Review: Speed Racer

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Genre: Action / Drama

O, Speed Racer. Streaming with lights and colors the equivalent of the {pop} of a little girl's juicy pink bubblegum and cracking its turns in just as sharp a manner, Speed Racer is easily categorized within the Red-Bull-lined walls of hall of the summer blockbusters. Its archetypical "good v. evil" plotline, fueled by high-octane - o, forgive me the automotive word-play - visual effects, is sure to delight any movie-goer who seeks only the blast-and-thrill of a harrowing ride through treacherous but ultimately surmountable terrain. Predictable down to its very core and fashioned together in a rather rapturous, rather than intelligent way, the film fails to be - well - it fails to be...anything other than what it ought to be. (Take a moment here to pause, if need be.) Seriously, people, why ought we automatically switch to 'decry mode' when a film like Speed Racer decides not to present us with a perspective that is novel or in any way subversive of the notions we had of it before its theatrical release? Is there something so inherently wrong with the good, old-fashioned summer blockbuster that fruit cannot be redeemed from its frame? I heartily stand by the answer "no" (to that second question). Speed Racer in my opinion accomplishes exactly what it set out to accomplish: a colorful and attractive revitalization in pop culture of a lore that has lain dormant since the end of its childhood hey-days back in the late 1960s - early 1970s - for that is exactly what Speed Racer is, a franchise mostly unplumbed and unknown by the masses of today's society. To offer up anything else would have been a consciously esoteric mettle, toward disregarding the majority of the film's potential audience - because, really, how many people can raise their hands today and then dutifully recite everything about the Speed Racer chronicles, how many especially from the generations of people born after the franchise's original hey-day? No, to offer up a different glimpse into Speed Racer would have been a mistake; as always, context must be first provided, in order to set the stage for a grounded and non-partisan debate about the more profound reaches of a matter. So, I applaud Speed Racer for this its orientation and all the more for the juicy plums and pears and apples and lemons with which it was able to paint its new adaptation, fruits that place it high as the bar for this 2008 summer season.

Now for the good stuff: Indeed, the makers of Speed Racer were able to find remarkable riches within their project that lifted the film out of its tried and tired categorization and deftly and jauntily placed it on the truly admirable level. The colors and contrasts that burst with all the exciting "Eek!" of pop art are truly beautiful decorations of the story and perhaps one of the two highlight-features of the film. They immediately nod to the high-energy and rapid, racing-directed focus of the plot as well as pay homage in their artful combinations to the era that bore them in origin, while simultaneously they amp up to date that original color palette and signal the planar situation of the reality within the film as somewhere beyond dreams (and perhaps adjacent to Roald Dahl's Wonka-land). Nowhere else could the phrase "Holy cannoli, Speed!" be uttered in seriousness and not receive an obligatory eye-roll or chuckle in response. They work well as a conceit too, for they epitomize the clash of the gaudy and immoderate and the wholesome and true in a way that is fantastically engaging; for they progress from blending and flowing and generally dazzling in the early stages of the plot, when it is difficult to parse the good from the bad, to astutely discriminating certain character sets and atmospheres from certain others in the later stages, when the natures of things are clear. As Speed and his team buzz with the sleek and rich combinations of navy blues with sunshine yellows, cherry reds with ripe oranges, and crisp whites with oil blacks without blowing out, the underhanded evil-doers reek in vomiticious combinations of sour apple with brick orange, garish gold with peacock purple, and thick turquoise with mud brown. I haven't seen such a good use of stylized, super-saturated color since another latent comic-book adaptation took to the screen: 1992's Dick Tracy (which coincidentally took home the Oscar for Art Direction that year - ahem). And of course the races would be nothing without them.
Speaking of the races: They were another great unexpected feature of the film. They were wonderfully choreographed and read much more like passionate dances than NASCAR trials. I suppose, this elegant choreography could be attributed to high-art ambition of the film-makers who were not so shy enough to prominently display within the dialogue of the film said ambition toward being more than just fast and loose imagery (see Susan Sarandon's Mrs. Racer's private conversation with Speed), but I'm not above appreciating the quality of something that is true quality, even if it be presented heavy-handedly in context. The flips and jumps, twists and turns, especially when performed in series on one of those narrow curves, were wonderful absolutely.
However, not everything about the film was wonderful; this is not a gushingly positive review after all. Among those things I found fault with were most prominently the cinematography, the introduction, and the directorial choices about certain things. Taking them in that order: I found the distance and the framing of the cinematography to be incredibly off. Why must everything be inspected so freaking closely all the time, Mr. Tattersall? It is a terribly one-sided move on your part and denies the spectator any real chance to orient himself within the new spaces we encounter, for even your so-called "establishment shots" are frequently crunched up from one side of side of the frame and incomplete. I found myself mentally shouting, "Pull back!", a lot while watching as well as "Be still!" during the non-racing scenes. It would have been nice to give your viewers those breaks from the constantly roving camera and - not only that but - it would have been smart to give your camera the same contrasts in motion and range as you and the art directors did in color and light, especially within this movie so hitting on sharp contrasts. However, I must commend you, Mr. Tattersall; at least your lighting and your angles, which were often soft and flat respectively, did aid the 2-D over 3-D composite feel that the film did (brilliantly) display (interpolating direct references to manga, comics, and the original Speed Racer among the contemporary effects while simultaneously sticking to the conceits of fantasy and high contrast throughout). But really, check your framings; your odd croppings did not go unnoticed either.
In fact, the introduction (i. e., about the first 7 or 8 minutes) was marred by your bizarre clippings as well as by other things - namely, the editing and the acting. Spliced too close together, such that the jumps were jerky and the actors practically stepping on each other's lines, that introductory period, which is designed to graciously induct the audience into the world of the film, was more like a series of sharp jabs to the face than a gracious induction. Fortunately that quality went away, but no one likes a sloppy, uncomfortable, and jittery start - especially not Speed. It leaves one feeling dizzy and rather like the other party was trying too hard.
The responsibility for this factor lies in no hands other than the directors'. The Wachowski brothers were able to keep their hands on this boiler-maker for the most part with a minimum of awkward hiccoughs, but there was a significant couple. That introduction was one; the switch-off during the Casa Cristo race was the other. Being unable to get Christina Ricci to really deliver during this her most active scene during the movie was the least of it. While the fight was happily choreographed and buzzed along as usual, the end results of it, the posture and the possession of the weapons, was something different altogether. Bear in mind, please, that this film is (as was said) a happy and non-subversive revitalization of a childhood-geared comic-book series! Do not give the firearms to Speed Racer and his team, the wholesome image of morality and decency!! It is soooo not in keeping with the message or the tenor of the entire Speed Racer franchise. It is just disturbing - jarring even - and cacaphonously dissonant from the flow of what they, the Racers, purport to be all about. People who say things like "Holy cannoli!" and "Jiminy!" have no business brandishing pistols and machine guns at their enemies. It's just not cool. (That said, I feel like I should address here the "shit" uttered by Speed during the Grand Prix, finale race. A far cry from issues like mortality and homicide [which subjects in a film that has its wiped-out racecar drivers whisked safely off of the course in a protective bubble are foreign matters anyway], one small instance of verbal 'impurity' on the behalf of the wholesome Racers is not going to crumble the keystone of their collective character. In fact, if used appropriately [as it was], it can become symbolic in this updating adaptation of their breaking away both from the clutches of Speed's greedy competitors and from the constraints imposed upon them by the reckonings and expectations of our society [i. e., from their original shoe-polish-shiny source material]. In other words, it gave them a non-calamitous edge at an instant when it was really sharp to do so. So, directors, take note: one "shit" = good, multiple loaded weapons in the hands of our model heroes = bad.)
In any case - putting aside these needling comments about morality - the film was a surprising success for me, a success I feel that can mostly be attributed to its other highlight-feature: Michael Giacchino's brilliant(!) score. Mr. Giacchino's music, made well-known in this bang-prone milieu of cartoons and cartoon adaptations (e. g., The Incredibles, Ratatouille), works fabulously well as the vroom behind Emile Hirsche's engines. Spiking and cascading at exactly the right moments and just generally placing a huge, positive bang! at the end of every major phrase, whatever the tenor, the score was the standout point of the film. I would not be surprised if its excellent work went out to garner more official acclaim at the end of this 2008 year in film. It was truly spectacular.
And, because I can't not address him, Mr. Hirsche was a sheer classic too. A great decision to expand himself, now off his Into the Wild success; he was the perfect man to step into Speed Racer's signature white jacket and visor. Good work (and great clothes).
Go, Speed Racer, go!

Grade: A solid B.

Summer 2008

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Wow; so, I've just taken in the long list of summer fare that awaits us for this year in film 2008 and, I have to say, things are looking better than ever. Not only are we to be treated to films the likes of which seem distant in our memories (e. g., Wall-E, Brideshead Revisited), but we are also lined up for the more mainstream films (i. e., the summer blockbusters) that this year have forgone the exclusively special-effects driven route of years past and actually garnered themselves quite impressive casts and hopefully therefore similarly impressive screenplays (e. g., Mamma Mia, Speed Racer, The Hulk). Of course, there are the few rotten-looking apples in the bushel - ahem, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, ahem - but as with any summer stock the heat is bound to addle one or two in the bunch and these minorities are acceptable losses. So, without anymore aplomb or ado, here is my brief list about the films that I'm excited to see this summer 2008:

1. Iron Man (2 May) - Robert Downey, Jr., bringing back that "Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang" sardonic wit-bravado - only this time with eye-candy techno-toys - there's nothing more to say. (All right, Terence Howard, Gwenyth Paltrow, and Jeff Bridges are pluses too.)
2. Speed Racer (9 May) - A blown-out, no-stops, FX-driven movie for sure, but with Emile Hirsche at the wheel (i. e., our Best Actor from 2007) and a somehow catchingly quirky supporting ensemble of Susan Sarandon, John Goodman, and Christina Ricci I say that this chariot is going to give a much sharper ride.
3. Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Crystal Skull (22 May) - Sure, the Jones franchise has been dormant for the last - er - several years and, sure, our leading man Mr. Ford has eclipsed into full-on senior-citizen status (i. e., he's 65); but Cate Blanchett in that fabulous jet-black bob says, "Shut the fuck up; it's going to be awesome." Here's to hoping she's right.
4. Sex and the City (30 May) - OK, so I'm not going to make any excuse for the extremely "Gag-me/Did-they-even-try-writing?/This-is-all-so-predictable" apparent nature of this, the most stylized, film of the summer career (mostly because it is blatantly clear that there is none and they basically made this film so that the girls could hang out together and look pretty one more time [or so that the Zeitgeist of girls in the real world will not come to a crashing demise after four-years without their elect quartet of models for behavior]) - whichever - but I will say that it is sure to be entertaining for at least that quality/reason. The glitter and glamour that was the iconograph of the SATC franchise is there in full flush and Ms. Fields may be looking at another potential Oscar nomination. (Too early to call?)
5. The Incredible Hulk (13 June) - Edward Norton is a class-A actor who knows how to pick his scripts. His being on board, especially in the leading role, as well as Mr. Hurt's involvement look to solidify this FX-pic into at least an Iron-Man level of quality (which gets a B from me by the way).
6. Wall-E (27 June) - Pixar sets itself up for another major hit, both critically and popularly, with this innovative storyline about a rather Zen, little robot. The trailer at once put me in mind of the greatness that was the studio's last amazing project Finding Nemo - a huge plus, since I was less than thrilled by the interstitial films between then and now - and, moreover, it put me in mind of that Walt Whitman poem "A Noiseless Patient Spider" (from his Leaves of Grass [1900]) which is an endlessly more promising link. Any inspired connection like that one immediately sets my mind on the greatness track. (I wonder if the Pixar people were actually jumped off from that work. Anyone?)
7. The Wackness (3 July) - Admittedly probably the least solid of all these films, but Ben Kingsley and Mary-Kate Olsen in a performance that the Times has already called one of the summer's best (Durbin, http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2008/05/04/movies/20080504_DURBIN_FEATURE.html) could tip the scales in this boutique film's favor.
8. The Dark Knight (18 July) - Christian Bale, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Aaron Eckhart, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, and Heath Ledger do not just sign onto a project together because they think it may be cool to hang out, especially when Mr. Ledger is stepping into Jack Nicholson's very weighty shoes. No, they mean business; the Batman is back and is looking quite thrilling.
9. Mamma Mia (18 July) - Meryl Streep, similarly to the The Dark Knight's cast, does not just join a project on a whim. She has to see the potential in it, despite whatever maternal impeti she may have to provide fine family entertainment for her daughter - um, that means you, Ms. Kidman. I mean, Ms. Streep rocked that otherwise fluffy The Devil Wears Prada two years ago, when it was in a very similar spot to where Mamma Mia now finds itself: the bubbly, fun-loving adaptation niche of the summer spectrum, a position more recently held by a one Hairspray; and so who is to say she hasn't done it again? Like its predecessors, Mamma Mia looks like it will at least be a well-acted, decently done sensation of entertainment.
10. Brideshead Revisited (July) - Another new-century Waugh adaptation - huzzah! I'm incredibly excited by this one - for several reasons, namely the president presence of the great Emma Thompson, the smart source-material that is the Waugh text, and the swift and becoming featuring of Matthew Goode (of Match Point fame) in the leading role. I can't wait to touch this one! I'm predicting it will be at least as enjoyable as was 2003's Bright Young Things (taken off Vile Bodies).
    
11. The House Bunny (22 August) - And, semi-limping in as this list's only late summer entry, this easy farce of a film has one significant redeeming feature: the comic brilliance that can be Anna Faris. A beautiful addition to the casts of such A+ films as Lost in Translation and Brokeback Mountain, Ms. Faris here delivers up one of her probably less significant pieces but nonetheless seems to shine in that quirky but endearing and captivating way that made her the staple of the Scary Movie franchise. And, because it must be repeated as it was said quite deftly by Manohla Dargis of the Times in her recent article "Is There a Real Woman in This Multiplex?" (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/04/movies/moviesspecial/04dargi.html), Ms. Faris who "tends to do the dumb-blonde thing with sizable quotation marks [...] could [very well] be the next Judy Holliday [... with] the right material." So, look out for this film; it could surprise you as well as me.

Cheers, film-goers. I'll be with you throughout this season 2008.

Post "The Big Night": Oscars 2008

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I don't really have much to say about this year's Academy Awards; most of the ceremony went as was expected (e. g., Daniel Day-Lewis, Javier Bardem, Joel & Ethan Coen, Diablo Cody, even Tilda Swinton) and, the few times when it didn't (e. g., cinematography, visual effects), those nominees who probably should have won (e. g., Roger Deakins, the team from Transformers) don't really need golden statuettes to validate their works or their talents. The only comments I do want to make are words of congratulations to those nominees from tonight whose wins showed the Academy really getting it right - which is most definitely something to acknowledge - ahem, CrashRobertoBenigniChicagoCharlizeTheronHappyFeetJamieFoxxCrash, ahem - sorry, something in my craw. Anyway, back to the kudos: Congratulations are well due to Christopher Rouse (Editing), Suzie Templeton and Hugh Welchman (Animated Short), and Marion Cotillard (Actress in a Leading Role!), who looked beautiful and whose win made the night for me.

So close a Year in Film (2007); so open a Year in Film (2008). I'm excited! Are you?

The SpyGlasses Full (2007)

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Seeing as Valentine's Day has now ended and the Academy Awards' televised ceremony is now less than 10 days away, I think it's time clear for me to start announcing my little 'award' recipients. To begin, I'll start with some of the visual categories; and I shall add to this list every day preceding the Oscar telecast, for - after all - anything announced afterward, I feel, does run too close to looking either deferential or oppositive.

Best Costuming
Atonement
Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Juno
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
La Vie en Rose

Best Make-Up
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
Le Scaphandre et le Papillon
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
La Vie en Rose

(16 February: Tonight two of the audial categories:)
Best Sound Editing
The Bourne Ultimatum
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Ratatouille
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
Transformers

Best Sound Mixing
The Bourne Ultimatum
Into the Wild
No Country for Old Men
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
La Vie en Rose

(17 February: Tonight Editing(!):)
Best Editing
The Bourne Ultimatum
The Darjeeling Limited
Into the Wild
No Country for Old Men
Le Scaphandre et le Papillon

(18 February: Tonight the shorts:)
Best Animated Film (Short)
Everything Will Be OK
I Met the Walrus
Madame Tutli-Putli
My Love
Peter & the Wolf

Best Live-Action Film (Short)
Hotel Chevalier

(19 February: Tonight tonight is all about the music:)
Best Original Score
Nick Cave and Warren Ellis, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Alexandre Desplat, Lust, Caution
Eddie Vedder, Into the Wild

Best Original Song
"To Be Surprised" by Sondre Lerche, Dan in Real Life
"That's How You Know" by Alan Menken, Enchanted
"Guaranteed" by Eddie Vedder, Into the Wild
"Rise" by Eddie Vedder, Into the Wild
"Falling Slowly" by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, Once

(20 February*: Tonight the writers:)
Best Screenplay (Original)
Diablo Cody, Juno
John Carney, Once
Tony Gilroy, Michael Clayton
Don Hertzfeldt, Everything Will Be OK
Tamara Jenkins, The Savages

Best Screenplay (Adapted)
Andrew Dominik, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Ronald Harwood, Le Scaphandre et le Papillon
John Logan, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Sean Penn, Into the Wild
James Vanderbilt, Zodiac

*An interesting note that I just myself recognized: No film has yet garnered more than a single 'award' from me. What a diverse year this has been. Perhaps the tally will change tomorrow?

(21 February: Tonight the rest of the visual categories:)
Best Art Direction
The Darjeeling Limited
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
There Will Be Blood

Best Cinematography
Robert D. Yeoman, The Darjeeling Limited, Hotel Chevalier
Slawomir Idziak, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Roger Deakins; The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, No Country for Old Men
Janusz Kaminski, Le Scaphandre et le Papillon**
Robert Elswit, There Will Be Blood

Best Visual Effects
The Bourne Ultimatum
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
I Am Legend
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
Transformers

**And Le Scaphandre et le Papillon becomes the first film this year to receive more than one recognition.

(22 February: Tonight the supporting players and the foreign-language film:)
Best Supporting Actor
Casey Affleck, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Javier Bardem, No Country for Old Men
Phillip Seymour Hoffman; The Savages, Charlie Wilson's War
Hal Holbrook, Into the Wild
Tom Wilkinson, Michael Clayton

Best Supporting Actress
Cate Blanchett, I'm Not There
Jennifer Garner, Juno
Evanna Lynch, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Samantha Morton, Control
Tilda Swinton, Michael Clayton

Best Foreign-Language Film (Feature-Length or Short)
Lust, Caution
Le Scaphandre et le Papillon
La Vie en Rose

(23 February: Tonight the lead actors and the director:)
Best Actor
Daniel Day-Lewis, There Will Be Blood
Johnny Depp, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Ryan Gosling, Lars and the Real Girl
Emile Hirsche, Into the Wild
James MacAvoy, Atonement

Best Actress
Amy Adams, Enchanted
Julie Christie, Away from Her
Marion Cotillard, La Vie en Rose
Laura Linney, The Savages
Ellen Page, Juno

Best Director
Joel and Ethan Coen, No Country for Old Men
Andrew Dominick, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Sean Penn, Into the Wild
Jason Reitman, Juno
Julian Schnabel, Le Scaphandre et le Papillon

(24 February: Tonight the feature-length films and my top ten of the year:)
Best Live-Action Film (Feature-Length)
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Into the Wild
Juno
Le Scaphandre et le Papillon
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Best Animated Film (Feature-Length)
Persepolis
Ratatouille
The Simpsons Movie

2007's Top Ten:

• The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
• The Darjeeling Limited
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
• Into the Wild
• Juno
• Michael Clayton
• No Country for Old Men
• The Savages
• Le Scaphandre et le Papillon
• Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

(Bold denotes winner; italics, a noteworthy second.)
Great work!

Vanity Fair on Hitchcock

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Vanity Fair just recently printed a photographic (and textual) retrospective on Mr. Hitchcock's work, a pictorial series of stills representing some of the director's best known films reimagined and reshot with actors from today's Hollywood by photographers Art Streiber, Julian Broad, and Norman Jean Roy. The printed photos, which collected embody a beautiful revisualization of the included films, feature actors like James MacAvoy and Emile Hirsche in scenes like the dining-car conversation from Strangers on a Train (see included) and attempt to recast the Hitchcock allure onto those some of today's most prominent filmmakers. The series is a thoroughly enjoyable endeavor and a glad recommendation: do check it out (here).

Review: Cloverfield

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Genre: Thriller (Apocalyptic)

Cloverfield is the latest attempt at an uncommonly popular subgenre of the thriller. Like past attempts (e. g., 28 Days Later, Godzilla), it follows the same basic structure of the subgenre, in which a contemporary, perhaps somewhat idealistic, reality is relatively early in the film shaken to its very core and practically thus upturned entirely by the sudden and fatalistic intrusion of an mal du force outsider into it. Whether that outside force be creature, illness, or even environment (e. g., Deep Impact), the resultant plot details are always the same: People freak, panic ensues, and tragedy generally befalls anyone - and everyone - involved. Yet Cloverfield, unlike its predecessors, attempts to go rogue on this apocalyptic quest, by ushering in a first-person, though largely narrated, camera as the sole vehicle for filming. Furthermore, it abandons the typically wide array of character types and cast members, in favor of a more concentrated and tidy four - five, at most. These two tweaks, as well as the utilization of (for the most part) realistic/credible dialogue, do to distinguish the film from its fellows; however, they are not enough to fully bring the subgenre out from B- - even C-movie hell. The novelty of the slight redesign diminishes completely as soon as the apocalyptic outsider arrives and, instead of expanding and becoming more complex, the characters too diminish, winnowing down dimensionality to its flattest and simplest, as the plot drags on. Thus, predictability quickly emerges, out of a plot also eschewing dynamism, and tone and balance are shaky at best, despite the obvious attempts at jokes to, if only for a moment, "keep it light, keep it gay, keep it fragrant." The argument of the film becomes halved, half focus on the 'carpe diem' motivation and the other half on the question-of-the-greater-good motivation, and the dichotomous ending does in no way resolve the two. Subtexts about a subconscious Zeitgeist of terror for potential impending doom(s, on various fronts and for various reasons) are premature at best, and the metaphor of the intrusive outsider does not congress well with any of the options (e. g., the demon inside oneself that is irrational anger and/or reticence, the pressing of a moral question, the general need for catharsis), with the slight exception of its auxiliary creatures (that attack people as individuals and whose bites force 'expression'). Finally, does no one get it that films in this subgenre are always less powerful (i. e., both less significant and less scary) when the impending doom, the intrusive threat, is completely revealed?? (Hello, M. Night Shyamalan!) All that said - and despite its intrinsically apocalyptic bend - Cloverfield falls short of utter catastrophe. Its special effects are some redemption and its quick, yet fixed, instants of focused photography are at times significant. Plus, the acting was certainly above the level usually found (though less frequently of late) in films of this subgenre (or genre general). Nevertheless the bottom line remains, in a word: prosaic.

Grade: C+/C

(After writing this review, I checked out Manohla Dargis' review of the film on the Times' website. I felt compelled by the insight of her words to post these few extractions here:

"For a brief, hopeful moment, I thought the filmmakers might be making a point about how the contemporary compulsion to record the world has dulled us to actual lived experience, including the suffering of others — you know, something about the simulacrum syndrome in the post-Godzilla age at the intersection of the camera eye with the narcissistic “I.” Certainly this straw-grasping seemed the most charitable way to explain characters whose lack of personality (“This is crazy, dude!”) is matched only by their incomprehensible stupidity. Smart as Tater Tots and just as differentiated, Rob and his ragtag crew behave like people who have never watched a monster movie or the genre-savvy “Scream” flicks or even an episode of “Lost” (Hello, Mr. Abrams!), much less experienced the real horrors of Sept. 11.

And, so, much like a character from a crummy movie, Rob hears from an estranged lover, Beth (Odette Yustman), who, after the attack, begs for help on her miraculously working cellphone. Against the odds and a crush of fleeing humanity, he tries to rescue her (unbelievably, ludicrously, the others tag along), which is meant to show what a good guy he is. But heroism without a fully realized hero proves as much a dead end as subjective camerawork that’s executed without a discernible subjectivity. Like too many big-studio productions, “Cloverfield” works as a showcase for impressively realistic-looking special effects, a realism that fails to extend to the scurrying humans whose fates are meant to invoke pity and fear but instead inspire yawns and contempt.

Rarely have I rooted for a monster with such enthusiasm."

Manohla, I completely understand.)

"80 Years of Oscar" Poster

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The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the group that yearly gives us the Oscars, has just released its celebratory poster for this year's awards. The poster's design features the poster art for most, if not all, of the Academy's 80 Best Picture award-winners, including a question-marked space for this year's recipient. The posters are arranged seriatim according to year and conform with a spiral design that, when viewed as a whole, mimics an Oscar statuette. Combined with a classy backdrop and a written list of the titles of all the featured Best Pictures, the imagery of the poster looks simply beautiful, which is why I just had to post about it. Enjoy, people. There are about 4 weeks until the awards' ceremony.

Heath Ledger: Tragedy

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I literally just saw the incredibly tragic news on television that Heath Ledger, acclaimed actor from films like Monster's Ball (2001) and the landmark Brokeback Mountain (2005), was found dead in his NYC apartment today by his housekeeper. The report said that he was discovered lying on his bed next to numerous medications this afternoon, soon before he was scheduled for a massage. Despite the circumstances, the death is assumed to be an accident. He was twenty-eight years-old.

I'm speechless.

Here is a link to the "Breaking News" article on CNN.com.

From the Times:
"At 3:31 p.m., according to the police, a masseuse arrived at the fourth-floor apartment of the building, at 421 Broome Street, between Crosby and Lafayette Streets in SoHo, for an appointment with Mr. Ledger. The masseuse was let in to the home by a housekeeper, who then knocked on the door of the bedroom Mr. Ledger was in. When no one answered, the housekeeper and the masseuse opened the bedroom and found Mr. Ledger naked and unconscious on a bed, with sleeping pills — both prescription medication and nonprescription — on a night table. They moved his body to the floor and attempted to revive him, but he did not respond. They immediately called the authorities."

The Reaction to the Cloud

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And the nominations have been announced.

Other than the blah support for Atonement that almost knocked me over, I was surprised by a few things:

• the screenplay for Away from Her being nominated, because it definitely wasn't spectacular - but then the offerings for that category weren't spectacular in general this year
• the screenplay for Ratatouille being nominated, because it also wasn't spectacular - but then they love their Pixar
  
• the curve ball that was the nomination for Surf's Up as animated feature
• the unexpected, yet still expected absence of Le Scaphandre et le Papillon from the Best Picture category, which to me only attests to the old-school, unadventurous mentality that plagues the awards
• the unexpected show of double-love for Cate Blanchett, who, while always wonderful, did not strike me as outstanding in Elizabeth: The Golden Age, especially not more wonderful than, say, Amy Adams in Enchanted. (Huzzah for Laura Linney though!)
  
• and the actually expected show of no-love for Sean Penn, who not only failed to get himself a Director nomination (and Emile Hirsche an Actor nomination), but also failed to have his marvellous Into the Wild nominated as Best Picture - how could they do that? Don't they love Sean Penn over at the Academy? I thought for sure they'd eat that shit up - ("shit" colloquially of course - I mean, I called the film "marvellous" sincerely, to which my personal nominations can attest [see right]).

Edits to come, pending the rest of the nominations, which were not televised....

And:

• Wow, all three songs from Enchanted?! They were good, but they weren't that good. I sense nostalgia for the Menken of yore. (Meanwhile, the ignorance-fest for Into the Wild shuts out Eddie Vedder from this category completely.)
• Nothing for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix! Boo! Really, it deserved at least one recognition somewhere...
  
• ...meanwhile, ugh, Atonement gets into the cinematography category - that just bothers me
• Interesting choices for musical score - I didn't find Michael Clayton or Ratatouille to be very exceptional and I have not seen - well, heard, I guess - The Kite Runner or 3:10 to Yuma
• Across the Universe for costumes? - but then the costume nominees usually contain one that is way out there and of a film that wasn't great (e. g., Troy). (Huzzah for La Vie en Rose though!)
• and hooray for the Animated Short nominees!

OK, now back to sleep.

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And, now that I've slept, some final thoughts:

• About score: The Michael Clayton score is a big "what?" to me; I can appreciate minimalistic background but this just feels unspecial. I don't mind the Ratatouille score, but it is very typical. I wonder, could its being nominated be a recompensatory recognition of Michael Giacchino for his more unique work on The Incredibles? The 3:10 to Yuma score is actually thoroughly enjoyable and am for its having a nomination. And The Kite Runner sounds like a knock-off version of your wonderful score for The Constant Gardener, Mr. Iglesias.
  
• About editing: I'm glad Le Scaphandre et le Papillon and Into the Wild got in there. Frankly any Into the Wild love is glad-making.
  
• and about screenplay: ....
  

In the Shadow of the Oscars

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So, the nominations for the 80th annual Academy Awards are due to become official tomorrow morning (though some sources may have had an insider's peek). For many, their announcement is yearly the cause of much anxiety and anticipation, since the reaction to them always seems to indicate that the films that the Academy chooses to either nominate or not nominate accordingly either gain or do not gain respect ad finitum in the Zeitgeist opinion of the general public - a phenomenon I like to call the clever misconceptions of the historical present (e. g., the existence of people who earnestly believe Crash was the best picture of its year). For me and, I suspect, for many others who enjoy taking a greater interest in the actual merits of film, the nominations of the Academy (and indeed their awards themselves) are nothing more than the opportunity to see how much the popular gurus "got right" (oftentimes according to our own personal observations) - well, that, or the opportunity to exercise our sports'-fan's-like competitive spirits with others like ourselves (but that's a whole different story).
For my own part, I just posted the final nominations for my own little awards (on the right) and, because I'm a dork who can't resist, I will be waking up early to watch the Academy's nominations' announcement to see "how well we've done." I know that my pushes for films like The Darjeeling Limited are far-fetched to any savvy "Oscar-tracker," but I stand by them all. (I mean, Mr. Anderson's work is not continually admitted to the Criterion Collection because it's bad.) And among the best of the others I stand boldly in the shadow of Oscar: Mr. Idziak's brilliant cinematographical work on Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Ms. Garner's striking performance in Juno, and Ms. Lynch's captivatingly ephemeral portrayal in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix; and, though I contend that the Oscars actually mean very little nowadays in terms of true achievements, fingers are nevertheless crossed in hopes that they recognize these worthy pieces.
Until the morning...