Author: mfordfeeney

140 Character Movie Review – #140RVW

If you haven’t read the book, you’ll love it almost without qualification. If you have, it can never be as satisfying, but it’s still great.

Spoiler-free Movie Review of The Martian:

Everyone wants to be first; it feels good to be thought of as an insider, to have exclusive, early access to things. Well, sometimes it can help not to be on the bleeding or even the leading edge. You get to have a little more perspective and are privy to later developments. At least that’s what I’m telling myself and it seems to be making me feel better at my lack of a-list status…

In the case of The Martian, yes, I got into the book fairly early on – enough to impress my better-read friends who hadn’t heard of it yet – but nowhere near as early as others. Besides, I didn’t get around to writing a review of the book until recently, nearly a year after reading it. And as my invitation to the premiere of the film seems to have gotten lost in the mail (along with all the press screening invites), I had to go see it on opening weekend by the usual expedient method of giving my local cinema a fistful of cash for tickets and popped corn.

Aside: actually my wife and I went to a theater we’d never been to before, East Bridgewater Cinemas 1-5, one of three theaters run by small, family-owned South Shore Cinemas (http://www.sscinemas.com) who also runs the little theater in our town. It was an older theater that had just received a substantial refurbishment with cushy rocker seats and was totally charming. I like the comforts of deep-pocketed modern multiplexes as much as the next guy, but I really love unique and local theaters where you can actually talk to the owner if you want. Support local and independent theaters!

The benefit here of writing the review two weeks after the release date is that I can comment on the recent criticism that The Martian is yet another example of “white-washing” (  http://variety.com/2015/film/news/the-martian-white-washing-asian-american-ridley-scott-1201614155/).

It’s really sort of an interesting comment on how for as much as I think of myself as an enlightened man, I can be as guilty of the white privilege perspective on life as anyone else. After seeing the film, was pleased with the multicultural cast that was appropriate for NASA. In fact, I actually considered the casting to be a little too obviously politically correct, as though the producers intentionally selected a diverse cast for reasons of perception rather than to follow the narrative particularly. That’s how skewed things are; I actually had a gut reaction that the filmmakers were cynically playing to impress when they were in fact just representing the human race.

So happy was I as the multicultural cast, I didn’t recognize that a number of characters had morphed into different races in the casting. Guess I’m not as enlightened as I thought. And we still have a lot of work to do…

Actually, the most surprising thing about the casting to me at the time it was announced was how many heavy-hitters had signed on for what I considered very small roles. Why would all these serious actors be interested in being in the film for such a small amount of time? Well, the answer to this explains the only real criticism I have of the film – there’s just not enough of Mark Watney’s story. Let me explain…

From my review of the original novel by Andy Weir, you know I absolutely loved The Martian. It was a masterful fusion of hard science and classic adventure fiction in the vein of Robert Louis
Stevenson. The solitary adventures of the stranded astronaut were fascinating and page-turning, the spell-binding narrative augmented with the occasional interludes of the crew who left him behind and the scientists hoping to bring him home.

But it was a lengthy book that necessarily had to be shortened in order to make it into a feature film. My issue is that what they chose to shorten is the astronaut’s story. In service of creating an engaging film, they made the quite defensible choice to abridge the lengthy segments of Watney talking to himself in favor of a more rounded narrative utilizing the supporting cast. It’s really not a bad solution, and probably the way to go. But it does rob the story of some of the consequence.

In the novel, the story is quite simply more epic. Watney’s struggle to survive against incredible odds is truly amazing. The time constraints of the film slightly minimize his efforts. It’s as simple as that. After talking to people who just saw the film, I repeatedly have been imploring them to read the book; “if you think that was unbelievable, read the novel – he was even more screwed than you realize”.

By shortening the admittedly still very significant screen time of the protagonist, the obvious result is that the supporting characters get beefed up. I don’t believe any of the actions or scenes with the other characters were added to the film; it’s simply addition by subtraction. It’s all there, but the way the focus of a story can be changed by selective editing is a good reminder to us all how crucial the role of editing is in filmmaking.

The other interesting byproduct of this trimming down is that in some ways the story is a little less believable onscreen – without the benefit of the lengthy details about everything that had to happen in this improbable tale, audiences who didn’t read the book may be left with the impression that some things are “too Hollywood”. It’s not the case, but there were moments that struck me as a little too pat in the film, even though I never questioned them in the novel.

Let me emphasize, I think the filmmakers did a great job with the adaptation within the time constraints they had; I simply feel that they shouldn’t have had those constraints. The thought that kept coming to me during the film and has stayed with me since? “This would make a near perfect mini-series.”

Think about how great this story would have been, broken up over ten 1-hour episodes on TV. That’s a free idea, Hollywood. I’m happy to draft a shooting script for you, too. I’m not cheap but I can be had …

The Martian is a near perfect adaptation of a brilliant source novel. The acting is fantastic, the visuals are breathtaking (DP Dariusz Wolski) as is the sound design and effects. If it would possibly make a better series than a feature film, it remains the best possible film version that could have been made. It isn’t dumbed down or jazzed up – it remains remarkably faithful to Weir’s book. NASA gets big ups from the new focus on their mission (which it wholeheartedly deserves; they’ve also done a nice job running with the extra attention) and it will almost certainly inspire more than a few young people to pursue STEM careers. Highly recommended. Now go read the book…

Poster:

Trailer:

Bechdel Test:

Pass

The Representation Test Score: C (6 pts)

(http://therepresentationproject.org/grading-hollywood-the-representation-test/)

[schema type=”movie” url=”http://www.foxmovies.com/movies/the-martian” name=”The Martian” description=”During a manned mission to Mars, Astronaut Mark Watney (Matt Damon) is presumed dead after a fierce storm and left behind by his crew. But Watney has survived and finds himself stranded and alone on the hostile planet. With only meager supplies, he must draw upon his ingenuity, wit and spirit to subsist and find a way to signal to Earth that he is alive. Millions of miles away, NASA and a team of international scientists work tirelessly to bring “the Martian” home, while his crewmates concurrently plot a daring, if not impossible rescue mission. As these stories of incredible bravery unfold, the world comes together to root for Watney’s safe return. Based on a best-selling novel, and helmed by master director Ridley Scott, THE MARTIAN features a star studded cast that includes Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig, Kate Mara, Michael Pena, Jeff Daniels, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Donald Glover.” director=”Ridley Scott” actor_1=”Matt Damon” ]

Main Cast	Matt Damon Mark Watney Jessica Chastain Melissa Lewis Kristen Wiig Annie Montrose Kate Mara Beth Johanssen
Rating	PG-13
Release Date	Fri 02 Oct 2015 UTC
Director	Ridley Scott
Genres	Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Plot	During a manned mission to Mars, Astronaut Mark Watney is presumed dead after a fierce storm and left behind by his crew. But Watney has survived and finds himself stranded and alone on the hostile planet. With only meager supplies, he must draw upon his ingenuity, wit and spirit to subsist and find a way to signal to Earth that he is alive.
Poster
Runtime	141
Tagline	Bring Him Home
Writers	Andy Weir (book), Drew Goddard (screenplay)
Year	2015

140 Character Movie Review – #140RVW

Let’s hear it for indies that still dare to stubbornly make non-sequel/non-comic book, original films depicting real emotions & experiences.

Spoiler-free Movie Review of The Last Time You Had Fun:

Do you know how many great little movies come out every year that you never hear about? It’s sort of ridiculous. I try to focus on a lot of them on this site, but I can’t come close to keeping up with them. Some I watch and never get around to reviewing; many more just slip through the cracks.

The Last Time You Had Fun is a cute little film from Director Mo Perkins, writer Hal Haberman & Producer Drea Clark, focusing on a group of thirty-somethings on a single night in Los Angeles. That summary could be applied to about five other indie films every year, really, but that doesn’t mean that any of them are unworthy of your attention; quite the opposite. Any film reduced to its most basic plot recap sounds trite.

Featuring an ensemble cast consisting of Kyle Bornhiemer, Eliza Coupe, Mary Elizabeth Ellis and Demetri Martin, The Last Time You Had Fun is messy & complicated, just like life.

The Last Time You Had Fun follows two duos; sad sack Clark (Bornhiemer) and over-confident lawyer Will (Martin) & presumably stable Alison (Ellis) and her basket case sister Ida (Coupe).

Clark has gotten divorced earlier in the day and his best friend Will is trying to draw him out by throwing a divorce party; basically just trying to get Clark out of the house. Will succeeds in getting Clark to leave his teenage kids at home, but not in getting him to change out of his sweatpants.

Meanwhile, Alison’s seemingly normal home life is disrupted by the arrival of Ida, constantly reeling from her busted marriage and trying to sort it all out.

The four meet-cute at a wine bar and proceed to spend the night trying to reclaim some of their carefree youth.

If the picture were longer it wouldn’t be as effective; it’s great at a modest 82 minutes. The pace is just right – the action keeps moving, yet it retains that late night out vibe and the quiet moments that are so natural on an all-nighter. As the group wanders around the city trading carefree partying with brutal honesty, the constant presence of reality keeps bringing them down to Earth. They can try all sorts of “wild” things like sticking up through the moon roof of a limo “it always looks so fun in the movies” and acquiring marijuana, but nothing can shield them from the fact that these escapades are not only things of their past, but woefully inadequate in shaking up the ennui of life. Instead of feeling younger for their adventures, they likely feel even older.

All of the acting is fantastic; standouts are Bornhiemer, who had a small but fun part in She’s Out of My League, and Coupe from the world’s funniest too-soon-canceled show, Happy Endings. The funniest character in the picture, however, may be Betty (Charlyne Yi), their young limo driver, who wearily carts these would-be adventurers around town all night.

Most effective for a similarly aged audience, The Last Time You Had Fun remains an easy recommendation.

Poster:

Trailer:

Bechdel Test:

Pass

The Representation Test Score: B (7 pts)

(http://therepresentationproject.org/grading-hollywood-the-representation-test/)

[schema type=”movie” url=”http://thelasttimeyouhadfun.com/” name=”The Last Time You Had Fun” description=”When Clark and Will meet Alison and Ida in a wine bar, the foursome set out for an all-night adventure to have the most fun that four decidedly dysfunctional adults are capable of having. This is: The Last Time You Had Fun.” director=”Mo Perkins” actor_1=”Kyle Bornhiemer” actor_2=”Eliza Coupe” actor_3=”Mary Elizabeth Ellis” actor_4=”Demetri Martin” ]

Main Cast	Kyle Bornheimer Clark Eliza Coupe Ida Mary Elizabeth Ellis Alison Demetri Martin Will
Rating
Release Date	2014
Director	Mo Perkins
Genres	Comedy, Drama
Plot	When Clark and Will meet Alison and Ida in a wine bar, the foursome struggle to have the most fun that four, bickering, barely married, pre-middle-aged, decidedly dysfunctional adults are capable of having.
Poster
Runtime	82
Tagline
Writers	Hal Haberman (writer)
Year	2014

140 Character Movie Review – #140RVW

Sure, it’s a love poem from Disney to Disney, but that doesn’t lessen the endeavor. There’s a great story here & it’s reportedly mostly true

Spoiler-free Movie Review of Saving Mr. Banks:

When news of the feature film Saving Mr. Banks first broke, my reaction was likely similar to that of many; “sounds like a great premise, but it’s probably going to be a total puff piece”. In some respects, that prediction was accurate on both counts; it certainly engages in some fictionalization, nevertheless it’s a great story.

Saving Mr. Banks tells the story of Walt Disney’s film adaptation of author P.L. Travers’ most famous character, Mary Poppins. Long before seeing the film, the story was legend; Disney promised his daughters that he would make a film version of the Mary Poppins stories and Travers, understandably protective of her work, was widely regarded as nearly impossible to work with in the process.

The film documents the realization of Disney’s twenty-year pursuit of the film rights to the character, placing the story at the film studio where Travers has finally travelled to work on the adaptation. For dramatic purposes, the script posits that Travers has yet to sign the paperwork giving her authorization for the film, thus raising the stakes for Disney’s virtual chess match with the author. In reality, Travers had already signed over the rights when these meetings took place; Disney wasn’t personally involved with every step of the contest, either. Other than those admittedly dramatically satisfying changes, the painful process was reportedly quite accurately depicted.

The film itself is a heartbreaker; entertains very adult themes even as it entertains. Lots of cutesy touches and those are great, but they wisely don’t distract or lessen the seriousness of the tale. Counterpoint to the Hollywood negotiations is the sad tale of the author’s youth which drove the creation of the character and provides context for her rigidity.

In the flashback scenes, young Helen Goff (Annie Rose Buckley) inhabits a seemingly idyllic world of fantasy at the encouragement of her dreamer father, Travers Goff (Colin Farrell). In reality, the doting husband and father badly hides his depression over the seriousness of the world with alcohol, losing his bank manager job and the family’s home in the process. Relocating to deepest Australia for a new chance, Helen’s world is a mixture of whimsy and worry, as her mother buckles under the pressure of raising the family in isolation and her father struggles to sustain his children’s sense of wonder while battling his own addiction.

The acting is absolutely marvelous; Emma Thompson is one of the most brilliant actresses of her generation or any other, and her turn as Helen Goff / Pamela Travers is sublime. She reportedly found the role very difficult, and small wonder. There’s such a depth of emotion and character here.

Her foil, Walt Disney himself, is played to perfection by Tom Hanks. Oddly enough for such an iconic figure, this is the first time the character has been played in a motion picture. You aren’t expecting a hatchet job from a Disney picture, and you don’t get one, but the film plays it mostly straight. While you’ll fall in love with Disney’s folksy charm, it doesn’t totally shy away from his warts, and the story is far more sympathetic to Travers.

The Disney team features some heavy hitters; Bradley Whitford as co-screenwriter Don DiGradis, B.J. Novak and Jason Schwartzman as songwriting team Robert and Richard Sherman, respectively, and Kathy Baker as Walt’s assistant Tommie.

Paul Giamatti also appears in a small but vital role as Ralph, the driver who attends to Mrs. Travers and provides world-wise repartee. A little surprising that he would sign on for such a small role, although it’s a great one that wouldn’t work with anyone else. So much depth to him.

Perhaps the most surprising performance comes from Colin Farrell in one of his best roles yet as Travers Goff. He really conveys the heartache of a man beaten down by life and his own demons. We keep getting glimpses of this fine actor – fame was the worst thing that ever happened to him – he is so effective in smaller roles and/or films. Ruth Wilson supports him ably as wife Margaret; a character that probably deserved more screen time but Wilson definitely knows how to make the most of it.

Directed by John Lee Hancock based on a script by Kelly Marcel and Sue Smith, Saving Mr. Banks is really a delight to watch. Could probably have used a five-minute trim, but editor Mark Livolsi keeps it all moving. Never boring, just kind of long. The look of the film is wonderful, from the photography of John Schwartzman to the fantastic set design and period outfits (too many to list).

Thomas Newman is tasked with creating a memorable score that hints at the Sherman’s work without aping it. The great writing room scenes are lovely; really make you (re)appreciate the artistry of the music and creation of this great film. The Sherman Brothers are such geniuses.

Saving Mr. Banks is not the total creampuff you were probably expecting. Sure, it does indulge in a bit of whitewashed fantasy that shows old Walt in the best possible light, but reportedly it’s a fair characterization. The film started life as an independent production, and the filmmakers were understandably nervous when the House of Mouse took ownership of it. However, by all reports Disney didn’t flex its muscles creatively and the final product is largely unchanged. There’s certainly a lot of creative license taken, but the tale is largely faithful to the spirit of the process if not entirely wedded to all the facts. Recommended.

Poster:

Trailer:

Bechdel Test:

Pass

The Representation Test Score: A (11 pts)

(http://therepresentationproject.org/grading-hollywood-the-representation-test/)

[schema type=”movie” name=”Saving Mr. Banks” description=”Author P.L. Travers reflects on her childhood after reluctantly meeting with Walt Disney, who seeks to adapt her Mary Poppins books for the big screen.” director=”John Lee Hancock” actor_1=”Emma Thompson” ]

Main Cast	Emma Thompson P.L. Travers, Tom Hanks Walt Disney, Annie Rose Buckley Ginty, Colin Farrell Travers Goff
Rating	PG-13
Release Date	Fri 20 Dec 2013 UTC
Director	John Lee Hancock
Genres	Biography, Comedy, Drama, History, Music
Plot	Author P.L. Travers reflects on her childhood after reluctantly meeting with Walt Disney, who seeks to adapt her Mary Poppins books for the big screen.
Poster
Runtime	125
Tagline	Where her book ended, their story began.
Writers	Kelly Marcel (written by) and, Sue Smith (written by)
Year	2013

140 Character Movie Review – #140RVW

Tilda Swinton & Tom Hiddleston as vampires? Talk about typecasting. Lovely textbook effort from Jarmusch – exactly what you expect & want…

Spoiler-free Movie Review of Only Lovers Left Alive:

With all the times I complain about overlong movies, you may get the impression that I have an inherent problem with long, slowly-paced films. Not at all. My issue is with consistency; I expect films to be have a pacing that fits their subject and style. Jim Jarmusch knows exactly what he is doing. When you watch a Jarmusch movie, you know what to expect; if you’re in a hurry, you’re at the wrong picture. And that’s not only fine, it’s appropriate. His films have a great internal integrity; they are remarkably even.

Only Lovers Left Alive is an original story, not based on the 1960’s book of the same name that was so popular with hippie rockers. There’s undoubtedly some inspiration there, though.

Tilda Swinton & Tom Hiddleston star as an old married couple. A very old married couple, as they are ancient vampires named Adam and Eve (of course they are). Despite the waif-thin appearance of the pair, this isn’t your consumptive Victorian vampire tale. Vamps are beings out of time in the modern world, hidden away where they discreetly purchase hospital blood on the red market (heh, heh, couldn’t resist). Seems no one goes around drinking from humans anymore, which gives the whole of vampiric existence a really obvious junkie parallel. Not the first time this has been done, but it mostly works well. There’s also a lot of discussion of blood contamination, which I assume is an AIDS allegory.

Honestly, the pursuit of the sticky stuff and preoccupation with same is the only part of Only Lovers Left Alive that left me kind of flat. The characters and setting are so engaging that I found the vampire aspect of the narrative a bit tiresome. I just wanted to get back to these engrossing lovers.

Only Lovers Left Alive splits time between Eve’s home of Tangier and the desolate Detroit where Adam has isolated himself. Both settings are beautifully-filmed and central to the story, particularly Motor City. Detroit really is a character unto itself as there’s this fantastic analogy/depiction of the city as wilderness that just plays.

As an aside, Only Lovers Left Alive was shot by Yorick Le Saux on the Arri Alexa digital cinema camera; the conversation about the inherent limitations of digital filming is now over. This is gorgeous…

The acting is predictably wonderful – Swinton and Hiddleston seldom disappoint. The small cast is rounded out with Mia Wasikowska as Eve’s sister Ava and Anton Yelchin as Adam’s Renfield. Jeffrey Wright also has a tiny but great part. The capper, though? John Hurt as Christopher Marlowe; ol’ Kit is a vampire – love it!

All Jarmusch films are Atmospheric with a capital A and infused with music and Only Lovers Left Alive is no exception. The music is integral to the tale, as Adam is a musician, desperate to get his art out in the world but obsessed with maintaining privacy. Jozef Van Wissem provides the ambient score, assisted by Jarmusch’s band SQÜRL. It’s lovely, alternating between electric textures and haunting acoustic instruments. There are also some spell-binding performances by White Hills and Yasmine Hamdan.

Like the characters themselves, Only Lovers Left Alive occasionally drifts a bit far into fetishistic territory, obsessing over the details of objects and the Latin names for things. There’s a LOT of name-dropping, from historic figures to scientific principles to guitars. It is nearly certainly an intentional stylistic choice, part of the premise that ancient beings would necessarily place value on minutia, but it is a bit heavy-handed.

I can let that bit of hipster product placement slide, however, because Only Lovers Left Alive is an exquisitely fine film. The acting is top shelf, the music and look of the picture are mesmerizing and the whole affair is captivating. Recommended.

Poster:

Trailer:

Bechdel Test:

Pass

The Representation Test Score: C (4 pts)

(http://therepresentationproject.org/grading-hollywood-the-representation-test/)

[schema type=”movie” url=”http://sonyclassics.com/onlyloversleftalive/” name=”Only Lovers Left Alive” description=”After being around for centuries and now living in the modern age, vampire Adam is a rockstar that cannot grow accustomed to the new modern world with all of its new technology. While he lives in Detroit, his wife Eve lives in Tangier, flourishing in the new world. But when she senses Adam’s depression with society, she gets on a plane and goes to see him. Shortly after Eve gets there, her little sister, Ava, shows up after 87 years and disrupts the couple’s idyll reunion.” director=”Jim Jarmusch” actor_1=”Tom Hiddleston” actor_2=”Tilda Swinton” ]

Main Cast	Tilda Swinton Eve Tom Hiddleston Adam Mia Wasikowska Ava John Hurt Christopher Marlowe
Rating	R
Release Date	Thu 12 Dec 2013 UTC
Director	Jim Jarmusch
Genres	Drama, Horror, Romance
Plot	A depressed musician reunites with his lover, though their romance – which has already endured several centuries – is disrupted by the arrival of her uncontrollable younger sister.
Poster
Runtime	123
Tagline
Writers	Jim Jarmusch (written by) and, Marion Bessay (adaptation)
Year	2013