TITLE
Southland Tales
STARRING
Dwayne Johnson, Mandy Moore, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Justin Timberlake, Nora Dunn, Seann William Scott, Cheri Oteri
COMPARABLE TO...
The Manchurian Candidate, Mad Max, Mulholland Drive
THE JIST
This movie is more what I think we like to call visionary than easily captured in two or three sentences. The best way to describe it is as an attempt at envisioning an alternate future, post-war and nuclear attack for group of Southern Californians who are deeply woven into a series of conspiracies, mayhem, facades and truth. Writer/director Richard Kelly offers a unique look at the collapse of civilization through a star-studded ensemble of characters consumed by their own reality.
WOULD I SUGGEST IT TO OTHERS?
Yes. I cannot clearly begin to articulate the finer points of the film and it is one I would never own, but I think there is great depth in a production like this. Its flaws are that it has a lot going on, all at once, without reservation or explanation. Most relationships are self-evident, but the constant introduction of new supporting characters, played by actors bigger than the film itself is distracting. The silver lining is the interplay between some of the characters and I love, (it may in fact be my favorite thing to pop up unexpectedly in the history of film) the lip sync number by Justin Timberlake towards the end of the Southland Tales. It just has to be seen!
The movies I compared this to need some referencing, because in truth, liking any one of those movies will not indicate whether or not you find this film as intriguing as I did. The Manchurian Candidate meshes politics and conspiracy with film, and I've always quite liked that film. There are some of those elements in Southland Tales, particularly as they pertain to Jericho Kane (Johnson). Mad Max is set against a futuristic backdrop, which isn't so far feeling as it is close to present, definitely an attribute of Tales. Years later, I still watch Mulholland Drive and try to make sense of it. The pieces never quite fit, but each on its own was entertaining, and that is Tales in a nutshell. Overall, Southland Tales is a bit more interconnected, but still leaves you with the wonderment of whether or not you interpreted correctly exactly that which Kelly wanted to have come across onscreen.
MORE INFORMATION
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0405336/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgbuuUIMHq8
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Monday, May 5, 2008
THE GOLDEN COMPASS (2007)
TITLE
The Golden Compass
STARRING
Daniel Craig, Nicole Kidman, Dakota Blue Richards, Sam Elliott, Eva Green, Christopher Lee
COMPARABLE TO...
Visually: Narnia, Lord of the Rings, newer Star Wars episodes. Thematically: Legend, Neverending Story, Matrix.
THE JIST
Lyra (Richards) is special little girl and has been protected for reasons unknown to her by her alleged uncle (Craig) and the academic community, who support and fund his research in the North. The moral authority known as Magisterium, betray the trust of Lyra and the academics by deceiving her, using the charming Ms. Coulter (Kidman) who easily acquires Lyra's trust in order to gain accesss to a valuable tool in Lyra's possession. Not to be underestimated, Lyra escapes and with the help of friends rallied to her cause by shared interests and an allegiance to her uncle she aims to save her friend for the experiments of the Magisterium. Travels take her far North to where her best pal and uncle are being held captive, separately. Battles ensue discoveries are made, secrets are revealed. Ending much like the first LOTR film, you are left wanting more action and answers, hence the sequel.
WOULD I SUGGEST IT TO OTHERS?
Absolutely. It's been a long time since I've liked a film like this, but it is not for everybody. I thought the first installment of Narnia was awful, overburdened with bad action, religious undertones not understood by kids, and a generally confusing operative, so I was hesitant to see The Golden Compass. Not regarded as similar in theme, they are both designed to be trilogies of semi-epic proportions.
Before you see it, assuming you have not read the book, wrap your head around this: people have a demon that reflects the human soul and runs around in animal form (your demon gets hurt so do you, you die, so does your demon). As a child, the demon can shift shapes, for example, Lyra's demon appears most often as a ferret, but also as a cat, mouse and hawk. Once you become an adult, the demon settles into one shape. Another tip for those who haven't read the book, but will likely see the movie, it is best not to get mired down by the language. Otherwise you might easily let things escape which become pivotal. The writing is good, but not necessarily understood with full clarity until the first forty minutes. A little long for my tastes, but the film is intriguing and the acting wonderful.
MORE INFORMATION
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0385752/
http://www.goldencompassmovie.com/
The Golden Compass
STARRING
Daniel Craig, Nicole Kidman, Dakota Blue Richards, Sam Elliott, Eva Green, Christopher Lee
COMPARABLE TO...
Visually: Narnia, Lord of the Rings, newer Star Wars episodes. Thematically: Legend, Neverending Story, Matrix.
THE JIST
Lyra (Richards) is special little girl and has been protected for reasons unknown to her by her alleged uncle (Craig) and the academic community, who support and fund his research in the North. The moral authority known as Magisterium, betray the trust of Lyra and the academics by deceiving her, using the charming Ms. Coulter (Kidman) who easily acquires Lyra's trust in order to gain accesss to a valuable tool in Lyra's possession. Not to be underestimated, Lyra escapes and with the help of friends rallied to her cause by shared interests and an allegiance to her uncle she aims to save her friend for the experiments of the Magisterium. Travels take her far North to where her best pal and uncle are being held captive, separately. Battles ensue discoveries are made, secrets are revealed. Ending much like the first LOTR film, you are left wanting more action and answers, hence the sequel.
WOULD I SUGGEST IT TO OTHERS?
Absolutely. It's been a long time since I've liked a film like this, but it is not for everybody. I thought the first installment of Narnia was awful, overburdened with bad action, religious undertones not understood by kids, and a generally confusing operative, so I was hesitant to see The Golden Compass. Not regarded as similar in theme, they are both designed to be trilogies of semi-epic proportions.
Before you see it, assuming you have not read the book, wrap your head around this: people have a demon that reflects the human soul and runs around in animal form (your demon gets hurt so do you, you die, so does your demon). As a child, the demon can shift shapes, for example, Lyra's demon appears most often as a ferret, but also as a cat, mouse and hawk. Once you become an adult, the demon settles into one shape. Another tip for those who haven't read the book, but will likely see the movie, it is best not to get mired down by the language. Otherwise you might easily let things escape which become pivotal. The writing is good, but not necessarily understood with full clarity until the first forty minutes. A little long for my tastes, but the film is intriguing and the acting wonderful.
MORE INFORMATION
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0385752/
http://www.goldencompassmovie.com/
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