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Millennium Actress (2001)

03 Friday Jan 2014

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Chiyoko Fujiwara is an actress of renown,
Whose star once shone out brightly but for decades has been down.
She lives now in seclusion in the home where she withdrew
Till a filmmaker named Genya comes to seek an interview.
He’s a fan of all her movies, and they settle down to talk,
As the cameraman records them and encounters quite a shock.
As Chiyoko tells the duo of her years of love and strife,
They see the woman’s memories appear and come to life.
They see her as a girl and, through her memories, relive
The time she met a handsome man, a wanted fugitive,
An artist, whom she helped escape, who left behind a key
To something quite important, but he leaves it with her free.
 
So to find him, she decided that an actress she would be,
In the hopes that she might see him and return his precious key.
She later sees the artist, not too long before the war,
Arrested and imprisoned by an agent with a scar.
Though she’s separated from him, she still acts and keeps her hope.
Through the wartime desolation, that small key helps her to cope.
In her movies, she’s a woman, pining for her absent men,
Roles that mirror her desire to be with him once again.
But she grows yet ever older, and she cannot find him still;
She is haunted by the possibility she never will.
After marriage, she misplaces the key given by her prince,
And then steps out of the limelight for the three long decades since.
But Genya used to work at the same studio as she
And found it and is there now to return her missing key.
He remembers how the scarred man that Chiyoko did despise
Had once come there to tearfully try to apologize.
Chiyoko did not know it, but Genya heard him say
That the scarred man killed the artist all those years ago that day.
 
An earthquake sends the actress to a lone hospital room,
And the doctors give to Genya no good news, only gloom.
Chiyoko then thanks Genya for returning the old key,
Which opened up a quite important thing, her memory.
And, like an astronaut role Genya was so fond of,
She launches in a spaceship in search of her lost love.
______________

Millennium Actress is probably the weirdest movie on this list. It is a Japanese anime, which I’ve only seen with subtitles, that combines the present-day interviewers with Chiyoko’s past and mixes in her film roles such that it is hard to distinguish fact from fiction. Seeing it for the second time, I was better able to understand what was going on and the depth it carried, though some scenes went on too long, and there is a lot of running.

Anime is a touchy subject in my family. I grew up on “Pokémon” and “Yu-Gi-Oh!,” but have since gotten tired of the childish cartoons with silly faces and constant yelling. I do like Hayao Miyazaki’s films, one of which is the point of contention over anime. When Spirited Away won an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, my mom and dad and I saw it, expecting great things and were turned off by the bizarreness of the characters and circumstances. I have since gotten over it, but my parents have not. My VC also has sworn off Japanese animation, so she didn’t see Millennium Actress with me.

Millennium Actress, which came out the same year as Spirited Away, also has many weird elements, but the weirdness succeeds in making it unique rather than bizarre. I’d rather have a cameraman being in the middle of a flashback (and commenting on the fact) in this movie than green decapitated heads rolling around a bathhouse of spirits in Spirited Away. (For the record, I would have preferred Treasure Planet win the Oscar that year. Spirited Away was not Miyazaki’s best, but I guess they gave him the Oscar for his whole body of work.)

I will separate Millennium Actress’s artistry from its animation, since they’re on completely different levels. The story being told is one of lost love and searching for the unattainable, using metaphors and previous events in a way that heightens the emotions and is often quite beautiful (though I liked the cameraman’s funny comments throughout, which kept Millennium Actress from getting too serious). The Madhouse animation, on the other hand, is just okay. It’s obvious that more effort went into certain scenes, such as the train station scene and the “carriage ride through time,” while many crowd scenes have only one character moving while all the background characters are frozen. Still, it was good enough to evoke the requisite emotions felt by the characters.

Despite my preference for more serious anime, I’m also not a fan of gratuitously violent cartoons that are sadly abundant in Japan. I was very wary of Millennium Actress at first since its director Satoshi Kon was previously known for the gory Perfect Blue, which I have no desire to see. Still, I’m glad I gave Actress a try because Kon used considerable restraint, not including any extreme content. Kon died of pancreatic cancer in 2010 at the age of 46, and it’s a shame more of his films weren’t as relatively clean as this one.

Lastly, I just want to mention my End Credits Song Hall of Fame, where great music over the end credits will be celebrated. The score overall was pretty good, but the credits song “Rotation” is excellent head-banging music, even if the lyrics are in Japanese and don’t mean much even when translated.

Best line (and last line): “After all, it’s the chasing after him I really love.” (one of my favorites)

Artistry – 8
Characters – 3
Entertainment – 3
Visual Effects – 2
Originality – 7
Watchability – 2
TOTAL:  25 out of 60
 

Tomorrow – #362: Willow

© 2014 S. G. Liput

The Devil Wears Prada (2006)

02 Thursday Jan 2014

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The Devil Wears Prada not only concerns
A vain fashionista and those whom she spurns;
It’s also about how worldly demands
Can distract from the fact that our fate’s in our hands.
 
Andrea Sachs needs a job in Manhattan,
Which she finds with the Meryl Streep version of Patton,
Miranda Priestly; what more can one say
Of the editor-in-chief of the Vogue-like Runway?
Poor Andy must cope at the chic magazine
As the new co-assistant of Streep the ice queen.
She’s at first overwhelmed; there’s no training or such.
All the calls and demands are quite simply too much.
Emily Charlton, her fellow assistant,
Does not assist her, but Andy’s persistent.
At last when she’s sick of the insults and hurt,
Of being continually treated like dirt,
She chooses to join them, the fashion-crazed crowd,
And after some months, her wardrobe’s well-endowed.
She makes some mistakes, but corrects them with style,
And soon is experienced and versatile.
But as her star rises (and Emily’s falls),
She puts off her beau for Miranda’s phone calls.
She flirts with a writer, an arrogant fop,
And finds she’s depressed even though she’s on top.
 
Miranda decides to bring Andy along
To Paris for fashion week, but something’s wrong.
She doesn’t want Emily; Andy’s preferred.
Sachs can either be fired or pass on the word.
She chooses to go, but, while there, finds out
That Miranda will soon be replaced, no doubt.
She fails telling her, but then sees to her shock
That Miranda knew well in advance of such talk
And will stay there in power, but part of her plan
Involved crushing the dreams of her own right-hand man.
That’s when Andy sees that she’s on the wrong side
And casts her coveted position aside.
And when she goes elsewhere for her vocation,
She finds from Miranda a recommendation.
Miranda may not quite agree with her choice,
But still she respects Andy using her voice.
So Emily returns to Miranda’s good graces,
And Andy is free to choose where her own place is.

_____

Review:

Let me just preface this review by saying that I know literally nothing about fashion. Most of the clothes and names in this movie meant nothing to me, and, if the people involved with them are anything like the characters, I want it to stay that way. The Devil Wears Prada is a comedy with some drama and romance mixed in for good measure, and it is mainly on the list for its valuable moral lesson.

Concerning its artistic merit, it’s certainly a clean, well-made film which is surprisingly down-to-earth, despite the imperiousness of most of the characters. Some of the best scenes are the musical montages, particularly the opening with “Suddenly I See” (one of those songs that just won’t get out of my head), and an incredibly fluid scene involving multiple wardrobe changes with Andy walking to work (over several days).

The characters are the main sticking point with The Devil Wears Prada. As the title suggests, Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep) is cruel, vain, manipulative, and derogatory to nearly everyone she meets. Emily Charlton (Emily Blunt) and Nigel (Stanley Tucci) aren’t much better, with their constant jabs and insults of Andrea’s clothes and clothing size. The main high point is Anne Hathaway as Andy, who remains relatable throughout, even while alienating her boyfriend. With the patience of Job, she is a model of persistence in difficult circumstances, but, when she realizes how close she’s come to becoming like Miranda herself, she has the good sense to get out while she can. I will say that the actors do an excellent job with their roles, evoking myriad emotions (much more successfully than most of the actors in Thor did), but the simple fact is that, even when we’re meant to feel sorry for the characters, it’s a bit hard to get over the fact that they’re all still stuck-up snobs.

Entertainment value is another issue, again due to the characters. Who can say that watching someone getting insulted for over an hour is entertaining? There are some funny scenes, but, since I don’t usually find insults humorous, the comedy was hit-and-miss.

There were no notable visual effects that I could see. So aside from the aforementioned walk-to-work scene, that’s a moot point.

While it’s based on a novel by Lauren Weisberger (which I have not read), I thought it made quite a good jump to the screen, so that’s a plus for originality. I enjoyed the relative lack of sexual scenes and language, though they had to throw in a little profanity and suggestive dialogue to get the PG-13 rating.

As far as watchability, it falls short in my book. As I said, all the insults don’t make it a movie I’d want to see often, but Andy’s forsaking of her path to darkness was a great scene that made it all worthwhile.

 

Best line: Miranda – “You’re very fetching, so go fetch.” (Perfectly sums up Andy’s transformation)

VC’s favorite line: Andy – “I’m trying to get you a flight, but no one is flying out because of the weather [hurricane].”   Miranda – “Please.  It’s just–I don’t know–drizzling [huge thunderclap, palm trees wildly waving in the background].”

Artistry – 3
Characters/Actors – 5
Entertainment – 2
Visual Effects – 2
Originality – 4
Watchability – 3
Other (Moral) – 6
TOTAL:  25 out of 60

Tomorrow — #363: Millennium Actress

© 2014 S. G. Liput

Thor (2011)

01 Wednesday Jan 2014

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Now Thor is a movie about a Norse god,
Who wields a big hammer and has a nice bod.
He’s foolish and arrogant, fearless and buff,
Heroic and such, and he knows that he’s tough.
He’s about to be crowned by his dad, but alas
Some Frost Giants steal an antique from the past.
It’s taken away from their frostbitten mitts
When a robot Destroyer thing blows them to bits.
Thor is outraged, but Odin stays cool,
Reminding his son that Thor does not yet rule.
 
When Thor rashly decides to assault the Frosts back,
He fights hard but soon he regrets the attack.
For the Frost Giant king says war’s now a fact
Because of Thor’s foolish and arrogant act.
Once back in Asgard, Odin disciplines Thor
By taking his power away, and what’s more,
He casts his son out where few people dare go,
A far distant land called New Mexico.
That’s when Thor is hit by one Jane Foster’s van.
He’s fine but confused; he is now just a man.
Jane takes the god in; she likes him (wonder why)
And can’t seem to give him a final goodbye.
She helps him to find his lost hammer Mjolnir,
Which SHIELD is researching for reasons unclear,
So he fights through their agents with never a fear.
He’s there within reach, strong in body and will,
And yet he can’t lift it; he’s not worthy still.
 
Meanwhile, Thor’s brother Loki comes to find
That he’s a Frost Giant, to whom Dad had been kind.
Through several Shakespearean lies and deceit,
He becomes Asgard’s king and plots Thor’s defeat.
He sends the Destroyer to kill his old brother
And tries to wipe out the Frosts, to please Father.
By off’ring himself for the humans, great Thor
Becomes worthier than he ever was before.
The hammer responds, and his power’s restored,
And he beats the Destroyer with hammer, not sword.
 
Then back to Asgard to fight Loki he goes,
Defending the Giants that once were his foes.
In stopping ol’ Loki, despite its great worth,
Thor smashes his only way back down to Earth.
Once Loki falls into some wormhole of sorts
And Thor’s back in honor in Asgard’s high courts,
He misses poor Jane, who seeks (not in vain)
For a way she and he can be together again.
_____________
 
Review:

All right, so the list begins with Thor, the cinematic version of Marvel’s version of the mythological Norse figure. Just because Thor is at the bottom of the list, don’t think that that means it’s not good. It is a decent superhero movie with outstanding production values and a good moral besides. But something is missing.

I’ll start by going over the main criteria for the list, what I call the ACEVOW system with a 1 to 10 scale, 1 being really poor and 10 being perfect.

The A is for Artistry, which Thor can certainly claim to some extent. Being directed by Kenneth Branagh, it has a notable Shakespearean feel mixed with the comic book references. The complexity of Loki’s plan to kill a whole race to measure up to his brother in the eyes of his father sounds like something out of Shakespeare’s unfinished works. Some scenes could have taken place on a stage; others are carefully arranged for the screen, such as a simple scene of a man’s face poking through a doorway, his face reflected in the mirror right next to him.

The C is for Characters/Actors. This is the main stumbling block for Thor. Thor himself is not nearly as interesting a character as Tony Stark or Steve Rogers, and those with whom he comes in contact are even less so. Love interest Jane Foster, her colleagues Erik Selvig and Darcy, and Thor’s four comrades-in-arms are sadly forgettable stock characters with some good lines and little else. On the other hand, Tom Hiddleston as Loki and Anthony Hopkins as Odin lend some serious acting chops to roles that could have fallen flat with lesser actors.

E is for Entertainment. Thor is highly entertaining, though rather slow in parts, even when the visual effects are at their finest. With so much mythology involved—the Bifrost, the Odinsleep, the Frost Giants, the Nine Realms connected by the branches of the cosmic tree Yggdrasil—it can easily become overwhelming to those not familiar with the source material. That being said, the writers did a pretty good job emphasizing the important elements and letting the rest just fade into the background to be taken for granted.

The V is Visual Effects, which Thor certainly does well. Between the epic battle scenes and mythological landscapes, the effects artists did a right decent job, though they’re not the best I’ve seen. Also, the costume designs were awful. I know much of it was inspired by the comics, but Loki’s horned helmet just looked stupid.

Originality is the O, which does not come into play that much, since this is an adaptation of a comic book. But I will say that the part with Thor sacrificing himself and “dying,” while noble, was completely predictable since we all knew he’d get his hammer and beat the bad guy and come back for The Avengers. That last point even removes some of the pathos of being separated from his beloved what’s-her-name at the end.

Lastly, the W is for Watchability, particularly for repeated viewings. I will say that I enjoyed Thor more this time than the first time I saw it, but, despite its sweeping vistas and great hammer strokes, it feels somehow small, like a film that doesn’t add much to the Marvel universe except another hero and a bunch of mythology that few really care about. Still, it’s enjoyable enough and does provide a good lesson: warning against arrogance and extolling sacrifice.

My VC agreed about the costumes and said the best reason to watch was Hemsworth’s abs and pecs. Women!

Best line: Thor calling Agent Coulson, “Son of Coul.” Hilarious!

Artistry – 5
Characters/Actors – 3
Entertainment – 5
Visual Effects – 6
Originality – 2
Watchability – 4
TOTAL:  25 out of 60
 

Tomorrow — #364: The Devil Wears Prada

© 2014 S. G. Liput

 

Here It Begins

31 Tuesday Dec 2013

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Hello, I’m S.G., and I have two great loves – movies and lists. For no particular reason, I decided last year to compile a list of my top 300 films, basically for my own peace of mind and compulsive satisfaction. I don’t know if anyone else has done such a seemingly useless thing, but it was recently suggested to me that perhaps I ought to do something with it that, while not necessarily useful, will at least serve as a creative outlet.

So here I am. I’ve expanded the list to 365 and will try to watch and review one film a day for the whole of 2014. I will most likely fall behind, but I’ll try my hardest to finish by the end of next year. Oh, and here’s the part that will really test me. Another great love is poetry, and, while I’m no Longfellow, I have been told by family that I’m a decent poet so I’d like to prove it. Thus, I shall write a summary of each film in verse to accompany the review whenever I can. Such is the plan anyway.

Now, let me just preface this blog with what readers (if any) can expect. I am not a film critic, though I wouldn’t mind being one someday; I am simply a film lover. This will not be a repeat of Roger Ebert’s list or Leonard Maltin’s or AFI’s. This is a personal list of favorite films (as of the end of 2013), balancing artistic expression, originality, repeated watchability, and good ol’ entertainment value. Many will probably disagree with it (that’s all right), but it’s mine.

I am also a college-aged, conservative, Christian man with a corresponding worldview. Thus, you won’t find much Tarantino or Scorsese or horror or gratuitously violent, pornographic, or profane films. That being said, it will also not be a list of low-budget Christian films that no one has ever heard of. This list is an amalgamation of nearly every genre. R-rated action films will stand alongside light-hearted family fare. Blockbusters will rub elbows with box-office bombs. Multiple Oscar winners will keep company with films the Academy probably hasn’t even heard of. Animated gems will hold hands with gripping dramas. Romantic comedies will leapfrog with post-apocalyptic sci-fi! The lion will lie down with the lamb, and so forth. Trust me, even if you disagree with most of the list, there’ll be some good stuff on there for everyone.

Also, though I’m not the Doctor, I will have a companion on my journey through films past and present. This Viewing Companion (VC) will see many of the films on the list and offer a different perspective than my own, a woman’s perspective, which every self-respecting man ought to heed (to some extent). She probably disagrees with my list too, but that’s okay.

I honestly don’t know if anyone but my family will read this, and, whether they do or not, this blog (as I’ve said) is to prove to myself that I can do something this big and long-term. I haven’t done anything of note in my life thus far, and this may or may not be notable. But it’s the first step of my attempting something beyond just dreams and wishes. We’ll see if it works out as well as I hope. Here it begins….

Tomorrow — #365: Thor (in case you want to watch along with me)