The Road - Viggo Mortensen stars in the role of "Man" who contends with cannibals and earthquakes all for the safety of "Boy" (Kodi Smit-McPhee). Flashbacks to the start of the not-explained apocalyptic situation show us "Man"s relations with now dead "Wife" (Charlize Theron).
I eagerly awaited this film as soon as I saw the trailer, in spite of my growing impatience with the litany of apocalypse films now on the market. Viggo Mortensen has, with the exception of "Appaloosa", been in a series of exceptional films in this decade and created several unforgettable characters. His portrayal of "Man" is, if not unique, certainly convincing as a man on the edge of defeat in a harsh and impossible situation. If anything can bring him over the edge, it is his incessantly whining hindrance of a son.
In the genres of horror and survival, writers feel that no situation is too barren and terrible that a defenseless sidekick cannot be added on to make it even more unbearable. It's one of the things that needs to be dropped from the mix because when it doesn't work, a film risks being plain unenjoyable. In this case, Kodi Smit-Mcphee says "Papa!" enough times with enough incessant pleading to give all but the most maternal viewer a headache. When Man gives Boy a revolver with one bullet to commit suicide, I immediately think that with those big gloves and that sad sniffle, the Boy will likely botch the job. This is a child with no born survival instinct. Every decision Boy demands (loudly) is almost certainly the wrong one. Can we invite scary looking Robert Duvall over to dinner? Can we follow the possibly cannibalistic boy back to his tribe? Can I shout loudly whenever something might be around, thereby directing it to my location? If Boy is supposed to be a gift from God, I'd say God truly has screwed the world over.
It transformed quickly from being an eagerly awaited film to one that demands nit-picking concerning logic in character choices, especially since survival is so pertinent. If you have a small gun with two bullets, do you a) teach your son how to commit suicide (for over the top dramatic effect) or b) use one of said two bullets to kill an armed man and take his gun? Alas, director John Hillcoat and writer Joe Penhall are less interested in logistics and specifics (what exactly happened to bring us to this state?) than in loose Bible associations and simple Western ideas of "good" and "bad". "We're the good guys, right?" Struggling for that nobility in a world ripped apart is as futile as it is tacky and simple. The only thing that seems to be in shades of gray is the scenery.
The atmosphere of The Road is bleak and suitably depressing. The film provides some thrills and chills but they are few and far between. It loses steam about two thirds of the way through, where I lost concern for the safety of the characters. It's not bad, but a long shot from
Mortensen's usual.
The Road gets a B-
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Happy New Year! Avatar review
Hi! My name is Joey. I've been an avid watcher of movies for years, and a movie critic for the last 7 or so. I've been told that my taste is pretty reliable and my recommendations tend to be accurate. I grade films on a scale of A to F. I have been told by several friends that I should start a blog, and my reviews, when posted on imdb, tend to get at least two thirds or higher of people agreeing with me. I may not be professional, yet, but I have a solid knowledge of film, theater, storytelling and writing and I bring it to you, dear readers. With that said, here is a review of one of the better films of the year: Avatar.
Avatar - Avatar is James Cameron's much awaited epic. It's great to know that something this long in the making was actually worth the wait. Jake (Sam Worthington) is a marine sent to replace his twin brother in a mission on an enemy planet. Jake is uploaded into an "Avatar", a genetic copy of the Na'vi the alien race he is to infiltrate. Jake's loyalties are put to the test.
Avatar reinforces why certain ideas, now scathingly called cliché in the first place, are still so potent in the collective unconsciousness. Obviousness is actually an asset of this film. The problem with so many films that have tried and failed to utilize similar themes, is they have lacked the emotional maturity of Avatar. Other films merely go "through the motions" to try and create what Avatar does. The mere fact that Avatar succeeds so well indicates the truth of its message. Is Jake going to convert? Of course he is. An identifiably realistic portrayal of Jake by Sam Worthington makes us believe this. Who wouldn't want to fly and swing from trees? Who wouldn't want to see so much simple natural beauty and trade it in a heartbeat for their mechanized, false environment? One of the things I liked was that Jake's defection was not just for the sake of his co-star Neytiri (Zoe Saldana), who is played with vitality and heart. No, Jake has truly converted for the sake of nature.
There is great work form the ensemble. Sigourney Weaver, Michelle Rodriguez and Joel Moore all give quality work as the good guys. Stephen Lang plays a badass villain named Colonel Miles Quaritch, while Giovanni Ribisi plays a scummy corporate shill.
The aesthetics and scope of the film are incredible. Whether it is seen in 3-D or not the film is a work of art. The planet is gorgeous from head to toe. Its destruction is a painful reminder of the Amazon Rainforest. Some of the creatures resemble underwater creatures, whilst others bear resemblance to the conquered by nature dinosaurs. The Na'vi are a subtle mix of various conquered peoples through history. They are part Indian in bone structure, part African. And who took these people by storm in the first place you ask? It is a look into the other side's shoes that Avatar provides. We haven't been the good guys for a long time guys. I love my troops for their sacrifices, but I feel that these are very much the wrong wars.
The film succeeds at being preachy by diving in with its heart on its sleeve. The message isn't tacked on: We are the assholes when we go forth with our worst instincts for cruelty and greed. The message is strengthened by a millenia of history. The film jogs its viewers over to the side of peace and naturalism and has them rejecting corporate greed and military strong-arming in the course of three hours. If that's not a testament to the amazing power of correctly done film than I'm not sure what is.
My tiny problem is the choice of the name for the precious metal the Earthers desire so badly: unobtainium. Yeesh. C'mon guys. That's just a little too obvious. How about a little subtlety for audience members over the age of 12? How about "nofindium" or "macguffium"? In such a well crafted film, this feels like a first draft problem everyone was too deeply involved on the project to feel like changing.
Several sites indicate that two sequels are in the works. My initial response was a groan, as I thought this was a great stand-alone film that needed no further examination, but this is James Cameron - the master of sequels we're talking about here. I'm sure this will bear amazing children for the years to come.
2009 was a sorry year in many respects, but film was not one of them. Virtually all of the films I deeply enjoyed for using their brains, brawn and wit were financial successes, even if some really dumb films were as well. Perhaps the mass appetite/recognition for quality has not been diminished, only starved in the past few years. Maybe there is hope after all. If we're going to survive, we'll need intelligence, artistry, and ecological conscientiousness, whether we like it or not.
Avatar gets an A.
Avatar - Avatar is James Cameron's much awaited epic. It's great to know that something this long in the making was actually worth the wait. Jake (Sam Worthington) is a marine sent to replace his twin brother in a mission on an enemy planet. Jake is uploaded into an "Avatar", a genetic copy of the Na'vi the alien race he is to infiltrate. Jake's loyalties are put to the test.
Avatar reinforces why certain ideas, now scathingly called cliché in the first place, are still so potent in the collective unconsciousness. Obviousness is actually an asset of this film. The problem with so many films that have tried and failed to utilize similar themes, is they have lacked the emotional maturity of Avatar. Other films merely go "through the motions" to try and create what Avatar does. The mere fact that Avatar succeeds so well indicates the truth of its message. Is Jake going to convert? Of course he is. An identifiably realistic portrayal of Jake by Sam Worthington makes us believe this. Who wouldn't want to fly and swing from trees? Who wouldn't want to see so much simple natural beauty and trade it in a heartbeat for their mechanized, false environment? One of the things I liked was that Jake's defection was not just for the sake of his co-star Neytiri (Zoe Saldana), who is played with vitality and heart. No, Jake has truly converted for the sake of nature.
There is great work form the ensemble. Sigourney Weaver, Michelle Rodriguez and Joel Moore all give quality work as the good guys. Stephen Lang plays a badass villain named Colonel Miles Quaritch, while Giovanni Ribisi plays a scummy corporate shill.
The aesthetics and scope of the film are incredible. Whether it is seen in 3-D or not the film is a work of art. The planet is gorgeous from head to toe. Its destruction is a painful reminder of the Amazon Rainforest. Some of the creatures resemble underwater creatures, whilst others bear resemblance to the conquered by nature dinosaurs. The Na'vi are a subtle mix of various conquered peoples through history. They are part Indian in bone structure, part African. And who took these people by storm in the first place you ask? It is a look into the other side's shoes that Avatar provides. We haven't been the good guys for a long time guys. I love my troops for their sacrifices, but I feel that these are very much the wrong wars.
The film succeeds at being preachy by diving in with its heart on its sleeve. The message isn't tacked on: We are the assholes when we go forth with our worst instincts for cruelty and greed. The message is strengthened by a millenia of history. The film jogs its viewers over to the side of peace and naturalism and has them rejecting corporate greed and military strong-arming in the course of three hours. If that's not a testament to the amazing power of correctly done film than I'm not sure what is.
My tiny problem is the choice of the name for the precious metal the Earthers desire so badly: unobtainium. Yeesh. C'mon guys. That's just a little too obvious. How about a little subtlety for audience members over the age of 12? How about "nofindium" or "macguffium"? In such a well crafted film, this feels like a first draft problem everyone was too deeply involved on the project to feel like changing.
Several sites indicate that two sequels are in the works. My initial response was a groan, as I thought this was a great stand-alone film that needed no further examination, but this is James Cameron - the master of sequels we're talking about here. I'm sure this will bear amazing children for the years to come.
2009 was a sorry year in many respects, but film was not one of them. Virtually all of the films I deeply enjoyed for using their brains, brawn and wit were financial successes, even if some really dumb films were as well. Perhaps the mass appetite/recognition for quality has not been diminished, only starved in the past few years. Maybe there is hope after all. If we're going to survive, we'll need intelligence, artistry, and ecological conscientiousness, whether we like it or not.
Avatar gets an A.
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