Pan’s Labyrinth (2006) April 27, 2007
Posted by gproject in : Recently Viewed , add a commentDirected by: Guillermo del Toro
Hailed as a masterpiece by many, this adult fairytale from fantasy director Guillermo del Toro (Blade II, Hellboy) was a huge hit on its release last year. After premiering at Cannes in May, the film pulled a Midas on its subsequent tour around various film festivals, receiving golden reviews wherever it went. That’s more expectation than you would expect for a Spanish-language fantasy movie – can it really transcend the hype?
The story takes place in 1944 fascist Spain, as Ofelia and her pregnant mother are sent to live in a rural Northern area alongside the Spanish army. Ofelia, a lover of fairy tales, hates her new stepfather; a brutal army captain, but finds sanctuary from a mysterious fawn who lives in the woods. He tells Ofelia she is actually an important princess, but in order to prove her rightful place she must complete three tasks. Failure means she can never return to the kingdom, so Ofelia sets out to do the Fawn’s bidding.
Del Toro wanted to break up his Hollywood work by producing a movie in his native Mexico – this film has fallen between Hellboy and the currently in-production Hellboy 2: The Golden Army – but it is interesting that Pan’s Labyrinth has received more recognition and praise than any of his earlier work, Hollywood or otherwise. It is definitely an ‘adult’ fairytale, with a strong emphasis on adult. There are some moments of quite brutal violence which certainly aren’t intended for children.
The film features fantastic performances from the central cast, especially Ivana Baquero playing the central character of Ofelia. She was apparently chosen from over 1000 young girls who auditioned, the age of the character rising from 9 to 11 in order to accommodate her. Needless to say, it was worthwhile. Guillermo del Toro directs the picture with vision and flair - he is clearly passionate about his work, especially fantasy pictures such as this one. His script too is excellent, never dragging its feet over the hour and fifty minute running time. I actually barely felt the time pass.
If there’s one observation I noted, it’s that going in I expected more fantasy, and less of the Spanish civil war segments. As it turns out, this film is way too grounded than to let its magical elements run away with the story. For the most part, we are in the harsh, cold conditions of the war, with only small scenes dedicated to the mysterious world that Ofelia finds herself discovering.
I thought that it was a very ‘real’ fantasy drama, if I can use that oxymoron, and this is what held my attention so well for the duration of the movie. Its overt use of violence and horror elements brought about a genuine air of intrigue that is so often lost in regular children’s fantasies. It didn’t completely blow me away like it has so many others, but given my usual disposition for fantasy fare, not hating it is a major result. I can certainly recommend this film to anyone, even if you’re on the fence about fantasy flicks, because there’s genuine heart in this one.
The Last Kiss (2006) April 23, 2007
Posted by gproject in : Recently Viewed , add a commentDirected by: Tony Goldwyn
Michael (Zach Braff) and newly pregnant Jenna (Jacinda Barrett) have reached a point in their relationship where it’s time to take the next step: Marriage. But Michael is worried that this means his life experiences are over and wonders if he isn’t ready to settle down yet. So when he meets a cute college girl (played by Rachel Bilson) at a friend’s wedding, he makes the ill-advised choice to meet up with her, not comprehending the effect it will have on his life.
If the storyline sounds like it came straight out of a teen drama, that’s because it may as well have. Backing up the central plot is a bunch of side stories involving Michael’s friends, played by Casey Affleck, Michael Weston and Eric Christian Olsen, who are also experiencing different difficulties either in their current relationships, or lack of them. Zach Braff puts in a good turn playing his usual ‘trying to understand life’ role, but while it works for the most part here, this is no Garden State. Rachel Bilson is acceptable, nothing more, in her cute-but-that’s-it college girl role.
Directing duties are handled well by Tony Goldwyn, and even though there’s not a great deal of flair required to doing a dialogue-oriented piece such as this, there are still some nicely composed shots here and there. The soundtrack is also effectively chosen, relying on quite a bit of contemporary pop stuff, but not over-doing it.
The script from Paul Haggis has dialogue that’s enjoyable, if a little over-emotional at times; although I suppose you come to expect that from this genre of movie. There are some genuine laughs too, especially in the first act before things get all ‘heavy’. The main failing stems from the fact that it becomes quite difficult to actually sympathise with any of the characters, since they seem so hell-bent on ruining their own lives so they can be depressed about it later. Two of the main players apparently advocate moving away as an answer to dealing with commitment issues or lost love - maybe not the most inspiring message ever conveyed on screen.
I also had a problem with Rachel Bilson’s character, Kim, who came across a little too ‘into’ Michael for a stranger she had just met. She practically drags him back to her room, then she’s all disappointed when he regrets the decision. Plus, she’s aware he has a girlfriend. Even as I write this it’s all sounding a little too like an episode of The OC for my liking. Her character also comes across as kind of ditsy, so Michael must only be after her for her looks. Yet another sad message the movie hands out alongside it’s intended ‘love conquers all’ theme.
Some of it works and some of it doesn’t. If I didn’t like Zach Braff so much as an actor I could easily have found myself hating him - not a good position for the story’s protagonist to be in. However, if you’re into TV shows about Creeks, or abbreviated Californian counties, or single-plantation mounds, then you’ll almost certainly find something to like here.
An Inconvenient Truth (2006) April 18, 2007
Posted by gproject in : Recently Viewed , 1 comment so farDirected by: Davis Guggenheim
This thoroughly researched documentary lays out the details of global warming with an aim to both shock and provoke change. Presented with style by ex-presidential candidate Al Gore, the film tells the story of his personal commitment to raise environmental awareness in-between a formal presentation which explains the details of this potentially world-threatening issue.
Gore admits to having given this presentation a thousand times and it shows in his comfortable style and interaction with the presentation graphics. The way he links his seemingly tangential personal stories back into the subject at hand shows that this was a well planned shoot, and not just a ‘turn up and point the camera’ affair. He’s actually a very good speaker, relating his knowledge and intelligence on the subject to the audience with great skill.
The actual presentation is extremely well put together containing numerous animated graphs, some CG animation, and a great clip from an episode of Matt Groening’s Futurama. It’s all very clear and shot in a style that gets the most out of the single room environment. Besides that, there’s really not much left to say, since many of the elements that usually make documentaries into ‘films’ are stripped away here. It basically boils down to a filmed lecture with the odd insert narrated by Al Gore, often showing him playing around with the order of the presentation slides in a darkened room.
And yet the subject matter is so compelling that most of the simplicity goes by unnoticed. As the evidence piles up it’s very difficult not to question why we’re doing so little to stop what will clearly be a major worldwide disaster. I defy anyone to watch An Inconvenient Truth and not feel compelled to try and do something, anything, to contribute to the cause.
The intention of this documentary is shouted loud and clear - to get the message out before it’s too late. As a movie, I don’t think it would have made a great difference if it had shown up on our TV screens instead of at our multiplexes, since the format isn’t exactly what you would call ‘big screen’ material. Although with two Oscars under its belt now including ‘Best Documentary Feature’ and a whole heap of press during its release, I’m sure that Gore is pleased with the exposure. Unfortunately, we’re still waiting on the real action to be taken.
Stranger Than Fiction (2006) April 15, 2007
Posted by gproject in : Recently Viewed , add a commentDirected by: Marc Forster
This charming story tells the tale of a button-down office worker who desperately needs to shake up his life. Hardly a revolution in storytelling you might think, it just sounds like any ordinary, boring yarn from that description. However, the events that lead to his shake up are anything but ordinary.
Harold Crick is an IRS agent who lives his life by the strictest of routines, when all of a sudden he starts to hear a voice narrating his life. Since Harold is the only person who can hear the mysterious voice he immediately tries to ignore it, but it soon begins to interrupt his routine. Desperate to discover the source of his chronicler, Harold consults literary professor Jules Hilbert (Dustin Hoffman). Meanwhile, writer Karen Eiffel (Emma Thompson) is struggling to finish her new book – she just can’t figure out the best way to kill her central character; a man named Harold Crick.
Will Ferrell is uncharacteristically subdued as Harold, the central character of both the film and the book within the film. His performance however, matches the tone of the movie perfectly, paving the way for the other characters to shine, like Emma Thompson as the neurotic writer, Maggie Gyllenhaal as Ana (Harold’s unrequited love interest), and Dustin Hoffman, who plays a character similar to that of his part in I Heart Huckabees, but is enjoyable nonetheless.
Some very understated but still effective direction by Finding Neverland director Marc Forster gives the film a consistent look and feel that’s in keeping with the story. There is also a great selection of music throughout, as well as the visually interesting use of on-screen graphics to represent Harold’s thoughts to the audience.
The script is naturally going to be compared to the work of Charlie Kaufman (Being John Malkovich, Eternal Sunshine) and while in overview this does seem like something he might create, the final product is very different in both voice and tone. The fact that it comes from relative newcomer Zach Helm gives hope for the future that maybe we’ll be seeing more talented offbeat writers making a name for themselves in Hollywood.
This is a fantasy movie for sure, but the fact that it keeps its feet so firmly on the ground helps to instil a great amount of realism. There are some moments of genuine affection, as well as quite a few good laughs. On the other hand, there are some clichés to contend with too, mainly in the developing romance between Harold and Ana. The film also draws out the lead-up to its final conclusion slightly, but even that wasn’t enough to make me impatient with it.
Fun characters, good performances and a nicely told story make this one to check out if you don’t mind a slightly left-of-centre narrative. Some have said that Will Ferrell’s attempt to pull a ‘Jim Carrey’ and do a straight role has failed, but I found this to be neither a failure, nor a completely straight role for Ferrell – just a more subdued comedy style. For me, Stranger than Fiction simply presents the skewed perspective on life, which is a welcome change from all those ‘ordinary’ comedy dramas.
Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny (2006) April 10, 2007
Posted by gproject in : Recently Viewed , add a commentDirected By: Liam Lynch
Young Jack Black has only one dream: to form the greatest rock and roll band ever heard by man. Simple you might think, but not for a boy trapped in a strictly religious household. On running away to Los Angeles, he meets up with classically trained guitar maestro Kyle Gass and they form ‘Tenacious D’, the band to rule all bands. Now, in order to become rock legends, they must break into the Rock and Roll Museum and steal an ancient magical guitar pick: The Pick of Destiny.
Yes, that’s really the plot of the movie. Whether you enjoy it or not will be very dependent on how much you like the music of Tenacious D. Non-followers will probably hate it, and with good reason since it offers no olive branch to those not familiar with Kyle Gass & Jack Black’s self-confessed ‘greatest band in the world’.
The story is not completely inconsequential, but it sometimes feels like a lame excuse to get Black & Gass into increasingly weird situations involving a Sasquatch, drugs, rock mythology and the devil. Jack Black gets to run riot, acting completely off the leash throughout and keeping the energy up next to Kyle’s more restrained persona. Because of this, there are laughs in there, but there are also moments of ultimate stupidity. It’ll be down to how willing you are to enter their childish play world whether you stick it all the way through or not.
Liam Lynch’s feature debut direction fits the style of the film – that being simple and bold. While it may not be anything special, the cinematography is perfectly acceptable, with some nice flares like the animated tarot cards and title sequence. There are also some neat cameos by both classic rockers like Meatloaf and more recent musicians such as Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters, as well as Tim Robbins and exec producer Ben Stiller who both show up to play slightly off-the-wall characters.
For those who enjoyed the first Tenacious D album, there’s plenty of new music to revel in here. And while the catchy rock anthems blast away throughout, sometimes I wish they’d put as much effort into making the script as funny as their song lyrics are. It’s practically a musical, although the best songs are those which describe the action as it’s happening – mainly because they’re so irreverent and spontaneous. Meanwhile the dialogue sequences simply rely on Jack Black’s voice and facial expressions to make them funny. There’s very little decent writing on display.
If you hate JB or ‘the D’ in general then I advise you to stay well away. Seriously, there’s nothing for you here. If you’re really into them however, then there’s no reason you won’t enjoy the numerous album and short-lived MTV series references, as well as all the new tracks. It’s everyone in the middle I fear for, because it could go either way. If you don’t mind subscribing to 90-minutes of puerile, uninhibited, fantasy entertainment, then give it a go. You won’t get any smarter, but if that’s what you’re looking for then you’re in the wrong place anyway.