National Treasure: Book of Secrets (2007) February 28, 2008
Posted by gproject in : Cinema, Recently Viewed , add a commentDirected by: Jon Turteltaub
You won’t find a much better example of the ‘guilty pleasure’ movie than 2004’s National Treasure, a globe-trotting adventure romp that set neither critics nor audiences aflame, but which went down easy especially if digested with a pinch of salt. If you solely took the opinion of friends and colleagues then you may even be lead to believe that this family-friendly Da Vinci Code alternative is actually quite a good film - which it really isn’t - but that’s how deep rooted the National Treasure effect was. Not great, by any means, but perfectly enjoyable in a popcorn munching kind of way. It was not, however, a film to base a franchise on, which is where National Treasure: Book of Secrets makes its first, of many, missteps.
This time, historical adventurer Ben Gates is defending the honour of his great Grandfather, after a mysterious man shows up with a page from the long-lost diary of John Wilkes Booth. The page alludes to the fact that Thomas Gates was involved in Abraham Lincoln’s murder, which sets Ben, his now distant wife Abigail and his trusty assistant Riley on a worldwide hunt for clues that eventually point them in the direction of a lost city, and a book known only to the former presidents of the USA. But as the gang strive to clear the Gates family name, they are followed by the diary page owner - clearly, there is more at stake than just the reputation of one man.
The plot is, rather naturally, a ridiculous excuse to break into various completely impossible locations and debunk some interesting ‘facts’ about American history that you probably weren’t even aware of to begin with. While the original National Treasure built its harmless escapades around a slightly silly historical footnote, Book of Secrets erects an implausible legend based on little more than belief - and a trail that leads Nic Cage and crew to increasingly outlandish locales. In an effort to ‘up the ante’, as it were, the writers have included more than their fair share of notable landmarks and buildings. Too many, in fact, to the point where even your goodwill towards their creative license becomes strained.
With five separately named story writers, two of which penned the screenplay, you might be fooled into thinking that there’s a wealth of information and smart dialogue behind the thin plotting, but alas there’s little to be found here either. The conversations, especially in the beginning of the film, consist of highly expositional dialogue - the kind that states the obvious and fills you in on all the relevant information in an unbelievably short space of time. Sometimes it’s bouncy, often it’s mundane, but you’ll never be confused as to where the plot is heading. There are also a couple of relationship sub-stories to contend with, the problem is that they’re both identical and consist of broken ex-lovers rediscovering what they saw in each other. To follow the stereotype once might have been boring, but twice is a little grating. Also the fallback comic relief character (Riley, played by Justin Bartha) is back, but the writers relegate him to being nothing but ‘the funny guy’, while quickly changing his status to ‘increasingly-less-funny-guy’ in the process.
As for the rest of the cast, they muddle through; clearly nobody is in this for the prestige. Nicholas Cage returns in his first direct sequel and goes about his business as Ben Gates with seemingly little trouble. Diane Kruger also comes back to reprise her role as Cage’s love interest, Abigail Chase, while the aforementioned Justin Bartha saddles up to play the sarcastic assistant Riley Poole. You’ve got to hand it to the casting people though - Ed Harris, Helen Mirren, Jon Voight and Harvey Keitel all have major parts to play, which is not a bad roll call for this medium-grossing Disney sequel. Whether it’s just easy money, or the lure of doing an adventure flick that is suitable for any age, I’m still undecided, but they all try and make the best of what they’ve got. Ed Harris, especially, gets the unforgiving role of the bad guy and plays it like he knows how - think a more cartoon-villain version of his character from A History of Violence [review], or a toned-down General Hummel from The Rock.
The film has plenty of pace, but is overlong in its two-hour running time. This should be a snappy 100 minutes and no more, although it’s true that the first film also suffered from the same duration problem. Returning director Jon Turteltaub does a fine job at keeping everything in check, while the movie features some nice Indiana Jones style set pieces during its final act. But with a better, genuine, Indiana Jones on the way later this year, it seems almost like a starter dish before the main course. Lucky that they got it out before, rather than after, Spielberg reclaims the genre later this year. What really destroys the film though, is its plethora of questionable moments (apparently speed cameras have a pretty good resolution on them, and even the President can’t clear your name of kidnapping him - until later, when he can) and other annoyances that make it hard to take even the semi-fantasy plot seriously. When Cage puts his hand into 
a mysterious hole in the rock after an ambiguous warning, you’re just willing the filmmakers to take a devious turn and not do the stereotypical joke; a lashing out at Hollywood convention and two fingers up to the obvious. But no, they do the joke you all know is coming, it’s not very funny, then everyone gets on with the story. It’s direct-journey filmmaking - A to B, no stops for subversion.
Here’s National Treasure: Book of Secrets in a nutshell: It’s not all bad, it’s just mostly bad. And unlike back in 2004, there’s less of the sense of fun and tongue-in-check playfulness that won over so many viewers - even if they didn’t like to admit it. An open mind and a suppressing of your natural inquisitive nature might help, but it won’t cure all the problems running through this film. Book of Secrets is the movie that everyone thought National Treasure would be - only this time it won’t turn out to be a guilty pleasure, because it’s simply lacking the pleasure. And you can’t really recommend a guilty displeasure, since as its description suggests, that’s a double-dose of ill-feeling you just don’t need from a Disney film. Leaving itself open to a further sequel is the final insult, as there’s clearly nothing left in this franchise. Time to close the book on this one, I think.
The Terminal (2004) February 24, 2008
Posted by gproject in : Recently Viewed , 1 comment so farDirected by: Steven Spielberg
Famed director Steven Spielberg continues his winning relationship with Tom Hanks immediately after their acclaimed collaboration on the reality-based chase movie, Catch Me If You Can. This time, however, they’ve swapped the numerous locations and sprawling narrative for a very singular, low key production, although one that is no less entertaining. After the epic scale of his previous projects such as Saving Private Ryan, AI, and futuristic action flick Minority Report, The Terminal shows that Spielberg hasn’t lost his knack for close-quarters character drama.
The story focuses on Viktor Navorski, a man whose country of residence begins a civil war while he is flying to the United States. On arrival in New York, the political unrest means Viktor’s visa is ineligible for him to enter the country, but he also can’t be deported home. Trapped in the airport terminal, Viktor is forced to find a way to live despite the language and social barriers that hinder him. Airport controller Frank Dixon, on the other hand, can’t understand why he won’t just break the ‘agreement’ and leave the airport - clearing him of any responsibility. Slowly, Viktor becomes accustomed to the terminal, making friends and falling for a flight attendant in the form of the beautiful Amelia Warren.
Tom Hanks is certainly the central focus of this film and while it may not stray into Cast Away [review] territory in terms of solo performances, there are very few moments when he’s not on screen. This poses no problem though, and Hanks eases the character of Viktor away from being an annoying stereotype and towards the likeable fish out of water presented here. His good-natured Borat may seem an unlikely companion for Catherine Zeta Jones’s air hostess - and essentially that’s the case - but the actress does an adequate job of displaying the slightly ditzy and ultimately fallible side of human relationships. In a film full of people having fun with their roles - just look at the airport staff team of Chi McBride, Diego Luna and Kumar Pallana for evidence that this light-hearted ethos extends beyond the central performers - it is Stanley Tucci as airport controller Frank Dixon who gets the most to play with. He is troubled and angered without ruining the comic sensibility of the film, plus he has some of the best lines in the script.
One of the big ‘features’ of this film during its production was the fact that, due to the limitations of shooting in a real airport, the set designers built an entire airport terminal in an unused aircraft hanger in California. Although this makes for a nice bit of marketing and something unique for the actors to talk about come the press junket, I can’t let it go by without mentioning what an outstanding piece of work it is. The shops, seating areas and general layout fell nothing less than completely real, and, maybe more importantly, give Spielberg a shooting freedom that wouldn’t have been possible in any other location.
As a result of the above, the cinematography is wonderfully inventive for what is essentially a single-location story. There are some wild tracking shots following Viktor around the airport as he desperately tries to understand his situation - trapped in a shopping mayhem with little purpose or meaning. The multi-layered aspect of the set offers an opportunity to crane the camera around too, and once again the shots are directed with a maestro-esque quality. The pull-out from Viktor, stood surrounded on all sides by a rush of people, to show the full pandemonium of the terminal, is particularly effective.
Drawing less attention to itself is the script, with a screenplay by Catch Me If You Can writer Jeff Nathanson along with Sacha Gervasi and based on a story by Gervasi and Andrew Niccol, it adds a simple, unassuming quality to the tale. If anything, you may argue that it can become a little sickly sweet at times, particularly in the development of a relationship between Viktor and Amelia, but even this has an eventual payoff that is grounded in more reality than you would expect from the genre (although, as a side note, I should mention that this was not the film’s original ending). As the story slowly reveals Viktor’s reason for travelling to the US, it actually guides you into caring about his journey, rather than sighing at a weak attempt to make the central character more sympathetic.
The Terminal is a great little film, and even with it’s ambitious set design, almost feels like a ‘weekend movie’ for a director as established as Spielberg - as if all the cast and crew had a summer off and just kicked together a quick $60 million flick for their own enjoyment. It’s very light-hearted and sometimes a little melodramatic, but there’s a warm centre to the film that eventually shines through. You can’t fault the tone of the story, mixing comedy and drama in a tale that is both involving and slightly silly (although there is a real-life tale similar to that of Viktor’s). So take a leaf out of Viktor’s book: confine yourself to the living room and spend a couple of hours with Steven Spielberg, as he takes you round this (literally) hand-crafted world.
American Gangster (2007) February 21, 2008
Posted by gproject in : Recently Viewed , 4 commentsDirected by: Ridley Scott
Ridley Scott has been stepping his projects of late, taking time between each large-scale production to make a smaller, more character-driven movie. First there was Hannibal, sat between the Roman opus Gladiator and the action packed Black Hawk Down. Then Matchstick Men, a charming confidence flick, which led to another historical epic in the form of Kingdom of Heaven. His last project was the rather sedate and poorly-reviewed A Good Year, which means that it must be time for another ambitiously meaty flick from the three-time Oscar nominated director. American Gangster fits the bill perfectly.
Set in 1970’s Harlem, ambitious Frank Lucas takes over the heroin importing duties after his mentor Bumpy Johnson dies. He manages to adapt the methods of current importers by cutting out the middle men and importing higher quality product at a lower cost. As a result, Frank quickly rises to top of the crime scene, despite keeping a relatively low profile. Then there’s Richie Roberts, a police officer whose previous honesty and unwillingness to take pay-offs has made him untrustworthy with his peers, but valued by department bosses. Richie uses his position to set up a narcotics task force which he uses to piece together the major dealers in Manhattan and discover Lucas’ involvement.
This is one of those films that feels like it is part of something bigger – something epic even – despite that fact that it is essentially about two people trying to do right by what they believe in. Some of this may be down to its enormous running time, edging out similarly themed gangster flick Goodfellas and even The Departed [review] for length, with a final duration just shy of 2 hours and 40 minutes. Ridley Scott is not a director averse to making long movies – his last three large-scale pictures have all broken the 140 minute mark (let’s not even discuss the marathon that is the Kingdom of Heaven Director’s Cut). But you’ve got to earn that duration, and despite comparisons to other popular lengthy crime dramas, I don’t think American Gangster quite manages to justify the overtime.
Having said that, this is not a slack film by any means. It has the benefit of momentum which helps divert your attention from exactly how long the film is, as well as two powerhouse performances from the lead actors and some interesting character touches which raise the bar as far as the dramatic interplay between work and home life. It is, of course, Frank Lucas, the drug overlord and notorious ‘bad guy’ of the piece, who has the most stable family structure. He cares and looks after his family, maybe because he feels some responsibility towards providing for those close to him – especially his mother. Detective Ritchie Roberts, on the other hand, is a morally straight, hard working man whose family life has crumbled as a result. We see him fighting with his ex-wife over custody of their son in scenes which are short and sweet, but no less affecting. This is an example of a sub-plot done right. The family background material could be considered throwaway development in an already overlong film but, instead, it works to cement the two characters in a sense of humanity.
It is also a film that lives and dies by its central performances although, luckily for him, Scott has enough industry clout to be able to call on only the best that Hollywood has to offer. The pairing of Russell Crowe (increasingly a Ridley Scott favourite) and Denzel Washington lends a huge amount of weight to this picture that would be lost without them. Crowe is suitably honest and socially disorganised as Richie Roberts, never pushing him too overboard but allowing the character to breathe naturalistically in a performance that is reminiscent of the subtlety he utilised so well in The Insider. Washington is in slightly more well-trodden territory, although he has just as important a part to play as he navigates the fine line between ruthless gangster and warm-hearted family man. He steers the role well clear of the typical cliché and produces a Frank Lucas that is complicated and interesting.
The direction is handled without fault with smooth cinematography and a slightly washed out colour palette that distinctly references other 1970’s crime thrillers, most notably The French Connection. The New York of almost 40 years ago is brought to life through faithful costuming and perfect set design which never lets you question the authenticity of the era. Finally, the script, by Gangs of New York writer Steven Zaillian, pumps greatness out of the film’s central scenes (including a speech that Lucas gives to his family which is interrupted by an extreme moment of unexpected violence), although it can slow a little during the interim periods. It’s still a self-assured story though and one which is not afraid to shy away from the reality of how a job, good or bad, can consume you even when you don’t want it to. Both Richie and Lucas live their jobs – for Lucas that’s because it is all part of the trade, but for Richie it’s because he has little else. The depiction of this restlessness is where the script really shines.
In the end, American Gangster is a very authentic and well made piece of crime drama that provides plenty of entertainment during its slightly overlong running time. I’m still not entirely sure what makes the film reach 157 minutes, but for the most part we get a back-to-form Ridley Scott behind the camera, while Washington and Crowe do the Pacino / DeNiro dance from Heat with equal aplomb. Their final meeting may not be the apocalyptic showdown that you expect, but in the relation to the story, it still has plenty of meaning. This forms a much needed success for Scott, who has taken a bit of a critical mauling on his last couple of pictures. He’s clearly not content to dwell on it though – his next film is already filming, with Russell Crowe once again taking a central role. As muses go, Crowe may seem a strange choice, but if their work together continues to produce films of this calibre, then I’m certainly not complaining.
Be Kind Rewind (2008) February 18, 2008
Posted by gproject in : Cinema, Recently Viewed , add a commentDirected by: Michel Gondry
Say what you will about French director Michel Gondry, you can’t deny that he has one of the hardest working imaginations in modern cinema. There’s always a certain amount of heart in his films and it’s that aspect of filmmaking which his latest movie, Be Kind Rewind, attempts to impress on a mass audience. Continuing his tradition of off-beat narratives and homemade madness, this quirky comedy is the last word in DIY film production. Gondry has toyed with the concept of household objects forming something grander in his previous movie The Science of Sleep [review] - remember Stéphane’s efforts to turn a model boat into a “Russian animated film” - but this takes that simple idea and creates something quite marvellous out of it.
The story begins with Mike and Jerry, long-time friends who are left in charge of the financially-challenged video store in the building where legendary jazz musician Fats Waller was born. But after Jerry attempts to sabotage a local power station (a paranoid attempt at rebellion) he becomes magnetised and his presence in the video shop has the adverse affect of wiping all the tapes. With customer requests for film rentals coming in and no tapes to rent, Mike comes up with a plan: together, Jerry and Mike film their own versions of famous movies - a process they call ’sweding’ - for rental to customers. Expecting a harsh backlash, the duo are delighted to find that the community really take to their zero-budget films - but even their efforts can’t prevent the possibility that the old store will soon be shut down to make way for newer development.
I had high expectations going into this movie, not least because of my appreciation for Michel Gondry’s last two movies (aside from The Science of Sleep, he directed the outstanding Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind), but also because the trailer was a fantastically put together mix of humour and humanity that is a part of all Gondry films. I was more than aware, however, that its central concept could easy have gone sour very quickly if not handled with care. Luckily, in the skilled hands of Gondry, it manages to be funny, light-hearted, quirky, disarmingly honest and even relates a genuine respect and love for the movies it ’swedes’. The wacky concept is held together by a ‘big corporations versus the small store owner’ story that forms the narrative centre of the film, but doesn’t get in the way too often.
What makes it work is the subtle line that needs to be drawn between what is possible in reality and what is possible in ‘movie reality’ - the world in which these characters operate. Make the film too grounded and the whole concept breaks down as you realise the ridiculousness of the plot; but conversely, stray too far into the world of the bizarre and the human side of the story, the neighbourhood bonding and character interplay, completely loses relevance. Never fear, though: one wonderfully set-up gag involving a ladder lets you know early on that this is not supposed to be an ultra-realistic movie, without losing grasp of its human element. For those new to Gondry’s films, it is a welcome addition that allows all the absurdity that comes after to be embraced rather than questioned, as you realise that what transpires is not simply fantasy, but rather part of an existence with fewer boundaries.
Some will say that this is the director’s most ‘mainstream’ film, although whether that’s an intentional affect or one brought on by having a named cast and an accessible genre, is up for debate. Jack Black certainly brings a core audience to this movie and hopefully his trademark faux-bravado performance will help convert those who are expecting something a little more down-the-line, like School of Rock. Mos Def also slides very neatly into place and despite earlier light-hearted roles such as Ford Prefect in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, he does a really good job of being the straight man to Black’s more eccentric personality, while still providing plenty of laughs. Outside of the central duo, we have Melonie Diaz doing a good job as their partner in crime, Alama, while Danny Glover redeems his slightly melancholy performance from Shooter [review], and Mia Farrow shows up to support the cause.
Despite all the emphasis on low-budget handheld camera work, Gondry doesn’t always keep his own shooting as simple. It’s a fun counterargument to the story, especially in the wonderful single-shot montage that appears mid-way through the film; a running shot of the gang re-enacting a bunch of their sweded movies in one long camera move. Even if cinematography isn’t your thing, there is plenty to enjoy just in witnessing the inspired corner-cutting techniques that are used to recreate famous movie moments. The rest of the time the visuals are fairly simple, but retain a colourful boldness that’s in good keeping with the tone of the film.
If you’re not on-board with the overall ideal behind the plot, then you may struggle to enjoy watching Jerry, Mike and friends remake existing movies. The film has the saving grace of being very funny at times, although while Gondry’s script is impressively comprehensive (Where do they get the materials from? What about the costumes? - all the answers are worked in) the cast play it fast and loose with the dialogue which leads to scenes where the overlapping speech can get a little confusing. What’s encouraging is that the film’s most stereotypical aspect - its ‘closing the store’ plotline - is handled with care, never making a desperate grab for sentimentality, but rather being the reason for something greater to prevail.
Be Kind Rewind is a movie that teaches a very Gondry-esque lesson - that whatever you make, regardless of the technical expertise or money spent, it can still be a masterpiece if done with heart. That’s clearly the way he works: finding a concept or idea that he really cares about and squeezing the humanity out of it. There are noticeable linking threads to his films - The Science of Sleep took the dream-reality concept from Eternal Sunshine and broadened it out; this film borrows the empty-pockets production design element from The Science of Sleep and gives it greater meaning. What he will take from here is anyone’s guess. Maybe a film about big corporation’s oppression of small-time businesses, or a Fats Waller documentary? Whatever the direction, you can guarantee it’ll arrive infused, like this, with a boundless imagination that’s very hard to dislike.
Be Kind Rewind is on UK general release from February 22nd.
Blades of Glory (2007) February 15, 2008
Posted by gproject in : Recently Viewed , add a commentDirected by: Josh Gordon & Will Speck
Sports comedies usually come in one of two categories: 1) the hapless, rag-tag team of athletic misfits competing in a well-known activity, or; 2) a less popular sport put under the microscope to have its stereotypes magnified for comic effect. Napoleon Dynamite’s Jon Heder has done the first in the Happy Madison produced The Benchwarmers [review], while Anchorman and Elf star Will Ferrell has experience in the second through Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby [review]. Now the two actors are united, taking a type 1 approach to this type 2 story about the lesser known world of male figure skating.
Jimmy MacElroy (Heder) is a fostered child and precision figure skater competing at yet another international competition. His main rival is Chazz Michael Michaels (Ferrell) a confident and brash skater whose routines are all about breaking the rules. When their competitive tension spills over into a fistfight on the awards podium, however, they are both banned from singles skating for life. The only way they can complete is through a skating loophole that would allow them to enter the doubles competition - together. The two sportsmen try to put aside their differences in order to take gold as the only male/male skating pair, but current champions the Van Waldenberg’s have other plans.
Although the character of Chazz Michael Michaels was originally pitched to Ben Stiller, who turned it down because of similarities to his earlier roles (Dodgeball springs to mind), it’s hard to imagine anyone else but Will Ferrell doing it. And it’s not like Ferrell hasn’t walked in these shoes before, the ideals behind this arrogant idiot baring more than a slight reminiscence to Ron Burgundy from Anchorman, or Ricky Bobby in Talladega Nights. It probably helps that he has grown to a position of comic authority whereby he can improvise and adapt the dialogue to fit his particular persona and while it would be easy to say that it’s a character which is getting slightly old, I have to admit that I still find the brash and boastful Ferrell roles quite funny.
The movie doesn’t rest entirely on a single pair of shoulders though, as Jon Heder works hard to be the straight-edge counterpart and does an admirable job given his limited experience. Heder’s hesitant and slightly breathless delivery plays well into his unconfident character even though it’s a role that has been written specifically to be less funny than Chazz and over the course of the movie you start to notice which side of the duo is getting most of the jokes. Outside of the two central roles is a whole host of talent in the supporting cast. Will Arnett and Amy Poehler play a skating brother and sister team with a devious streak, while The Office’s Jenna Fischer is their slightly innocent other sibling. Craig T. Nelson takes the always-necessary role of the coach, there’s some overbearing parenting from William Fichtner, plus obligatory bit-parts for Rob Corddry, Andy Richter and poor old Nick Swardson playing yet another peculiar obsessive type. It’s a strong cast and there’s no particular person you can point to for a reason why the film doesn’t quite fulfil in the way it should.
So what is the reason? Well it could be something to do with the rather flimsy story following such an obvious route – it practically plods through the motions towards its none-too-surprising finale, providing nothing more than a backdrop for Ferrell’s overstated brand of in-your-face delivery and a few pokes at the homosexual qualities of figure skating. Or maybe it’s that even though there are laughs to be found, it’s rarely from the situations that are presented by the awkward teaming up of two ex-rivals. Most of the time you’ll be laughing at a Chazz one-liner, or a cheap gag made at the expense of the sport. It’s hard to pin it down, especially when this is not a movie that you could describe as ‘unfunny’.
The film is well guided by first-time feature directors Josh Gordon and Will Speck, who take on the technical ice-dancing sequences just as well as they handle the back and forth dialogue between Chazz and Jimmy. There’s a bit of CGI in play too – some of it unnecessary – which attempts to make it look like the actors are performing all the ice routines themselves. Of course, we know that they aren’t, and I’m surprised that in a Ferrell comedy they haven’t just over-exaggerated that fact for more laughs. Still, the slightly weak story is punctuated by some nice moments (including a rather fun stilted chase on ice skates through a solid-floored sports arena), and packs in its share of gags from what appears to be four separate screenplay contributors.
Blades of Glory has quite a distinct audience, and one that it clearly found given the $118 million domestic gross. If you’re not that into Will Ferrell comedies, maybe check out his straighter role in Marc Foster’s Stranger Than Fiction [review], a better movie than most of the projects Ferrell has been involved in outside of Anchorman. If your opinion is mixed, then give this a go – you might just find that it exceeds your expectations. It’s nowhere near the smartest or most biting sports parody, but there’s something in it, mainly stemming from the cast’s enthusiasm, that stops it from becoming a spineless disaster. A silver medal performance, by all accounts.
