Reel Time: Episode 14

The endless cycle of comic-book films ends this summer with Captain America, we reviewed that, as well as the Mike Mills film Beginners. Other than a couple trailers and recent film news, new guest Tom Stoup chimed in on Friends with Benefits. Here is a stand alone link, enjoy. 

Reel Time: Episode 13

In this episode we discussed Deathly Hallows Part 2, and spoke at length about recent trailers that have been released, including The Dark Knight Rises. After the show, my mic seemed to malfunction, so my apologies for there being no outro. Joined by Deepayan Sengupta, Derin Spector, and Mark Mullicane. Non-iTunes link, enjoy!

Beginners

"Beginners"
Starring: Ewan McGregor, Christopher Plummer, Melanie Laurent, Goran Visnjic, Mary Page Keller
Directed by: Mike Mills
105 minutes
2010/USA

Beginners represents pure escapism for audiences that are tired of the usual booms and bangs that seem to shroud film-goers during the summer film season. It's a small little film, autobiographical to an extent; director Mike Mills learned of his own father's homosexuality when he came out of the closet after his wife's death. Mills has framed his own experiences into a film that he's also written himself. It's a textured and endlessly appealing work that may or may not be remembered by many at the end of the year, but for the most part, Beginners is something that many can identify with, and it's worth noting that these type of films are harder and harder to come by.

Ewan McGreogor is standing in for Mills as Oliver, a lonely man whose recently been rocked by the news that his father Hal, played by Christopher Plummer, is not only gay, but has terminal cancer. The film jumps between past and present, more or less charting Oliver's consciousness and attitude toward the situation. Oliver is no picnic himself, as we come to learn that he's never been able to hold a stable relationship with a female. Oliver ends up developing a relationship with an actress named Anna, played by the stunning Melanie Laurent. They're essentially a perfect fit, and it's tremendously charming watching their romance gradually blossom throughout the film. Laurent, who burst onto the scene in 2008's Inglorious Basterds, is an actress who can do so much with her eyes and her killer smile. She's one cog in the trio of actors that make this film highly insightful and enjoyable.

Mills gives the film its own little unique spin that separates itself from other so-called dramas of this sort. Since Oliver is the catalyst for the audience, we're presented with a point of reference through Oliver's subjective experiences. Not much happens in the film, but Mills' allows us to get to know these characters and their flaws. Ultimately, Beginners strives to show us the imperfections of life, and the tireless ebb and flow of our journey, warts and all. It's also very revealing in how it exposes the fragility of our existence. One can tell that Mills is holding nothing back from his own experiences. The film is told through portraits, as it effortlessly weaves a handful of characters and their arcs together gracefully.

If anything, the film is too calculated, and while I rather enjoyed the pacing, the third act, particularly the last 20-25 minutes are way too scattered. I sat there thinking it could've wrapped up at multiple spots, but the film continued on. Plummer is his reliable self here, turning in a nuanced, yet un-showy performance. Mills easily could've written Hal differently, perhaps forcing Plummer's performance down Oscar voters throats, but the script and Plummer thankfully go a different route. This is perhaps the truest performance that McGregor has ever given, hardly brilliant, but tuned into the type of aimlessness and numbness that Mills might've felt.

Beginners has a melancholic tone throughout, but in no way is it a film void of hope. The two central relationships are what work the best. Just as Hal is liberated and able to explore his desired sexuality, Oliver's almost muted existence has taken a hold of him. It's not so much a film about Oliver learning to live his life in the way Hal has come to with his boyfriend Andy (Visnjic), but a "live in the moment" commentary on how life isn't always waiting on us. Beginners has a big heart, and at times gives off a tingly feeling of how life can surprise us if we take advantage of it.

Grade: 3.5/5

Reel Time: Episode 12

This was one of the more laid back episodes thus far, if not the most laid back. Joining me once again were regulars Andrew Cate and Deepayan Sengupta, we talked less about Horrible Bosses, and more about our expectations for Deathly Hallows part II, and many other off-topic tangents. Here's a non-iTunes link, enjoy!

Reel Time: Episode 11

Holiday hub-bub now over, we were able to record episode 11 late tonight. I was joined by NextProjection.com's Christopher Misch, and regulars Andrew Cate and Deepayan Sengupta. We've hit the dull patch of the summer film season, but we still had plenty to talk about. Discussion centers around Transformers: Dark of the Moon and Larry Crowne, as well as much more. Here is a non-iTunes link, enjoy!

Larry Crowne

"Larry Crowne"
Starring: Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Bryan Cranston, Cedric the Entertainer, Taraji P. Henson, Mbatha-Raw, Wilmer Valderrama
Directed by: Tom Hanks
99 minutes
2011/USA

Tom Hanks, the lovable and charming guy that he is, has a hand in almost every aspect of this film, and that's the film's biggest problem. Hanks, playing the titular character, is also the co-writer and director here. It's a familiar little premise, and if you've seen the trailer you've essentially seen the entire film. Larry Crowne is a middle-aged man whose been recently let go from his retail job due to corporate downsizing. His superiors inform him that his lack of schooling is the reason for him being let go.

Larry, who served in the Navy for 20 years, and is now separated, must fend for himself in the harsh world of unemployment. Fortunately for him, it isn't very hard, as the film plays out in a continuous cycle of winning moments for Larry. It's a romantic/comedy without the slightest hint of commentary on the recession and how it truly impacts lives. Not that it's crucial, but we get little info on what Larry intends to do with the degree he's seeking. He's instructed to take communications, composition, and econ, and then he'll be on his way!

Hanks and co-writer Nia Vardolos (the star of My Big Fat Greek Wedding) place too much stalk on the names of Hanks and co-star Julia Roberts, who plays Larry's snippy college professor, turned love interest. This time to no surprise, their chemistry and charisma as actors does little to get the audience through this fraud of a story. Right after Larry gets let go, he's immediately in makeover mode, as a fellow student named Talia (Mbatha-Raw) suddenly takes interest in him as she invites Larry into her scooter gang. It's hard not to roll your eyes at the notion of a younger, stunning female wanting anything to do with Larry. This is unfortunately how the entire film plays out, as the screenplay interjects few, if any internal/external struggle in Larry's world.

Roberts' character Mercedes is however a tad more complicated, but more or less has zero character arc like Larry. She's in the middle of a failing marriage with Dean, played by Bryan Cranston. Even he can't add any flavor to this vanilla film, serving as the half-written "male-pig" archetype. She drinks because of her apparent disdain for teaching, and we're almost shocked to learn that a character in this film has flaws. Everyone outside of Roberts doesn't swear, smoke, drink, and pretty much all of the above.

By now you get the point, Hanks' sunny, no-worries lifestyle has obviously bled right onto the screen here, and while some of it is agreeable and tolerable, the film would have you believe that life is as easy as the one Hanks leads. The classroom stuff is all lightweight fodder, the film even throws in the token "class clown" character. Not really sure what Hanks was out to prove with this one. That he's competent behind the camera? Or that he's still got the so-called charm that made him who he is? I don't really care enough to answer my own question, it's nowhere near the worst film of the year, and should do well in the 50 and over demographic, but a film this lifeless will be forgotten the minute after you leave the theater.

Grade: 2.5/5

Top 10 performances from the films of Terrence Malick

10. Linda Manz, "Days of Heaven" (1978) 
We're guided through Malick's second feature by a young narrator named Linda, sister to an opportunist named Bill, played by Richard Gere. Manz comes in as the first entry on this list because she is the beacon of innocence throughout Days of Heaven. Her narration, often unreliable, is insightful, playful, and at times puzzling. As her brother and his lover make advances toward thwarting a rich farmer, Manz' laid-back observations ring honest and true throughout the film.

9. Jessica Chastain, "The Tree of Life" (2011)
Chastain is someone who I'd previously thought wouldn't make the list, but given the more I think about the film and her angelic performance, she deserves a spot here. An actress who is about to breakout, Chastain's Mrs.O'Brien is the perfect contrast to her authoritative husband played by Brad Pitt. Completely inhabiting the role of "grace" as a loving and forgiving force, Chastain leaves a quiet, yet impacting mark on the viewer.

8. Elias Koteas, "The Thin Red Line" (1998)
Always reliable in any role, Koteas' performance as Staros, a Captain facing inner turmoil over leading men to their death, is one of the standouts in Malick's third feature. Staros is probably the most identifiable character in the film, as his doubts and fears creep up and get the best of him. His rift with a particular supervisor serves as the crux of Staros' frailty. Koteas delivers mostly on body language, as he suffocates under the weight of his own duty.

7. Martin Sheen, "Badlands" (1973) 
Sheen's Kit Carruthers is a James Dean esque rebel molded in the makeup of a typical Malick character. Sheen was able to blend bold charisma with disillusionment and recklessness, proving that he would be a huge talent in the years following Badlands. Ultimately, what makes Sheen great is his natural portrayal of a sociopath with a hunger for grisly violence, while also blindly leading an innocent youth down his own path to hell.

6. Hunter McCracken, "The Tree of Life" (2011)
Like Linda Manz before him, the young Hunter McCracken is further proof that Malick is dynamite when it comes to dealing with young non-actors. While the film often shifts viewpoints, it's mainly seen through the eyes of young Jack O' Brien, the oldest of three boys. McCracken hits all the right notes, as his awkward adolescence causes him to question the mysteries in life.

5. Colin Farrell, "The New World" (2005) 
Farrell's portrayal of John Smith relies less on bravado, and more on the quiet, meditative quality that Farrell brings to the role. Perhaps an unlikely fit for the role, Farrell proves that when in good hands, he is a wonderfully potent actor. All of Smith's ponderings, heartbreak, and disappointments are fully realized as the actor turns in his most natural performance. Farrell is able to ditch the perceived image of a Hollywood leading man, and wholly disappear in Malick's vision.

4. Brad Pitt, "The Tree of Life" (2011)
Continuing on with the theme of Malick transforming "leading men" into something completely subtle and different, comes Brad Pitt's portrayal of Mr. O'Brien. A "Job" like figure serving as the embodiment of "nature." Pitt's stern father is at once cold, but ever-loving, as his "fierce will" way of upbringing is frowned upon by his wife, and loathed by his children. We come to understand the plight of this broken man, as Pitt delivers a performance completely out of left field. Proof that good actors only get better with age.

3. Nick Nolte, "The Thin Red Line" (1998)

There's nothing subtle about Nolte's portrayal of Lt. Col. Gordon Tall, a grizzled career military man who finally gets "his own war" in The Thin Red Line. Easily the most boisterous of performances in Malick's filmography, Nolte's rift with the aforementioned Staros, played by Elias Koteas, is one of the many highlights in the film. Nolte's performance may comes across as scenery chewing to some, but we're still able to identify with this man whose been passed over, and now seeks his moment in the sun.

2. Jim Caviezel, "The Thin Red Line" (1998) 
Of the plethora of characters featured in this film, I find myself relating most to Pvt. Witt, who as the film opens, is AWOL from his unit and living with Melanesian natives in the South Pacific. Witt meets his match in Welsh, played by Sean Penn, as each share contrasting views on the meaning and nature of life. It's another quiet Malick performance, but Witt's awareness of "another world" rid of violence makes Caviezel's tranquil turn in this film tragic and hopeful.

1. Q'orianka Kilcher, "The New World" (2005)
This really wasn't a hard decision to make, as Kilcher's portrayal in the crucial role of Pocahontas is second to none throughout Malick's five features. Another unknown at the time the film came out, Kilcher devastates us with her quiet, wide-eyed and complex take on such a large figure. Kilcher's offering is the quintessential Malick performance, gently running the gauntlet of human emotion, without much dialogue. I've yet to see the extended cut of the film, but I hear her character and the film is giving more room to breathe.

5 best films seen in June

Films seen: 16

The Tree of Life (Malick, 2011)

Midnight in Paris (Allen, 2011)

The Mirror (Tarkovsky, 1975)

Hannah and Her Sisters (Allen, 1986)

The King of Comedy (Scorsese, 1982)