Tag: 2013

Not Another Happy Ending (2013)

140 Character Movie Review – #140RVW

In some ways, a meet-cute rom-com of the sort you’ve seen many times. But it’s Karen Gillan…and chemistry with Stanley Weber wonderful…

Spoiler-free Movie Review of Not Another Happy Ending:

Since the Chicago Cubs failed to fulfill the Back to the Future, Part II promise of winning the 2015 World Series two nights ago (I couldn’t even talk about it yesterday), I need some cheering up. So why not take a look at an under the radar romantic comedy starring my favorite Doctor Who companion, Karen Gillan.

(Aside: how like the Cubs is it to get eliminated from the playoffs on the very day they were predicted to win it all? It was their “density”! That’s so Cubs…)

Not Another Happy Ending is a partially crowdfunded 2013 indie comedy filmed in Glasgow. The Scottish setting is lovely and refreshing. DP George Geddes films a collection of beautiful scenes. And the costume design by Louise Allen is amazing – Gillan’s outfits are Annie Hall style trend-setting. Or at least they should be…

Gillan is a wonderful actress and this is one of the few times she’s really been allowed enough time to show it. I’m not going to be watching her horror film (Oculus), and they cancelled her ABC comedy Selfie, so this is a film I’m going to be returning to in order to watch her work.

(Aside: Selfie was not a good TV show, but it had potential. It was DOA, earning a spot on most critics “first to be cancelled” prediction lists, and not without reason. But I would have liked to see it get more of a chance. The whole thing was a little too obvious and self-aware, trying too hard, but John Cho and Gillan were wonderful together and both really deserve a great show.)

The synopsis of the film is correct but a little incomplete, which took me out of the film-watching experience a bit. I was thinking back to the story I expected instead of just watching the story that was actually on screen. In an effort to prevent others from this same experience, my quick recap is going to be a little longer than usual. I don’t think I’m spoiling anything, just clarifying. The summary, that an editor finds that his best author can’t write when happy so he tries to make her sad, is fantastic; it’s a perfectly good blurb on the film. However, that storyline doesn’t really start until halfway through the picture.

Written by David Solomons, Not Another Happy Ending tells the tale of Jane Lockhart (Gillan), an author struggling to get her first novel published. Tom Duvall (Weber), editor of a small publishing company, spots a diamond in the rough and the two fight and flirt through the process of editing her highly personal, almost memoir. The gruff, impersonal Frenchman and the quirky, earnest Scot have great chemistry, sparks obvious to everyone but themselves. They fall out regarding the title of the novel, vowing never to work together again; then the book is a hit.

So the excellent pitch that he needs to unblock the author takes place over a much more rich and interesting backdrop than may be expected from the premise. There’s lots of great stuff about Lockhart’s new-found success and the separate struggles of Lockhart and Duvall.

The cast is fantastic; I’ll stop gushing about Karen Gillan, lest I lose any remaining credibility as an impartial critic. Stanley Weber is a wonderful foil – dreamy and full of Gallic intensity, he handles scenes of quiet and bombast equally well.

Iain deCaestecker (Fitz from Marvel’s Agents of Shield) steals every scene he is in as Roddy, Tom’s best mate. Similarly, Amy Manson impresses as Darsie, Jane’s come to life protagonist. Gary Lewis as the senior Lockhart is nicely subdued, expressing the range of a father’s emotions with a performance rather unlike anything I think I’ve seen before. It’s quietly impressive.

Not Another Happy Ending is an easy recommendation. It’s a rom-com, so if that isn’t your cuppa, you know to steer clear. But it is a very good one that sparkles because of the leads and a refreshingly unique storyline.

As is becoming an annoying trend, the 2013 film didn’t hit the states until appearing late 2014 online and on DVD in January of this year. I don’t think it ever saw theatrical release in the US. But it is readily available online from a number of services; I encourage you to give it a try…

Poster:

Trailer:

Bechdel Test:

Pass

The Representation Test Score: B (8 pts)

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

[schema type=”movie” url=”http://www.filmmovement.com/filmcatalog/index.asp?MerchandiseID=426″ name=”Not Another Happy Ending” description=”Jane Lockhart (Doctor Who’s Karen Gillan) has pulled off a rare feat with her debut novel â?” critical acclaim and mainstream success. But now, with just the last chapter of the follow-up to write, she encounters crippling writer’s block. It’s bad news for her, and the worst possible circumstance for her publisher, Tom, his company nearly bankrupt. Like all good authors, Jane writes best when miserable, and her newfound literary success, a handsome playwright boyfriend (Henry Ian Cusick, Lost) and a renewed relationship with her father has her happier than ever. With her writer’s block spiraling out of control, even Jane’s fictional characters intrude in her real life, terrified they won’t get the ending they deserve. So Tom, depending on her next book to save his business, takes it upon himself to singlehandedly dismantle every happiness in Jane’s life. As Jane all but gives up on writing the end of the story, Tom’s misguided tampering may just backfire into one very unexpected happily ever after.” director=”John McKay” actor_1=”Karen Gillan” ]

Main Cast	Karen Gillan Jane Lockhart Stanley Weber Tom Duval Iain De Caestecker Roddy Amy Manson Darsie
Rating	12A
Release Date	Fri 11 Oct 2013 UTC
Director	John McKay
Genres	Comedy, Drama, Romance
Plot	When a struggling publisher discovers his only successful author is blocked he knows he has to unblock her or he’s finished…
Poster
Runtime	102
Tagline	Sometimes Love Needs a Re-Write
Writers	David Solomons
Year	2013

October 23, 2015

Saving Mr. Banks (2013)

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.