You know what makes any movie better? Benedict Cumberbatch (Benny C to his buds). Also Chris Pine's eyes. But mostly Benedict Cumberbatch. In fact, I shall compose an ode to him:
Oh Benny C, I love you so.
You are the cat's meow.
Your accent, your stare, your almost 'fro.
You just make me say wow.
Uhm, okay, I'll stop now.
He's good in Star Trek, really. And everyone else is. And there's a great Kirk/Spock bromance. And it's just cool. That is all. Go see it!
I can't do anymore. The muse has left me. Count yourselves lucky.
Monday, May 27, 2013
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Love and Dead People
While watching "The Great Gatsby," I was struck by two revelations I have made about Baz Luhrmann. One, he apparently only gets interested in a project if someone stupid's going to kick it at the end after experiencing their great love (see: Romeo, Jay Gatsby, both played by Leo, although this is not a slight against him), and two, he finally got a clue and got rid of the editor he's been using. You know, the one who edits like a drunk ADHD victim who threw away their meds. I actually got a chance to watch whole scenes for more than five seconds at a time! It was a revelation!
Yes, it's still full of Bazisms - the long tracking shots over scenery, in-your-face party scenes, strong emphasis on music, etc. But there's more care here. He's trying to actually give you a sense of character and motivation, rather than just flying it up there onscreen and hoping that it sticks. His attention to detail and beauty are still as prevalent as ever, but it's not all artifice. I mean, 90% of it is, but the other 10% tries to get to the heart of the story.
Of course, one of Luhrmann's greatest strengths is his casting ability. At least, he can find actors who aren't afraid to make complete asses of themselves in pursuit of his vision (I still have bad flashbacks to Nicole Kidman trying to seduce Ewan McGregor in Moulin Rouge. Brrr...). I think he made a great choice in Leo for Gatsby. He kind of fills in the character holes that Luhrmann basically leaves wide open, and you can't help but to feel for Gatsby, stupid as he is. Joel Edgerton does a great job playing Buchanan. He plays bully well. The rest of the cast is good, but their characters aren't nearly as fleshed out.
All in all, it's a serviceable vision of Fitzgerald that's beautiful to look at . I can't call it one the great literary adaptations ever, but I think he got the vapidity of the Twenties while keeping the longing of the love story front and center. And I can see! Great movie Gods above, I didn't have to barf after watching it! Huzzah!
Yes, it's still full of Bazisms - the long tracking shots over scenery, in-your-face party scenes, strong emphasis on music, etc. But there's more care here. He's trying to actually give you a sense of character and motivation, rather than just flying it up there onscreen and hoping that it sticks. His attention to detail and beauty are still as prevalent as ever, but it's not all artifice. I mean, 90% of it is, but the other 10% tries to get to the heart of the story.
Of course, one of Luhrmann's greatest strengths is his casting ability. At least, he can find actors who aren't afraid to make complete asses of themselves in pursuit of his vision (I still have bad flashbacks to Nicole Kidman trying to seduce Ewan McGregor in Moulin Rouge. Brrr...). I think he made a great choice in Leo for Gatsby. He kind of fills in the character holes that Luhrmann basically leaves wide open, and you can't help but to feel for Gatsby, stupid as he is. Joel Edgerton does a great job playing Buchanan. He plays bully well. The rest of the cast is good, but their characters aren't nearly as fleshed out.
All in all, it's a serviceable vision of Fitzgerald that's beautiful to look at . I can't call it one the great literary adaptations ever, but I think he got the vapidity of the Twenties while keeping the longing of the love story front and center. And I can see! Great movie Gods above, I didn't have to barf after watching it! Huzzah!
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Looney Over Downey
I'm just going to say it right out: the world is a better place for Robert Downey, Jr. being in it. He is the I Ching, the shiznit, the coolest mofo going. Doubt me? See Chaplin, Less Than Zero, the Sherlock Holmes films, and Soapdish. Most importantly, see the Iron Man films, and tell me I'm wrong. He makes me want to start writing bad poetry (and I almost did. Lucky you.). And Iron Man 3 just keeps it going strong.
Did I mention Downey's good in this? Yeah, he's okay. He's got a presence and an attitude that just fills the screen. He's of course dominant in his smart-ass persona, but makes Tony Stark into a fully-fleshed character with very little effort. I often wonder how much he improvises in these films, and how much is scripted. If it's scripted, then the man should win an Oscar just for his word interpretation alone. Either way, he's got a wicked sharp mind and one amazing wit.
Of course, even he can't make things work without a little help from the movie (see: Iron Man 2, I'm sorry to say. It just could have been better.). Thankfully, director/writer Shane Black gets it (see his Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, also starring Mr. Downey, now) and knows how to structure a film well. The movie moves fast and transitions almost seamlessly. More importantly, it actually has a story. Cool, huh? And the man knows humor. REALLY knows humor. It's almost a perfect storm of actor and writer, considering the enormous amounts of wit flying around in this movie.
But Downey and Black aren't working alone here. The rest of the cast is pretty damned good. I go hot and cold with Gwyneth Paltrow (You only let your kids watch cartoons in French, Gwyn? Hopefully, they will get back at you when they're teens.), but she's never better in these films, and she gets a much bigger role in this one. She's fun. Don Cheadle, Rebecca Hall, and Guy Pearce all have what looks like a great time in their roles. The real fun comes with Ben Kingsley. Really. Without giving anything away, I can promise you you'll love his performance.
So, to conclude: great acting, great writing, great directing, great action. This movie's great, to get all redundantty on you (shut up, it's a word). It's not Shakespeare by any means, but it's going to be hard to beat this for my favorite summer movie this year. Viva La Downey!
Did I mention Downey's good in this? Yeah, he's okay. He's got a presence and an attitude that just fills the screen. He's of course dominant in his smart-ass persona, but makes Tony Stark into a fully-fleshed character with very little effort. I often wonder how much he improvises in these films, and how much is scripted. If it's scripted, then the man should win an Oscar just for his word interpretation alone. Either way, he's got a wicked sharp mind and one amazing wit.
Of course, even he can't make things work without a little help from the movie (see: Iron Man 2, I'm sorry to say. It just could have been better.). Thankfully, director/writer Shane Black gets it (see his Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, also starring Mr. Downey, now) and knows how to structure a film well. The movie moves fast and transitions almost seamlessly. More importantly, it actually has a story. Cool, huh? And the man knows humor. REALLY knows humor. It's almost a perfect storm of actor and writer, considering the enormous amounts of wit flying around in this movie.
But Downey and Black aren't working alone here. The rest of the cast is pretty damned good. I go hot and cold with Gwyneth Paltrow (You only let your kids watch cartoons in French, Gwyn? Hopefully, they will get back at you when they're teens.), but she's never better in these films, and she gets a much bigger role in this one. She's fun. Don Cheadle, Rebecca Hall, and Guy Pearce all have what looks like a great time in their roles. The real fun comes with Ben Kingsley. Really. Without giving anything away, I can promise you you'll love his performance.
So, to conclude: great acting, great writing, great directing, great action. This movie's great, to get all redundantty on you (shut up, it's a word). It's not Shakespeare by any means, but it's going to be hard to beat this for my favorite summer movie this year. Viva La Downey!
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