a cheesy rom-com fashion. When these two people finally meet or gaze at each other, in matter of speaking, you can sense all of the sincerity that the film needs to win you over. These are two people stuck in dire straits who just connect with each other over simple conversations. Theirs is the kind of love story I'd love to write for myself, and often find myself looking for, since I want to write my own life, as perfectly as I can make it.
Writer/director Lee Kirk (a first time for both hats) is a charmer right out of the gate with his first feature film. The two protagonists in the film (Tim and Janice) are endearing with their awkwardness, in both their approach to life and each other. And the antagonists (Tim's ex and Janice's overly-bubbly sister) are grotesque caricatures of everyday people who have been stuck in the grind of expectations (which perhaps not ironically the Giant Mechanical Man is commenting on).
This is a gem of a film. A simply story about two simple people told in simple terms. It's about the connection two people can make and/or have to each other and I appreciate it for all that it is and all that it avoids being. Well done!
......................................................................................
Film 235
"Starlet"
starring: Dree Hemingway, Besedka Johnson, Stella Maeve
written and directed by: Sean Baker
Here is another independent film that really grabs your attention with its simplicity.
"Starlet" is indie film gold. This film was suggested to me through Netflix after I watched a different movie. I read the synopsis and figured it would be worth a viewing, especially perfect for this film project of mine. I was blown away with how great this film truly is. The acting is great, from a few unknowns. The story is simple and the pacing is perfect. It really captures you from the very first few minutes of the film and your eyes are transfixed to the screen as the story unfolds and you are waiting for a shoe to drop (metaphor, for you).
Also, it's pretty cool that Dree Hemingway is the great-granddaughter to Ernest Hemingway. And the old woman in the film was found at a YMCA by the director. Even though the title refers to Jane's pet chihuahua, it could easily be referring to Jane (who is a budding porn industry starlet) or even the two women actresses that this first time writer/director discovered. Great finds!
The story follows a simple premise: a budding starlet in the porn industry is shacking up with her friend and her friend's pimp-like boyfriend while trying to make a name for herself in the porn industry. She's a tall, with legs that don't seem to want to quit, blonde, beautiful young girl, who also has a bright personality that makes her very likable (to guys, but also to the audience watching the film). The question asked here: What would you do if you found $10,000 is a thermos/vase that you found at a yard sale? The answer that the film provides is an interesting one, as the girl in question decides to keep the money, but not spend it frivolously. Instead, she hides it in a pair of her knee-high red leather high heel boots, spending it occasionally. Ultimately, she decides to befriend the apparently unknowing owner of the money, who happens to be a rather unfriendly (although she warms up as the story continues) 75 year old widow of a gambler (the money probably belonged to her dead husband).
It seems to take place in a small suburban neighborhood just outside of the Hollywood Hills, in San Fernando Valley, where many young adults land as they are trying to break into the film business. Ironically or not, San Fernando Valley is well-known/infamous for its pornography business. True story. People don't seem to care, in the film, and they just seem to go about their business as usual. The story is so well-crafted that the director/writer makes sure we like and can identify with this 21 year-old, tall, blonde girl before showing us exactly what she does to earn her living. Hemingway has a very attractive build, long legs that don't seem to ever want to quit and her character Jane wear short shorts to accentuate that fact throughout the entire film, and yet she doesn't come off as "slutty."
In fact, we don't follow Jane to the set of her porn filming until about 45 minutes into the film (and even though it's a rather explicit scene, the camera goes from blurry to clear to blurry and back again, so the nudity and explicitness of the scene clearly is not the focus point the director is going for). And then, we see her at an Adult Video Convention, where she's just as likable and genuine as she signs autographs and poses for pictures with her fans. There's nothing about this girl that you don't like and you sort of forget that she ultimately has $10,000 that doesn't necessarily belong to her. But, she's paying it forward, because she decides to befriend the elderly woman. She gives her rides to and from the grocery store (much to the chagrin of the old woman, at first), she even "bothers" her at her weekly BINGO games. You can tell, as the friendship develops between the unlikely duo, that each person is getting something out of it. Jane welcomes the distraction from the pettiness at her shared house- by the way, her friend is a total trainwreck and self-obsessed, unsympathetic girl in the same industry as Jane, as well as the desensitized feelings she's developed because of her career choice. The elderly woman could also be seen as the mother that Jane perhaps never had but always wanted, despite Sadie's (the elderly woman) age.
I applaud the writer/director Sean Baker for not glamorizing the industry that Jane works in and/or glorifying it, by answering the question: "What would you do if you found $10,000?" well, spend it frivolously, of course. No, instead, Jane travels along an emotional awakening journey that comes to a surprising head at the very end of the film. The pay off is great and it's an awesome, well-deserved ending to a spectacular film that really surprised me with how well it was done.
You have to watch this film!
.....................................................................
Film 236
"Little Birds"
starring: Juno Temple, Kay Panabaker, Kate Bosworth, Leslie Mann
written and directed by: Elgin James
They say, write what you know. It scares me a little bit that Elgin James is doing precisely that with his debut film, "Little Birds" (which you don't get the connection until the final scene and the soundtrack's song plays, which is actually a Tift Merritt song (a great alt-country singer-songwriter, as showcased by this simple song).
A little history before diving into the film's plot: Elgin James is a former gang member from Boston, MA. He was a prominent member of the Boston-hardcore-music scene gang, FSU (Friends Stand United) in the 1990s. He was also a member of the straight edge, hardcore band, Wrecking Crew. His gang's ultimate, original idea was to purge the music scene he was devoted to of the often-violent, white power (Neo-Nazi) skinheads that seemed to dominate the scene, especially at shows. Interesting fact, FSU originally stood for "Fuck Shit Up" because they would go to shows with the intent of causing trouble with the people they did not agree with. I only know about this faction of the hardcore scene because, even though I was never really "in" it, I had friends that were devoted to the hardcore scene, when I worked at Bull Moose in 1999-2001. I enjoyed the music, but I never went to the shows, because I figured it was a scene I just wouldn't have fit into. I've never liked getting mixed into a crowd of mosh pit, violent dancing, bigger-than-me dudes. I figured I'd just get crushed! Although, I did go to a few shows that my friends played at, keeping a safe distance form the rowdiness. I distinctly remember, though, hearing about one show that my buddy had gone to for the Boston-based band, Blood For Blood (the name just invokes havoc). He recalled the show the next day, saying the members of FSU showed up and ripped shit it. A kid was thrown around and dropped hard enough to almost break his neck. The show was stopped, instruments unplugged, and people were escorted out. People left bloodied up and I was thankful that I didn't go to the show with him. I think it's shows like that, in the hardcore scene, that give the music a bad name and people automatically assume that loud, fast, heavy music invokes violence/violent tendencies. It's simply not true. I mean, I went to a show Tuesday night for Everytime I Die where there was moshing and dancing, but everyone was clearly there to just have a good time and listen to the music, albeit, they were moved to dance wildly, but nobody wanted to hurt anyone. It was a show filled with positive energy.
Anyway, so, here is "Little Birds." I think every teenager can sort of relate to these types of stories and characters, because they are both steeped in the ennui that young-adulthood, small-town living seems to breed. Lily (played by Juno Temple, a newfound actress who has potential if she can break away from the typecasting she seems to find herself mired in at the moment) is a 15 year old girl living in the boring town of Salton Sea, CA. We first see her in the bathtub, running her fingers over self-inflicted cuts on her thighs. Is she really serious about killing herself or is she just trying to overcome her boredom and feeling stuck in a life that she doesn't want for herself? She has witnessed what sticking around can do: case in point, her mother (Leslie Mann) and her too-young aunt (played by Kate Bosworth, interesting choice). Lily clearly doesn't want or see their lives as her future. But, she's only 15 years old, so she of course thinks she's better than it all. She believes she's already outgrown the city that birthed her. Cut to: she gets her heart stolen from a seemingly cool skater boy, who also steals her first kiss. He's from L.A. (a much cooler place to be). This is the perfect excuse to leave for Lily. But, she needs a way out. So, she enlists the help of her best friend, Alison (played by Kay Panabaker), who steals her uncle's truck and together they drive out to L.A.
The character of Lily is clearly looking to fill a void with male validation, in the way that she behaves around her "boyfriend" and his two best friends, because she pretty much does anything to impress them as well as anything they want. She's so eager to please that it's aggravating to watch, because you can see where everything is going from this simple character study. If the film hadn't gone down the violent route, it's clear that girls like Lily are the ones who end up in the porn industry that Jane (from "Starlet") portrayed. The boys recognize her eagerness and vulnerability and almost sickeningly prey upon it, as they ask/demand her to be the pawn in the criminal schemes (re: to lure older men to their vacant building, where they've been living, in the hopes of sleeping with this underage girl, they then rob the man and threaten him to keep his mouth shut). It is all working well, and everyone is happy, except for Alison who continually objects from the sidelines (only to be made fun or and ostracized).
"Little Birds" is a nice first-feature film effort by Elgin James and he clearly has something to say that's worth watching, although I'd like to see his vision expanded more, if given the opportunity.
I think this paragraphs sums up the film nicely,
Without feeling didactic, “Little Birds” is about nothing if not the impulses that make stray souls want to belong to something bigger than themselves. The takeaway, as articulated by characters old enough to know and intuited by Alison (who looks younger than Lily but seems to have a more mature grasp on things), is that Lily is merely running away from herself, and a change of geography won’t make her life any less miserable. If she wants to avoid the unhappiness she senses in others, she’ll have to learn to love herself first.
Comments
Post a Comment