A brief time of history

On the eve of the innauguration of President Barack Obama's second term as Commander-in-Chief, it seems fitting that I had the opportunity to finally see Steven Spielberg's Lincoln, which primarily centers around the start of our 16th President's second term. That is just one of the many parallels that can be drawn between the events of the film and our current day situation in this captivating drama that is currently a heavy favorite to win Best Picture at this year's Academy Awards.

As the title suggests, this film offers a detailed look into a president who's life and actions have taken on mythic proportions in the years since his assassination. The beauty of this film is its ability to provide viewers with a perfect encapsulation of who this man was while only depicting a short period of his existence. Instead of making this a complete life story, Lincoln focuses on the last few months of his life as he furiously worked on having the 13th Amendment passed before the Civil War ended.

The primary reason why this man comes to life is because of the magnificent performance by Daniel Day-Lewis. He fully embodies Lincoln in this performance and displays why he was such a dynamic individual. In his quest to have the Amendment past, we see both his idealism and his ruthlessness. But we also learn how he was a storyteller and a man who could easily captivate an audience with anything he had to say. No matter how long winded any of his speeches were, Day-Lewis' performance holds your attention throughout. You can give this man the Oscar right now, because there was no better acting performance this year. It truly is amazing to see him so seemlessly fall into this character.

The only drawback to such a dynamic performance is that at times, the lesser performance of those on screen with him becomes that much more noticeable. I believe Spielberg makes a mistake in stuffing the screen with so many other famous actors to play the various other key roles. Few, like Tommy Lee Jones' portrayal of Thaddeus Stevens, are fleshed out, engaging performances. But in most cases, you become too aware of who the actor is without learning or caring about the man he's supposed to be portraying. Similar to what happens when watching an animated film that uses a whole cast of known actors in the voice roles, I watched Lincoln playing 'Spot the celebrity'.

What's interesting about this film is that it is equally about the passage of the 13th Amendment as it is about Lincoln's life. The ramifications of the bill and when and if it could be passed make for one of the most compelling moments in U.S. history. I found a lot of the backstage politicking and covert deals to be fascinating. Some of the film's best scenes involve a group of Republican operatives (which include James Spader and John Hawkes) lobbying Democratic Representatives in hopes of getting them to vote for the Amendment. Similar to a way a lawyer selects a jury, I loved the way these men who study their targets to determine who was most likely to be won over. Everything building to the vote is good drama, but I felt empty by the way Spielberg depicted the passage of the bill and the scenes that followed. It felt like a collection of 'feel-good' Hollywood cliches that did not do justice to the complex nature that its passage created. Perhaps the scenes did not work for me simply because of the problems that our current government has put us in. It's hard in today's world to feel any satisfaction when progress is made knowing that half the country will remain bitterly against any decisions that are made.

I also should point out that while the film primarily focuses on Lincoln's efforts to get this Amendment passes, Spielberg also makes the decision to include scenes of the troubles in Lincoln's home life. Namely, the tension that's creates by his son's (played by Joseph Gordon Levitt) desire to join the military. Each of these scenes feel forced and underdeveloped and frankly added nothing to my appreciation for who Lincoln was. I have a feeling my reaction toward him would be the same if those scenes had been excised from the film.

While there are no doubt history buffs who will want to see this regardless, truly the draw of this film is Day-Lewis' performance. It is truly mesmerizing and worth the price of admission alone. Whatever flaws the film otherwise has, can be forgotten when you this actor truly embody our 16th President. This is not my favorite film of the year, but I have no problem with it being in the discussion as one of the year's best. This is a thought-provoking film that will no doubt spur discussion both of the events depicted in the film and the comparisons that can be made to today's political scene. If you haven't seen it yet, go check it out - it's worth every penny. Grade: B+

Presidential order

Here's your first look at Daniel Day-Lewis as Honest Abe in the upcoming Steven Spielberg historical drama, Lincoln

2012 Fall Movie Preview (November)

FLIGHT (November 2)
Plot: "Flight" tells the redemption story of "Whip" (Washington), a commercial airline pilot who pulls off a heroic feat of flying in a damaged plane, saving 98 lives on a flight carrying 106 people. While the world begs to embrace him as a true American Hero, the everyman struggles with this label as he is forced to hold up to the scrutiny of an investigation that brings into question his behavior the night before the doomed flight.

Quick thoughts: There are few people who have as consistent of a track record when it comes to good films as Denzel Washington, so I would expect nothing less here again. As usual he's chosen a film with a storyline that feels both fresh and familiar. As an added bonus, this marks director Robert Zemeckis' first effort behind the camera for a live action movie since 2000's Cast Away - another film that I loved. If it doesn't quite get up to the level of Oscar contender, I have no doubt it'll at leas serve as solid entertainment.


LINCOLN (November 9)
Plot: Steven Spielberg directs two-time Academy Award winner Daniel Day-Lewis in "Lincoln," a revealing drama that focuses on the 16th President's tumultuous final months in office. In a nation divided by war and the strong winds of change, Lincoln pursues a course of action designed to end the war, unite the country and abolish slavery. With the moral courage and fierce determination to succeed, his choices during this critical moment will change the fate of generations to come.

Quick thoughts: Unlike Flight, this one has all sorts of crazy high expectations when it comes to the awards season. You have Daniel Day Lewis completely transforming himself into the role of Honest Abe. Plus you have Steven Spielberg going back to his sweet spot of the historical genre. I'm sure some will be bored by the subject material, but I can't wait to be riveted.


SKYFALL (November 9)
Plot: Daniel Craig is back as Ian Fleming's James Bond 007 in "Skyfall," the 23rd adventure in the longest-running film franchise of all time. In "Skyfall," Bond's loyalty to M is tested as her past comes back to haunt her. As MI6 comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost.

Quick thoughts: Do I really need to say anything here? It should be pretty obvious at this point, that I'm dying to see this film. These last two months before its release will feel painstakingly long, but I know it will be worth it. Thankfully I've got all the previous 22 films to help me through the wait.


WRECK-IT RALPH (November 2)
Plot: Walt Disney Animation Studios take moviegoers on a hilarious, arcade-game-hopping journey in "Wreck-It Ralph." Ralph (voice of John C. Reilly) is tired of being overshadowed by Fix-It Felix (voice of Jack McBrayer), the "good guy" star of their game who always gets to save the day. But after decades doing the same thing and seeing all the glory go to Felix, Ralph decides he's tired of playing the role of a bad guy. He takes matters into his own massive hands and sets off on a game-hopping journey across the arcade through every generation of video games to prove he's got what it takes to be a hero.

Quick thoughts: Disney cartoons that are not made by Pixar can often be hit or miss. Having said that, they certainly have a unique hook to the story they're trying to tell here by having it set within the world of arcade games. If the film is intelligent and appeal to adults and kids alike, then this could be a major winner at the box office.


OTHER POSSIBLE FILMS OF INTEREST
Anna Karenina (November 16)
Life of Pi (November 21)
Rise of the Guardians (November 21)
Silver Linings Playbook (November 21)

RBR: Contenders and pretenders

There had been a handful of films that came out at the end of last year, now on DVD, that I had, for various reasons, been putting off renting. Now that some of the early 2012 films are starting to be available to rent, I wanted to take care of them asap. I had a movie weekend and decided to lump all of the reviews together in this one post.

The Descendants Director Alexander Payne (Sideways, About Schmidt) always seems to choose products that feature central characters at their very lowest point in life. His latest dramedy is no different as it centers around Matt King (played by George Clooney) struggling with a wife who is near death after a boating accident while also trying to finalize a land deal in Hawaii to could potentially earn his family a lot of money. On top of that he also struggling with being a parent to his two difficult daughters. Like in most of Payne's films, I found the journey we take with the film's central character to be compelling. While not his strongest performance, Clooney does fine work here as he attempts to take on one of his least glamourous roles to date. On the other hand, the two daughters grated on me and I struggled to empathize with the situation they were going through. Furthermore, we're never really given any suitable justification as to why King has such a strained relationship with them. Given how hands-on he is with everything that goes on in the movie, he doesn't strike you as they absentee-father type. I also wish the film had been infused with a bit more humor. It's not that the film is completely downbeat, but in comparison to some of Payne's films, I felt this one lacked the wry sense of humor that is typically infused into his movies. I certainly would not call this my favorite of Payne's films - the terrific Election still holds that distinction for me. This is a good film that kept me engaged throughout. I can easily see why it garnered the number of Oscar nominations that it did. While I wouldn't go so far as to say it's as enjoyable as a Hawaiian vacation, I do feel you'll enjoy watching this one if you give it a rental. Rating: **** 1/2

J. Edgar This was originally thought to be a strong Oscar contender until a series of bad reviews sunk its chances. While I won't go as negative as some with regards to film, it does warrant some of the criticism it received. For me, the biggest problem with this film was its purpose. In detailing the life story of FBI director J. Edgar Hoover, Clint Eastwood does not shy away from a lot of Hoover's flaws. His vanity, paranoia, cross-dressing, and possible homosexual lifestyle are all front and center in this depiction. And yet I question why. What is gained by smearing someone who also did a lot of good for this country in establishing the FBI? I felt the film was needlessly exploitative and I took no joy in seeing the salacious side of Hoover's life be such an integral part of this film. I would have much rather seen more of the forensic sciences that Hoover and his crew perfected in order to solve several notorious crimes. Aside from the film's purpose, this simply is not a quality film on par with some of Eastwood's other films. He only managed to get a distant performance from the usually strong DiCaprio. And perhaps most glaring of all is the awful makeup that is on display when the film is set in Hoover's last years. I know aging someone isn't easy, but I'd like to think most major films could do a better job than what was achieved here. This is disappointing all around and probably is not worth your time. Rating: **

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close Many people were shocked when this garnered a best picture nomination even though less than half of the nation's critics gave it a favorable review. Watching the film, I could understand why it managed to earn a nom while also seeing the same flaws that most critics did. After losing his father on 9/11, young Oscar Schnell discovers a key in his father's room and sets out on a quest (prior to his death his father loved creating mysteries for him to solve) to learn what the key belongs to. Of course, this quest is more than just finding a lock that fits the key. It's about coping with death, embracing life, and coming together in support of one another. Given that the film centers around the events and aftermath of 9/11, the film is shamelessly manipulative in playing with the audience's emotions. However, I did not necessarily have a problem with that. It exists in order to do just that. My bigger problem comes from the focus being on the boy. While there are allusions made, it's unclear as to whether Oscar is suffering from a learning disability (like Asperger's) or if he's just eccentric. Regardless, the character and the young actor's portrayal of the boy make it difficult for the audience to enjoy going on this journey with him. He doesn't yield the sympathy that the character should. Instead, we sit there wanting to know the answers ourselves, but don't exactly care whether or not the boy gets them. While there are some problems with the child acting, the film does feature several good adult performances including Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock in limited roles and Max Von Sydow doing some great work as a mute who may be the young boy's grandfather. The subject matter is not for everyone, but if you have an interest in it, I think you'll be glad with you did. Just make sure to have the Kleenex box nearby. Rating: *** 1/2

War Horse I struggle with how exactly to review this film. From a technical standpoint, it is near excellent. The camera work, cinematography, the score, and all other facets of the film are just great. They prove once again why Spielberg is in a class by himself. And yet I found myself extemely bored by the entire story. I just could not get myself interested in seeing early 20th century history being told from the perspective of a horse. In fact, in doing so, I actually felt like they trivialized a lot of the major events that they depicted in this film. While a horse may be a majestic animal, it does not make for a compelling character. To make matters worse, with a run time of two and half hours, the film felt endless. The production value is too good for me to give the film a truly terrible grade and yet I can't in good conscience actually recommend it to anyone either. If you truly love horses, I suppose you may get some value out of the film Or if you're looking to get into the film business on the opposite side of the camera, you may find value in looking at quality of the production, but that's about it. Everyone else is better off taking a trip to the glue factory instead. Rating:***

RBR: The Adventures of Tintin

This movie had an uphill climb from the very beginning. Despite begin directed by Steven Spielberg and having Peter Jackson along as a producer, this is the adapatation of a Belgian comic book series that very few people in America were familiar with, let alone fond enough of the material to want to see it brought onto the big screen. The story centers around a young journalist named Tintin, who along with his dog Snowy, frequently finds himself caught up in the middle of mystery and adventure. In this case, it revolves around the mystery of a ship named the Unicorn. I'd explain the plot further, but there's really not much more to say. The mystery isn't particularly engaging and the treasure they ultimately find is rather underwhelming. Perhaps, American audiences have been jaded by films like National Treasure and The DaVinci Code where part of the fun is the end game of finally locating something rare and special. That is sorely missing from this tale. Instead, Spielberg pads the thin story with endless action scenes that just wear the audience out. Yes, everything looks amazing in those scenes, but we're given no reason to care what's going on in them. Part of that problem lies in the fact that technology still has not advanced enough to make these stop motion human characters realistic enough. Their eyes are expressionless and each characters' face looks so rubbery that you would think they were all wearing a Mission: Impossible mask hiding their true identity. Many were surprised when this failed to get an Oscar nomination for best animated film, but in this case I belive the Academy got it right. For all the technical achievements that this film has, the human touch is nonexistant here. Tintin may continue to delight audiences overseas, but I have no interest in seeing another adventure from this young investigator. Rating: ** 1/2

2012 Movie Preview (#18 - 13)

18. Neighborhood Watch (July 27th)

Plot: "Neighborhood Watch" is a sci-fi comedy about a suburban "neighborhood watch" group that serves as a front for dads to get some male-bonding time away from their families. The group finds itself in over its head when it uncovers a plot to destroy the world.

Personal opinion: Five years ago, a film featuring Ben Stiller and Vince Vaughn would have likely been much higher on my list. But since that time, each of them have made some questionable choices in terms of their film roles, which make me somewhat cautious about getting excited about this one. That they are together in this movie helps, along with the fact that Jonah Hill and Will Forte are also part of the cast. I'm a bit suspicious of the sci-fi aspect of this film, but until I see a trailer your guess is as good as mine as to what to expect here.


17. ParaNorman (August 17th)

Plot: In "ParaNorman," a small town comes under siege by zombies. Who can it call? Only misunderstood local boy Norman (voiced by Kodi Smit-McPhee), who is able to speak with the dead. In addition to the zombies, he'll have to take on ghosts, witches and, worst of all, moronic grown-ups, to save his town from a centuries-old curse. But this young ghoul whisperer may find his paranormal activities pushed to their otherworldly limits.

Personal opinion: For some reason, I got hooked on this film after its first trailer came out last month. It seems as if the people behind this film are trying to outdo Tim Burton in the whole 'creepy, but not too creepy stop-motion animated' genre. I think the idea behind this story is really solid and the world they've created looks very imaginative. The only thing I question is why they are choosing to release this in August instead of October. Having a spooky film like this released in the summer may cause it to get lost in the shuffle.


16. The Five Year Engagement (April 27th)

Plot: The director and writer/star of "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" reteam for the irreverent comedy "The Five-Year Engagement." Beginning where most romantic comedies end, the new film from director Nicholas Stoller, producer Judd Apatow ("Knocked Up," "The 40-Year-Old Virgin") and Rodney Rothman (Get Him to the Greek) looks at what happens when an engaged couple, Jason Segel and Emily Blunt, keeps getting tripped up on the long walk down the aisle. The film was written by Segel and Stoller.

Personal opinion: We've already seen the trailer for this one as well and all signs indicate good stuff here. They had already set themselves up well by having Segal reteam with his Forgetting Sarah Marshall director and pairing him with the sexy and charming Emily Blunt on screen. Segal seems to pick his romantic comedies well having been successful with Marshall and I Love You Man and his streak appears as if it will continue on in 2012.


15. Lincoln (December)

Plot: Based on the best-selling book "Team of Rivals," by Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Doris Kearns Goodwin. The screenplay has been written by the Pulitzer Prize winner, Tony Award winner, and Academy Award nominated writer Tony Kushner. The film will focus on the political collision of Lincoln and the powerful men of his cabinet on the road to abolition and the end of the Civil War.

Personal opinion: Half-way through and now we're really getting to the good stuff. If you've already seen the picture that came online a few weeks ago, you'll know what inspired casting it was to have Daniel Day-Lewis play Lincoln. Spielberg may be getting a lot of press right now for the two films he has in theaters, but this one is infinitely more appealing to me than those two combined. This one should be a history buff's dream come true.


14. Prometheus (June 8th)

Plot: Visionary filmmaker Ridley Scott returns to the genre he helped define, creating an original science fiction epic set in the most dangerous corners of the universe. The film takes a team of scientists and explorers on a thrilling journey that will test their physical and mental limits and strand them on a distant world, where they will discover the answers to our most profound questions and to life's ultimate mystery.

Personal opinion: If you visited the blog earlier this week, you no doubt saw that I had posted a trailer for this new Ridley Scott film. As I alluded to in that post, the story is being kept tightly under wraps, but there are some indications that this may be a prequel to 1979's Alien. Having recently gained an appreciation for both the 1979 film and its sequel, I am really curious about this movie. Now even if it ends up having nothing to do with Alien, this still has a very good chance of being good given Scott's proclivity of delivering solid action films.


13. Argo (September 14th)

Plot: Based on true events, "Argo" chronicles the life-or-death covert operation to rescue six Americans, which unfolded behind the scenes of the Iran hostage crisis--the truth of which was unknown by the public for decades. On November 4, 1979, as the Iranian revolution reaches its boiling point, militants storm the U.S. embassy in Tehran, taking 52 Americans hostage. But, in the midst of the chaos, six Americans manage to slip away and find refuge in the home of the Canadian ambassador. Knowing it is only a matter of time before the six are found out and likely killed, a CIA "exfiltration" specialist named Tony Mendez (Affleck) comes up with a risky plan to get them safely out of the country. A plan so incredible, it could only happen in the movies.

Personal opinion: DirectingGone Baby Gone Ben Affleck raised some eyebrows. With The Town, he proved his first film was no fluke. Now he's behind the camera again with one of those so crazy it must be true stories. The more I read about this and think about what Affleck has done thus far as a director, the more excited I get for this film. I hate to rush to conclusions, but this could easily be a strong contender for some awards this time next year.