Tag Archives: Drama

The Emperor’s New Clothes (2001)

16 Friday Dec 2016

Posted by in Movies, Poetry, Reviews, Writing

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, ,

Image result for the emperor's new clothes 2001 film

 

How would it be
Do you think, do you think,
If a giant of men were required to shrink,
If a shaker and mover who loved his own name
Who terrorized armies and reveled in fame
Were forced to live simply, obscurely, and sad,
Assuming, of course, he did not first go mad?
I would be curious, and yet if it were so,
I doubt that the world and I ever would know.
________________

MPAA rating: PG

Sometimes a film is blessed by perfection in casting. Ian Holm is such an ideal Napoleon Bonaparte, both in talent and height, that he’s played “the little corporal” three separate times, in the mini-series Napoleon and Love, in Time Bandits, and lastly in The Emperor’s New Clothes, a semi-comedic revisionist account of Napoleon’s post-exile days based on a Simon Leys novel.

We all know Napoleon was exiled to St. Helena after the Battle of Waterloo, but what we don’t know (supposedly) is that he switched places with a deckhand lookalike (also played by Holm) and escaped back to France. Why do we not know such a story? Because the plan failed in complete secrecy. While the fake Napoleon enjoyed being famous and pampered a bit too much, the real one endured the yoke of obscurity only to find unexpected appeal in the romance of a simple life, one that didn’t involve conquering the European mainland.

The Emperor’s New Clothes could have been a stronger film and doesn’t inject its clever concept with as much humor as I would expect or hope, but it’s a satisfying one even so. While strong supporting roles are filled by Iben Hjejle as Napoleon’s love interest and Tim McInnerney as her jealous suitor, Holm in his double role is the star of the show.

Image result for the emperor's new clothes 2001 film

At first, his Napoleon grumbles over the injustice of his lack of recognition and support, but once he accepts it, he becomes what Napoleon might have been without his despotic mindset, still a brilliant strategist but one bent on less militant pursuits, like distinguishing himself as the best melon salesman in Paris. Yet if you don’t think that the real Napoleon would give up his ambition so easily, the film doesn’t either and offers a hauntingly persuasive twist to make his acceptance and the story as a whole more credible. While the revisionist theory could have had a more humorous bent to it, The Emperor’s New Clothes brings Napoleon Bonaparte down to a relatable level and gives him a far more fulfilling fate than his real-life counterpart.

Best line: (Napoleon, preparing to leave St. Helena) “Six years of English cooking… six years of staring at these dreary walls… and at your gloomy face. You’re quite ugly, did you know that? I haven’t had the heart to tell you.”   (Louis) “Yes, sire.”

 

Rank: List Runner-Up

 

© 2016 S.G. Liput
437 Followers and Counting

 

Spectre (2015)

12 Monday Dec 2016

Posted by in Movies, Poetry, Reviews, Writing

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , ,

Image result for spectre film

 

The past has haunted me before,
Mistakes, heartaches I tried to flee,
And when at last I think they’ve gone,
I find not everyone’s moved on,
Sometimes including me.

My enemies have bones to pick,
A few more personal than most.
When bullets make their presence known,
I’ll gladly help to pick the bone
And silence any ghost.
________________

MPAA rating: PG-13

After the exceptional storyline of Skyfall, it was certainly a difficult task for the next installment in the Bond franchise to match it, and it’s not very surprising that it doesn’t. Spectre is a solid Bond adventure, but even with Sam Mendes returning as director, it pales next to its predecessor, if only because it returns to predictable action-movie formulas.

Spectre does start in style, with a long flowing shot that follows a masked Bond from the Mexico City streets up to a sniper position on a hotel roof. The subsequent destruction and helicopter chase exemplify what makes Daniel Craig’s Bond so entertaining in the action department, but after he returns to London for a slap on the wrist, he sinks into suave spy mode with the same ease. From investigations into yet another mysterious international organization to rendezvous with women and an old foe, the plot does what one would expect of a Bond movie, and all of the supporting “good guys” do excellent work with it, including Ralph Fiennes’ M, Ben Whishaw’s Q, and Léa Seydoux as the latest Bond girl named Madeline Swann, who has an interesting connection to Bond’s past adventures.

However, it’s the villains who are the biggest letdown. After Javier Bardem’s malicious Silva in Skyfall, Christoph Waltz fails to make as much of an impression, which is a shame since we know he can play an expert villain. Part of the problem is that he’s absent from the picture for too long, floating in and out of events more like a plot device than an evil genius. Another character is so obviously working for him that I’m not sure if that was meant to be a surprise, especially when he’s played by the clearly untrustworthy Andrew Scott (a.k.a. Moriarty on Sherlock). The sad part is that Waltz’s character is meant as Bond’s arch-nemesis but isn’t given the screen-time or strong motive to warrant that title, even with his supposed mastermind status over Bond’s past exploits.

Image result for spectre 2015 film blofeld

The film’s technical aspects also feel more pedestrian next to Skyfall. After that initial continuous shot I mentioned, the artistry Mendes showed in the past is hardly noticeable, and the action scenes feel born more out of necessity than creativity. One kidnapping car chase, for instance, takes place in the snowy Alps, and Bond decides to pursue in a small plane, begging the question how he intended to rescue the hostage from the air.

I sound like I’m being harsh, don’t I? It’s a James Bond movie, and I shouldn’t expect much, but after thoroughly enjoying Skyfall, it was hard not to feel a bit let down by Spectre. Nevertheless, taken by itself, formula and all, it’s still an entertaining mission and a deserving member of the Bond franchise. It fits comfortably among the franchise’s second tier, making it probably my least favorite of the Daniel Craig movies, but on the List-Worthy level of Bond’s older, more conventional escapades.

Best line: (C) “You can’t tell me an agent in the field can last long against all those drones and satellites.”   (M) “Yes, you have information. You can find out all about a man, track him down, keep an eye on him. But you have to look him in the eye. All the tech you have can’t help you with that. A license to kill also means a license not to kill.”

 

Rank: List-Worthy (tied with the older Bond movies I’ve seen, which are headed up by A View to a Kill)

 

© 2016 S.G. Liput
437 Followers and Counting

 

Batman: Under the Red Hood (2010)

10 Saturday Dec 2016

Posted by in Movies, Poetry, Reviews, Writing

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, , ,

Image result for batman under the red hood

 

Insults bring about turmoil.
Injuries cause blood to boil.
Sin and sufferings embitter,
Making spite a heavy hitter.
Malice merits some requital;
Are not victims so entitled?

Vengeance is a worthy cause
For those who follow their own laws.
And when reprisals hit their mark,
The soul falls further into dark.
Revenge does what justice intends,
But when it starts, it never ends.
___________________

MPAA rating: PG-13

I love animation, whether it be Disney, Pixar, anime, or any number of cartoons on television, so I’ve never thought of myself as prejudiced against animated media. (Would that be called an animationist?) My VC is of that mind, considering animation to be, if not inferior, then at least less effective than live action, and we’ve had some strong disagreements on that front. However, I’m split over the various DC animated films that have been released direct-to-DVD over the last decade.

While they all seem to attract excellent voice casts and usually critical appreciation, I can’t help but feel they are second-tier animations. Why else would they be released direct to DVD? The few I’ve seen have been good, but even acclaimed ones like the two-part The Dark Knight Returns seem to fall short of greatness because, well, they’re animated. No, now I feel guilty for even saying that. It’s not that they’re animated; it’s that the animation seems less of an effort and causes me to lower my expectations, even though The Dark Knight Returns is undoubtedly better than, say, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.

All this debate is to provide context since I’ve now seen an animated DC film that does stand toe-to-toe with its live-action cousins. Batman: Under the Red Hood holds to the much darker trend in the DC animated universe, evident right from the beginning, where the Joker (John DiMaggio) mercilessly beats the second Robin/Jason Todd with a crowbar and Batman (Bruce Greenwood) arrives too late to save his sidekick. Jump ahead five years to Gotham City, in which a new vigilante called the Red Hood (Jensen Ackles) keeps criminals in line by becoming a feared crime boss himself. As Batman investigates this lethally skilled foe, his past confronts him in ways he never expected.

Image result for batman under the red hood joker

Deserving of its 100% Rotten Tomatoes score, Under the Red Hood would have been fantastic enough with its explosive action sequences, but the triple confrontations between Batman, the Joker, and the Red Hood cut right to the heart of Batman’s morality. He and the Red Hood agree that criminals must be kept in line, yet their methods are diametrically opposed, with killing as the great line that Batman refuses to cross, for reasons rarely so compellingly delivered. Their final faceoff provides both tragedy and food for thought, an epic clash of moralities backed by the dark madness of the Joker. This version of the Joker is memorably malicious and unpredictable, and even if DiMaggio still sounds a little like his Adventure Time and Futurama characters, he once again proves how playing the Joker brings out the best in an actor, even a voice actor (except Jared Leto, that is).

Watching Under the Red Hood, I was tempted to throw it into the good-not-great category, but animated or not, it’s a mature and outstanding Batman movie. I wish the ending wasn’t so ambiguous, but this film gives me hope that perhaps other DC cartoons will be better than I’ve given them credit for.

Best line: (Red Hood, about killing the Joker) “What? What, your moral code just won’t allow for that? It’s too hard to cross that line?”
(Batman) “No. God Almighty, no. It’d be too damned easy. All I’ve ever wanted to do is kill him. A day doesn’t go by I don’t think about subjecting him to every horrendous torture he’s dealt out to others, and then end him.”
(Joker) “Awwww, so you do think about me.”
(Batman) “But if I do that, if I allow myself to go down into that place, I’ll never come back.”

 

Rank: List-Worthy

 

© 2016 S.G. Liput
436 Followers and Counting

 

Right at Your Door (2007)

09 Friday Dec 2016

Posted by in Movies, Poetry, Reviews, Writing

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

,

Image result for right at your door film

 

When morn dawns optimistically,
Like all the morns before,
No thought have we for jeopardy
That could be yet in store;

No thought for smoke or lives at stake
Or bodies in the street,
For blasts and chaos in their wake
Or desperate, dazed retreat;

No thought for tears and tattered nerves
And hopes soon left for dead,
Or courage once in vast reserves
Reduced to helpless dread.

No thought for such, and why should we
Let life be worry-marred?
That’s how we maintain normalcy
And why we’re caught off-guard.
_______________________

MPAA rating: R

In the unnerving tradition of The Twilight Zone, Right at Your Door thrusts ordinary people into an  alarming situation, a worst-case scenario that is compellingly realistic because it is so possible. As Brad (Rory Cochrane) bids farewell to his wife Lexi (Mary McCormack) as she heads to work in Los Angeles, a typical day takes a sharp turn when the news reports explosions downtown. His incredulous panic growing, Brad listens as reporters give ever-worsening descriptions of the damage done by a suspected dirty bomb. When Brad tries to reach Lexi and is forced to return home, he and a desperate passerby (Tony Perez) seal themselves into the house with tape and plastic covers, isolating themselves from the reported toxins and anyone who might be infected.

The film’s low budget and limited locations actually work to its advantage, focusing its scope on Brad’s home and increasing the apprehension and doubt of what may or may not be happening. Except for some billowing smoke and ash, most of the disaster is kept to news reports, begging the question of how much we hear is truth, conjecture, or misinformation. The film emphasizes just how little we’d know in a quarantine during a disaster, and as Brad and others must make stressful personal decisions, it’s disconcerting to see how even small impulses or mistakes can mean the difference between life and death.

Image result for right at your door film

Written and directed by first-time filmmaker Chris Gorak, Right at Your Door is a potently plausible what-if scenario spoiled only by the near-constant profanity, which, considering the stressful circumstances, is at least understandable. The three main actors emote that fear effectively, selling the tension that might have petered out with less convincing performances. We rarely can tell the best course of action in a disaster, and while everyone hopes they’ll never have to experience it firsthand, Right at Your Door brings that anxiety closer to home than most disaster films even try.

 

Rank: List Runner-Up

 

© 2016 S.G. Liput
436 Followers and Counting

 

Sing Street (2016)

08 Thursday Dec 2016

Posted by in Movies, Music, Poetry, Reviews, Writing

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

, , ,

Sing Street Trailer (2016)

(Best sung to “The Riddle of the Model,” see the video at the bottom, and yes, I know the original lyrics are better)

No life is ever perfect.
It doesn’t play along.
How will we ever surf it,
Except to sing a song,
A song with inspiration
In everything we love and hate.
It’s pleasure and frustration
But in a musical debate.

It’s called creativity.
It’s all the work of the human heart.
Few if any can see it from the start.
Positivity
Won’t let it fall apart.
Can you see
The origin of genius?
__________________

MPAA rating: PG-13

Would it be wrong to say that the 1980s had the best music? Sure, there are plenty of modern favorites I have, but it’s amazing how many great songs originated in that decade that has become a bastion of nostalgia of late. It is that music scene of Duran Duran and U2 that is the backdrop for Sing Street, the humble origin story of an Irish high school band clearly inspired by everything ‘80s music did well.

Though young Conor (Ferdia Walsh-Peelo) is forced to move to a different Dublin school, where he must put up with bullies and a cold-hearted principal, he goes out on a limb to invite the lovely aspiring model Raphina (Lucy Boynton) to a music video shoot. All he needs then is a band, which he cobbles together from schoolmates and talented acquaintances with surprising ease. Despite some growing pains, it’s clear they’re more talented than your typical garage band, and the music becomes a sort of escape from the oppressive futility of his dysfunctional home life and unpromising future.

Image result for sing street drive it like you stole it

In several respects, Sing Street brought to mind Cameron Crowe’s 1970s-set Almost Famous, another film with a great soundtrack of classic tunes. Raphina may not be as enigmatic as Penny Lane, but Conor is just as taken with her as William was in the earlier film, though in this case Conor gets an actual romance. In addition, Conor’s brother bears traces of Philip Seymour Hoffman’s character in Almost Famous, with his musical snobbery and creative encouragement. (For the record, I do enjoy Phil Collins music, no matter what Conor’s brother says.) In particular, both films seem to capture a love for the music of the times and a sympathy for the imperfect fellows who develop and appreciate it, sharing that same love and sympathy with the audience.

True, there are things I wish were different, such as the ambiguously optimistic ending scene and the typical caricature of the vilified priest as the bad guy. Nevertheless, there’s a lot that Sing Street does right, especially the music, from background songs courtesy of Genesis, Spandau Ballet, and many more to original hits that sound like they could have been plucked from some unproduced 1985 album. The band’s efforts at producing music videos are as low-budget but quirky as any number of ‘80s videos, while a dream sequence concert of the original song “Drive Like You Stole It” is the marvelous high point of the film and perhaps the musical high point of the whole year. Honestly, I hope it wins Best Song at the Oscars, however unlikely that seems.

Image result for sing street film musical number

Besides the music, the characters feel real, likable, and worthy of support, with Conor especially growing in confidence and even rightly treating the school bully first with indifference and then with compassion. Above all, there’s a certain artistic thrill and satisfaction to watching these young people experiment and create something that’s actually, surprisingly good. With the talent on display, the hopes for their future are implicitly high, and I can easily imagine Sing Street, both the band and the movie, being the object of fond nostalgia in years to come.

Best line: (Raphina) “Your problem is that you’re not happy being sad, but that’s what love is, Cosmo— happy sad.”

Rank: List-Worthy (tied with Almost Famous)

© 2016 S.G. Liput
435 Followers and Counting

Sophie Scholl – The Final Days (2005)

07 Wednesday Dec 2016

Posted by in Movies, Poetry, Reviews, Writing

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

,

Image result for sophie scholl the final days

 

‘Tis when we are threatened by powers that be
That mettle is measured and morals are key.

‘Tis easy conceding to dangerous ifs
When everyone speeds toward the same social cliffs.

‘Tis harder to risk reputation and friend
For ethics that many refuse to defend.

‘Tis faith we must have in a world full of spite
To recognize wrong when it persecutes right.
________________

MPAA rating: PG
Language: German (with English subtitles)

One of the key motivators behind the Valkyrie plot to kill Hitler was to prove to the world that not everyone was willing to submit to his oppressive regime. While those involved with Valkyrie were high-ranking officers, the same commitment applied to many German civilians as well, such as the White Rose, the group of students who made their clandestine defiance known through anti-Nazi graffiti and leaflets. An Oscar nominee for Best Foreign Language Film, Sophie Scholl – The Final Days is about one of the White Rose’s most famous members, focusing on the resistance movement not in practice but in ideals.

Except for a tense scene of Sophie and her brother distributing the White Rose’s illegal literature, the majority of the film is concerned with Sophie Scholl’s imprisonment and trial and how she responded to the Nazis’ threats and slander. As portrayed by Julia Jentsch, Scholl is a model saint, praying for strength, enduring the knowledge of her fate with faith and patience, and answering her accusers with a calm confidence of spirit. While she denies her involvement at first, the interrogation points clearly at her guilt, and she refuses to show remorse for her support of free speech and all she knows to be right. One especially potent exchange with her interrogator condemns the crimes and standards of the Nazi movement so powerfully that even her opponent seems moved by her convictions, right before an act that implicates him as another Pontius Pilate sending an innocent to death.

Image result for sophie scholl the final days

A defense of free speech and conscience rights, Sophie Scholl – The Final Days is heavy with dialogue but rich in moral fortitude and quiet courage. The final scenes are restrained yet forceful, and every actor is on point, especially Jentsch as Sophie and Fabian Hinrichs as her brother Hans. Sophie and her fellow prisoners clearly accept their fate with trepidation, but history has proven them as heroes and martyrs.

Best line: (Sophie) “Trucks came to pick up the children at the mental hospital. The other children asked where they were going. ‘They’re going to heaven,’ said the nurses. So the children got on the truck singing. You think I wasn’t raised right, because I felt pity for them?”

 

Rank: List-Worthy

 

© 2016 S.G. Liput
435 Followers and Counting

 

The Finest Hours (2016)

06 Tuesday Dec 2016

Posted by in Movies, Poetry, Reviews, Writing

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, ,

Image result for the finest hours

 

The wind was tired of being still
And spun its wings with fearful will.
It threaded threats with every thrust
And shook the sea with every gust,
Reminding man he was but dust
In fear of nature’s means to kill.

Beneath the atmospheric rant
That conjured waves with every pant
Were men in danger of the gale
And men who braved the wintry wail,
Enrolled to risk, too bold to fail
Or yield to whisper-winds of “Can’t.”
________________

MPAA rating: PG-13

The Finest Hours is essentially The Perfect Storm with a happier ending, but this is one case where the tragedy outshines the victory. Despite this, The Finest Hours is a good film and a worthy tribute to the brave men who, in 1952, saved the crew of a bisected ship in a daring tempest-tossed rescue.

The heroism is admirable, but the characters performing it are less than memorable. Chris Pine is the strongest player, playing Bernie Webber, a Coast Guard crewman whose diffident nature is the polar opposite of Pine’s Captain Kirk persona. Due to a past failed rescue, Bernie doubts himself, as do several residents of his Massachusetts town, but he proves himself by rising to the occasion when he is sent out in search of the distressed SS Pendleton. As honorable as Bernie is, there are moments where his character is peculiarly hesitant, such as an early moment where a marriage proposal is met by an unexplained, glossed-over “no.” On the other side of the disaster, Casey Affleck as the Pendleton’s engineer Ray Sybert rallies the crew with his expertise and good sense, but despite hints to the contrary, he’s never developed past a heroic blank slate.

Image result for the finest hours

 

Smaller moments with side characters work better, such as the helpful resolve of Bernie’s fiancée Miriam (Holliday Grainger) or a discerning realization of one of the townsfolk who blamed Bernie for his past failure. It was also nice to see Graham McTavish from The Hobbit trilogy outside of his dwarf makeup. In addition, the inclement effects recreate the danger of the nor’easter threatening everyone at sea and keep the extended rescue scenes tense and treacherous.

I can’t say I didn’t care for the characters in The Finest Hours, but I didn’t know them well enough. As much as I usually prefer happy endings, The Perfect Storm is a better film, if only for the stronger characterization, but The Finest Hours still brings a laudable dose of maritime valor to the screen.

Best line: (Bernie) “They say you gotta go out. They don’t say you gotta come back.”

 

Rank: List Runner-Up

 

© 2016 S.G. Liput
434 Followers and Counting

 

Princess Mononoke (1997)

05 Monday Dec 2016

Posted by in Movies, Poetry, Reviews, Writing

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , ,

Image result for princess mononoke

 

The forest stood for centuries,
In peace made permanent by trees
Whose roots sucked deep of earthen milk,
Whose branches guarded all.
And then came humans and their ilk
Who made the trees to fall.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

Mankind pushed on for centuries
Through mountains, deserts, woods, and seas.
From cave to tent to town, they rose
With wonders underway.
Too often, nature did oppose
And kept progress at bay.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

Both stories hold an equal truth.
Both man and nature from their youth
Have wished romantically for truce
That ended in conquest.
Cooperation or abuse—
We choose which path is best.
___________________

MPAA rating: PG-13

Hayao Miyazaki has a filmography full of films considered great cinema, and each of them seems to fit a particular target age group. While they are all beautifully drawn, the maturity level for his features could be generally ranked something like this: Ponyo (5 years old and up), My Neighbor Totoro (6 and up), Kiki’s Delivery Service (7 and up), Castle in the Sky (8 and up), Porco Rosso (9 and up), Spirited Away (10 and up), Howl’s Moving Castle (11 and up), Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (12 and up), The Castle of Cagliostro (13 and up), The Wind Rises (13 and up), and the one most clearly meant for adults, Princess Mononoke (14 and up).

Princess Mononoke is different from any other Studio Ghibli film, both in its narrative complexity and its level of violence, and when I discovered the Ghibli films and had myself an anime marathon, it caught me completely off-guard. I was shocked that heads and arms were being lopped off within the first fifteen minutes, and I turned it off then and there. It took me some time to give it another try and look past the savagery of certain scenes. Luckily, those scenes are the exception rather than the rule, and I found that Princess Mononoke was something few animated films can claim to be—an epic. From the sweeping landscapes and moving Joe Hisaishi score (he really is one of my favorite movie composers) to the huge cast of characters and nuanced themes, it’s a film so ambitious that I don’t know if there’s anything else to compare it to.

Image result for princess mononoke irontown

The story follows Prince Ashitaka (Billy Crudup in the English dub) in ancient tribal Japan, before forest gods and demons became mere legends. While defending his village from a demon boar, his arm is infected with a curse, and he must journey to a distant forest in the hopes of a spiritual cure. What he finds is an ongoing struggle between industry and nature, as the hardworking folk of the lakeside Irontown battle against the forest gods, led by the giant wolf Moro (Gillian Anderson) and her adopted human daughter San (Claire Danes).

Before Spirited Away came along, Princess Mononoke had every right to be called Miyazaki’s masterpiece, and while it’s far from my favorite of his films, I certainly see why it is deserving of that distinction, more so than Spirited Away, to be honest. Princess Mononoke is as expansive an experience as one can find in an anime film, with Ghibli’s ever-detailed artwork transporting viewers to another time and place full of action, beauty, and menace. It’s not a film I connected with personally, and certain things detract from it in my eyes: the aforementioned violence, the heavy pagan mythology, some grotesque imagery, an ending that doesn’t seem to punish the character most deserving of it. Yet there’s so much to impress that objections like these seem small by comparison.

Image result for princess mononoke irontown

 

The plot and characters are the most impressive ingredients on display. The conflict between humans and nature has resonances of Miyazaki’s Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, from the strong female characters right down to the final scene of both, but there are more than two sides to the dispute, and every side has its own distinct motivations that are far from black and white or simple good and evil. There’s Lady Eboshi (Minnie Driver) and her Irontown loyalists, who are embattled with San and the wolves, while a herd of vengeful boar also joins the fray, while a devious monk (Billy Bob Thornton) plots to steal the head of the Great Forest Spirit, while some iron-greedy samurai make war too. And in the middle of everything is Ashitaka, urging peace on all sides as he seeks to heal his cursed arm, which gives him super-strength but will eventually kill him. How all these various factions clash is key to the film’s epicness, yet Miyazaki’s knack for character is also on display. Lady Eboshi, for instance, isn’t a typical villain, trying to act in the best interest of her people and demonstrating concern for the lepers and women under her care. It’s unfortunate then that the multitude of characters proves too much to negotiate by the end, where the strife is wrapped up a bit too neatly, but the bulk of the film balances it all amazingly well.

Image result for princess mononoke moro

 

The sheer length and scope of Princess Mononoke are enough to make it a landmark anime, even if it’s not for all ages. It played a role in bringing Studio Ghibli to greater attention in the West and, like Akira, showed audiences that anime could be intricate and mature and more than Saturday morning cartoon fare. Though I find several of his films more engaging than Princess Mononoke, if you want proof of Hayao Miyazaki’s talent as a filmmaker, this is it.

Best line: (Hii-sama, the wise woman of Ashitaka’s village) “You cannot change fate. However, you can rise to meet it, if you so choose.”

 

Rank: List-Worthy

 

© 2016 S.G. Liput
433 Followers and Counting

 

The Breakfast Club (1985)

03 Saturday Dec 2016

Posted by in Movies, Poetry, Reviews, Writing

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

,

Image result for the breakfast club

 

How much of you is who you are
And how much how you’re seen?
We like to think we’re unconstrained
By powers over us ordained
That keep us quelled or entertained.
We break the mold; we think anew
(At least I like to think I do),
And yet we linger in routine.

As independent as we are,
Our views are molded like the rest.
Your parents, teachers, habits, friends,
And daily life in all its trends
Have fashioned you. How much depends
On how well you can recognize
The truth among the many lies.
There’s more of both than most have guessed.
_______________

MPAA rating: R (for frequent language)

I’ve caught John Hughes’ classic teen drama The Breakfast Club on TV several times over the years, but only recently watched it from the beginning. As great a film as it is, I’ve got to say that I wasn’t missing much. The first half hour sets up the plot, of course, settling five diverse high school archetypes into a grumpy Saturday morning detention under the strict but ineffectual eye of Vice Principal Vernon (Paul Gleason). We get to meet Andy the jock (Emilio Estevez), Brian the nerd (Anthony Michael Hall), Claire the popular girl (Molly Ringwald), John Bender the rebel (Judd Nelson), and Allison the “basket case” (Ally Sheedy). Aside from some reinforcing of their character traits, such as Ally Sheedy’s bizarre breakfast sandwich, the beginning of the film is limited to prickly exchanges between Bender and Vernon and everyone generally not getting along. It’s after Vernon leaves the quintet to themselves that the film becomes the classic it’s known as, and that’s about when I’ve typically tuned in in the past, not intentionally, just by chance, I guess.

Image result for the breakfast club

Hughes’s script so humanizes these teenagers and makes them so relatable that their interactions are some of the most memorable conversations put to film. Everyone will relate to at least one of these characters and their teenage pressures. Perhaps it’s the parental stress placed on Andy over sports or Brian over his grades; perhaps it’s the peer pressure put on Claire by her friends and the need to remain popular; perhaps it’s the dysfunctional home life that Bender rages over yet accepts. It’s probably not Allison’s “nothing better to do” mentality, but even her wildcard status and embraced weirdness have their source in a painfully common family fault. (For the record, though, I do get along with my parents. No lie.) Every discussion feels natural and holds some discerning truth, even the grumbling of Vernon as he complains about the kids to the janitor. Mingled among these dialogues are some classic ’80s moments of fun: the students running through the halls to avoid Vernon, the awesomely classic dancing scene in the library, the final monologue set to Simple Minds’ “Don’t You (Forget About Me).”

Oh, boy. Starting this review, I fully intended to rank The Breakfast Club as a List Runner-Up simply because I’ve never considered it one of my favorite films, but, as has happened a couple other times, expounding on all of its strengths has made me second-guess myself. It’s a quotable ’80s classic through and through, one that will fill that generation with nostalgia but still appeal to this generation with its universal themes of teen angst and resenting stereotypes. Even if the beginning pales next to the second half, it’s certainly List-Worthy. How can I give it any other score?

Best line: (Andy) “We’re all pretty bizarre. Some of us are just better at hiding it, that’s all.”

 

Rank: List-Worthy

 

© 2016 S.G. Liput
429 Followers and Counting

 

The Conversation (1974)

02 Friday Dec 2016

Posted by in Movies, Poetry, Reviews, Writing

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

, ,

Image result for the conversation film

 

Relax, I can calm all your eavesdropping fears;
Don’t worry; we’re shielded from unwelcome ears.
I’ve turned off my phone, which I’ve hid in my lawn,
So it’s muffled in case it’s remotely turned on.

I’ve checked every lampshade and drawer that I’ve got
And crushed every bug, whether living or not.
I’ve emptied the bookcases, checked every crack,
And covered the windows with tarps painted black.

I’ve wrapped my computer and cameras in wool,
So no one can use them to get an earful.
And while I apologize for all the noise,
It’s safest to speak while I blast Beastie Boys.

So now we can talk, privately and secure.
And yet, in this world, can we ever be sure?
_______________________

MPAA rating: PG

Francis Ford Coppola had a good year in 1974, where both The Conversation and The Godfather Part II were nominated for Best Picture, the latter winning, of course. Both have solid critical acclaim, but it’s easy for The Conversation to be overshadowed by its more epic cousin. It’s a slow-moving thriller very different from Coppola’s other films, hanging predominately on Gene Hackman in the lead role of Harry Caul, a surveillance expert who believes he’s overheard evidence of a potential murder yet to happen.

Hackman is always excellent, and while I can’t say it’s one of his most memorable performances, he makes the mustached Caul sympathetic with his intensely private, loner lifestyle and his guilt over a past job gone wrong. Next to him are early appearances by Cindy Williams, John Cazale (Fredo in The Godfather films), and even Harrison Ford, but the other star of the film is the surveillance equipment Caul employs. In our current world of advanced electronics, The Conversation feels significant if only to capture the methods and technology of the surveillance profession decades ago, such as the huge reel tape machine that Caul uses to listen to the same enigmatic sentences over and over throughout the film. While most of it seems antiquated, I was actually surprised by one gadget that could remotely turn a telephone into a listening device, and those were old-fashioned corded phones!

Image result for the conversation film

All that being said, The Conversation is a thriller of a different style than we’re used to nowadays with constant car chases and explosions. It’s slow and meant to be slow, relying on suggestion and paranoia that doesn’t always keep it interesting. That does change toward the end, as the truth of the conversation comes to light, especially with a memorable scene involving a toilet. After the masterfully enacted twist, though, it’s as if the film doesn’t know how to end. The final scene boasts some powerful paranoia (enough even to overwhelm Caul’s religious devotion), but it’s not what I consider an ending. Perhaps it would have benefited from a little less ambiguity toward a climactic irony, which I only learned of while reading about the film afterward.

The Conversation may not be my cup of tea, as far as thrillers go, but it’s an anxiously plausible and well-made meditation on privacy or the lack thereof and a reminder that the meaning of a conversation can hinge on the stress of a single word.

Best line: (Caul) “I’m not afraid of death, but I am afraid of murder.”

 

Rank: Honorable Mention

 

© 2016 S.G. Liput
429 Followers and Counting