The Wrestler

At eighteen years I am apparently a very young person. Therefor I knew very little about whatever it was that Mickey Rourke did to destroy his career so badly that his comeback is almost messianic if that makes sense. Therefor it was easy for me watching "The Wrestler" to see him not as Mickey Rourke but as Randy the Ram Jam. The fact that people who did know what ever it is that happened to Rourke were able to do the same is testament to how good the performance is.
Randy is an old 80's wrestler fights is low end venues and regularly is punched,tackled and stapled ( don't ask) to his fans delight. On his off days he visits a beautiful but aging stripper "named" Cassidy played by Marrissa Tomei. He also attempts to reconcile with his estranges lesbian daughter played by Evan Rachel Wood. She is the only person in the movie who doesn't like Randy. Both women are excellent.
Randy is a man who is disparate to be loved and relishes the prove the crowds give him. Unfortunately he is going to have a heart atack if he continues wrestiling and he is fourced to retire and work in a deli. However he missed the aprooval of his fans and feels the temptation to renenter the ring. Mickey Rourke is wonderful as an exteamly likable but vulnerable chracter. This is the best male performance of the year. He is unbelivably heartbreking weather he is ramanicing Cassidy or getting destroyed in the ringby his friends. The female chracters are not as well written and the whole "hooker with a heart" thing annoys me to no end (especialy the gratyuitouly long nude dancing sequences). But Tomei is so good she won me over and the virtriole taht Wood spouts at Randy is pianful to watch. Ultimatly the film isn't quite as good as its lead perfoirmance which is fantastic.

Revolutionary Road

"Revolutionary Road" is a downer. However it ain't the type of downer that depresses me personally most likely due to the fact that I am not married. "Revolutionary Road" centers on a 60's bored suburban couple April and Frank Wheeler played by Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio respectively. Frank works at a job he despises while April( a failed actress) cooks,cleans and takes care of the kids. We open the film with the first of many fights. This one centers on a lousy community play April has just appeared in. The day after Frank and April are ridiculously hostile to each other. Frank deals with the hostility by taking a nice refreshing dip in the secretarial pool. April however comes up with an idea bound to release them from their suburban hell. They can move to Paris! Because being in a different country will solve all their problems! April and Frank rejoice in the hope of moving with their enthusiastic children to Paris. However gradually the plan begins to fall apart as does April.

This film was directed by Sam Mendes husband of Winslet. He also directed the famous tale of suburban soul suckadge "American Beauty." While that film centered on a husbands mid life crisis this centers mostly on the crisis of the wife (although both characters are equally important.)The idea of moving to Paris fro April is essentially the equivalent of "American Beauty's" Lester's plan to relive his youth by winning the "heart" of a young cheerleader. THis film isn't as funny as "american Beauty" and its alos a bit more of a downer. "American Beauty" retaained some hope through its teenage chracters, however the children in "Rvolutionary Road" are A: not even wanted, and B: Barely in the movie.

The two best things about this movie are A: its use of color and tone and B: its performances. DiCaprio and Winslet are both wonderful. DiCaprio manages to give a sometimes endearing sometimes pathetic vulnerability to his rather aggressive and unfaithful husband. After April tells him she truly deeply HATES him, he cries and screams and almost begs her not to hate him. You don't know weather to cry for him or spit at him. Winslet is more aggressive in the idea of changing her life, perhaps because she is offended by Frank's complete control over her life. You never truly feel as if she hates but rather hates the lack of control she has over her own life. She has been doomed to live the same monotonous existence for eternity. Frank has more hope because of the job he despises. With promotions come the hope that his life will change. April's life is hopeless and Winslet shows this hopelessness fearlessly. A favorite of mine Micheal Shannon is also a standout as A psychotic truth teller who visits the Wheelers. HE justly recived an oscar nomination (although he has no chance of winning. Thanks Heath Ledger.)

The other great thing about the film is its look. Everything on screen is freakishly clean and pastel. A notable shot involves frank journey to work accompanied by a thousand other identically dressed robotic men, another involves April taking out the garbage. It is beautiful yes but something isn't quite right. Much like the Wheelers marriage. Much like this movie.

Slumdog Millionare

This was a truly exhilarating film. I haven't had a movie affect me this much in years. Slum dog Millionaire is the story of a teenage boy in India who goes from living in the slums as a child to winning "Who wants to be a millionaire"! How did he do it....DESTINY!!!!(awsome.) We flashback to the main character Jamal's childhood in the slums. The scenes showing the children running through the slums are exhilarating filmed by director Danny Boyle. The first scene in particular reminded me vaguely of another Danny Boyle intro "Trainspotting":

Although this film deals with different subject matter it is clearly is influenced by the style of its director. the intro of Slumdog millionaire also shows people running through their "territory". Only in "Slum dog" it is poor Indian children, not drug addicted young adults who are being chased. This is an example of how even in two completely different stories a director can retain their style.
The three main characters are Jamal, his no good but loyal brother Salim and his lifelong love Latika. Three actors of different ages play each character and all are remarkable. All three meet when they are orphaned as children. The film charts how Jamal came to know all the answers to the quiz show. To our amazement we see how every answer came from a different event in Jamal's life.For example when an American woman feels bad for him after seeing him beaten by a cop (after his friends were stealing from them) she gives him a hundred dollar bill. By destiny! one of his questions is "Who is on the hundred dollar bill?"
The movie doesn't shy away from the harsh reality's of these children's lives. However it also shows the inspiring way that these children never become defeated. In the first scene we see the children running through their dirty and impoverished slum. however they run with an intense enthusiasm and spirit, enjoying every second of the chase. That is perhaps the most inspiring thing about this film.

Milk

Milk is by all means a good film. However sadly I think the film is too ambitious to accept being just "good". It fails in its attempt to be great. If I am making any sense here I don't know. What I am trying to say is that while Milk is engaging and enjoyable it is not something to think about afterwords.
The performances in the film are uniformly good. Senn Penn does a phenomenal job at convincing us that he is a nice guy. James Franco takes on the role usually reserved for the woman (Laura Linney in "Kinsey", Reese Whitherspoon in "Walk the Line", Kery Washington in "Ray"): the beautiful, sweet, wonderful, love interest. Diego Luna is the beautiful, self destructive,crazy, less wonderful love interest ( Regina King in "Ray",Ginnifer Goodwin " Walk the Line"). Josh Brolin is the sympathetic but totally nutso eventual assassin. The wisecracking sidekick with an occasional dramatic moment is Emile Hersh. The strong successful lone female is Alison Pill ( a favorite of mine). From my descriptions of the characters you have probably gathered my main qualm with the film. With the exception of a few good protests scene and one great catch phrase ( I'm Harvey Milk and I'm here to RECRUIT YOU!) there isn't much we haven't seen before. Another problem that I had was that the fact That Harvey wasn't killed because of his sexual orientation but because of personal reasons between him and Josh Brolin's character was never fully addressed. I know it is a true story but I had a hard time with the fact that Harvey's death had little to do with his life. I simply didn't find Harvey very interesting. Likable but not interesting. The movie makes him so wonderful to the point that he becomes completely dull. My first grade teacher was a lovely woman but I wouldn't watch a movie a bout her. The movie needed to show more of Harvey's flaws. If it had done so it would have made him more interesting and thus more endearing.

3 out of 4 stars.

Top five movie trailers

Movie trailers! Maybe its the editor in me that finds them so interesting. Or Maybe its just the ADD. Anyhow lets debut my favorite movie trailer!

5. Burn after Reading. The song. The atmosphere. The big bold lettering. This is perhaps the funniest trailer I have seen in a while. Unfortunately this was one of those films that ended up not living up to its trailer.

.4 Eyes Wide Shut. This trailer is the definition of Art House cool. The song that plays over this trailer has to be one of my favorites. I also adore the complete lack of dialogue in the trailer. Also the big bold lettering happens to be a favorite of mine. Then that piercing close up of Nicole Kidman....

4. Bedazzled. So what if its a silly comedy. It highlights all the best parts of the movie and employs a kick ass ac dc song at the end. That. Is. All.

3.American Psycho. This trailer is both scary and stylish occasionally introducing humor into the equation. Although the actual film is far more humorous then this trailer and less of a conventional horror movie.

2. Margot At the Wedding. This trailer perfectly capture exquisite bitchinessof the movie. More Kidman!

1.It combines one liners, a plot outline and a great song at the end. A cynical Christmas classic. Best. Trailer.EVER.

Music in Film

This scene from "Pulp Fiction" involves Mia and Vincent dancing in a twist contest to " You never can tell." This is a great example of music in the movies. Tarentino is famous/infamous for his use/abuse of music in his films. Personally I can't get get enough of his abuse. I remember the firsts time I saw the scene in "Pulp Fiction" where Mia and Vincent are getting reading for a date while " Son of a Preacher Man" plays. I was hypnotized and I had no idea why. Same for a torture scene in "Reservoir Dogs" where Micheal Madsen dances to the feel good seventies hit " Stuck in the Middle with You" while torturing a cop. WARNING VIOLENCE: However Tarentino is not the only the only director to utilize music. Sofia Coppola also did so controversially in her film " Marie Antoinette." I found it inspired when she filmed a montage of divine/despicable decadence in the 17th century to " I Want Candy."Or when she opens the screen on a smug Marie being pampered while Gang of Four plays.
Nowadays with i pods everyone has a soundtrack to their life. This makes music in film even more powerful.

High school Musical: Why?

I have decided to take this post to discuss the mind bending success of HSM.



Reason 1: It is not about a high school but about a fantasy land where everyone works hard ( even though we never see them study), everyone gets in a fantastic college and boyfriends and girlfriends are happily chaste. IT is what I like to call "Saved By The Bell" syndrome. It is what all middle school students hope that high school will be, not what it actually is.



Reason 2: The songs are catchy. Loud, screechy, annoying, obnoxious but don't tell me you haven't caught yourself humming "We're All in This Together" once or twice.



Reason 3: Everybody is gorgeous. Just because the audience is young doesn't mean it's deep.



Reason 4: Disney is phenomenal at marketing its young stars. No one under 14 doesn't know the films stars by name.



So there are my reasons. Now here are five far better musicals to watch:



1.) West Side Story

2.) Moulin Rouge

3.) Chicago

4.) Across the Universe

5.) South Pacific