Movie Loner

Philosophical debates among intellectuals are often pedantic and elitist. Listening to brilliant minds spout abstract theories and deconstruct worldwide problems, albeit informative, can become quite tedious. While appropriate material for Charlie Rose or a BBC round-table, putting this sort of cerebral subject matter on film is a tricky process. Movies like Louis Malle’s My Dinner with Andre and Richard Linklater’s Slacker are successful examples of dialogue-heavy projects that carefully tread into the realm of higher thinking without insulting their audiences’ intelligence. Add Mindwalk to that list; a passionate film of ideas written by renowned physicist Fritjof Capra.

Burned-out politician Jack Edwards (Sam Waterston) needs a break from the D.C. grind. A trip to France to visit his poet friend Thomas (John Heard) is the perfect remedy. Once there Jack and Thomas take a drive to the medieval islet of Mont-Saint-Michel to spend the day. What begins as an ordinary touristic excursion takes an interesting turn after meeting Sonia (Liv Ullmann), a disenchanted physicist on a lengthy sabbatical. It doesn’t take long before three disparate minds engage in an intelligent, heated discourse. Socially relevant topics include the mechanization of humans, global warming, voter apathy, the consequences of scientific advancement, and the meaning of life. While differing on many issues all three are respectful of the others opinion. A fascinating walk ensues as each submits their own distinct vision of a planet in turmoil.

Director Bernt Amadeus Capra, brother of Fritjof Capra, creates a meandering story void of plot or device. It unfolds as a filmed stage play composed of several monologues. The camera acts as a casual observer: it’s not meant to distract but rather simply document. Dazzling architecture and gorgeous scenery of Mont-Saint-Michel provide a stark contrast to the depressing cynicism uttered by the characters. The systematic destruction of the environment is a prescient subject for 1990, long before Al Gore’s vocal crusade entered the mainstream. Also deliberated is the abuse of science by world goverments. Instead of using scientific betterment to solve society’s problems bureaucratic institutions often choose to improve military infrastructures. Capra paints a bleak picture of society’s ills, but also offers a glimmer of hope. Jack, Thomas and Sonia do more than just speak to each other, they listen. If humans, particularly those in positions of power, listen to differing viewpoints perhaps the world would be a better place.

Mindwalk features three unique performances from its actors. Sam Waterston portrays frustrated ex presidential candidate Jack Edwards as an idealist who still believes change is possible. Politicians talking about change. Sound familiar? Edwards isn’t angry, he’s lost. John Heard’s struggling poet Thomas checked-out years before, unable to cope with the system. He plays mediator to Jack and Sonia, chiming in with a quip or a quote, but it’s his final act recital that resonates. Rounding out the cast is the iconic Liv Ullmann who carries the film playing Sonia, a perceptive scientist hiding from a world she no longer recognizes. Ullmann’s role is filled with weighty dialogue, but she delivers without missing a beat. Mindwalk won’t be to everyone’s liking. Non-stop talk and confusing concepts can be turnoffs. With that in mind, if you enjoy challenging films it is well worth your time.

A scene from Mindwalk:

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Just released on Yahoo tonight. This movie looks incredible. I’ve already expressed my admiration for Alan Moore’s brilliant graphic novel, but it looks like Director Zack Snyder has nailed the adaptation. Check out the trailer:

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Just watched Iron Man on DVD. Damn good movie. I realize this site is for non-blockbusters and it always will be. That being said, I’m not an anti-Hollywood guy. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, I love it when Hollywood gets it right. My only problem is more often than not they get it wrong. Really wrong.

But Iron Man is exactly what a big budget tent-pole comic book adaptation should be. Cool concept. Great effects. Powermad villain. And most importantly, Robert Downey Jr. as engineering genius/corporate tycoon Tony Stark. Christian Bale is too serious. Tobey Maguire not enough personality. Downey Jr. possesses the perfect combination of humor, charm and edge. Everything you want in a superhero. One quibble: Is it wrong that I spotted Jeff Bridges as the bad guy before he even spoke? By the way, Gwyneth Paltrow as a redhead? Very nice.

Everyone has seen it: The trailer for Iron Man:

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Before Brad Pitt became a Hollywood hunk and the poster-boy for international adoption, he was a young actor trying to launch a career. After laboring in TV land on shows such as Dallas, Head of the Class and Growing Pains, Pitt set his sights on feature films. Before his bare-chested cameo in 1991’s Thelma and Louise Brad got caught up in the flurry of high school movies that permeated the 1980s. He landed his first meaty role in Cutting Class, a biting comedy about a teenage serial killer. It’s no classic, but it’s not that bad either.

Someone is killing people at Wurleigh High. The prime suspect is darkly clad recluse Brian Woods, a recent resident of the local insane asylum where he was sent for murdering his father. Caught in the middle of this creepy whodunit are teen couple Paula and Dwight. Paula is the quintessential girl-next-door, cute as a button and a stickler for the rules. She’s also the object of Brian’s obsession. Dwight is the prototypical bad boy: hot tempered, drives a fast car, spurns authority. He’s also Brian’s former best friend. Who is responsible for all these murders? Is it really Brian? Or could it be Dwight? Other potential slashers include a crazed janitor and a perverted principal. Paula doesn’t know who to trust but one thing is certain. No one is safe at Wurleigh High.

This movie is a guilty pleasure. It reminded me of Heathers which was released the same year, but its story structure more closely resembles Wes Craven’s Scream, minus the phone games. Horror that refuses to take itself seriously. It has its share of gore and the plot is twisty enough to keep you guessing until the final act. The Director is some guy named Rospo Pallenberg. Sounds like a pseudonym to me, but he failed to direct another movie. Whether he’s real or not, Rospo helms a silly ship that never gets boring. Instruments of death range from a pottery kiln to a copy machine. I’m always amused by the number of things in high school that can kill you.

Donovan Leitch gives it his over-the-top all playing the disturbed Brian. We know he’s got a screw loose, but his culpability is not definitive. A couple of acting vets also appear: Roddy McDowall of Planet of the Apes fame plays lecherous principal Dante and comic Martin Mull adds an oddball spin to Paula’s attorney father. Speaking of Paula, she’s portrayed by raspy voiced Jill Schoelen who peeked in 1987’s cult terror flick Stepfather. Like so many other 80s “scream queens” she faded into obscurity by the mid 1990s. Cutting Class will be forever known for the Brad Pitt connection, but it’s got more going for it than just him.

A scene from Cutting Class:

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I’ve had this blog for about ten months so it’s about time I express my admiration for Steven Soderbergh. Sex, Lies and Videotape is one of my favorite films. It’s a major reason why I decided to attend film school. Soderbergh’s meteoric rise from indie it-kid to A-list Director has been nothing short of extraordinary. He doesn’t always hit a homerun but he constantly swings for the fences. King of the Hill, Out of Sight, Traffic and Ocean’s 11 all cleared the center-field fences while Kafka, Full-Frontal, Solaris and Bubble were three-pitch strikeouts. The beauty of Soderbergh is his willingness to vacillate between smaller, experimental projects and high-profile studio gigs. One of his lesser-known movies is The Limey, a compact vengeance drama conveyed in Soderbergh’s signature style.

After serving a nine year prison stint an old school British gangster named Wilson (Terence Stamp) travels to Los Angeles to investigate the mysterious circumstances surrounding his daughter Jenny’s death. Aided by Eduardo, a reformed ex-con, Wilson’s inquiries lead to slick music producer Terry Valentine (Peter Fonda), Jenny’s live-in boyfriend. Wilson wastes little time tracking down Valentine, but his advances are blocked by Valentine’s right-hand-man Avery, a shady fixer who will resort to anything to protect Valentine’s interests. Not deterred, Wilson declares war on Valentine until the score is settled.

As Wilson continues to probe Jenny’s life he meets Elaine, a Hollywood voice coach who helps fill in the gaps about Jenny’s last days. Wilson shares his memories of Jenny with Elaine and expresses regret for being an absentee father. Further complicating matters for Wilson are two wacko hitmen and a group of rouge DEA Agents. A nervous Valentine rounds up his cronies and heads for Big Sur to hideout at his beach house. Wilson, Eduardo and Elaine follow in close pursuit. Avery and his hired guns lie in wait anticipating Wilson’s arrival. Driven by vengeance, Wilson storms the house to confront Valentine.

Soderbergh is one of the true auteurs working in film today. He deftly applies flashbacks and flash-forwards to reveal backstory and plot-points. The inclusion of footage from the 1967 film Poor Cow, starring a young Terence Stamp, adds authentic flavor to Wilson’s criminal past. Wilson’s honest reflections on his wayward youth deepen his character and offer poignant insight into a troubled life. Soderbergh’s Directing skills are put on display, in particular his utilization of overlapping dialogue to bridge scenes together. This subtle technique smoothly advances the plot by tying together story arcs and relationships between characters. Sex, Lies and Videotape and Out of Sight both employ similar traits. Soderbergh didn’t invent this approach but it has become a staple in his methodology.

The cast of The Limey is a good one. Stamp is perfect playing an embittered rough-and-tumble bloke who won’t rest until his wrath is satisfied. Peter Fonda also stands out; his portrayal of the sleazy Valentine oozes desperation and cowardice. Solid additional support comes from Luis Guzman, Lesley Ann Warren, Barry Newman and Nicky Katt. Lem Dobbs’ tightly-written script never sways from the central theme. It’s a precise character study of a career criminal seeking not only vengeance but redemption. Wilson is a violent man, but he doesn’t hide from his mistakes and failures. The Limey was inexplicably released in only 100 theaters back in 1999. It deserved much, much better. If you’re a fan of the genre, pick it up on DVD.

The trailer for The Limey:

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Recognize the name Randal Kleiser? He’s the guy who directed Grease and The Blue Lagoon. Two well-known movies from 1978 and 1980 respectively, responsible for introducing audiences to John Travolta and Brooke Shields. Grease is widely considered the best modern-day musical, while The Blue Lagoon has been called one of the more ridiculous shmaltz-fests ever put to celluloid. Although, the latter does feature a young Shields gallivanting naked on a beach. Kleiser’s next film would be Summer Lovers, a not-so-ordinary romance set in the picturesque Greek Islands.

Peter Gallagher and Daryl Hannah play Michael and Cathy, a post-graduate couple summer vacationing in Greece. Settling in at a white-stone villa overlooking the Mediterranean, the young lovers soak-up the sun and swim the warm blue seas. Michael, a structured rich-boy, adopts the carefree attitude of the locals and looks to spread his wings. Cathy, a sheltered nice girl, spends her days photographing exotic locales. Scores of beautiful men and women flood the nude beaches which has a profound effect on both Michael and Cathy. Michael’s wandering eye soon catches the gaze of a sexy French archaeologist named Lina. A rendezvous in a remote grotto leads to an affair, compromising Michael’s relationship with Cathy.

A guilty Michael tells Cathy about Lina, confessing his desire to grow sexually. Cathy is less than thrilled, but her attempts at retribution with a local man fall short. Despite her anger she can’t go through with it. Instead, Cathy elects to confront Lina face-to-face. Lina explains she isn’t seeking commitment and manages to start a friendship with Cathy. Two soon turns into three as Michael, Cathy and Lina become attached at the hips. They eat, dance, sunbathe, swim and eventually sleep together. An alternative relationship forms once Lina moves into the villa. The trio put aside petty jealousies and adopt a loving communal lifestyle. As summer wanes Lina becomes distant, aware that Michael and Cathy will soon be leaving. Will their happiness endure or will life’s barriers bring it to an end?

Writer/Director Kleiser introduces some intriguing themes throughout the story. The fun loving, fearless attitude of a pre-AIDS world is refreshing to see, but in hindsight it’s somewhat troubling considering what would surface a few years later. The idea of engaging in sex with multiple partners without dangerous consequences was commonplace back in 1982. Unknowingly, Kleiser documented one of the last periods of free love in all its glory. The characters’ menage-a-trois arrangement is certainly radical for the time. Pornography entered the mainstream in the mid to late 70s and pulled back a curtain, but the notion of three people living a bacchanalian existence had to be shocking to audiences. Credit Kleiser for painting their relationship as cheerful and innocent, rather than dirty or profane. The film would gross close to $5 million, which for an R-rated title in 1982 isn’t bad, so people weren’t sacred off by its explicit ideas and imagery.

Summer Lovers is one of those films you catch late-night and can’t switch off. I’ll be honest, not to mention superficial, the sight of Daryl Hannah, Valerie Quennessen (Lina) and countless other beauties nude is the main reason I kept watching. That aside, the film is highly entertaining and groundbreaking. Hannah and Gallagher seem to relish their roles and why shouldn’t they? Filming in the Greek isles surrounded by naked bodies can’t be all that bad. The real find here though is Quennessen, who plays the sensuous Lina. Her eyes convey a multitude of emotions. Sadly, the actress was killed in an auto accident in 1989, cutting short a promising life and career. Randal Kleiser is far from a brilliant director but he deserves praise for crafting a gorgeous-looking, uninhibited film that took me by surprise. Like anyone, I dig a good surprise.

The trailer for Summer Lovers:

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I’ve been called a cynic, insensitive, and on occasion, uncaring. I’ll admit to all of these claims, but there are still things I find disturbing. In terms of films, there aren’t many that have unnerved me in my life. Off the top of my head, Gasper Noe’s brutal Irreversible and Alain Resnais’ stirring documentary Night and Fog are a couple that have stuck with me. I don’t hide from the cruelties perpetrated in the world, so there isn’t much I find shocking or perverse. I just finished covering horror movies for October. Although it isn’t classified under horror, Gus Van Sant’s Elephant is one of the most frightening movies I’ve seen in recent memory.

It’s a gray autumn day at an ordinary bucolic high school. Students meander hallways, mingle with friends, and make plans for the future. The typical clicks are introduced: jocks, nerds, geeks and loners all go about their daily routines. Everything appears normal but an ominous aura hangs over the school. No amount of gossip or giggling can crack the eerie quiet that grips the halls. Through a series of flashbacks we meet Alex, a shy outcast who has become a target for spitball hurling bullies. Alex and best bud Eric hang together in a basement, play video games and wait for a deadly package to arrive in the mail.

Back to the seemingly normal fall day. Alex and Eric converge on the school, dressed in fatigues, armed with machine guns and bombs. Frustrated by alienation, the two teens unleash a plot to attack the school and murder as many students as possible. They maneuver through the building with extreme prejudice, shooting anyone who comes into their sights. Panicked students attempt to hide as the harsh sound of gunfire echoes in the distance. The motivation for Alex and Eric’s actions is unclear, but the barbarism they inflict is cold and calculated. The matter-of-fact manner in which they unfold their vengeful plan is as upsetting as the images of bullet-riddled bodies left to die.

Several social issues are contrasted in Elephant. Gun control is clearly at the center. The ease at which Alex and Eric are able to secure weapons, via the internet, brings into question the validity of our checks and balances when it comes to acquiring guns. Also at play is the absent or neglectful parental figure. The only adult, besides teachers, we see is a character’s drunken father who is so inebriated he’s unable to drive his son to school. Bad parents aren’t solely to blame for teens embarking on a rampage, however a lack of guidance and discipline is certainly a contributing factor. Finally, there is the stunted growth and social ineptitude of both Alex and Eric. Everyone gets ridiculed in high school. It’s a minority that resorts to violence as a method of retribution. Not all outcasts dwell in a cloud of perpetual darkness. What transformed Alex and Eric into ruthless killing machines? Violent video games or repeated harassment are not adequate explanations. Van Sant doesn’t pretend to have the answers. He seems as perplexed as society.

Van Sant creates a surreal nightmare that purposely mirrors the inhuman Columbine massacre of 1999. He rejects artifice in favor of a more naturalistic style, concentrating on long takes and simple transitions. No flashy effects or quick-cutting to romanticize the action. He utilizes sound to perfection. The chilling dullness of a shotgun blast. A shrill scream from a weeping girl. These audible assaults define terror on a whole new level. Van Sant employs a cast of non-actors to portray the student body. The raw realism of the victims and the stunning apathy displayed by Alex and Eric are proof that acting classes are a waste of time. Elephant is 80 minutes of unforgettable horror. It’s difficult to watch but if you appreciate honest cinema do yourself a favor and see this excellent film.

The trailer for Elephant:

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Unfortunately, action movies have become a dime a dozen. Originality and creativity have disappeared in this tried and true genre. With one exception, what I call the “deadline plot”. Guy Ritchie discovery Jason Statham has popularized this type of adrenaline-laced cinema with The Transporter and Crank movies. Basically, the hero is given a set amount of time to complete a perilous mission. Deliver a package, find a poison’s antidote, or defuse an explosive device. What hopefully follows is a non-stop thrill-ride culminating in an intense climax. I’ve seen a lot of these films in recent years but the best one so far is the French produced District B13, an impressive ballet of martial-arts fueled action that leaves you wanting more.

In 2010 Paris, the city’s most crime infested ghetto, District B13, has been walled off by government decree. Behind these walls normal citizens coexist with ruthless criminals. Waging war against the drug lords is a nimble Robin Hood named Leito (David Belle). Leito leads a one man crusade to stop the local kingpin, Taha, from destroying the neighborhood he calls home. After Leito steals a case of heroin from Taha the crime boss retaliates by kidnapping Leito’s sister, Lola. Leito breaks into Taha’s compound, rescues Lola, and snatches Taha for collateral. Once he delivers Taha to the police he is double-crossed. The cops free Taha and hand Lola over to him. An enraged Leito is sent to jail.

Six months later a government truck carrying a high-tech bomb is raided by Taha’s thugs. Upon opening the bomb’s case, the bomb is armed. Taha orders his men to discard it immediately. At police headquarters, top-cop Capt. Damien Tomaso (Cyril Raffaelli) is recruited to enter District B13 to disarm the bomb. To ensure passage through the deadly district he joins forces with Leito. Reluctant partners, Leito agrees so he can save Lola, while Damien is determined to complete his mission. Together, the two utilize their martial arts training and traceur skills to navigate the dangerous pitfalls of District B13. Will they reach the bomb in time to prevent it from annihilating an entire section of Paris? Or are they victims of a cruel betrayal?

Borrowing liberally from John Carpenter’s classic Escape from New York, District B13 debates the solutions for a city infested with crime. The government’s answer is simple yet cold: box in the animals and let them kill each other. This archaic line of thinking eschews all compassion for innocent citizens trapped within the district who have no way out. In fact, the government views everyone behind the wall, including Leito and Damien, as expendable. The duo merely represents a means to an end. They serve as pawns on a chessboard controlled by sinister agents who believe the best strategy to achieve check mate is mass destruction. This prevailing attitude is sadly shared by governments across the globe. However, more often than not the easiest solution to a problem is the one most damaging.

The dynamic opening foot chase had me absolutely hooked. The action sequences are incredible. If you’re not familiar with “traceur”, it’s an extreme sport that combines running, jumping and gymnastics and was developed by David Belle. He and Cyril Raffaelli are two of the world’s best practitioners. It’s difficult to describe, you kinda have to see it for yourself. Safe to say it requires balance and concentration. Anyway, watching Belle and Raffaelli strut their stuff is eye-opening. District B13 could have been another run-of-the-mill borefest posing as action, but instead it’s an amazing display of edgy stuntwork and gunplay. Credit Director Pierre Morel for keeping the story simple and allowing his two stars to take over. A sequel is filming now and is expected to be released sometime next year. If you’ve been hankering for a new breed of action flick check out District B13.

The trailer for District B13:

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