Note: I have posted this review over at wordpress here as well. I'm moving the blog over there so check there for new posts and updates.
When you talk about the Fitzgerald novel, The Great Gatsby, to people, they usually have one of two reactions: they call it a masterpiece or a boring work of melodramatic crap. There seems to be only extremes when it comes to The Great Gatsby, and it seems almost fitting that the newest movie adaptation has been so divisive with most people coming down on the love it or hate it side, and seeing Baz Luhrman's style as either invigorating or obnoxious. Funny enough, watching the film, for me, was one of the more conflicting experiences I've had in a movie theatre.
This adaptation wastes no time in letting you know that nuance and subtlety are only distractions, and that this film is going to be right in your face about things from the start (after all this is a Baz Luhrman film), and at times this choice does seem to work. Gatsby's parties are entertaining and beautiful to watch, but they ultimately fail to deliver on the grotesque qualities that Carraway wrestles with throughout the book. I think that is one of the bigger problems with the movie which is that Luhrman may fit stylistically in ways, but was never the right choice to tackle the books themes. It is clear that Luhrman knows this as well.
Having co-written the screenplay, it's pretty evident that Luhrman has no intentions of tackling the themes that make the book so universally known, and what it does start to tackle it only starts to scratch the surface of. The film tries to make up for this at times by utilizing the hitting you-over-the-head technique to imagery. There are around 7 shots of just Dr. T.J. Eckleburg's eyes, more than one of which, always has someone talking about "God" over it. It's an important image in the book, but it would have been better if we had seen more shots of it in the background where it is always there, but just not at the foreground all the time.
This leads to another very important problem in the film which is that it reads the book to the audience. I'm not just talking voice over, I'm talking text on screen with Nick Carraway (Tobey Maguire) reading from the book. You see, Nick Carraway is writing the book throughout the movie. What this allowed Luhrman to do is have Carraway read from the book he is writing in order to read to the audience some of the great language used in the book. Unfortunately, he pairs this with having text scroll across shots of the night sky and beautiful set pieces so often that the movie starts too resemble a teenage girls tumblr page. It is infinitely distracting and does not do what a movie is supposed to do.
The book has already done it's job, it used language very well to translate images to the reader and provide context through which those images should be read, when you are making a film you should not rely on the book's text that much in order to make the images in the movie clear. The film's job is to show not tell. That's actually the book's job too and it already succeeded. Show us the famous images in the context of their surroundings and show us what they mean through what happens in the film. Do not show us an image and then read to us what it means. It comes across as an interactive audiobook. If I wanted an audiobook of Tobey Maguire reading The Great Gatsby...well, I don't know who would want that.
When Tobey Maguire was announced as Nick Carraway, there was a collective groan across the internet (including myself) and as I watched The Great Gatsby, the groan was coming back. He's just not any good here. The Nick Carraway from the book was conflicted about what was going on and his relationship with Jordan Baker was representative of this. Jordan's allure represents the vivaciousness and lavishness of the parties, but her belittling of other people is representative of the grotesqueness that Nick is resistant to. Unknown Elizabeth Debicki's portrayal of Jordan handles the first part very well but isn't given ample opportunity to even stroke the second (Which is unfortunate because I think she really could have.). Nick isn't supposed to like any of these people. Gatsby is the one person who gets his respect because he is above it all in Nick's eyes. He threw the parties as a facade to attract the woman he loved. A noble goal in Nick's eyes. Maguire's portrayal of Nick Carraway lacks any nuance and is just a wide-eyed twenty something that dives into the 1920s rich lifestyle and is only repulsed by it at the end of the film. By that time it feels like such a dramatic character turn because we're not given any lead up. This is the scripts fault as much as Maguire's.
Not all the acting is bad though, Leonardo Dicaprio is a pretty great Gatsby. He's able to be suave and endearing as well as dark and hidden, however his emotions often range from being hopelessly in love to overly angry too often that reminded me too much of his role in Django Unchained. Carey Mulligan pulls off a very convincing Daisy, but it too often feels like she wasn't given enough material to work with. The real stand out here is Joel Edgerton as Tom Buchanan. Edgerton really shines often delivering snide lines under his breath and belching out lines that really command the screen. Edgerton is able to exude power, which is what he needed to do. He is equally convincing when he is telling Daisy that he really does love her, that you start to understand Tom more than really any other character. Your eyes are on him and rarely anyone else when he is on screen. Now if we could just get a spinoff movie about him.
The use of music in the film is pretty distracting but not as distracting as I had expected. The soundtrack produced by Jay-Z is more often understated then not, but when it isn't, it is incredibly distracting. The anachronistic nature of the soundtrack is the biggest problem. It just does not fit. It seemed like Luhrman and Jay-Z wanted to draw a comparison between 1920s party life and modern club life. Which seems like an ironic goal for Jay-Z seeing how this would then condemn his music and the music on the soundtrack as hollow and superficial. However, the music isn't used enough to make this comparison work in any way, and it is used too much to not be distracted by it. What the music ultimately seems to be there to do is attract a younger audience. When combined with Baz Luhrman's style, the music makes the film look more like a badly directed music video than anything else. Which apparently has done its job and won a younger audience.
The film is also marked by incredibly terrible ADR. Most notably when Nick is at Daisy's house for the first time, there are a couple times when either Nick or Daisy are talking and no one's lips are moving. Another notable time is when Nick and Gatsby are in the yellow sports car driving. Up close their lips match but the cuts to the car, you can see lips moving when no one is talking and lips not moving when someone is. It's so obvious and not hidden well that I was half expecting a boom mic to fall into frame.
What The Great Gatsby offers us is a very hollow and superficial film. Something that in my opinion marks every Baz Luhrman film. Had it been on purpose, Luhrman could have used to that to make a comparison between the 20s lifestyle and his own film style. Unfortunately, Luhrman is unwilling to deprecate himself to achieve that. Instead we get a film that often tries to reach for depth but can't, then really stops trying, then tries again really hard towards the end (and almost succeeds), and then just quits for the last 20 minutes. It's like 85% of the kids who start taking Karate lessons (including myself). Ultimately the film falls flat and is unable to conjure any emotion out of the audience for its characters. Something that is both expected from Baz Luhrman and disappointing because the book already does that well enough.
Monday, May 13, 2013
Thursday, May 9, 2013
New Blu-Ray: Upstream Color - Review Coming Soon
Upstream Color is Shane Carruth's follow up to the brilliant Primer. It had been NINE YEARS since Carruth's cerebral, time travel debut which has made the wait for his newest venture even more agonizing. Upstream Color premiered at Sundance this year and has garnered a lot of attention. I have not seen it. I pre-ordered it on amazon sight unseen awhile ago in anticipation (something I almost never do). It came out officially Tuesday and i receive it today. I am very excited to watch it and will put up a subsequent review up soon. Stay tuned!
Saturday, January 5, 2013
Top 10 (Mostly) Movies of 2012
Update: I originally skipped number 4 on this list. I have since updated that. If you saw this before the change, well...it's been updated. So, check it out! :D
Here it is, my first Top 10 Movies of the Year list on here. I had a bit of fun putting this one together. There were a lot of good movies released this year, and unfortunately, I missed a few of them including The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Bernie, Holy Motors (really really wanted to see this, but just missed it), and since Zero Dark Thirty has yet to be released widely in the U.S., I have not seen it, either. So, you will not see those here. So, let's do this:
10. Lincoln/The Avengers (Tie)
Now, this probably seems like a really strange tie for 10th place. But, I really couldn't leave either one off this list. It's not that they are equal on quality or are really comparable, it's just that they do what they set out to do so well and they deserve recognition for it. Lincoln tells the story of how President Abraham Lincoln worked to get the 13th amendment passed to end slavery once and for all, and Spielberg does this with such deft that even as we all know the end result, we all were sitting on the edges of our seats, engrossed in what was happening. We also got a chance to see a somewhat more restrained Spielberg (most of the time), and that's always a good thing.
The Avengers was just recently voted as the most overrated movie of the year. Which I can't really disagree with, (though I would probably say The Dark Knight Rises, personally) The Avengers was overrated. It kind of became that overplayed song on the radio you once loved, but I don't think that means its a bad song. The Avengers is a flawed movie, by Joss Whedon's own admission, but it got the job done so well and exceeded everyone's expectations so far ahead, that it really is an accomplishment. Joss Whedon was able to successfully pull off the glaring elephant in the room, when Marvel Cinematic Universe plan was announced, and that was 'How in the hell are they gonna pull of the Avengers?' but he did and he did it extremely well, and that's why I couldn't leave it off this list.
9. Skyfall
Talk about movies that exceeded expectations. Skyfall really delivered the James Bond that was missing from the recent outgoings. A return to classic bond feel and tropes, a great bond-villain played by Javier Bardem, and a fantastic director with Sam Mendes. After Quantum of Solace, many of us were left feeling like something was missing, and we finally got that from Sam Mendes. Smart, funny, thrilling all the things we really ask for from a Bond movie (at least I do).
8. Moonrise Kingdom
Moonrise Kingdom comes off the success of Wes Anderson's last movie (and my favorite) Fantastic Mr. Fox, which had a whole lot more heart to it than his other movies. An easy criticism of Anderson is that his movies are cold and distant, but he has really done good on trying to change that with his last two films. Moonrise Kingdom is full of heart and community. It has a sense of togetherness and a helping each other vibe that makes just a great feel-good movie for me. I can't help but be smiling by the credits.
7. The Cabin in the Woods
Joss Whedon has had a good year. Written by Whedon and Drew Goddard, and directed by Goddard, The Cabin in the Woods follows five friends as they travel up to a cabin in the woods for the weekend, and are shortly met by crazy, horrific, and funny happenings. I don't want to give away too much, here, but Goddard and Whedon really know their stuff when it comes to horror tropes and filmmaking. This stands as one of the most clever movies (let alone horror movies) to come out in a long while.
6. Beasts of the Southern Wild
What to say about Beasts of the Southern Wild. It has great acting, great directing, great writing, and it is just down right magical. This is a gorgeous movie in really every aspect. At heart it is a coming of age story and it is told like a modern fairy tale. It really balances the striking realism of the characters with fantasy well. It's hard not to fall instantly in love with this movie when you see it.
5. Looper
After just watching this again when it came in the mail from my Amazon Pre-Order, I have to say this is a great fucking movie. Looper has been the original sci-fi we have been waiting for for a long time. Who better to deliver this than the magnificent duo who brought us Brick, Rian Johnson and Joeseph-Gordon Levitt? Brick may be the better movie of the two, but I think Looper will be remembered far more. There are echoes of Blade Runner, Twelve Monkeys, and Terminator throughout the movie, but yet it manages to be its own entity. Looper really blew me away when I saw it in the theater and managed to do it again when I watched it on Blu-Ray.
4. The Master
God, what a film. I mean, this is why we go to the movies right? In hopes we wander into a Paul Thomas Anderson film? Okay, well maybe we didn't wander in. But, damn, this is a great movie. For all intents and purposes, this is a relationship movie, a film about a relationship and the development of that. There's no real narrative, no real story other than these two's relationship and how they change one another forever after their meeting. It's a great lesson in subtlety, especially with Amy Adams' character. A great looking film, well-written, well directed, well acted! Well acted, indeed, wow Phoenix is on fire here. So, is Hoffman. These guys give the performances of their careers in this. Not the expose on Scientology everyone was expecting, but a really fantastic film and gotta be one PTA's best.
3. Once Upon a Time in Anatolia (US Release Jan. 4, 2012)
This movie. I included this move despite being "released" in 2011 because a) the official U.S. release was in 2012 and b) because I'm really in love with this movie. Winner of the Grand Prize at Cannes Film Festival in 2011, Once Upon a Time in Anatolia follows two prisoners and a local police force tracing their steps across the Anatolian steppes to find a dead body. It starts off as a pretty standard police procedural, but then quickly evolves into something far more greater, and will blow you away if you stick with it. With absolutely gorgeous cinematography, fantastic direction, and great acting this movie is one that really sticks with you.
2. Cloud Atlas
Ahh, Cloud Atlas, not getting a whole lot of love this year, huh? That's okay, there are few movies that are as flawed, corny, ambitious, and utterly brilliant as you that have and will come out. Cloud Atlas is so unbelievably ernest in what it is trying to say, and does it so heavy handedly, many have it called pretentious, cloying, preachy, etc. Other than pretentious I really cannot deny those criticisms, but what makes the film, for me, so unpretentious is the fact that it is so genuine. The movie so full heartedly believes in what it is saying that notions like "True Love" and "Love Conquering All" really feel like things that exist (or at least gives you hope for those things to exist). I think that is where this movie separates itself from the love themes of romantic comedies and other more "fake" feeling films. Cloud Atlas genuine in what it believes and it bears it soul for all of us to tear apart, and the majority of us did. The Wachowski's and Tom Tykwer created a movie symbolic of pouring your heart out to someone for them to tear apart, and the majority of us did, but I really choose to embrace it. This is a movie that you do have to buy into from the beginning and embrace it fully, and if you do, it fills you with just the best feelings of hope and love for cinema. It probably won't win any major Oscars, which is a shame, though if it doesn't win Best Original Score, then I will be majorly upset. Seriously, check out the score. It's amazing.
1. Django: Unchained
If this movie had not been so utterly perfect, Cloud Atlas would be at this spot. But, Django: Unchained is just a great movie. Following the supposed quasi-true story of a black ex-slave fighting his way with a bounty hunter to find his wife, Django is a mix of a blaxploitation, spaghetti western, and grindhouse. Two of which we have already seen from director Quentin Tarentino in the form of Jackie Brown and Death Proof. Tarentino managed to do something pretty great here and that is make the audience laugh out loud one minute and then shift really uncomfortably in their seat the next. Don't get me wrong, this is a really really funny movie, but at a certain point you kind of feel bad for laughing because there is just a crazy amount of violence going on screen. The violence towards the bad guys is this cheap looking, over the top, cartoonish blood splatters exploding on bodies and it is hilarious, but the violence done towards our main characters is so horrific that it is a bit disturbing. But, this is why this movie works so well. It manages to blend all those genres while also showing the violence that was done to slaves at the time. I think Tarentino pulled that off really well here.
So, there you have it, my top 10 movies of the year. Probably undoubtedly, people will disagree, and that is fine. I really do need to see Zero Dark Thirty, Holy Motors, Bernie, and Perks of Being a Wallflower. But, from the movies I've seen here are my top 10, and I do feel pretty confident in these choices. Sound off in the comments with your Top 10.
Here it is, my first Top 10 Movies of the Year list on here. I had a bit of fun putting this one together. There were a lot of good movies released this year, and unfortunately, I missed a few of them including The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Bernie, Holy Motors (really really wanted to see this, but just missed it), and since Zero Dark Thirty has yet to be released widely in the U.S., I have not seen it, either. So, you will not see those here. So, let's do this:
10. Lincoln/The Avengers (Tie)
Now, this probably seems like a really strange tie for 10th place. But, I really couldn't leave either one off this list. It's not that they are equal on quality or are really comparable, it's just that they do what they set out to do so well and they deserve recognition for it. Lincoln tells the story of how President Abraham Lincoln worked to get the 13th amendment passed to end slavery once and for all, and Spielberg does this with such deft that even as we all know the end result, we all were sitting on the edges of our seats, engrossed in what was happening. We also got a chance to see a somewhat more restrained Spielberg (most of the time), and that's always a good thing.
The Avengers was just recently voted as the most overrated movie of the year. Which I can't really disagree with, (though I would probably say The Dark Knight Rises, personally) The Avengers was overrated. It kind of became that overplayed song on the radio you once loved, but I don't think that means its a bad song. The Avengers is a flawed movie, by Joss Whedon's own admission, but it got the job done so well and exceeded everyone's expectations so far ahead, that it really is an accomplishment. Joss Whedon was able to successfully pull off the glaring elephant in the room, when Marvel Cinematic Universe plan was announced, and that was 'How in the hell are they gonna pull of the Avengers?' but he did and he did it extremely well, and that's why I couldn't leave it off this list.
9. Skyfall
Talk about movies that exceeded expectations. Skyfall really delivered the James Bond that was missing from the recent outgoings. A return to classic bond feel and tropes, a great bond-villain played by Javier Bardem, and a fantastic director with Sam Mendes. After Quantum of Solace, many of us were left feeling like something was missing, and we finally got that from Sam Mendes. Smart, funny, thrilling all the things we really ask for from a Bond movie (at least I do).
8. Moonrise Kingdom
Moonrise Kingdom comes off the success of Wes Anderson's last movie (and my favorite) Fantastic Mr. Fox, which had a whole lot more heart to it than his other movies. An easy criticism of Anderson is that his movies are cold and distant, but he has really done good on trying to change that with his last two films. Moonrise Kingdom is full of heart and community. It has a sense of togetherness and a helping each other vibe that makes just a great feel-good movie for me. I can't help but be smiling by the credits.
7. The Cabin in the Woods
Joss Whedon has had a good year. Written by Whedon and Drew Goddard, and directed by Goddard, The Cabin in the Woods follows five friends as they travel up to a cabin in the woods for the weekend, and are shortly met by crazy, horrific, and funny happenings. I don't want to give away too much, here, but Goddard and Whedon really know their stuff when it comes to horror tropes and filmmaking. This stands as one of the most clever movies (let alone horror movies) to come out in a long while.
6. Beasts of the Southern Wild
What to say about Beasts of the Southern Wild. It has great acting, great directing, great writing, and it is just down right magical. This is a gorgeous movie in really every aspect. At heart it is a coming of age story and it is told like a modern fairy tale. It really balances the striking realism of the characters with fantasy well. It's hard not to fall instantly in love with this movie when you see it.
5. Looper
After just watching this again when it came in the mail from my Amazon Pre-Order, I have to say this is a great fucking movie. Looper has been the original sci-fi we have been waiting for for a long time. Who better to deliver this than the magnificent duo who brought us Brick, Rian Johnson and Joeseph-Gordon Levitt? Brick may be the better movie of the two, but I think Looper will be remembered far more. There are echoes of Blade Runner, Twelve Monkeys, and Terminator throughout the movie, but yet it manages to be its own entity. Looper really blew me away when I saw it in the theater and managed to do it again when I watched it on Blu-Ray.
4. The Master
God, what a film. I mean, this is why we go to the movies right? In hopes we wander into a Paul Thomas Anderson film? Okay, well maybe we didn't wander in. But, damn, this is a great movie. For all intents and purposes, this is a relationship movie, a film about a relationship and the development of that. There's no real narrative, no real story other than these two's relationship and how they change one another forever after their meeting. It's a great lesson in subtlety, especially with Amy Adams' character. A great looking film, well-written, well directed, well acted! Well acted, indeed, wow Phoenix is on fire here. So, is Hoffman. These guys give the performances of their careers in this. Not the expose on Scientology everyone was expecting, but a really fantastic film and gotta be one PTA's best.
3. Once Upon a Time in Anatolia (US Release Jan. 4, 2012)
This movie. I included this move despite being "released" in 2011 because a) the official U.S. release was in 2012 and b) because I'm really in love with this movie. Winner of the Grand Prize at Cannes Film Festival in 2011, Once Upon a Time in Anatolia follows two prisoners and a local police force tracing their steps across the Anatolian steppes to find a dead body. It starts off as a pretty standard police procedural, but then quickly evolves into something far more greater, and will blow you away if you stick with it. With absolutely gorgeous cinematography, fantastic direction, and great acting this movie is one that really sticks with you.
2. Cloud Atlas
Ahh, Cloud Atlas, not getting a whole lot of love this year, huh? That's okay, there are few movies that are as flawed, corny, ambitious, and utterly brilliant as you that have and will come out. Cloud Atlas is so unbelievably ernest in what it is trying to say, and does it so heavy handedly, many have it called pretentious, cloying, preachy, etc. Other than pretentious I really cannot deny those criticisms, but what makes the film, for me, so unpretentious is the fact that it is so genuine. The movie so full heartedly believes in what it is saying that notions like "True Love" and "Love Conquering All" really feel like things that exist (or at least gives you hope for those things to exist). I think that is where this movie separates itself from the love themes of romantic comedies and other more "fake" feeling films. Cloud Atlas genuine in what it believes and it bears it soul for all of us to tear apart, and the majority of us did. The Wachowski's and Tom Tykwer created a movie symbolic of pouring your heart out to someone for them to tear apart, and the majority of us did, but I really choose to embrace it. This is a movie that you do have to buy into from the beginning and embrace it fully, and if you do, it fills you with just the best feelings of hope and love for cinema. It probably won't win any major Oscars, which is a shame, though if it doesn't win Best Original Score, then I will be majorly upset. Seriously, check out the score. It's amazing.
1. Django: Unchained
If this movie had not been so utterly perfect, Cloud Atlas would be at this spot. But, Django: Unchained is just a great movie. Following the supposed quasi-true story of a black ex-slave fighting his way with a bounty hunter to find his wife, Django is a mix of a blaxploitation, spaghetti western, and grindhouse. Two of which we have already seen from director Quentin Tarentino in the form of Jackie Brown and Death Proof. Tarentino managed to do something pretty great here and that is make the audience laugh out loud one minute and then shift really uncomfortably in their seat the next. Don't get me wrong, this is a really really funny movie, but at a certain point you kind of feel bad for laughing because there is just a crazy amount of violence going on screen. The violence towards the bad guys is this cheap looking, over the top, cartoonish blood splatters exploding on bodies and it is hilarious, but the violence done towards our main characters is so horrific that it is a bit disturbing. But, this is why this movie works so well. It manages to blend all those genres while also showing the violence that was done to slaves at the time. I think Tarentino pulled that off really well here.
So, there you have it, my top 10 movies of the year. Probably undoubtedly, people will disagree, and that is fine. I really do need to see Zero Dark Thirty, Holy Motors, Bernie, and Perks of Being a Wallflower. But, from the movies I've seen here are my top 10, and I do feel pretty confident in these choices. Sound off in the comments with your Top 10.
Friday, November 30, 2012
Update: Sick + James Gunn + Fanboy Problems
Okay, first of all: I'm back. I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and Black Friday, etc. I unfortunately got sick shortly after and didn't feel like doing a post, so I didn't. So, there you are, in case you were wondering.
Now, to get to the real thing I wanted to talk about. James Gunn. You may or may not have heard of James Gunn. He's a talented writer-director (his two best movies arguably being Slither and Super) who is set to direct the upcoming Marvel The Guardians of the Galaxy. Recently, Mr. Gunn has gotten into some hot water after a nearly two year old blog post titled "The 50 Superheroes You Most Want to Have Sex With" has resurfaced amongst certain feminist and gay rights websites where they accuse Mr. Gunn of being sexist, homophobic, and of slut-shaming. You can find The Mary Sue article here. Gunn's post has since been taken down, but you can view the cached version here. Now, looking at the title alone would tell you that this is going to be a pretty disgusting article...and it totally is. But, then again, that was kind of the intention.
You see, if anyone who has been criticizing Gunn actually took the time to do some research into the man, they would find a very strong and vocal proponent of gay rights, feminism, and hatred of all things Chris Brown. All you have to do is look at his twitter account. This is the last person you would find to purposefully make disparaging remarks about gays, lesbians, or women, and mean it. He is someone who, time and time again, has fought on their side and has also had the habit of writing very strong female characters into his movies.
So, what's with the blog post then? Gunn was addressing a problem that has plagued Fanboyism for a long time now, and has only just recently been getting more and more attention now that geeky girls and other geeky things like comic book movies are becoming more and more mainstream and accepted. That problem is this oversexualization by ignorant fanboys towards female characters in comic books, video games, etc.
Look at this photo:
This is a photo that James Gunn, himself, used on his blog post for the apparent winner of the contest: Wonder Woman. Pictures like these are everywhere in geek culture. You'll find them in comic book blogs, video game blogs, and in the mediums themselves. Lists, like the one Gunn posted, are also a common occurrence. Blogs will rank female characters based on their sex appeal for really no purpose other than to appeal to young teenage boys. Here is one example (which includes men characters, but so did Gunn's post), or how about a video counting down the best boobs in gaming? Really all you have to do is do a google search for "sexiest video game/comic book characters" (that's what I did) and a plethora of lists will show up and you can have your pick. Shit like this goes on all the time, and it has turned off many would-be geeky girls from the whole thing because we all look like a bunch of lonely 12 year old boys sitting in front of a computer screen who fantasize and objectify women in any possible way we can.
This is the real problem, and what Gunn was trying to do is use satire to point this out. To hold up a mirror to those ignorant fanboys out there and say, This is what you sound like to the rest of the world, and you make us all look like this you when you do it. He used outrageous language and things that sound like something most people wouldn't say to expose this issue. Was it very clear? Admittedly, maybe not to everyone. It was to me, but then again, I've seen this issue everywhere, and I know how James Gunn actually feels on the subject. Admittedly, it wasn't that well written, and isn't that funny when you actually read it. It may not have been entirely clear what his intention actually was, and that's a shame. I think for those blogs that are taking the story up and condemning him, they need to turn their focus on the very real problems facing gays, lesbians, and women because Gunn's post certainly isn't the problem.
For those that did take offense, I'm sorry that happened. You're getting mad at the right mindset though, your heart is in the right place. But, this isn't the thing to get mad at. Get mad at the still prevalent mindset that these characters have to be sexualized in order to be appreciated. And for those who have suggested that Gunn be fired from the Guardians of the Galaxy project, go home. James Gunn really deserves this project. He has worked for years not garnering the attention he deserves and this could be his big break. It shouldn't be spoiled for him for a two-year-old poorly written joke with good intentions.
Meridith Borders over at Badass Digest does a great job of explaining her reasoning for defending Gunn, despite being a feminist herself, and I think its definitely worth a read.
What I ask readers to take away from this is to take the person's intent into account before you take offense to something that they have written or said. It's like calling Mel Brooks a racist for using the N-word in his movies when he was really making fun of the way those racists must think.
Quick Edit: James Gunn has since apologized, and I think it's a very classy apology. Now we have to move on from this.
Now, to get to the real thing I wanted to talk about. James Gunn. You may or may not have heard of James Gunn. He's a talented writer-director (his two best movies arguably being Slither and Super) who is set to direct the upcoming Marvel The Guardians of the Galaxy. Recently, Mr. Gunn has gotten into some hot water after a nearly two year old blog post titled "The 50 Superheroes You Most Want to Have Sex With" has resurfaced amongst certain feminist and gay rights websites where they accuse Mr. Gunn of being sexist, homophobic, and of slut-shaming. You can find The Mary Sue article here. Gunn's post has since been taken down, but you can view the cached version here. Now, looking at the title alone would tell you that this is going to be a pretty disgusting article...and it totally is. But, then again, that was kind of the intention.
You see, if anyone who has been criticizing Gunn actually took the time to do some research into the man, they would find a very strong and vocal proponent of gay rights, feminism, and hatred of all things Chris Brown. All you have to do is look at his twitter account. This is the last person you would find to purposefully make disparaging remarks about gays, lesbians, or women, and mean it. He is someone who, time and time again, has fought on their side and has also had the habit of writing very strong female characters into his movies.
So, what's with the blog post then? Gunn was addressing a problem that has plagued Fanboyism for a long time now, and has only just recently been getting more and more attention now that geeky girls and other geeky things like comic book movies are becoming more and more mainstream and accepted. That problem is this oversexualization by ignorant fanboys towards female characters in comic books, video games, etc.
Look at this photo:
This is a photo that James Gunn, himself, used on his blog post for the apparent winner of the contest: Wonder Woman. Pictures like these are everywhere in geek culture. You'll find them in comic book blogs, video game blogs, and in the mediums themselves. Lists, like the one Gunn posted, are also a common occurrence. Blogs will rank female characters based on their sex appeal for really no purpose other than to appeal to young teenage boys. Here is one example (which includes men characters, but so did Gunn's post), or how about a video counting down the best boobs in gaming? Really all you have to do is do a google search for "sexiest video game/comic book characters" (that's what I did) and a plethora of lists will show up and you can have your pick. Shit like this goes on all the time, and it has turned off many would-be geeky girls from the whole thing because we all look like a bunch of lonely 12 year old boys sitting in front of a computer screen who fantasize and objectify women in any possible way we can.
This is the real problem, and what Gunn was trying to do is use satire to point this out. To hold up a mirror to those ignorant fanboys out there and say, This is what you sound like to the rest of the world, and you make us all look like this you when you do it. He used outrageous language and things that sound like something most people wouldn't say to expose this issue. Was it very clear? Admittedly, maybe not to everyone. It was to me, but then again, I've seen this issue everywhere, and I know how James Gunn actually feels on the subject. Admittedly, it wasn't that well written, and isn't that funny when you actually read it. It may not have been entirely clear what his intention actually was, and that's a shame. I think for those blogs that are taking the story up and condemning him, they need to turn their focus on the very real problems facing gays, lesbians, and women because Gunn's post certainly isn't the problem.
For those that did take offense, I'm sorry that happened. You're getting mad at the right mindset though, your heart is in the right place. But, this isn't the thing to get mad at. Get mad at the still prevalent mindset that these characters have to be sexualized in order to be appreciated. And for those who have suggested that Gunn be fired from the Guardians of the Galaxy project, go home. James Gunn really deserves this project. He has worked for years not garnering the attention he deserves and this could be his big break. It shouldn't be spoiled for him for a two-year-old poorly written joke with good intentions.
Meridith Borders over at Badass Digest does a great job of explaining her reasoning for defending Gunn, despite being a feminist herself, and I think its definitely worth a read.
What I ask readers to take away from this is to take the person's intent into account before you take offense to something that they have written or said. It's like calling Mel Brooks a racist for using the N-word in his movies when he was really making fun of the way those racists must think.
Quick Edit: James Gunn has since apologized, and I think it's a very classy apology. Now we have to move on from this.
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
On the Subject of Star Wars
Yes, Star Wars, what every film geek/star wars geek/anyone is talking about right now: what will happen to the new trilogy?
Earlier this week, the news broke that Michael Arndt, the screenwriter (and Oscar winner of Best Screenplay) for Little Miss Sunshine, and also wrote Toy Story 3, and the upcoming Hunger Games: Catching Fire, has been confirmed as the writer for Episode VII. What his total involvement in the franchise actually is, though, is unclear. Deadline reported on rumors that Arndt had already written and turned in a 40-50 page treatment for the next trilogy way back, and was a reason why Disney felt confident to close the deal with Lucasfilm. Now, he has been confirmed as the writer for Episode VII, but wait....what about the rest of the trilogy? Did Arndt write it or not? My guess is that he did and they hired him back to write the first installment....errr seventh, I guess.
What does this mean? Well, I'm not sure. It is kind of underwhelming news. I don't have the same loathing reaction to Little Miss Sunshine that so many others do. I rather liked it. Yes, it's not great, but it's certainly not awful. Toy Story 3 was also a great installment into the franchise, but nowhere near as good as the fantastic Toy Story 2. It felt often like a retread of similar themes of coming to terms with your mortality, and clung to the audience's nostalgia for the toys of their youth than exploring any really compelling drama (that wasn't already explored in 2). And who can say how the The Hunger Games sequel will turn out. I liked the first one, but part of worked so well for me was Gary Ross's vision and love for the material, despite my indifference to it (they're good, but certainly not the overrated greatness that they are hoisted as). Who knows where Francis Lawrence will take Arndt's script and the rest of the franchise. So, we'll have to wait and see what Arndt and Lawrence have in store for us with that one.
Getting back to the nostalgia comment I made earlier. Maybe that's what the new Star Wars should do: prey on the audience's nostalgia for Luke, Leia, and Han. The prequels certainly didn't succeed at that. If it does it well, it could be good (like Toy Story 3), but it probably won't be great (like Toy Story 2). It would be safe, and that's probably what would let Disney feel comfortable. That way, there is less of a chance of a prequel debacle repeat of history. I hope that isn't what they do, though.
The one saving grace I see in this whole business is something I have only seen in comment threads in other blogs and sites (and just recently at Vulture), and that is that Arndt held a lecture where he broke down the script of A New Hope bit by bit and especially delved deep into the structure, why it works so well, and why the ending is so creatively satisfying. An article over at Vulture seems to have the most information I can find. One interesting quote from an attendee at one of his lectures is:
The article goes on to talk about the third act and how Lucas achieved this. It's really interesting, so take a look. The article is over at Vulture.
But...yea, kind of underwhelming news. This also seems to put the kibosh on the rumors surrounding the Brad Bird-Damon Lindelof upcoming Sci-Fi epic for Disney, 1952, actually being a code-name for Episode VII. Which probably puts the kibosh on Brad Bird directing Episode VII. Which means I am less excited than I was.
Earlier this week, the news broke that Michael Arndt, the screenwriter (and Oscar winner of Best Screenplay) for Little Miss Sunshine, and also wrote Toy Story 3, and the upcoming Hunger Games: Catching Fire, has been confirmed as the writer for Episode VII. What his total involvement in the franchise actually is, though, is unclear. Deadline reported on rumors that Arndt had already written and turned in a 40-50 page treatment for the next trilogy way back, and was a reason why Disney felt confident to close the deal with Lucasfilm. Now, he has been confirmed as the writer for Episode VII, but wait....what about the rest of the trilogy? Did Arndt write it or not? My guess is that he did and they hired him back to write the first installment....errr seventh, I guess.
What does this mean? Well, I'm not sure. It is kind of underwhelming news. I don't have the same loathing reaction to Little Miss Sunshine that so many others do. I rather liked it. Yes, it's not great, but it's certainly not awful. Toy Story 3 was also a great installment into the franchise, but nowhere near as good as the fantastic Toy Story 2. It felt often like a retread of similar themes of coming to terms with your mortality, and clung to the audience's nostalgia for the toys of their youth than exploring any really compelling drama (that wasn't already explored in 2). And who can say how the The Hunger Games sequel will turn out. I liked the first one, but part of worked so well for me was Gary Ross's vision and love for the material, despite my indifference to it (they're good, but certainly not the overrated greatness that they are hoisted as). Who knows where Francis Lawrence will take Arndt's script and the rest of the franchise. So, we'll have to wait and see what Arndt and Lawrence have in store for us with that one.
Getting back to the nostalgia comment I made earlier. Maybe that's what the new Star Wars should do: prey on the audience's nostalgia for Luke, Leia, and Han. The prequels certainly didn't succeed at that. If it does it well, it could be good (like Toy Story 3), but it probably won't be great (like Toy Story 2). It would be safe, and that's probably what would let Disney feel comfortable. That way, there is less of a chance of a prequel debacle repeat of history. I hope that isn't what they do, though.
The one saving grace I see in this whole business is something I have only seen in comment threads in other blogs and sites (and just recently at Vulture), and that is that Arndt held a lecture where he broke down the script of A New Hope bit by bit and especially delved deep into the structure, why it works so well, and why the ending is so creatively satisfying. An article over at Vulture seems to have the most information I can find. One interesting quote from an attendee at one of his lectures is:
"Arndt stated that if a writer could resolve the story's arcs (internal, external, philosophical) immediately after the Moment of Despair at the climax, he or she would deliver the Insanely Great Ending and put the audience in a euphoric state. The faster it could happen, the better. By [Arndt’s] reckoning, George Lucas hit those three marks at the climax of Star Wars within a space of 22 seconds."
The article goes on to talk about the third act and how Lucas achieved this. It's really interesting, so take a look. The article is over at Vulture.
But...yea, kind of underwhelming news. This also seems to put the kibosh on the rumors surrounding the Brad Bird-Damon Lindelof upcoming Sci-Fi epic for Disney, 1952, actually being a code-name for Episode VII. Which probably puts the kibosh on Brad Bird directing Episode VII. Which means I am less excited than I was.
Monday, November 12, 2012
The Marvel That is Cloud Atlas (Review)
Cloud Atlas is a marvel of a film. Having a $100 million budget that is almost entirely independently financed (the studio only payed $15 million of that) is rare, to say the least. This is a movie that needs to be seen, if only to make back its budget, which at the time of writing this has only made back about $22 million. That's 1/5 its budget. That is not good, especially for a movie that is deserving of so much more, and here's why:
We will probably get nothing like this ever again. Sure, directors and producers will try, but few will succeed the way the Wachowski's and Tom Tykwer have with Cloud Atlas. Whether you felt the movie worked or not, you have to agree that Cloud Atlas is important. Having seen it twice now, I believe I can safely say that this is my favorite movie of the year, and no, I haven't seen Skyfall yet (I plan to), and no, I can't see Lincoln (although it is supposedly FANTASTIC by the way) or The Hobbit or, even the movie I'm most excited for, the new Les Miserables really beating this movie. They might come close, but few movies come along that really really give me a pure sense of hope for cinema as an evolving art form like Cloud Atlas did for me.
Based on the acclaimed novel by David Mitchell, Cloud Atlas follows six different stories, taking place in six different periods of history and into the future and explores ideas and themes involving reincarnation, spirituality, love, slavery, altruism, the convergence of man and machine, and others. The six stories are:
- The Pacific Journal of Adam Ewing - follows a lawyer on his trip back from the Pacific Isle to San Francisco to complete a business transaction and becomes deathly sick during the voyage.
- Letters from Zedelghem - follows an aspiring musician, Robert Frobisher, as he takes up the job of apprenticing with an acclaimed musician in the Netherlands.
- Half Lives: The First Luisa Rey Mystery - takes place in 1973 and follows Luisa Rey, a columnist for Spyglass Magazine as she unearths a deadly geo-political coverup.
- The Ghastly Ordeal of Timothy Cavendish - A publisher gets into debt and turns to his brother for help who tricks him into checking into a retirement home.
- An Orison of Sonmi-451 - An artificially made servant in future Korea escapes her captivity and has a choice to make involving the future of her society.
- Sloosha's Crossin' an' Everythin' After. - In a post-apocalyptic world, a valleysman tortured by voices of the devil is forced into helping a member of an outside race do research and complete a trek up a dangerous mountain.
If that sounds impossible to make into a coherent movie (let alone let actors play different roles in each of these stories), you would have been right, before the release of Cloud Atlas. The most miraculous thing to come from this movie is that these six stories and their interrelated themes are easy to follow. You might be confused or caught up at first trying to connect the story lines together, but eventually there comes a point where it quickly becomes evident what is going on and you just let it wash over you.
I don't want to spoil the movie for those who haven't seen it, and if you haven't seen it, you really should go buy a ticket now, so I won't get into the intricacies of each of these story lines and what happens exactly. What I want to talk about is the structure and construction of this movie and why it works. One of the things the film does so well is it's ability to shift tone drastically without losing focus. The movie will cut in between scenes via movement, the same actor being in each scene, it will often shift thematically, and by having a similar line repeated in both scenes. If a character says one thing in one storyline, the movie may shift to another storyline where another character says the exact same thing or something very similar. And this translates beautifully on screen, subconsciously giving your brain a reason to connect the two stories together. Shifting quickly from the over the top "british comedy-esque" tones of the Timothy Cavendish to the somber, beautiful chords of the musician, Robert Frobisher, seems silly, and by any other measurement, it would be, but, here, it works. It really works.
Something else the movie does to let your brain make the transitions more easily is have actors play six different roles in each of the stories. Tom Hanks goes from playing a Doctor on board the voyage with Adam Ewing, to a scientist, to Zachry, a valleysman haunted by the voices of the devil, and others. It's really incredible. Tom Hanks really deserves an oscar for at least his role as Zachry. It's really freaking incredible.
This leads into something I wanted to address and that is the makeup. Yes, at times, the make up is wildly inconsistent (poor Hugo Weaving). But, to me, the makeup was meant to represent a thin veil between the actor and the audience so that the audience would make the connection that it is the same actor playing different parts. In other words, you're supposed to be able to tell that Hugo Weaving is in drag at one point, and yes, it's supposed to be funny in that context. There is also the issue of some of the cross-race casting. Jim Sturgess who plays Adam Ewing in the first storyline also plays a Korean man in An Orison of Sonmi-451, and Hugo Weaving also plays a Korean man, but you do also have Halle Berry and Doona Bae playing white women at one point as well (though the historical and racial implications may not leave the same sour effect in most people's mouths). Normally, this would leave a sour taste in my mouth as well. After all, the implications are that you are taking an acting job from a Korean man who would be able to play a Korean man better than a white man would. However, in this case and in the context of the movie, this idea of casting these actors in different races and genders, works beautifully.
As stated before, the makeup, in my opinion, acts as a thin veil to keep the audience in the loop about what actors are playing who, but it also serves as a commentary on race and gender being social constructs and man-made barriers. Whether you agree or not, this is a core theme in a movie all about the breaking down of barriers. Therefore, in my mind, casting black actors as whites, whites as Koreans, and men as women, really helps to reinforce this core theme.
Overall, Cloud Atlas is a movie all about theme. It dares to explore and break boundaries we set up between our culture and others', between men and women, and between past and present. And I believe at the heart of all of this is the idea: Just be a good person. That even a single act of kindness could have a ripple effect through time. After all, if you saved one persons life now, that person can then have kids, whose actions will affect other people, whose actions will affect other people, and so on. It's a theme that I absolutely adore in a movie, and is a reason that Cloud Atlas just isn't a well-made film but is one of my all-time favorites.
5/5
Hello!
My name is Alex Crouch and I am currently a freshman at Indiana University studying with a double major in 'Communications and Culture' and Telecommunications. I created this blog as a way to get my thoughts down on films, books, television, video games, etc. It's a general all purpose blog to get my thoughts down. My only hope is that people actually find it somewhat interesting. I should have my first true post up sometime soon. Stay tuned :)
My YouTube Channel that I started awhile back that I devoted almost entirely to video games related things: http://www.youtube.com/user/ctrlaltdeletestudios
My YouTube Channel that I started awhile back that I devoted almost entirely to video games related things: http://www.youtube.com/user/ctrlaltdeletestudios
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