Tropic Sprockets by Ian Brockway
Her
Leave it to the auteur enfant terrible Spike Jonze (Where the Wild Things Are) to push the bounds of the love story, by creating a kind of valentine to the late author J.G. Ballard or Orwell.
None other than the dramatic scofflaw Joaquin Phoenix stars as the hesitant and tongue-tied Theodore, an electronic love letter composer. His face is one single knot with a brown mustache that looks like a scrub-brush. His mahogany charcoal-hardened glasses appear welded on his face. Theodore's environment is one of flat, wall screens and corners. His only human interaction is with his longtime college friend Amy (Amy Adams) and his ex-wife's lawyer via phone relay. The rest of the time he is haunted by harmonic memories of his wife (Rooney Mara). Although we don't know what happened between them, we don't need to. Suffice to say, Theodore is left bereft, a shadow of his good natured self, perhaps a bit too passive or a bit too closed when the chips were down.
On a whim, Theodore goes to a software kiosk and purchases a new highly advanced operating system for his devices. He thinks that it is a mere office and word processing program, but soon learns that it is a highly personal and empathic software world with human emotion, complete with a feminine spirit. With the astonishment of Dr. Frankenstein, Theodore realizes that this program (voiced by Scarlett Johansson) has a highly adaptable and sensual intelligence. After some awkward fumbles, he accepts with surprised satisfaction that this may be just as good as having a human girlfriend. The program "Samantha" is eager, interested, and without judgment.
If only Apple's Siri was like this.
After a couple disastrous stabs at human romance: one ridiculous phone call involving a dead cat and one possessive blind date (Olivia Wilde), Theodore gets more attached to "Samantha". She listens. And with one lilt and curl of her beseeching, bewitching voice, Theodore gets sexually aroused.
The two have phone sex of sorts.
Theodore becomes forever connected and wired in, a white microphone in his ear that resembles a hi-tech seashell, a love charm from a cyberspace mermaid. Theodore is seduced by The Call with a smartphone camera in his pocket (patent leather in brown and white) a 21st century clamshell, a wallet of love.
"Samantha" handles all his appointments and the two go on virtual vacations, through parks and winter retreats. They share photos and "Samantha" treats Theodore with emotion and caring, very much as a girlfriend or wife would.
Some humor is had when Theodore's peers press him to bring Samantha around (let's double date!) Phoenix is wonderful as an Everyman both vexed and released by the confusion of this newfound relationship. Sometimes, he is wildly free and untethered. At others he is withering and morose. Theodore seems pursued and blighted by an unseen unknown female, more toxic than his wife. He can only unwind and be himself with his amorous bodiless confidante.
Soon "Samantha" wants more. More human experience, more knowledge, more wanting, simply more.
Theodore is at a loss.
After a catastrophic attempt with a human surrogate for the throaty virtual vixen, "Samantha" becomes less intimate and far removed, so to speak. Her "personality" engages with other clients and systems. One in particular is named after the philosopher Alan Watts, in system form, he is a stentorian academically aloof know- it-all.
What follows is a very visceral scene, and all the success is due to Phoenix who makes it all so believable with a bit of black humor. Not since Gene Kelly, have I seen a person so at ease in his body. Although this is a moment of heartbreak, there is great frenzy and motion here, showing the real crux of loss, as is. Phoenix is running, falling, sliding and he expresses the romantic tragedy in himself as a dance.
The most telling parts of "Her" portray our world as emotionally starved and subservient to super smart machines. But most vivid is the Orwellian character of Theodore and his vexation in wanting "Samantha" to be both human and moral, even empathetic and exclusive. But alas, by not having a human body or mind, this female-ish system is free from compassionate loyalties.
This is a morality tale that is a little Stanley Kubrick, a bit "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" but by film's end, unmistakably all Spike Jonze.
Write Ian at redtv_2005@yahoo.com
Saturday, January 11, 2014
Friday, January 10, 2014
Week of January 10 thru January 16 (Rhoades)
Tropic Overview
“Her” Heads Up Great Tropic Lineup
Reviewed by Shirrel Rhoades
For Christmas I got an iPhone 5S just so I could talk with Siri, the disembodied woman who lives inside the smart phone. That’s the theme of “Her,” the story of a lonely guy who gets a phone with an operating system named Samantha. In this rom-com for the high-tech age, you’ll be engrossed in the sweet relationship between the mope (Joaquin Phoenix) and Samantha (Scarlett Johansson). Flick Filosopher says, “It’s the rise of the machines as romantic dramedy, and the Singularity as romantic tragedy. It’s the nicest, gentlest sci-fi horror film ever.” And John Hanlon Reviews adds that it’s “an intoxicating and profound romantic drama that offers new insights into our dependence on technology.”
For those of you who have been hesitant to see a three-hour movie about a guy who makes Gordon Gekko look like a saint, overcome your resistance because this is Martin Scorsese at his most no-holds-barred filmmaking. Leonardo DiCaprio portrays a real-life penny-stock swindler named Jordan Belfort in “The Wolf of Wall Street,” a man who went to prison after bilking millions from investors. But before getting caught, he and his partners let a life of unfettered debauchery, snorting coke, partying with strippers, sailing on a humongous yacht, living the high life. You’ll see it all here in a movie that The Atlantic describes as “a magnificent black comedy: fast, funny, and remarkably filthy.” The New Yorker tells us that “Scorsese unleashes a furious, yet exquisitely controlled, kinetic energy, complete with a plunging and soaring camera, mercurial and conspicuous special effects, counterfactual scenes, subjective fantasies, and swirling choreography on a grand scale.”
“Saving Mr. Banks” is sticking around to feed you a spoonful of sugar while telling how Walt Disney (Tom Hanks) coaxed the movie rights for “Mary Poppins” from its grumpy British author Pamela Travers (brilliantly played by Emma Thompson). Philadelphia Inquirer calls it “smart, delightful.” And The Sun Herald says, “As far as family entertainment goes, there’s very little to fault with this rather delightful and moving picture.”
“Philomena” gives us Dame Judi Dench and Steve Coogan in a true story about a simple Irish woman searching for her lost son with the help of an out-of-work journalist. Passionate Moviegoer sees it as “at once heartbreaking, entertaining and humbling.” And Washington Post notes: “At its core, this clever, wrenching, profound story underscores the tenacity of faith in the face of unfathomable cruelty.”
Yes, you’ll find it all here at the Tropic -- evil nuns, Uncle Walt, slick unrepentant hustlers, and an iPhone to love.
srhoades@aol.com
“Her” Heads Up Great Tropic Lineup
Reviewed by Shirrel Rhoades
For Christmas I got an iPhone 5S just so I could talk with Siri, the disembodied woman who lives inside the smart phone. That’s the theme of “Her,” the story of a lonely guy who gets a phone with an operating system named Samantha. In this rom-com for the high-tech age, you’ll be engrossed in the sweet relationship between the mope (Joaquin Phoenix) and Samantha (Scarlett Johansson). Flick Filosopher says, “It’s the rise of the machines as romantic dramedy, and the Singularity as romantic tragedy. It’s the nicest, gentlest sci-fi horror film ever.” And John Hanlon Reviews adds that it’s “an intoxicating and profound romantic drama that offers new insights into our dependence on technology.”
For those of you who have been hesitant to see a three-hour movie about a guy who makes Gordon Gekko look like a saint, overcome your resistance because this is Martin Scorsese at his most no-holds-barred filmmaking. Leonardo DiCaprio portrays a real-life penny-stock swindler named Jordan Belfort in “The Wolf of Wall Street,” a man who went to prison after bilking millions from investors. But before getting caught, he and his partners let a life of unfettered debauchery, snorting coke, partying with strippers, sailing on a humongous yacht, living the high life. You’ll see it all here in a movie that The Atlantic describes as “a magnificent black comedy: fast, funny, and remarkably filthy.” The New Yorker tells us that “Scorsese unleashes a furious, yet exquisitely controlled, kinetic energy, complete with a plunging and soaring camera, mercurial and conspicuous special effects, counterfactual scenes, subjective fantasies, and swirling choreography on a grand scale.”
“Saving Mr. Banks” is sticking around to feed you a spoonful of sugar while telling how Walt Disney (Tom Hanks) coaxed the movie rights for “Mary Poppins” from its grumpy British author Pamela Travers (brilliantly played by Emma Thompson). Philadelphia Inquirer calls it “smart, delightful.” And The Sun Herald says, “As far as family entertainment goes, there’s very little to fault with this rather delightful and moving picture.”
“Philomena” gives us Dame Judi Dench and Steve Coogan in a true story about a simple Irish woman searching for her lost son with the help of an out-of-work journalist. Passionate Moviegoer sees it as “at once heartbreaking, entertaining and humbling.” And Washington Post notes: “At its core, this clever, wrenching, profound story underscores the tenacity of faith in the face of unfathomable cruelty.”
Yes, you’ll find it all here at the Tropic -- evil nuns, Uncle Walt, slick unrepentant hustlers, and an iPhone to love.
srhoades@aol.com
Her (Rhoades)
Front Row at the Movies
“Her” Provides Siri Substitute
Reviewed by Shirrel Rhoades
Do you have an iPhone? Y’ know, one of the newer models that has Siri, a helpful artificial intelligence female who apparently lives inside your phone. She’s one smart cookie, able to tell you the nearest place to buy pizza, guide you on your trips, make phone calls for you, look up things, act as a secretary who reminds you of appointments. She can even converse, after a fashion.
But don’t get too close.
Siri’s even programmed to say, “My end user licensing agreement does not include marriage.”
In “Her” -- the new sci-fi romance playing at Tropic Cinema -- a guy named Theodore Twombly gets a new, advanced operating system for his phone. Promising to be an intuitive entity that individualizes itself for each user, the Siri-like voice is called Samantha.
Twomby (Joaquin Phoenix) is a lonely guy, moping over the breakup with his wife. Turns out, Samantha (voiced by Scarlett Johansson) is kinda lonely in that little hard-shell case too. A relationship develops. You might consider it a new form of phone sex, just him and his smart phone.
Amy Adams, Rooney Mara, and Olivia Wilde provide the flesh-and-blood women in this film. Scarlett Johansson was being talked up for an Academy Award, but rules require that more than just an actor’s voice has to appear on-screen to be nominated. Bummer.
Director-writer Spike Jonze got the idea for the movie about ten years ago when he read an article about instant texting with artificial intelligence. Supposedly, the more you talked with it, the smarter it got. Whoa!
But love?
If you ask Siri, “Do you love me?” she will reply, “Let’s just say … you have my utmost admiration.”
But if you persist, Siri will admit, “Well, you’re definitely starting to grow on me.”
So will “Her.”
As Spike Jonze concludes, “A lot of the feelings you have about relationships or about technology are often contradictory.” Yeah, women are definitely like that.
srhoades@aol.com
“Her” Provides Siri Substitute
Reviewed by Shirrel Rhoades
Do you have an iPhone? Y’ know, one of the newer models that has Siri, a helpful artificial intelligence female who apparently lives inside your phone. She’s one smart cookie, able to tell you the nearest place to buy pizza, guide you on your trips, make phone calls for you, look up things, act as a secretary who reminds you of appointments. She can even converse, after a fashion.
But don’t get too close.
Siri’s even programmed to say, “My end user licensing agreement does not include marriage.”
In “Her” -- the new sci-fi romance playing at Tropic Cinema -- a guy named Theodore Twombly gets a new, advanced operating system for his phone. Promising to be an intuitive entity that individualizes itself for each user, the Siri-like voice is called Samantha.
Twomby (Joaquin Phoenix) is a lonely guy, moping over the breakup with his wife. Turns out, Samantha (voiced by Scarlett Johansson) is kinda lonely in that little hard-shell case too. A relationship develops. You might consider it a new form of phone sex, just him and his smart phone.
Amy Adams, Rooney Mara, and Olivia Wilde provide the flesh-and-blood women in this film. Scarlett Johansson was being talked up for an Academy Award, but rules require that more than just an actor’s voice has to appear on-screen to be nominated. Bummer.
Director-writer Spike Jonze got the idea for the movie about ten years ago when he read an article about instant texting with artificial intelligence. Supposedly, the more you talked with it, the smarter it got. Whoa!
But love?
If you ask Siri, “Do you love me?” she will reply, “Let’s just say … you have my utmost admiration.”
But if you persist, Siri will admit, “Well, you’re definitely starting to grow on me.”
So will “Her.”
As Spike Jonze concludes, “A lot of the feelings you have about relationships or about technology are often contradictory.” Yeah, women are definitely like that.
srhoades@aol.com
Wolf Revisited (Rhoades)
Front Row at the Movies
“Wolf” At The Door
Reviewed by Shirrel Rhoades
From time to time, I take a second look at a movie that needs further edification. Martin Scorsese’s “The Wolf of Wall Street” is such a film, stirring up a hornet’s nest over whether or not it glorifies greed.
Star Leonardo DiCaprio has made a name for himself lately playing über-rich guys on the wrong side of righteousness. “The Great Gatsby” could be a role model for Jordan Belfort in “The Wolf of Wall Street.” And the plantation owner in “Django Unchained” contains the seeds of grandeur at any cost.
But some moviegoers -- notably Christina McDowell, daughter of Washington securities lawyer Thomas Prousalis, who pleaded guilty to engaging in stock fraud in the 1990s, as part of the schemes of Jordan Belfort -- accuses the movie of glorifying crime. After all, the movie doesn’t show Belfort getting his just deserts for all his penny-stock frauds. Well, not enough at any rate.
This seems to stem from the current zeitgeist that movies should demonstrate that Crime Doesn’t Pay (as the old Comics Code required comic books to proclaim).
Problem is, it sometimes does.
And “The Wolf of Wall Street” is based on a true story. In the movie, Belfort is sentenced to 36 months. In real life, he served only 22.
Apparently, it’s not enough punishment that Belfort lost his family, lost his millions, lost his mansion, lost his friends whom he ratted out, and was reduced to doing get-rich-quick motivational seminars in Holiday Inns around the country.
Or maybe it’s not the degree of the punishment that bothers us. Maybe it’s that the movie doesn’t portray him as being contrite enough for his maleficences.
After all, we’ve been treated to three hours of screen time where we witness DiCaprio-as-Belfort tossing away hundred-dollar bills, sailing on his 100-plus-foot yacht, snorting cocaine, doing ’ludes, cavorting with naked hookers, thumbing his nose at the FBI, and bilking investors out of billions.
New York magazine critic David Edelstein describes it as “three hours of horrible people doing horrible things and admitting to being horrible.” True enough.
Bad people are no stranger to Scorsese’s movies. Think: “Goodfellas,” “Casino,” “Gangs of New York,” and “Taxi Driver.” And boxer Jake LaMotte is no role model in “Raging Bull,” a film that many critics consider the best movie ever made.
Have we already forgotten the anti-hero movies of the ‘60s? “Bonnie and Clyde” were not good guys … but they did get riddled with bullets for their bank robbing ways.
Problem is, how do you punish people in a movie who got away with it in real like?
Belfort claims to be sorry for all the pain he inflicted on others. He says he wants you to see the movie as a cautionary tale.
“‘Convicted stock swindler’ – it’s like it hurts my heart,” he says. ”I know it was true, but it’s not who I am.”
However, it is.
My wife won’t go see a Woody Allen movie because she disapproves of his tryst and later marriage to an “adopted” daughter. But I can appreciate him as a great filmmaker, even if I disapprove of his personal life.
My wife didn’t go see “The Wolf of Wall Street” because she saw the movie trailer and determined these types of people didn’t interest her. I liked the movie.
No Jordan Belfort didn’t have many redeeming qualities. But did it glorify crime? I don’t think so. No way was I enticed to quit my day job and go bilk people out of their life savings so I could party with wild women on my yacht.
Even without black hats, I can still tell the bad guys from the good guys in movies.
srhoades@aol.com
“Wolf” At The Door
Reviewed by Shirrel Rhoades
From time to time, I take a second look at a movie that needs further edification. Martin Scorsese’s “The Wolf of Wall Street” is such a film, stirring up a hornet’s nest over whether or not it glorifies greed.
Star Leonardo DiCaprio has made a name for himself lately playing über-rich guys on the wrong side of righteousness. “The Great Gatsby” could be a role model for Jordan Belfort in “The Wolf of Wall Street.” And the plantation owner in “Django Unchained” contains the seeds of grandeur at any cost.
But some moviegoers -- notably Christina McDowell, daughter of Washington securities lawyer Thomas Prousalis, who pleaded guilty to engaging in stock fraud in the 1990s, as part of the schemes of Jordan Belfort -- accuses the movie of glorifying crime. After all, the movie doesn’t show Belfort getting his just deserts for all his penny-stock frauds. Well, not enough at any rate.
This seems to stem from the current zeitgeist that movies should demonstrate that Crime Doesn’t Pay (as the old Comics Code required comic books to proclaim).
Problem is, it sometimes does.
And “The Wolf of Wall Street” is based on a true story. In the movie, Belfort is sentenced to 36 months. In real life, he served only 22.
Apparently, it’s not enough punishment that Belfort lost his family, lost his millions, lost his mansion, lost his friends whom he ratted out, and was reduced to doing get-rich-quick motivational seminars in Holiday Inns around the country.
Or maybe it’s not the degree of the punishment that bothers us. Maybe it’s that the movie doesn’t portray him as being contrite enough for his maleficences.
After all, we’ve been treated to three hours of screen time where we witness DiCaprio-as-Belfort tossing away hundred-dollar bills, sailing on his 100-plus-foot yacht, snorting cocaine, doing ’ludes, cavorting with naked hookers, thumbing his nose at the FBI, and bilking investors out of billions.
New York magazine critic David Edelstein describes it as “three hours of horrible people doing horrible things and admitting to being horrible.” True enough.
Bad people are no stranger to Scorsese’s movies. Think: “Goodfellas,” “Casino,” “Gangs of New York,” and “Taxi Driver.” And boxer Jake LaMotte is no role model in “Raging Bull,” a film that many critics consider the best movie ever made.
Have we already forgotten the anti-hero movies of the ‘60s? “Bonnie and Clyde” were not good guys … but they did get riddled with bullets for their bank robbing ways.
Problem is, how do you punish people in a movie who got away with it in real like?
Belfort claims to be sorry for all the pain he inflicted on others. He says he wants you to see the movie as a cautionary tale.
“‘Convicted stock swindler’ – it’s like it hurts my heart,” he says. ”I know it was true, but it’s not who I am.”
However, it is.
My wife won’t go see a Woody Allen movie because she disapproves of his tryst and later marriage to an “adopted” daughter. But I can appreciate him as a great filmmaker, even if I disapprove of his personal life.
My wife didn’t go see “The Wolf of Wall Street” because she saw the movie trailer and determined these types of people didn’t interest her. I liked the movie.
No Jordan Belfort didn’t have many redeeming qualities. But did it glorify crime? I don’t think so. No way was I enticed to quit my day job and go bilk people out of their life savings so I could party with wild women on my yacht.
Even without black hats, I can still tell the bad guys from the good guys in movies.
srhoades@aol.com
Sunday, January 5, 2014
Top Ten for 2013 (Rhoades)
Ten Best Films of 2013
Reviewed by Shirrel Rhoades
The year’s Ten Best Films? As film critic Andrew O’Hehir observes, “Everybody who writes about movies dreads making these lists, yet all of us want to read each other’s lists.”
Actually, I compose a Top Ten list every week!
Nonetheless, as Oscar season approaches, these Best of the Year lists pop up like mushrooms. Here’s mine, a personal catalog that ignores likely award-winners and focuses on what I found entertaining.
10. “About Time” -- Not likely to appear on many serious lists, this quirky little comedy about time travel will steal your heart. Tim (Domhnall Gleeson) bends time to pursue Mary (Rachel McAdams), but it’s the relationship with his dad (Bill Nighy) that puts a lump in our throat.
9. “Gravity” -- Sandra Bullock adrift in space proves her previous Oscar win wasn’t a fluke. Even the spectacular special effects can’t overpower her near-wordless performance as a stranded astronaut. And George Clooney drops in to give the film gravitas.
8. “The Way Way Back” -- A bittersweet coming-of-age story about a boy and an amusement park. Adrift while his mother kowtows to her new boyfriend, 14-year old Duncan (Liam James) learns confidence from the park’s cool manager (Sam Rockwell).
7. “Philomena” -- A discredited journalist (Steve Coogan) helps an Irish woman (Dame Judi Dench) search for the illegitimate son she lost to the nuns 50 years ago.
6. “12 Years a Slave” -- A free black man is shanghaied into slavery in 1841. Solomon Northrup (Chiwetel Ejiofor) proves that a man’s impetus to be free is key to his survival. Brad Pitt is on hand to help us deal with white guilt.
5. “Blue Jasmine” -- Woody Allen gives us two half-sisters who have made poor choices in mates. Here, Jasmine and Ginger (Cate Blanchett and Sally Hawkins) try to deal with their respective reversals of fortune.
4. “Nebraska” -- Woody (Bruce Dern) is a Montana farmer traveling with his son (Will Forte) to the title state hoping to claim a million-dollar sweepstake prize.
3. “August: Osage County” -- A generational shift of power takes place between mother and daughter (Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts) in this drama. Based on the stage play, but as real as a family reunion.
2. “American Hustle” -- Loosely based on the infamous ABSCAM affair, a couple of con artists (Christian Bale and Amy Adams) make a fool out of an overbearing FBI agent (Bradley Cooper).
1. “Prisoners” -- An almost-perfect mystery as a policeman (Jake Gyllenhaal) helps an angry father (Hugh Jackman) search for his kidnapped daughter. You’ll shut your eyes in parts, but the dramatic rescue lingers on like the sound of a child’s whistle.
srhoades@aol.com
Reviewed by Shirrel Rhoades
The year’s Ten Best Films? As film critic Andrew O’Hehir observes, “Everybody who writes about movies dreads making these lists, yet all of us want to read each other’s lists.”
Actually, I compose a Top Ten list every week!
Nonetheless, as Oscar season approaches, these Best of the Year lists pop up like mushrooms. Here’s mine, a personal catalog that ignores likely award-winners and focuses on what I found entertaining.
10. “About Time” -- Not likely to appear on many serious lists, this quirky little comedy about time travel will steal your heart. Tim (Domhnall Gleeson) bends time to pursue Mary (Rachel McAdams), but it’s the relationship with his dad (Bill Nighy) that puts a lump in our throat.
9. “Gravity” -- Sandra Bullock adrift in space proves her previous Oscar win wasn’t a fluke. Even the spectacular special effects can’t overpower her near-wordless performance as a stranded astronaut. And George Clooney drops in to give the film gravitas.
8. “The Way Way Back” -- A bittersweet coming-of-age story about a boy and an amusement park. Adrift while his mother kowtows to her new boyfriend, 14-year old Duncan (Liam James) learns confidence from the park’s cool manager (Sam Rockwell).
7. “Philomena” -- A discredited journalist (Steve Coogan) helps an Irish woman (Dame Judi Dench) search for the illegitimate son she lost to the nuns 50 years ago.
6. “12 Years a Slave” -- A free black man is shanghaied into slavery in 1841. Solomon Northrup (Chiwetel Ejiofor) proves that a man’s impetus to be free is key to his survival. Brad Pitt is on hand to help us deal with white guilt.
5. “Blue Jasmine” -- Woody Allen gives us two half-sisters who have made poor choices in mates. Here, Jasmine and Ginger (Cate Blanchett and Sally Hawkins) try to deal with their respective reversals of fortune.
4. “Nebraska” -- Woody (Bruce Dern) is a Montana farmer traveling with his son (Will Forte) to the title state hoping to claim a million-dollar sweepstake prize.
3. “August: Osage County” -- A generational shift of power takes place between mother and daughter (Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts) in this drama. Based on the stage play, but as real as a family reunion.
2. “American Hustle” -- Loosely based on the infamous ABSCAM affair, a couple of con artists (Christian Bale and Amy Adams) make a fool out of an overbearing FBI agent (Bradley Cooper).
1. “Prisoners” -- An almost-perfect mystery as a policeman (Jake Gyllenhaal) helps an angry father (Hugh Jackman) search for his kidnapped daughter. You’ll shut your eyes in parts, but the dramatic rescue lingers on like the sound of a child’s whistle.
srhoades@aol.com
Top Films/Performances of 2013 (Brockway)
Tropic Sprockets by Ian Brockway
The 2014 Award Season
This past year was a "true story"-ish feast. Here are some of my picks for the upcoming awards season. Starting with Best Actor, the heat of the race is between Joaquin Phoenix in Spike Jonze's "Her" and Robert Redford for his performance in "All Is Lost". Phoenix is a risk taker and an iconoclast. Redford's performance is also a study in minimalist drama. He does so much just by the force of expression.
In the Best Supporting Actor category, I think Barkhad Abdi will win, for his earthy sincerity in "Captain Phillips" but Daniel Bruhl is a close second for his eerie transformative performance in "Rush". Jonah Hill's smarmy and arrogant Donnie in "The Wolf of Wall Street" might even surprise.
For the Best Actress category, Cate Blanchett title role in "Blue Jasmine" may well be a shoo-in. But let's not count out Emma Thompson as author P.L. Travers in "Saving Mr. Banks" or Judi Dench as the eponymous Philomena.
Regarding Supporting Actress, look for June Squibb in "Nebraska" or Sally Hawkins as a touchy sister to Cate Blanchett's Jasmine.
Best Director will prove a closely contested category with such heavy hitters like the legendary Woody Allen, Paul Greengrass, The Coen Brothers, David O. Russell and Alfonso Cuaron. This category is a squeaker and there might even be an upset, being that the diverse and eclectic Spike Jonze is in the mix for his Kubrickian love story "Her". If I had to pick a winner, I would bet on Cuaron or Russell; the Academy often goes for iconic drama masters or blockbuster existential directors who have made an impact.
The category of Best Picture is a toss up of sorts with so many films that are all exceptional standing alone. While that is true, my visual senses are telling me that the champion may well be "Gravity" for its sheer iconic breadth in storytelling combined with a slick and uncompromisingly visceral cinematography. The quirkily authentic "Inside Llewyn Davis" is a contender as well as "Captain Phillips" for the painstaking virtuosic story that no doubt will make you very uncomfortable---a Greengrass trademark.
While the winners are undetermined as yet, there is no doubt that this was the year of the "true story" film with many tales ( Blue Jasmine, American Hustle, The Wolf of Wall Street, and even All Is Lost) featuring an elitist "one percenter" under duress, which no doubt can be both a catharsis and a temperature gauge for our national climate. In nearly every film, we watch the mighty and the moneyed fall and root for the underdog in his or her plight. These films clearly express that it's no longer hip to be detached from our collective monsters, fiscal or otherwise.
2014 is a diverse film year with many diverse authentic and meaningful stories.
Watch for upsets.
Write Ian at redtv_2005@yahoo.com
The 2014 Award Season
This past year was a "true story"-ish feast. Here are some of my picks for the upcoming awards season. Starting with Best Actor, the heat of the race is between Joaquin Phoenix in Spike Jonze's "Her" and Robert Redford for his performance in "All Is Lost". Phoenix is a risk taker and an iconoclast. Redford's performance is also a study in minimalist drama. He does so much just by the force of expression.
In the Best Supporting Actor category, I think Barkhad Abdi will win, for his earthy sincerity in "Captain Phillips" but Daniel Bruhl is a close second for his eerie transformative performance in "Rush". Jonah Hill's smarmy and arrogant Donnie in "The Wolf of Wall Street" might even surprise.
For the Best Actress category, Cate Blanchett title role in "Blue Jasmine" may well be a shoo-in. But let's not count out Emma Thompson as author P.L. Travers in "Saving Mr. Banks" or Judi Dench as the eponymous Philomena.
Regarding Supporting Actress, look for June Squibb in "Nebraska" or Sally Hawkins as a touchy sister to Cate Blanchett's Jasmine.
Best Director will prove a closely contested category with such heavy hitters like the legendary Woody Allen, Paul Greengrass, The Coen Brothers, David O. Russell and Alfonso Cuaron. This category is a squeaker and there might even be an upset, being that the diverse and eclectic Spike Jonze is in the mix for his Kubrickian love story "Her". If I had to pick a winner, I would bet on Cuaron or Russell; the Academy often goes for iconic drama masters or blockbuster existential directors who have made an impact.
The category of Best Picture is a toss up of sorts with so many films that are all exceptional standing alone. While that is true, my visual senses are telling me that the champion may well be "Gravity" for its sheer iconic breadth in storytelling combined with a slick and uncompromisingly visceral cinematography. The quirkily authentic "Inside Llewyn Davis" is a contender as well as "Captain Phillips" for the painstaking virtuosic story that no doubt will make you very uncomfortable---a Greengrass trademark.
While the winners are undetermined as yet, there is no doubt that this was the year of the "true story" film with many tales ( Blue Jasmine, American Hustle, The Wolf of Wall Street, and even All Is Lost) featuring an elitist "one percenter" under duress, which no doubt can be both a catharsis and a temperature gauge for our national climate. In nearly every film, we watch the mighty and the moneyed fall and root for the underdog in his or her plight. These films clearly express that it's no longer hip to be detached from our collective monsters, fiscal or otherwise.
2014 is a diverse film year with many diverse authentic and meaningful stories.
Watch for upsets.
Write Ian at redtv_2005@yahoo.com
Saturday, January 4, 2014
Week of January 3 to January 9 (Rhoades)
Tropic Overview
New Year Celebrations Continues at Tropic Cinema
Reviewed by Shirrel Rhoades
Tropic Cinema rang in the New Year by holding over four great films -- “Nebraska,” “Philomena,” “The Wolf of Wall Street,” and “Saving Mr. Banks.”
“Nebraska” stars the venerable Bruce Dern as a Montana farmer determined to walk to Nebraska to claim a million-dollar sweepstakes prize he thinks he’s won. Will Forte plays his youngest son, torn between reality and helping his dad achieve his garbled dream. Time Out describes it as “an intimate road movie about one family that also lingers on the landscapes and fabric of an old-time, dying vision of the American Midwest.” And Minneapolis Star Tribune sees it as “a wonderful comedy shot in black-and-white and told in shades of gray.”
“Philomena” offers a terrific performance by Dame Judi Dench as the eponymous Irish woman searching for the son she gave away 50 years ago. Steve Coogan co-stars as the disgraced journalist helping her in this seemingly futile quest. The Washington Post notes that “at its core, this clever, wrenching, profound story underscores the tenacity of faith in the face of unfathomable cruelty.” And Passionate moviegoer finds it “at once heartbreaking, entertaining and humbling.”
In “The Wolf of Wall Street,” Martin Scorsese gives us his favorite actor (Leonardo DiCaprio) as a boiler-room financial manipulator who parties hardy, does drugs and dames, and steal money. Not exactly a cautionary tale, since the aforementioned wolf is barely punished for fleecing the sheep. The Atlantic calls it “a magnificent black comedy: fast, funny, and remarkably filthy.” And Scene-Stealers.com tags it as “a cynical, nasty satire.”
In “Saving Mr. Banks,” Tom Hanks takes on the affable persona of Walt Disney, cajoling the rights to “Mary Poppins” from grumpy author Pamela Travers (a great performance by Emma Thompson). Suite 101 says, “It’s every bit the charming confection you expect it to be, but it's also uncommonly and unexpectedly thoughtful about the troubles of the creative mind and the travails of the creative process.” And Denver Post observes, “It's more a spoonful of sugar than medicine for aging baby boomer's souls.”
So celebrate the New Year by catching up on the movies you meant to see in 2013.
srhoades@aol.com
New Year Celebrations Continues at Tropic Cinema
Reviewed by Shirrel Rhoades
Tropic Cinema rang in the New Year by holding over four great films -- “Nebraska,” “Philomena,” “The Wolf of Wall Street,” and “Saving Mr. Banks.”
“Nebraska” stars the venerable Bruce Dern as a Montana farmer determined to walk to Nebraska to claim a million-dollar sweepstakes prize he thinks he’s won. Will Forte plays his youngest son, torn between reality and helping his dad achieve his garbled dream. Time Out describes it as “an intimate road movie about one family that also lingers on the landscapes and fabric of an old-time, dying vision of the American Midwest.” And Minneapolis Star Tribune sees it as “a wonderful comedy shot in black-and-white and told in shades of gray.”
“Philomena” offers a terrific performance by Dame Judi Dench as the eponymous Irish woman searching for the son she gave away 50 years ago. Steve Coogan co-stars as the disgraced journalist helping her in this seemingly futile quest. The Washington Post notes that “at its core, this clever, wrenching, profound story underscores the tenacity of faith in the face of unfathomable cruelty.” And Passionate moviegoer finds it “at once heartbreaking, entertaining and humbling.”
In “The Wolf of Wall Street,” Martin Scorsese gives us his favorite actor (Leonardo DiCaprio) as a boiler-room financial manipulator who parties hardy, does drugs and dames, and steal money. Not exactly a cautionary tale, since the aforementioned wolf is barely punished for fleecing the sheep. The Atlantic calls it “a magnificent black comedy: fast, funny, and remarkably filthy.” And Scene-Stealers.com tags it as “a cynical, nasty satire.”
In “Saving Mr. Banks,” Tom Hanks takes on the affable persona of Walt Disney, cajoling the rights to “Mary Poppins” from grumpy author Pamela Travers (a great performance by Emma Thompson). Suite 101 says, “It’s every bit the charming confection you expect it to be, but it's also uncommonly and unexpectedly thoughtful about the troubles of the creative mind and the travails of the creative process.” And Denver Post observes, “It's more a spoonful of sugar than medicine for aging baby boomer's souls.”
So celebrate the New Year by catching up on the movies you meant to see in 2013.
srhoades@aol.com
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