Tag Archive for movie review

| February 24, 2012
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Brad Pitt goes to the Oscars

The Tree of Life

Moneyball and The Tree of Life go head-to-head for Best Picture

by Cassie MacKenzie

For a few years, Brad Pitt has had so many labels—from sexiest man alive to heartbreaker to superdad—that it was easy to forget that he was, in fact, an actor. Brad chose 2011 to remind us of his abilities, putting two incredibly diverse performances on the table. With Moneyball and The Tree of Life, each grabbing a nomination for Best Picture, Brad has appeared in just over 20% of the year’s best films (granted you agree with the Academy). Here’s my rundown of the two films and what they have to offer moviegoers.

The Tree of Life


I hated this movie. There, I said it, although it’s not as blasphemous a statement now as it was when the movie first came out and everyone was busy praising director Terrence Malick’s “vision” and “artistry.” The movie “follows the life journey of the eldest son, Jack (played as an adult by Sean Penn), through the innocence of childhood to his disillusioned adult years as he tries to reconcile a complicated relationship with his father (Brad Pitt).” At least, this is what the movie does according to Fox Searchlight. I, on the other hand, watched in increasing frustration as a parade of nonsensical (although very beautiful) imagery was paraded before me on screen with little or no link between scenes and a plotline so non-linear that the movie actually dips back into prehistoric times.
Despite its pretentiousness, the film is somewhat redeemed by its strong performances. Brad easily takes on the role of a harsh, unforgiving father, and Jessica Chastain presents the meek wife/bold mother duality with subtlety and grace.
More art piece than film, see this movie if you’re comfortable sitting back and letting the imagery wash over you, moving from moment to moment. Avoid it, if, like me, you like your movies to follow a more linear plotline.

Moneyball



I loved this movie. If you’re tempted to stay away from the film because it’s a “baseball movie,” I encourage you to ditch these preconceptions: as Sony Pictures puts it, “Moneyball is a movie for anybody who has ever dreamed of taking on the system.” Frustrated by the constant loss of his best players to teams with seemingly endless cash flow, Oakland A’s GM Billy Beane (Brad Pitt) takes his tiny budget as far as it can go and reinvents his team based purely on statistics. Brad makes this unlikely subject interesting by bringing Beane to life onscreen with swaggering (but not overdone) confidence. I wouldn’t immediately consider Brad for the role of corporate underdog, but shame on me for doubting his versatility: he excels in this film, definitely earning the nod for Best Actor.
Avoid this movie if any mention of sports turns you off entirely, but otherwise I think Moneyball has it all: great performances (though Jonah Hill’s nomination seems over the top), a classic underdog storyline, and an accessible look into the surprisingly fascinating world of corporate sports. And for the ladies…Brad Pitt workout scenes! Hello!

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| February 23, 2012
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Extremely Loud hits close to the Heart

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

A small appearance on the nominations list but a big impact on our tear ducts

by Sarah Francis

I’m always cautious of movie adaptations of my favourite books. With Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close I was particularly wary because Jonathan Safran Foer is not only one of my favourite authors, but he has a unique writing style that isn’t suited to being faithfully translated to the big screen. Despite my reservations concerning the film adaptation of Foer’s 2005 novel of the same name, it speaks for itself and succeeds in delivering the characters and story in the quirky and heart-warming manner that Foer intended, though it doesn’t capture the entire essence of the book.

Set in New York City in 2001, the story focuses on Oskar Schell (Thomas Horn), a nine-year-old boy, wise beyond his years and whose best friend in the world is his father, Thomas (Tom Hanks). When Oskar loses his father in the World Trade Centre attacks, he clings to the last earthly connection they share—a key found in his father’s closet. Oskar is certain his father meant for him to find the lock that the key will open and begins an adventure that takes him across New York City on his search for the truth.

While Hanks and Sandra Bullock (as Oskar’s mother) are the obvious selling points of the film, the standout performance belongs to first-time actor, thirteen-year-old Horn. The story is carried forward by Horn’s portrayal of an emotional and passionate Oskar, dealing with the loss of his father and maintaining hope that there is some meaning to be found in the key.

Another major highlight of the movie is Oskar’s relationship with the mysterious Renter (Max von Sydow, nominated this year for Best Supporting Actor in this role), who rents a room in Oskar’s grandmother’s apartment. He soon finds himself to be Oskar’s partner on the search for the meaning of the mysterious key. Together, these characters provide some of the most touching and comical moments of the film.

While I would still recommend reading the book to experience Safran Foer’s unique storytelling, the film is a satisfying adaptation of a simultaneously heartbreaking and heart-warming tale. Bring tissues with you to the theatre or wait until it hits Netflix if crying in public isn’t your thing.

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close has been nominated for two Academy Awards.

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| February 23, 2012
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The Artist’s work of Art

The Artist

Oscars honours a silent contender and a truly outstanding film

by Nikita Shah

Watching The Artist really opened my eyes to the actual art of film—how different ideas can be reflected in not just the story that is told but how it is told. I found when the movie began, my mind was resisting the change from “talkies” to a silent film, much like the resistance George Valentin (played by Jean Dujardin) felt towards the Hollywood move in the opposite direction in the late 1920s. The film, whose plot revolves around the transition from silent pictures into talkies, puts the audience in a similar position of treading in unfamiliar waters. Each person watching The Artist decides whether or not they will care to adapt to this change. Some are able to ride the cinematic wave while others stand firm that a film should include speaking (and perhaps ask the theatre for their money back). Herein lays the dilemma of The Artist.

The film did require an adjustment in understanding the story since it is being portrayed only by movement and facial expression with intermittent words on screen. Despite being thrown back in time to watch a film unlike any I’ve seen before, this movie was thoroughly enjoyable. The switch in era was so spot on. I could have sworn I was watching an actual film from 1927. Having been unfamiliar with the majority of the cast, John Goodman was the only anachronistic giveaway that the film was indeed modern.

The acting was flawless, including the dog that absolutely deserves that Golden Globe. Bérénice Bejo was incredibly charming as the up-and-coming actress Peppy Miller—particularly during the dressing room jacket scene. And, of course, Jean Dujardin lives up to all of the acclaim he is receiving over the role. The film painted an honest picture of the film industry during one of its most iconic and drastic revolutions, showing how those who went along with the change would prosper and those who did not would wither.

Of all the movies up for Best Picture this year, The Artist has raked in the most warm-up prizes and falls behind only Hugo for the most nominations (10 to Hugo’s 11). The last and only time a silent film has won the top prize was Wings in 1927, the year in which The Artist’s story takes off. What this film lacks in colour, voice, and modern special effects, it more than makes up for with art and heart.

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| February 22, 2012
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Midnight in Paris’ walk to the Oscars

Paros

The Academy emphasizes nostalgic art films for Best Picture, ironically including Woody Allen’s latest work

by Nikita Shah

I’m not going to beat around the bush here—Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris gives me warm fuzzies. You could not find a better cast for this film. Every character—historical or otherwise—was perfectly suited for the actor that portrayed him/her. I will admit, Owen Wilson played his usual character of the goofy, lovable guy with untamed surfer hair, but in the case of Midnight in Paris, it was entirely appropriate in order to create the dichotomy between himself and his fiancée, Inez (Rachel McAdams), and her uptight parents.

This film is a dream-come-true for fans of art, literature, and history. All of the artistic icons from the 1920s come to life in a way that is casual yet stunning. There is something jaw-dropping about watching F. Scott Fitzgerald (Tom Hiddleston) sitting in a pub with Ernest Hemingway (Corey Stoll), just having a smoke and a pint. The writing of the characters really carried across the message that these icons had no idea that they would one day become legends—except for Hemingway, of course, who knew he was great. To quote him: “If you’re a writer, declare yourself the best writer! But you’re not as long as I’m around, unless you want to put the gloves on and settle it.”

The nuances of the historical characters really do shine through in this film. Zelda Fitzgerald (Alison Pill) is the live wire we have always thought her to be, with a tense and complicated relationship with Scott. Her disdain for Hemingway is all but subtle. Salvador Dali (Adrien Brody), whose very short scene is probably my favourite in the entire movie, is simply and indescribably wonderful. The film is full of famous artists who just pass through, most having just a short cameo. At first I was displeased with how sporadically these characters appeared, but then I realized it must have been just like this at the time— these artists walking in and out of each other’s lives without a focus on any “main” person.

The film captures different eras of art and how people of each time view art—how a certain time can be viewed by some as the “golden age,” yet the artistic value of our own time are ignored. Unlike The Artist, also up for Best Picture, Midnight in Paris shows the fault in allowing yourself to be consumed by nostalgia, and that icons are constantly being created. I guarantee you will walk away from this film with a newfound appreciation for the art and artists of the here and now.

Midnight in Paris has earned four prestigious Oscar nominations. Besides Best Picture, it is nominated for Best Art Direction. Woody Allen is up for Best Director and Best Original Screenplay as well. Allen has been a film icon himself since his first of 11 Oscar wins (Annie Hall in 1978). Happy 34th Academy Awards, Woody!

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| February 21, 2012
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War Horse Survives

War Horse

The horse with heart shows well on both stage and screen

by  Katy Littlejohn

As a Theatre student, I have tried to make it my mission to value a stage production over a film adaptation. Of course, it’s one of those rules that can be broken—for example,the movie Dirty Dancing is far more superior to its stage show replica that was in town a few years ago. But when I heard that Steven Spielberg was directing the movie version of War Horse, and that it would be in cinemas at the same time that Mirvish was bringing the highly anticipated stage production to Toronto, I just knew I could not see the film.

Here’s why: I’ve mentioned that I am a Theatre student. The truth is, I was a Drama major in university—this is the sort of degree that diehards claim will make them a student for life. I guess I’m a pseudo diehard because, though I’m no longer reading scripts, sewing costumes, or lighting stages all day, I do feel it’s my duty to uphold the sanctity of the theatre, and view Hollywood as the stage’s equivalent of Mordor.

Unfortunately, my student loan budget refuses me the luxury of actually seeing many productions, which includes War Horse. I would love to though—the horses alone (life-sized puppets operated on stage) are supposed to be spectacular presences in the production, and the story is supposed to break your heart (I’m a sucker for anything that promises me that I’ll be weeping by the curtain call). I would encourage anyone who’s not living off OSAP to try to see the show. You can find all the information you need here. .

But back to the film; this is, after all, Oscars Week here at OtD online. Despite my protestations and refusal to see the film until I could gather enough pennies for a theatre ticket first, the Academy has gone ahead and nominated it for Best Picture along with five other movies. So maybe there is some merit to the movie or maybe it just has a “Spielberg” attached to its name. There’s only one way to find out…I’m off to see War Horse—please don’t tell my professors!

Okay, it was beautifully filmed and stayed true to the heart of the story, originally told in the novel by Michael Morpurgo. Maybe some stories can be told in three different mediums without losing their soul. The horse, Joey, is first loved by Alby (Jeremy Irvine), a young farmer’s son who teaches the “fancy” thoroughbred to plow in order to save his family’s farm. The hard work and love that the master puts into Joey ends up paying off in many ways as Joey is shipped off to the front lines of WWI without Alby. The adventure continues, but I won’t spoil anything. All I will say is that the heart of this story is how the respect a master shows his horse results in a beautiful partnership.

This is a lesson I wish we’d all take to heart—no, not with horses, but with each other. Respect and a willingness to work hard for one another; whether we are the master or the horse, every person has the potential to use their position and strengths to better the world.

Category: Arts & Entertainment | Tags: , , , , , ,
| February 21, 2012
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Book vs. Movie: The Descendants

The Descendants

This Best Picture nominee puts forward an honest view of the complexities of grief, loss, and love

by Cassie MacKenzie

Like five other movies nominated in the Best Picture category, The Descendants is based on a book—and a wonderful book to boot. I hadn’t heard of the novel before the movie came out, so I read it with Clooney quite clearly in mind: I had the movie cover edition, and after all, it’s never a bad thing to picture Clooney in a casual Hawaiian shirt and shorts. Mmmhm.

The book by Kaui Hart Hemmings is lovely. The story follows the journey of Matt King, a once indifferent husband and father of two girls who is forced to re-examine these roles when his wife falls into a coma after a boating accident.It is both funny and poignant, and alternates perfectly from grief to acceptance to anger and back again. Set in Hawaii, it’s a novel that doesn’t beg to be taken seriously, and therefore can be. Hemmings’characters are not polarized or stereotyped: they are real people, with real reactions to the situations they’re placed in. And after Matt finds out that his wife had been cheating on him, these situations get pretty strange.

I can’t think of a better director to take on a project like this than Alexander Payne: with About Schmidt and Sideways, Payne established himself as the master of what New Yorker movie critic Anthony Lane calls “the beached male.” He continues his exploration of this character with George Clooney as Matt King. I was right to keep him in mind when reading: Clooney is mesmerizing as the self-proclaimed “backup candidate” for parenthood, the “understudy” for the star, his now-comatose wife. Shailene Woodley acts beyond her years as Matt’s eldest daughter Alexandra, as does Amara Miller as the youngest.

The loss of internal narrative always makes the transition from book to movie difficult, and this is no exception. Unlike the novel, the movie virtually villainizes Matt’s wife and paints a far more negative picture of his relationship with her. The novel allows for a much more nuanced version of this story, and this is Hemmings’s most impressive literary feat: she brings to life a character that is comatose for the entire novel. Payne chooses not to do this, and I think this is the major flaw of the film; it makes Matt’s grief a little less complex (if she was such a witch and he was so unhappy, why such a tearful goodbye?), though it makes Alexandra’s anger much more accessible.

If I had to pick a winner in the book versus movie battle, I’d choose the novel. Both, however, are strong contenders, and The Descendants certainly deserves its five nominations.

Category: Arts & Entertainment | Tags: , , , , , ,
| February 21, 2012
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Madonna’s W.E. falls short

Gina Macdonald, Toronto, 2012. CAPTION: “Myself outside the theatre, eagerly awaiting the screening”

Wallis and Edward’s love story was beautiful but one-dimensional

by Gina Macdonald

Madonna has had a long and eventful career filled with elaborate costumes, staging, and controversy. It comes as no surprise then that her latest film W.E. was much the same.

Gina Macdonald, Toronto, 2012. CAPTION: “Myself outside the theatre, eagerly awaiting the screening”

The film’s tagline: “Their affair ignited a scandal. Their passion brought down an empire,” refers to the love story between King Edward VIII (James D’Arcy) and the woman he was obsessed with at the time, Wallis Simpson (Andrea Riseborough). Simpson was a married American social climber who influenced the king so much that he abdicated the throne in 1936 in order to be with her. As a modern parallel to this historical controversy, director-writer Madonna and co-screenwriter Alek Keshishian introduce Wally Winthrop (Abbie Cornish), whose obsession with Wallis’ story brings her to the 1998 Sotheby’s auction of their belongings.

The film follows an absolutely riveting portrayal of both their stories in a way that only the Material Girl could have produced. It is riveting in the sense that the costumes and the sets were breathtaking, but it leaves the dialogue, the characters, and the storylines as not much to be desired.

Riseborough’s depiction of Wallis Simpson definitely carried the film, and her delivery of Simpson’s witty, candid dialogue was perfect. Meanwhile, it was probably by no fault of hers, but Cornish’s Wally Winthrop is one-dimensional and wooden, even while using Wallis’ story to leave her abusive husband for Sotheby’s Russian security guard Evgeni (Oscar Isaac).

The parallels between the two are exemplified when Wally, wandering through the Sotheby’s auction for about a century, sees a piece of the royal pair’s artefacts, closes her eyes, and has a flashback to a moment in the 1930s. These moments often end with Wallis and Wally sharing a time-bending conversation about Wallis’ sacrifices for Edward and vice versa.

Other weird scenes include Edward and Wallis’ Benzedrine-induced dance party to the Sex Pistols’ “Pretty Vacant,” and Wally’s shock when Wallis’ apparition tells her to “get a life.” However, stunning visuals paired with a beautiful soundtrack by Abel Korzeniowski serve to make the film more than bearable, so if you have a free afternoon, it might be worth making the trip to the Magic Lantern Carlton Cinema, the only theatre showing W.E. in Toronto.

For more information, see showtimes and reviews, here:
IMDB
Rainbow Cinemas
Huffington Post

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| February 9, 2011
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“No Strings Attached” An Okay V-Day Movie Date

No Strings Attached - The title of this movie pretty much summarizes my feelings for it. Natalie Portman movies usually have a high re-watch value for me as she is one of my favourite actresses, but I don’t see myself running to revisit this one.

The first half of the movie had me wondering why I heard such bad reviews about it, but the second half answered that question. Although Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher played well off of each other, the cheesy script they were working with dampened their performances.

Director Ivan Reitman, (who arguably has not made a good movie since the 90’s) successfully made me cringe through some awkward sex scenes and dinner table moments. First time screenplay writer Elizabeth Meriwether did manage to make me laugh out loud several times throughout the film, but the fact that she couldn’t resist using clichés in the movie’s integral scenes made me groan.

The characters had quirks that were never explained, and I felt the movie would have been much stronger if it allowed the actors to develop those characters rather than hurl through the story without going deeper than the surface. Unfortunately, the movie stayed at its cheesy rom-com level throughout rather than elevate to something genuine.

Final verdict: 6/10
Points lost for cheese, predictability, and more cheese.

Single this Valentine’s Day? – Don’t be afraid to check out these flicks on your own:

- 500 Days of Summer: this movie will make you glad you are not in a relationship.
- Zombieland: Oscar nominees, Jesse Eisenberg and Woody Harrelson are bound to make you forget you’re alone.

Here are a few movies you can cuddle up with when you’re cuddling next to a significant other:

- From Paris With Love: a fun action movie that can be enjoyed by both sexes.
- Date Night: watching Tina Fey and Steve Carell’s characters have a crazy night will ensure laughs.

What do you recommend?

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| January 26, 2011
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Thumbs Down for the Green Hornet

A disclaimer before you read this review: I have not read The Green Hornet comic books nor do I know anything about the franchise, I was just looking for a good movie.  Having worked at a Rogers Video store for six years, I think calling myself an avid movie lover would be an understatement. I went to see The Green Hornet at Carlton Cinema on a Tuesday, which means I only paid $5 for my ticket. That was one of the only redeeming aspects of the experience.
I found myself actually wincing at the cheesy writing; it seemed like even the actors knew they were delivering horrible lines. Which is why I was surprised to see that it was written by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg – the same duo to bring us Superbad (a super good movie).

The Green Hornet did contain some redeeming chuckles and an interesting performance by Christoph Waltz (last year’s Oscar winner for best supporting actor in Inglorious Basterds). The direction is not even worth discussing and the score did not keep me awake.

In short, Rogen and Goldberg should stick to comedy, and it doesn’t matter how many pounds you lose for a role if nobody likes the movie.

Final verdict: 4.5/10

Points were lost for awful writing, lack of plot, and the malodorous man sitting in the row behind me.

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