Taking Back Sunday (Live, Again) and Five Indie Films
Last night, I saw Taking Back Sunday for what I believe was the 6th time, since 2003. I've seen them at their best, with the original lineup, and also with multiple lineup changes; and I've seen them at the worst (worst likely, due to lead singer Adam Lazzara's addiction and alcohol problems). Regardless, the energy at their shows is undeniable. They play to the crowd, playing favorites, playing sing-alongs, and until recently I noticed they don't play songs of their album "New Again" (which is one of my favorites). They've stayed consistent with their radio-friendly emo-type songs, albeit, they get a little harder with each album. I remember the first time I saw them, in Portland at the State Theatre, November 16, 2003-- and the only reason why it sticks out in my mind is because I had just started my teaching program at USM (heading towards a career in education). I showed up at my placement in Auburn Middle School that spring and a couple of 7th grade girls recognized me (somehow) from the show and asked me why I was alone at the show. Anyway, just a bit of a memory related to music and a funny story. The next time I saw them, I brought my first (ex)girlfriend to see them at the Avalon in Boston (what is now known as the House of Blues) right behind Fenway Park. We connected over our love for this one band in particular, because she was more of a country girl (literally and figuratively), but she loved my poetry, which explained why she enjoyed a band like Taking Back Sunday. Anyway, that relationship almost lasted 2 years, even though we were unspoken(ly) engaged (the only girl I'd actually bought an engagement ring for). She was a college student while I was finishing my program and getting ready to have a career and move forward in my life. We just were not ready for each other, I suppose. Anyway, that relationship taught me valuable lessons and set me down a particular path in terms of relationships that I haven't seemed to veer away from, for some reason.
"Girl on a Bicycle"
starring: Vinceno Amato, Louise Monot, Nora Tschirner, Thomas Heinze, Paddy Considine,
written and directed by: Jeremy Leven
I wanted to like this film because I thought it would be different than all the other romantic comedies out there, but it in fact proved just the opposite. It includes all the cliches you would expect and it still managed to be predictable, not so funny, not very romantic, a bit absurd, and played out like an extended sitcom with typical shenanigans and tom-foolery and miscommunications. With every in the plot bogging down the script, it all comes out as a bit of a convoluted mess that could not decide which of its characters it really wanted to focus on.
Derek is seen more as a secondary character and his backstory sets up for something to happen to him. He is a Englishman living in Paris who has been through his share of relationships, three French wives to be exact. All he really wants is to find a Frenchwoman, albeit perfect and beautiful, who will speak to him in French.
Model Cecile Laurent (Louise Monot, absolutely stunning and every bit of beautiful) speaks perfect French and, being a model, certainly does not mind being naked (must also be a French thing). Good for the viewer, at least. She has an amazing smile and she's certainly the kind of girl I would fall for instantly, if I could just get myself over to France! Anyway, it's an Italian bus driver named Paolo who gets instantly attracted to her when they are both stopped at a traffic light. He ends up hitting her with his bus and she ends up nursing a broken arm and leg through the reminder of the film, and is taken care of by Paolo because he feels guilty for hitting her and taking her out of commission. There's lots of trouble with this scenario, though. Cecile has two kids, who believe he is their long-lost father come back into their lives at just the right time. He ends up parenting them through Cecile's recovery as well, because she cannot do anything for herself, apparently. Paolo has just asked his longtime girlfriend, Greta, a German flight attendant, to marry him when he starts acting bizarre, spending long hours with Cecile, taking care of her. He gets up at five in the morning and does not come back until late at night. Greta grows quite suspicious, as any woman probably would.
When the movie is almost over, about an hour into it, we get the Meet Cute scenario that is evident in all romantic comedies, except it's between Derek and Cecile, when she is trying out her new bike (given to her by Paolo) in her apartment and it sends her flying through the window, hitting an awning and sending her into the arms of the unsuspecting Derek. She brings him upstairs, after being saved by him, and they have sex. Unfortunately, the movie isn't about this Meet Cute relationship, instead it's mainly about Paolo and Greta, and how he will ultimately repair his relationship and proposal for a future together.
The climax is really what makes you feel cheated, as Paolo grovels for Greta to take him back from the airplane bathroom stall he barricades himself in and refuses to leave until she agrees. There's really nothing from the entire rest of the film that makes you want to see this couple survive the mistakes made by Paolo and then end up happily together.
The characters are all stereotypes of their ethnicities and very unsympathetic. The speeches are cluttered with supposed meaningful words of wisdom and just come off dry and forgetful. This was a mess from the start, all the way through until the end. I'd like to see Louise Monot in something else, though, because I want to give her a chance as the girl you could fall for.
...................................................................................................
"You're Not You"
starring: Hilary Swank, Josh Ritter, Emmy Rossum, Josh Duhamel, Stephanie Beatriz, Ali Larter
Given that Hilary Swank has earned accolades and awards for her awe-inspiring, moving performances as characters that suffered significantly in two movies, at least, "Boys Don't Cry" and "Million Dollar Baby," she seems like the obvious choice to play a concert pianist, named Kate, who is diagnosed with and suffers from ALS, one of the worst, debilitating diseases known to man. Kate is 35 years old when she is diagnosed and her life changes as she makes radical changes and faces terrible obstacles throughout the whole film. Initially, the film comes off as rather familiar with a slowly-but-surely building plot that will ultimately climax with quite a bit of tearjerking. The movie chooses to explore the bond between Kate and her unlikely, albeit angry, yet sympathetic in-home caregiver, Becky, played by a stellar Emmy Rossum, who has aspirations to be a singer. It's this bond and friendship, ultimately, that makes the film leave the ground running and sets it apart from being just another misplaced, would-be movie-of-the-week on TV. It certainly helps that the two strong females are played by equally strong actresses who really get you to believe in them, even when Rossum's Becky is given the decision to take Kate off the ventilator in the hospital, because she knows that Kate wants to be at home.
It's not a stellar, riveting film, but watching these two actresses is worth it, even if it won't earn Swank anymore awards.
..............................................................................
"Submarine"
starring: Noah Taylor, Paddy Considine, Craig Roberts, Yasmin Paige, Sally Hawkins, Darren Evans
written and directed by: Richard Ayoade
"Submarine" is an interesting, welcoming, bizarre coming-of-age story and debut film from a British comedic actor, Richard Ayoade (known mostly for his work in "The IT Crowd" and "The Mighty Boosh"). This is a sweet, knowing, bracingly deadpan coming-of-age story that proudly wears its influences on its screen-sleeve (re: "Harold and Maude" and "Rushmore"). The main character is a teenage boy, on the cusp of adulthood, Oliver Tate who would probably fit perfectly in any Smiths song that he listens to during his existential despair. It helps that the film is set in Swansea in the mid-Eighties and Oliver views himself more worldly-wise and fine-tuned to realities of love and life than he truly is, but doesn't that define adolescence?
Two events are redefining Oliver's notion of himself (as savior, hero, and emotionally accessible ladies man): The first is his tentative puppy love for his considerably more cynical schoolmate Jordana (Paige); the second is the slow-motion disintegration of his parents’ marriage. Rarely if ever have I seen a more bracingly honest depiction of spousal malaise than here. As Oliver's mother, Jill, Hawkins is a model of barely contained familial frustration; Oliver suspects, with good cause, that she's taken to seeing an old flame, the hilariously self-important New Age huckster Graham Purvis (Considine). But this is Oliver's story, narrated by him and glimpsed entirely from his specific point of view, which means plenty of misunderstandings, ghastly schoolyard and social faux pas, and heartache humor. It's difficult to pigeonhole Submarine without resorting to those obvious Wes Anderson influences, but in several ways Ayoade's film is a more genuine and organic portrait of semi-deluded youth in pseudo-revolt. The relationship between the initially straitlaced and refreshingly vainglorious Oliver and his gum-snapping, school-skipping "bad girl" paramour is fraught with the seriocomic perils of Everyteen life but nonetheless rings utterly true. It's a testament to director Ayoade's skills that Submarine very rarely descends into totally twee territory.
...........................................................................
"Standby"
starring: Jessica Pare, Brian Gleeson, Stanley Townsend, Francesca Cherruault, Ian Lloyd Andersen
directed by: Rob and Ronan Burke
written by: Pierce Ryan
Twenty-something Alan (Gleeson) is down on his luck. Stood up at the altar and recently fired from his banking job, he finds himself working with his mother as a part-time tourist advisor at Dublin Airport. It's there he comes face to face with first love Alice (Paré), stuck on standby for a flight home to New York. Their summer romance ended eight years previously with Alan promising to return to the US one day. He never did, and they haven't spoken since. Seizing his chance, Alan convinces a reluctant Alice to stay one more night in Dublin. Over the course of an unforgettable evening, they may just realise that they are more compatible than ever. But time is running out on this brief encounter. When does an unexpected second chance, become the one you've always been looking for?
Alan (Brian Gleeson) works at the tourism kiosk at the Dublin airport. His life is in a bit of a rut. He lives with his dad. His skiffle band is struggling. His love life is pretty shot to shit, and he is not willing to step back into the game (having been left at the altar). One day, an American woman (Jessica Paré) Alan had an intense summer fling with eight years earlier comes through the airport on her way back to New York. The two reconnect and agree to spend the night together on the town before her flight the next morning.
With this kind of plot, it's a set up to be one of my favorite films. It follows the formula of "Before Sunrise" (which is definitely in my Top 3 Favorite films of all time), only it is set in Dublin, Ireland and the two characters knew each other and had a significant relationship (for a summer, with plans to marry for a green card, when Alan was in the U.S. but then disappeared back to Dublin without an explanation) when they meet again at the airport. She's on "standby" (hence the title) and Alan convinces his old flame to spend the night with him, adventuring through Dublin. Over the course of the night, they drink, they dance, they fight, they talk, they lie, they smoke pot, they play some music in a gay bar, and they get themselves into a couple of wacky situations. It's supposed to be another one of those wacky romantic comedies, but it really fails to be funny, instead, the script takes itself too seriously and gets lost along its mission. Jessica Pare is great in her role, opposite someone she's supposed to have chemistry with but really doesn't so she covers it up with lots of laughing and smiling. Pare is fresh from her role on "Mad Men" as it winds down its final season on AMC this spring. She can clearly be a new lead actress in these rom-coms.
With all that being said, I still found myself enjoying it, a little bit, because I'm a sucker for these kind of movies, ones where a potential couple meets and spends one night making a significant impact on each other's lives. Even if the outcome of this film was predictable and each situation was very episodic, like it was filling in a necessary timeline to get us to the end.
.....................................................................
"Save the Date"
starring: Lizzy Caplan, Alison Brie, Martin Starr, Geoffrey Arend, Mark Webber, Melonie Diaz, Timothy Busfield
written and directed by: Michael Mohan
I like Lizzy Caplan. She's like the poor man's Zooey Deschanel. I think it's those damn eyes! I really want to watch her in "Masters of Sex" because she's supposed to be great in it. Instead, I got to watch her in this 2012 film, which unsurprisingly never found its way into theaters and just found its way onto Netflix recently.
We are introduced to four characters (and then a fifth who plays a significant role in the film). Sarah (Caplan) is a bookstore manager and aspiring artist who has just moved in with her boyfriend, Kevin (Arend), the frontman/musician in a band that includes Andrew (Starr), who is engaged to Beth (Brie) who happens to be Sarah's rather uptight sister who is not quite a bridezilla, but could certainly play the role, she just feels bad for her sister because her life is a seeming disaster. Sarah doesn't have the seem feelings about life and love and relationships and expectations as her sister. It doesn't help that Kevin proposes in the middle of his band's gig in front of 200 strangers, even knowing that Sarah is not the kind of girl/person who will appreciate this gesture- because of the attention and her feelings on marriage. She is mortified and leaves the venue, and then breaks it off with Kevin. Beth is obsessed with her upcoming nuptials and doesn't really have time or energy to invest in Sarah's misery. In steps Jonathan (Webber), who is a Sarah admirer/worshipper he knows from frequenting the bookstore. He was also there when Kevin surprised Sarah with a proposal and saw the aftermath of that. Jonathan definitely plays like the perfect guy for Sarah and they have undeniable chemistry, but there's something within Sarah that compels her to be perversely opposed to her own happiness.
The film develops as Sarah's relationship with Jonathan develops, and then she loses her cat and finds something out about herself that really pushes the film along and the conclusion comes all too abruptly to be pleasing to the viewer who has invested their time in Sarah's sad story. And then, it just ends.
It's an okay film, but there's definitely better ones.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- Encore:
-
-
"Girl on a Bicycle"
starring: Vinceno Amato, Louise Monot, Nora Tschirner, Thomas Heinze, Paddy Considine,
written and directed by: Jeremy Leven
I wanted to like this film because I thought it would be different than all the other romantic comedies out there, but it in fact proved just the opposite. It includes all the cliches you would expect and it still managed to be predictable, not so funny, not very romantic, a bit absurd, and played out like an extended sitcom with typical shenanigans and tom-foolery and miscommunications. With every in the plot bogging down the script, it all comes out as a bit of a convoluted mess that could not decide which of its characters it really wanted to focus on.
Derek is seen more as a secondary character and his backstory sets up for something to happen to him. He is a Englishman living in Paris who has been through his share of relationships, three French wives to be exact. All he really wants is to find a Frenchwoman, albeit perfect and beautiful, who will speak to him in French.
Model Cecile Laurent (Louise Monot, absolutely stunning and every bit of beautiful) speaks perfect French and, being a model, certainly does not mind being naked (must also be a French thing). Good for the viewer, at least. She has an amazing smile and she's certainly the kind of girl I would fall for instantly, if I could just get myself over to France! Anyway, it's an Italian bus driver named Paolo who gets instantly attracted to her when they are both stopped at a traffic light. He ends up hitting her with his bus and she ends up nursing a broken arm and leg through the reminder of the film, and is taken care of by Paolo because he feels guilty for hitting her and taking her out of commission. There's lots of trouble with this scenario, though. Cecile has two kids, who believe he is their long-lost father come back into their lives at just the right time. He ends up parenting them through Cecile's recovery as well, because she cannot do anything for herself, apparently. Paolo has just asked his longtime girlfriend, Greta, a German flight attendant, to marry him when he starts acting bizarre, spending long hours with Cecile, taking care of her. He gets up at five in the morning and does not come back until late at night. Greta grows quite suspicious, as any woman probably would.
When the movie is almost over, about an hour into it, we get the Meet Cute scenario that is evident in all romantic comedies, except it's between Derek and Cecile, when she is trying out her new bike (given to her by Paolo) in her apartment and it sends her flying through the window, hitting an awning and sending her into the arms of the unsuspecting Derek. She brings him upstairs, after being saved by him, and they have sex. Unfortunately, the movie isn't about this Meet Cute relationship, instead it's mainly about Paolo and Greta, and how he will ultimately repair his relationship and proposal for a future together.
The climax is really what makes you feel cheated, as Paolo grovels for Greta to take him back from the airplane bathroom stall he barricades himself in and refuses to leave until she agrees. There's really nothing from the entire rest of the film that makes you want to see this couple survive the mistakes made by Paolo and then end up happily together.
The characters are all stereotypes of their ethnicities and very unsympathetic. The speeches are cluttered with supposed meaningful words of wisdom and just come off dry and forgetful. This was a mess from the start, all the way through until the end. I'd like to see Louise Monot in something else, though, because I want to give her a chance as the girl you could fall for.
...................................................................................................
"You're Not You"
starring: Hilary Swank, Josh Ritter, Emmy Rossum, Josh Duhamel, Stephanie Beatriz, Ali Larter
Given that Hilary Swank has earned accolades and awards for her awe-inspiring, moving performances as characters that suffered significantly in two movies, at least, "Boys Don't Cry" and "Million Dollar Baby," she seems like the obvious choice to play a concert pianist, named Kate, who is diagnosed with and suffers from ALS, one of the worst, debilitating diseases known to man. Kate is 35 years old when she is diagnosed and her life changes as she makes radical changes and faces terrible obstacles throughout the whole film. Initially, the film comes off as rather familiar with a slowly-but-surely building plot that will ultimately climax with quite a bit of tearjerking. The movie chooses to explore the bond between Kate and her unlikely, albeit angry, yet sympathetic in-home caregiver, Becky, played by a stellar Emmy Rossum, who has aspirations to be a singer. It's this bond and friendship, ultimately, that makes the film leave the ground running and sets it apart from being just another misplaced, would-be movie-of-the-week on TV. It certainly helps that the two strong females are played by equally strong actresses who really get you to believe in them, even when Rossum's Becky is given the decision to take Kate off the ventilator in the hospital, because she knows that Kate wants to be at home.
It's not a stellar, riveting film, but watching these two actresses is worth it, even if it won't earn Swank anymore awards.
..............................................................................
"Submarine"
starring: Noah Taylor, Paddy Considine, Craig Roberts, Yasmin Paige, Sally Hawkins, Darren Evans
written and directed by: Richard Ayoade
"Submarine" is an interesting, welcoming, bizarre coming-of-age story and debut film from a British comedic actor, Richard Ayoade (known mostly for his work in "The IT Crowd" and "The Mighty Boosh"). This is a sweet, knowing, bracingly deadpan coming-of-age story that proudly wears its influences on its screen-sleeve (re: "Harold and Maude" and "Rushmore"). The main character is a teenage boy, on the cusp of adulthood, Oliver Tate who would probably fit perfectly in any Smiths song that he listens to during his existential despair. It helps that the film is set in Swansea in the mid-Eighties and Oliver views himself more worldly-wise and fine-tuned to realities of love and life than he truly is, but doesn't that define adolescence?
Two events are redefining Oliver's notion of himself (as savior, hero, and emotionally accessible ladies man): The first is his tentative puppy love for his considerably more cynical schoolmate Jordana (Paige); the second is the slow-motion disintegration of his parents’ marriage. Rarely if ever have I seen a more bracingly honest depiction of spousal malaise than here. As Oliver's mother, Jill, Hawkins is a model of barely contained familial frustration; Oliver suspects, with good cause, that she's taken to seeing an old flame, the hilariously self-important New Age huckster Graham Purvis (Considine). But this is Oliver's story, narrated by him and glimpsed entirely from his specific point of view, which means plenty of misunderstandings, ghastly schoolyard and social faux pas, and heartache humor. It's difficult to pigeonhole Submarine without resorting to those obvious Wes Anderson influences, but in several ways Ayoade's film is a more genuine and organic portrait of semi-deluded youth in pseudo-revolt. The relationship between the initially straitlaced and refreshingly vainglorious Oliver and his gum-snapping, school-skipping "bad girl" paramour is fraught with the seriocomic perils of Everyteen life but nonetheless rings utterly true. It's a testament to director Ayoade's skills that Submarine very rarely descends into totally twee territory.
...........................................................................
"Standby"
starring: Jessica Pare, Brian Gleeson, Stanley Townsend, Francesca Cherruault, Ian Lloyd Andersen
directed by: Rob and Ronan Burke
written by: Pierce Ryan
Twenty-something Alan (Gleeson) is down on his luck. Stood up at the altar and recently fired from his banking job, he finds himself working with his mother as a part-time tourist advisor at Dublin Airport. It's there he comes face to face with first love Alice (Paré), stuck on standby for a flight home to New York. Their summer romance ended eight years previously with Alan promising to return to the US one day. He never did, and they haven't spoken since. Seizing his chance, Alan convinces a reluctant Alice to stay one more night in Dublin. Over the course of an unforgettable evening, they may just realise that they are more compatible than ever. But time is running out on this brief encounter. When does an unexpected second chance, become the one you've always been looking for?
Alan (Brian Gleeson) works at the tourism kiosk at the Dublin airport. His life is in a bit of a rut. He lives with his dad. His skiffle band is struggling. His love life is pretty shot to shit, and he is not willing to step back into the game (having been left at the altar). One day, an American woman (Jessica Paré) Alan had an intense summer fling with eight years earlier comes through the airport on her way back to New York. The two reconnect and agree to spend the night together on the town before her flight the next morning.
With this kind of plot, it's a set up to be one of my favorite films. It follows the formula of "Before Sunrise" (which is definitely in my Top 3 Favorite films of all time), only it is set in Dublin, Ireland and the two characters knew each other and had a significant relationship (for a summer, with plans to marry for a green card, when Alan was in the U.S. but then disappeared back to Dublin without an explanation) when they meet again at the airport. She's on "standby" (hence the title) and Alan convinces his old flame to spend the night with him, adventuring through Dublin. Over the course of the night, they drink, they dance, they fight, they talk, they lie, they smoke pot, they play some music in a gay bar, and they get themselves into a couple of wacky situations. It's supposed to be another one of those wacky romantic comedies, but it really fails to be funny, instead, the script takes itself too seriously and gets lost along its mission. Jessica Pare is great in her role, opposite someone she's supposed to have chemistry with but really doesn't so she covers it up with lots of laughing and smiling. Pare is fresh from her role on "Mad Men" as it winds down its final season on AMC this spring. She can clearly be a new lead actress in these rom-coms.
With all that being said, I still found myself enjoying it, a little bit, because I'm a sucker for these kind of movies, ones where a potential couple meets and spends one night making a significant impact on each other's lives. Even if the outcome of this film was predictable and each situation was very episodic, like it was filling in a necessary timeline to get us to the end.
.....................................................................
"Save the Date"
starring: Lizzy Caplan, Alison Brie, Martin Starr, Geoffrey Arend, Mark Webber, Melonie Diaz, Timothy Busfield
written and directed by: Michael Mohan
I like Lizzy Caplan. She's like the poor man's Zooey Deschanel. I think it's those damn eyes! I really want to watch her in "Masters of Sex" because she's supposed to be great in it. Instead, I got to watch her in this 2012 film, which unsurprisingly never found its way into theaters and just found its way onto Netflix recently.
We are introduced to four characters (and then a fifth who plays a significant role in the film). Sarah (Caplan) is a bookstore manager and aspiring artist who has just moved in with her boyfriend, Kevin (Arend), the frontman/musician in a band that includes Andrew (Starr), who is engaged to Beth (Brie) who happens to be Sarah's rather uptight sister who is not quite a bridezilla, but could certainly play the role, she just feels bad for her sister because her life is a seeming disaster. Sarah doesn't have the seem feelings about life and love and relationships and expectations as her sister. It doesn't help that Kevin proposes in the middle of his band's gig in front of 200 strangers, even knowing that Sarah is not the kind of girl/person who will appreciate this gesture- because of the attention and her feelings on marriage. She is mortified and leaves the venue, and then breaks it off with Kevin. Beth is obsessed with her upcoming nuptials and doesn't really have time or energy to invest in Sarah's misery. In steps Jonathan (Webber), who is a Sarah admirer/worshipper he knows from frequenting the bookstore. He was also there when Kevin surprised Sarah with a proposal and saw the aftermath of that. Jonathan definitely plays like the perfect guy for Sarah and they have undeniable chemistry, but there's something within Sarah that compels her to be perversely opposed to her own happiness.
The film develops as Sarah's relationship with Jonathan develops, and then she loses her cat and finds something out about herself that really pushes the film along and the conclusion comes all too abruptly to be pleasing to the viewer who has invested their time in Sarah's sad story. And then, it just ends.
It's an okay film, but there's definitely better ones.
Comments
Post a Comment