Tag Archives: Drama

Gettysburg (1993)

27 Sunday Apr 2014

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Gettysburg! The town where North and South did chance to meet,
The peaceful hills and meadows that became a battlefield.
Both Yankee blues and rebel grays would not accept retreat
Until the farms of war had offered up their bloody yield.
Although Lee’s troops fought bravely, he was forced to face defeat;
With Pickett’s devastating charge, the battle’s fate was sealed.
 
Heroism shone amid the guns and cannon fire;
Of note was Colonel Chamberlain on Little Round Top’s heights.
They fought with different reasons but the same innate desire,
To end this brothers’ battle, fought for freedom or for rights.
 
May this inspire.
_________________________
 

Gettysburg is long, and I mean looooooong (thus I went with a short poem, a curtal sonnet). At 4 hours and 14 minutes, it is one of Hollywood’s longest movies, originally conceived as a miniseries but bumped up to feature film status by studio backer Ted Turner (who has a cameo in the finished film). History lovers like me will enjoy this meticulously crafted Civil War epic based on Michael Shaara’s historical novel The Killer Angels. There are so many characters and so much time spent detailing Lee’s strategy that it’s not what I would call a casual watch. I love tales of the Civil War, but even I can only watch it occasionally, considering the time investment necessary to view it in its entirety.

The film is almost too ambitious in trying to present such a well-rounded depiction of the famous battle. The first 40 minutes or so before the first battle scene could have been edited down significantly, and some scenes of the explosions and such go on too long. Two sequences, though, stick out as truly awesome in both scale and excitement: Chamberlain’s stand on the wooded slopes of Little Round Top midway through and Pickett’s disastrous charge near the end. Both have that real cast-of-thousands aspect from the old Cecil B. DeMille epics, which have been replaced in modern films with CGI.

While all the actors do a fine job, from Tom Berenger as Lieutenant General James Longstreet to Martin Sheen as Confederate General Robert E. Lee, again two performances emerge as the best. Richard Jordan (in his last film role) is excellent as Confederate “Lo” Armistead, who regrets having to fight an old friend on the opposite side, and Jeff Daniels gives an Oscar-worthy portrayal of Union Colonel Joshua Chamberlain of the 20th Maine regiment. Their stories are the most interesting, and both give stirring pro-American speeches that make Gettysburg perfect for July 4 viewing (plus the battle was fought from July 1-3, 1863).

One thing I much appreciate is that, despite the 53,000 lives that were lost at the battle of Gettysburg, the film manages to be almost entirely bloodless. Some think war films ought to be more realistic in their portrayal of violence, but this film captures the right balance between being fittingly intense without getting gruesome.

If you are easily bored by long films or have little interest in history, Gettysburg probably isn’t the right film for you, but every now and then I feel it’s important that we remind ourselves of the hardships and horrors of war that went into securing freedom for all and keeping this country together.

Best line: (Brigadier General James Kemper to Pickett) “I gotta hand it to you, George. You certainly do have a talent for trivializin’ the momentous and complicatin’ the obvious. You ever considered runnin’ for Congress?”

 
Artistry: 8
Characters/Actors: 8
Entertainment: 5
Visual Effects: 9
Originality: 7
Watchability: 2
Other (length): -3
 
TOTAL: 36 out of 60
 

Next: #253 – Jumpin’ Jack Flash

© 2014 S. G. Liput

83 Followers and Counting

 

Silverado (1985)

26 Saturday Apr 2014

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When three would-be killers close in on a derelict shack,
One Emmett succeeds in shooting them down in a flash.
He later meets Paden, who’s also endured an attack
But didn’t fare well, having lost both his hat and his cash.
 
The two journey on to a town where the cocky young Jake,
Emmett’s brother, is locked up for murder, awaiting the noose.
When Paden joins him behind bars for his stolen hat’s sake,
He helps the self-confident rogue and himself to break loose.
 
They flee the town’s sheriff with help from a black man named Mal,
And aid a poor wagon train, also the victims of theft.
They ride to the town Silverado, a dusty locale,
Controlled by the rancher McKendrick, with few good men left.
 
The sheriff in town is an old friend of Paden’s named Cobb,
Who brings him to Stella, the small owner of the saloon.
Cobb shoots down a manager, then awards Paden his job,
But Cobb is corrupt and works for the ranching tycoon.
 
Mal’s father is punished for spurning McKendrick’s land grab;
His prostitute sister is likewise in danger in town.
McKendrick hates Emmett, whose presence removes an old scab,
And orders his various henchmen to bring Emmett down.
 
McKendrick’s men take Emmett’s nephew and ride off on horses,
And Cobb lets it happen, an act Paden cannot condone.
So Emmett and Mal, with both Paden and Jake, combine forces
To stop this corruption and pick each particular bone.
 
Jake shoots down his rival, and Mal saves both Stella and sis,
While Emmett surprises McKendrick and brings the man low.
At last, Paden faces down Cobb and is too good to miss,
Defeating the foe and enacting a new status quo.
 
For Emmett and Jake, California is beckoning still,
And Mal will rebuild his old farmstead McKendrick brought down,
But now Silverado’s in need of a leader with skill,
And Paden steps up as the trustworthy sheriff in town.
_____________________
 

I’ve already stated that I’m not a big fan of Westerns since so many share the same themes and character motivations. Revenge, outlaws, rogues with hearts of gold, and standing up for the defenseless are just a few of the western clichés that Silverado employs, but it puts them all together so entertainingly that I don’t mind as much. As Roger Ebert put it, “This is a story, you will agree, that has been told before. What distinguishes [director and writer Lawrence] Kasdan’s telling of it is the style and energy he brings to the project.” Considering Kasdan’s previous film was the well-cast The Big Chill (one of my VC’s favorite movies, not mine), I’d say he also has a knack for assembling impressive ensembles with good characterization as well.

Unlike so many other stock westerns with only one or two memorable characters, if that, Silverado has an excellent cast, including Kevin Kline, Jeff Goldblum (who were both in The Big Chill as well), Scott Glenn, a young Kevin Costner, Danny Glover, Brian Dennehy, Linda Hunt, John Cleese, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera! There’s also (Lost alert) the wild-eyed Jeff Fahey, who portrayed Frank Lapidus on my favorite show. While not every character is entirely developed, whether sympathetically or otherwise, every actor fills their role well enough to definitely be memorable.

Even though the film’s convoluted plot is full of the aforementioned clichés, it has some highly entertaining parts, like the canyon scene and the stampede rescue sequence. That being said, the final showdown between Cobb and Paden felt unoriginal and rather anti-climactic following a couple more inventive death scenes. All in all, Silverado is a fun, well-written, and fairly clean modern western that sadly didn’t quite revive the genre as much as some had expected. There’s a fine line between a cliché and a reinvention, and Silverado walks it pretty well.

Best line: (Cobb) “We’re gonna give you a fair trial, followed by a first class hanging.”

 
Artistry: 6
Characters/Actors: 9
Entertainment: 8
Visual Effects: 7
Originality: 4
Watchability: 6
Other (brief language and anti-climax): -4
 
TOTAL: 36 out of 60
 

Next: #254 – Gettysburg

© 2014 S. G. Liput

82 Followers and Counting

 

Won’t Back Down (2012)

19 Saturday Apr 2014

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When Jaime Fitzpatrick, a poor single mother,
Perceives that her daughter is being let down
By a substandard school, she tries finding another
But cannot afford the ones earning renown.
 
Meanwhile a teacher at Adams, that school,
Is also concerned for her slow-learning son.
While this Nona Alberts tries joining the pool,
She too is shut out from a school that’s well-run.
 
At last, Jaime’s had it with uncaring teachers
Who won’t help her dyslexic daughter to read.
She hears of a law with a number of features
Intended to let parents change schools in need.
 
Convincing Miss Alberts to join her crusade,
Jaime passes out flyers, petitions, and such.
She gains at least fifty, but most are afraid
That the system just won’t let them do very much.
 
The state’s teacher’s union attacks the endeavor
With lies mixed with truth to discourage new blood.
They say it hurts teachers; their fear is, however,
This unionless new school could start a whole flood.
 
From door-to-door visits to rallies with pride,
Both Jaime and Nona begin to persuade
Some teachers and parents to come to their side
And give Adams their fundamental upgrade.
 
Though Michael, a teacher and Jaime’s new beau,
Is averse at the first to forsake union aid,
He too comes around when he sees to let go
Is to move the school forward from where it’s decayed.
 
A couple mistakes come to haunt Nona still,
But the head of the school board decides to assist.
Obtaining a rare hearing through her good will,
They try to ensure that there’s nothing they’ve missed.
 
The school board says “no” for a typo at first,
But a speech and redo gains them just enough votes.
Jaime’s daughter soon reads, for she’s now been immersed
In the true love of learning their new school promotes.
_______________________
 

Won’t Back Down may be divisive for supporters of teacher’s unions, but it’s a truly uplifting drama that should remind teachers and parents alike that schools are meant to benefit the children that fill them. Maggie Gyllenhaal is on fire as Jaime Fitzpatrick, an ultimate Type A personality, who is not content to let her daughter’s school fail her. While she’s poor and undereducated, she doesn’t want her daughter to be the same, and her love for Malia is evident from the beginning.

Viola Davis also shines in a much more understated role as Nona Alberts. Most of the time she remains stoically overwhelmed, much like her brilliant Oscar-nominated performance in Doubt, but about midway through she perks up and gets some wonderful moments to both have some fun and give some frustrating people a piece of her mind. In addition, Holly Hunter plays a leader in the teacher’s union who begins to have second thoughts, and Oscar Isaac as Michael gets some good scenes defending the role of unions in the past. He also gets to sing a bit, foreshadowing his latest role in Inside Llewyn Davis, in which he sang his songs live.

Like Nona’s gradual awakening from just going through the motions to actively teaching her class, the cinematography brightens as the film progresses. At the beginning, the color scheme is so muted, it might as well be in black and white, but by the end, everything is more radiant and colorful, especially the school, reflecting the growing hope for a better school and future.

The mostly clean film is an indictment on the overregulated education “system” and a probably oversimplified solution to it, but whether you agree with its message or not, Won’t Back Down is a marvelously acted if slowly-paced film that encourages viewers to change whatever they can for the better. (By the way, Tom Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down” not only inspired the name of the movie but also earns a place in my End Credits Song Hall of Fame.)

Best line: (Nona Alberts, when urged to dance) “I haven’t danced since ‘Gettin’ Jiggy wit It,’ and I wasn’t jiggy then.”

 
Artistry: 7
Characters/Actors: 8
Entertainment: 6
Visual Effects: N/A
Originality: 7
Watchability: 7
 
TOTAL: 35 out of 60
 

Next: #261 – Joseph: King of Dreams

© 2014 S. G. Liput

 

Amazing Grace (2006)

17 Thursday Apr 2014

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When William Wilberforce arose
To do whate’er he could,
He thought to do God’s work and chose
To change the world for good.
 
He’d always hated slavery,
But hid such views until
Friend William Pitt spurred him to be
The sponsor of a bill,
 
A bill to end the slaving trade
On which the rich relied
For sugar and plantation aid,
A bill which quickly died.
 
But he and his few devotees
Declared the horrid truth
Of humans forced to cross the seas
And work away their youth.
 
He showed to all the slaving ships,
The putrid stench of death;
The dreadful news was on his lips
With every living breath.
 
Unlikely allies reared their heads;
Petitions filled with names;
His lamp shone bright, as all light spreads,
But many feared these flames.
 
As France aroused the threat of war,
The cries of Wilberforce
Were called sedition more and more,
Which no one would endorse.
 
His friends withdrew, his health declined,
And laudanum slowed his brain.
He could not change the country’s mind,
Nor ease his brother’s pain.
 
The burns of slaves did haunt his dreams,
Their owners’ searing brands.
He heard their unassisted screams
And glimpsed their shackled hands.
 
At last, a colleague’s forward bid
To find William a wife
Succeeded, and she helped to rid
This torpor from his life.
 
He reconvened his group of friends
To reinstate their mission.
They passed a bill to help their ends
And sneak in abolition.
 
Then, after twenty years, at last,
Of staying on his course,
The bill to end the slave trade passed,
All thanks to Wilberforce.
_____________________
 

So many times when we read history, it is just words on a page. We learn in school that “William Wilberforce helped end the slave trade in 1807,” and we usually take that fact for granted, not realizing the toil and pain that went into making that dream a reality. Great men of the past met with difficulty and discouragement just like we do today, and Amazing Grace is a marvelous biopic that makes that immensely clear.

Ioan Gruffudd is excellent as William Wilberforce, reflecting both his dogged determination and his crestfallen despair, and Albert Finney is equally masterful as his aging minister John Newton, who was the captain of a slave ship before coming to Christ, renouncing his former life, and eventually writing the famous hymn ”Amazing Grace.” The film also features a number of British actors before they became really famous, including Benedict Cumberbatch in one of his first film roles as Wilberforce’s friend and Prime Minister William Pitt. Another recognizable face is Toby Jones as the Duke of Clarence, before his more visible roles in the Captain America and Hunger Games films. Also interesting is that Michael Gambon and Ciaran Hinds, who both played gentlemen on opposing sides of the slavery issue, ended up playing brothers in the Harry Potter series.

While the film is rather dry at times, it has an exceptional script that allows the characters to speak in 18th century fashion without their conversations becoming too highbrow for modern audiences. I’m not sure how much of the dialogue was taken from real sources, but many of the parliamentary quips are actually quite clever.

There are some definite historical inaccuracies, the most glaring being the fact that “Amazing Grace” was not put to its now familiar tune at the time Wilberforce sings it in the film. Another mistake (or perhaps embellishment) is that Gambon’s character Charles Fox had died and was not present for the final passage of Wilberforce’s bill. Still, the film references a number of events that make history buffs feel smart, such as the high hopes for the French Revolution before things got bloody. I also love the fact that, although Amazing Grace was directed by atheist Michael Apted, it is not afraid to speak of Christianity in a positive light as the main driving force for abolition. It may not be ideal casual watching, but for those who can stay with Wilberforce through his highs and lows, the payoff at the end is quite satisfying and beautiful.

Best line: (Pitt) “You don’t think we could change things?” (Wilberforce) “I would change myself first.”

 
Artistry: 9
Characters/Actors: 9
Entertainment: 6
Visual Effects: N/A
Originality: 6
Watchability: 5
 
TOTAL: 35 out of 60
 

Next: #263 – Baby Boom

© 2014 S. G. Liput

 

100th Poem! The Hunt for Red October (1990)

15 Tuesday Apr 2014

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Jack Ryan, a writer on tactics of war,
Gets word of a threat that he needs to explore.
He flies to his CIA boss to expound
On a new Russian sub of which photos were found.
 
More research reveals that the foe could arrive
Off the coast unbeknownst to us, due to a drive,
A unique “caterpillar” that keeps the sub quiet,
And government leaders are disheartened by it.
 
The captain named Ramius may be en route
To bomb us and trigger a worldwide dispute,
But analyst Ryan has come to suspect
That the great Marko Ramius wants to defect.
 
Indeed, Marko leaked to Moscow in a letter
That the sub Red October will go someplace better.
Though Ramius’ officers want to leave too,
They’re not necessarily sure of the crew.
 
So Russia’s fleet frantically searches the sea
For a trace of this sub they built so secretly,
But the USS Dallas is solo in knowing
Or having a clue where this covert sub’s going.
 
Meanwhile, ol’ Ramius soon is quite sure
That a sailor on board is a spy saboteur,
So his officers fake a bad nuclear leak
That gets the whole crew off, a clever technique.
 
When Ryan realizes the Dallas’s status,
He’s dropped from a chopper with some apparatus.
The Dallas’s crew helps to bring Jack aboard,
And Ryan soon proves that he won’t be ignored.
 
Though Captain Mancuso, still hot in pursuit,
Has orders to find Red October and shoot,
He listens to Ryan, who says they must talk,
And both steer a rescue sub over to dock.
 
On board Red October, Jack hunts down the spy
Before he can blow the whole vessel sky high.
A Russian sub also attempts to destroy
The renegade craft that has left its employ.
 
October’s maneuvering with not a flub
Diverts the torpedo to hit the bad sub.
The Russians believe that October was hit,
So Marko and Jack can relax for a bit.
______________________
 

I’ll be honest that I have not seen any of the other movies featuring Jack Ryan, Tom Clancy’s less-glamorous answer to James Bond, so I have no idea how successfully Harrison Ford, Ben Affleck, or the recent Chris Pine have carried on the role that Alec Baldwin began in The Hunt for Red October. My VC, however, loves Red October with a passion and considers it to be the best role of Baldwin’s career; Rotten Tomatoes also indicates that it was the best of the Jack Ryan adaptations, with a significantly higher 95%.

It’s a taut thriller to be sure, though it does take a while for events to heat up. Much of the first hour is spent with guesswork about what the sub is, where Ramius is going, and what his intentions might be. Some cool underwater effects highlight the midsection, but once Ryan gets aboard the Dallas, things really get good. The finale featuring a sub battle and Ryan’s confrontation with the spy simultaneously is among the most gripping climaxes of any thriller.

There are also quite a few recognizable names I had forgotten in the credits. Aside from Baldwin and a brief cameo by Gates McFadden (Dr. Crusher from Star Trek: The Next Generation), we have Scott Glenn (The Right Stuff, The Silence of the Lambs)as Captain Mancuso of the Dallas; Jeffrey Jones (Principal Rooney in Ferris Bueller) as a bearded sub expert; James Earl Jones (Darth Vader) as Ryan’s boss; Tim Curry, Stellan Skarsgard, and Sam Neill as Russians with varying loyalties; and the ever-distinguished Sean Connery as Captain Ramius. Connery bestows a unique dignity to all of his films, proving himself a thespian of the highest order. Plus, my VC loves the scene in which he eats with his officers, claiming that he has “chewable lips,” which she read in a magazine some years ago. Women.

While many were skeptical how well the convoluted Clancy novel would fare on the big screen, The Hunt for Red October surpassed expectations and even won an Academy Award for Best Sound Editing. It certainly deserves a place on my list and any list of great political thrillers.

P.S. Today I am celebrating my 100th poem in this year-long challenge!!!!!!!!! While I’m a tad behind, I plan to catch up somewhere along the line. Thank you to all of you who have liked and followed my blog along the way, and I ask that you continue to push that “like” button whenever you can. Every “like” fills me with satisfaction that I’m doing something right anyway. Feel free to comment as well about any movies you enjoy or if you disagree with anything on my list so far. Here’s to the next 265!

Best line: (National Security Advisor Jeffrey Pelt, when the Russian ambassador says that they have lost contact with the sub sent to destroy Red October) “Andrei, you’ve lost another submarine?” (And he’s eating jelly beans!)

 
Artistry: 7
Characters/Actors: 8
Entertainment: 7
Visual Effects: 7
Originality: 7
Watchability: 6
Other (language): -7
 

TOTAL: 35 out of 60

 

Next: #265 – Cloak and Dagger (1984)

© 2014 S. G. Liput

 

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (2008)

12 Saturday Apr 2014

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The pains of the Second World War are not felt
By young German Bruno, who hasn’t been dealt
The cares of the world; all this lively lad knows
Is his soldier dad helps fight ambiguous foes.
 
They move from Berlin to a large country home,
But Bruno is strangely forbidden to roam.
He sees from his room an unusual farm
That causes his mother peculiar alarm.
 
Pajamas are all that these odd farmers wear;
They seem rather nice, but they’re filled with despair.
The one who assists at his house is abused
By a soldier named Kurt, leaving Bruno confused.
 
The boy sneaks away to the woods to explore
And locates a victim of bias and war.
Dressed up in pajamas behind the “farm’s” fence,
He meets little Schmuel, and discussions commence.
 
Although Bruno learns Jews are evil in school,
He sees no corruption in suffering Schmuel.
While Bruno’s own sister is rapt by the Reich,
The boy befriends someone he’s told to dislike.
 
His mother is shocked when she learns through a joke
Of the terrible cause of the nearby camp’s smoke.
The day that she plans to forsake her fell spouse,
Her son makes one last trip away from the house.
 
Schmuel’s father is missing so both boys decide
To search the camp’s cabins with Schmuel as their guide.
Their search is cut short as, in turbulent weather,
They’re taken with Jews for a “shower,” together.
_______________________
 

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas offers a different perspective of the Holocaust than the myriad other films that have covered the subject in much more graphic detail, that is, the perspective of a German child. As time goes on at his new home, Bruno notices things beyond his ken: a guarded “farm” full of sad people in “pajamas,” the Jews’ numbers that he assumes are part of a game, the foul smoke from the crematoriums. While we as the well-informed audience know what these things mean, he takes them at innocent face value, not understanding their horrific significance or the atrocities his father is committing as the camp’s commandant. Another trend he does not comprehend is the brainwashing of his sister, who, thanks to their personal tutor, goes from praying and playing with dolls to praising the Fatherland and cutting out good articles from propaganda magazines.

In some ways, the film is like a cross-section of Nazi Germany, featuring all the kinds of Germans during the war. Bruno’s grandmother disapproves of everything going on but is forced to stay silent; his father Ralf may not like it but has convinced himself that it’s right for his family and career; the mother dislikes Jews enough to accept her husband leading a work camp but draws the line at mass murder; Bruno’s sister Gretel may not understand everything but she supports the Fuhrer blindly; the soldier Kurt hates Jews with a passion and treats them as slaves; and then there’s Bruno, untainted by the evil around him and willing to befriend a supposed enemy.

The acting is wonderful, from Vera Farmiga as Bruno’s conflicted mother Elsa to Jack Scanlon as Schmuel and Asa Butterfield (Hugo) as Bruno. The performances make up for the slow pace of the story, which is like a Masterpiece Theatre tale. The end holds the emotional punch of the whole film; it is one of the most frustratingly sad, stop-what-are-you-thinking endings I’ve seen. While it left me depressed, my VC was more angry at the parents and almost glad in a strange way that the impact of the horrors they were ignoring was finally hitting home. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas may grieve and enrage its audience, but it’s a potent yet restrained look at the Holocaust through the eyes of an innocent.

Best line: (Gretel, summing up the disheartening view of so many people during the Holocaust) “It’s only horrible for them.”

 
Artistry: 9
Characters/Actors: 9
Entertainment: 5
Visual Effects: N/A
Originality: 8
Watchability: 4
 
TOTAL: 35 out of 60
 

Next: #268 – Kiki’s Delivery Service

© 2014 S. G. Liput

 

Bambi (1942)

08 Tuesday Apr 2014

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(Because of Bambi’s naturalistic simplicity and personal time constraints, I have opted to try a different style for today’s poem, a series of haiku.)

 
Deep in the forest,
A fawn prince enters the world
With eyes of wonder.
 
All is new to him,
The flowers and butterflies,
Bright and exciting.
 
Young rabbit Thumper
Befriends the newborn, as does
Bashful skunk Flower.
 
The young trio plays
Together, and Bambi meets
Female fawn Faline.
 
The seasons march on.
Winter offers newfound joys,
But sorrow awaits.
 
As gunshots ring out,
Bambi flees the deadly sound,
But Mother is gone.
 
Bambi’s cries echo
Through the snow-shod trees until
His father helps him.
 
Years flow ever on,
And Bambi becomes a stag,
Grown but still naïve.
 
He and his old friends
Scoff at romance until it
Captures their young hearts.
 
Faline, now a doe,
Has more than one suitor, but
Bambi proves himself.
 
Man threatens the woods,
But Bambi defends his love
From the vicious dogs.
 
Careless Man’s fire spreads
To drive creatures from their homes.
All flee before it.
 
A strong, daring leap
Lets Bambi escape from death
To create new life.
 
Like Father, Bambi,
The new Prince of the Forest,
Watches o’er his fawns.
_______________
 

Who here saw Bambi as a child and didn’t cry? Anyone? I doubt it. Bambi starts out as one of the gentlest children’s films ever made with adorable woodland creatures but turns into one of the most traumatic as well. Every well-loved child’s worst fear is the loss of a parent, and Bambi’s pitiful search for his mother taps into that potential loneliness to make it one of the ultimate tearjerkers. Those who have seen it several times, like me, may not burst into tears anymore, but it’s still undeniably sad.

As for the rest of the film, the hand-drawn animation is gorgeous, possibly the artistic height of Disney’s original films; the characters are memorable (Any deer can be called Bambi, and any rabbit Thumper to this day.); and the climax is actually pretty exciting. Yet, as with other films like The Secret World of Arrietty, Bambi is so gentle and innocent at times that it becomes rather boring, especially during his saccharinely slow initial exploration of the forest.

Still, Disney managed a surprising balance to this pacing issue by including some almost shockingly realistic events, like Bambi’s aforementioned search for his mother and a scene in which a panicked pheasant flees from her hiding place only to be shot down. Seriously, this movie has probably turned off more people from hunting than any ASPCA ad ever could. Bambi is a naturalistic masterpiece, one of those skillfully made films that work well as both kiddie entertainment and an early introduction to the big, bad, but beautiful world in which we live.

Best line: (Friend Owl, to the grown Bambi) “I was talking to myself about you the other day; we were wondering what became of you.”

 
Artistry: 9
Characters/Actors: 7
Entertainment: 5
Visual Effects: 10
Originality: 7
Watchability: 4
Other (slow pacing): -8
 
TOTAL: 34 out of 60
 

Next: #272: U. S. Marshals

© 2014 S. G. Liput

 

Hugo (2011)

07 Monday Apr 2014

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The Montparnasse station in Paris is home
To a lonely young fellow named Hugo Cabret.
He lives by himself and is quite free to roam
Through the walls and the clockwork he maintains each day.
 
Before Hugo’s father was killed in a fire,
He found an automaton up in an attic,
And Hugo’s continued to work and desire
The day it will function and be automatic.
 
Avoiding the vigilant Station Inspector,
He takes what he needs from the various stores.
One shop owner, Georges, acts like he’s seen a specter
When he views a notebook that Hugo adores.
 
The toymaker takes it and calls Hugo thief,
But Hugo then follows him back to his house.
The man seems unusually smitten by grief
And weeps with his knowing, compassionate spouse.
 
But Hugo meets Isabelle, Georges’s goddaughter,
Who uses fine speech that she learns when she reads.
A small, heart-shaped key that her godmother brought her
Turns out to be what the automaton needs.
 
The wound-up machine draws a scene Hugo knows
Of a ship in the eye of the man in the moon,
A shot from an old film that makes them suppose
That Georges used to be a filmmaking tycoon.
 
An expert on film says that Georges Melies
Produced hundreds of films ere the world war arrived.
Though sad for the end of his filmmaking days,
He’s gladdened by seeing one film that’s survived.
 
When Hugo learns that his mechanical man
Was built by Melies, the boy runs to bring back
The artist’s creation; the Inspector’s ban
On orphans, however, takes Hugo off track.
 
The automaton falls, but Melies doesn’t care;
He is touched by the boy and the efforts he’s made.
Adopting the lad who can fix and repair,
Melies finds renown as his films are displayed.
____________________
 

Hugo is an absolute feast for the eyes, especially for those who like gears. An oddity among the films of famed director Martin Scorsese, Hugo has none of the violence, profanity, and problematic content of his other films, such as Raging Bull, Gangs of New York, and the recent despicable The Wolf of Wall Street. Instead, he has replaced anything objectionable with an astounding sense of wonder and artistry, racking up at least as many Oscar nominations and wins as in the past. From the long, continuous opening shot to the similarly flowing final one, every scene has something interesting to absorb, and the whole film has a unique visually-enhanced look to it.

The acting is good for the most part, though, except for the always wonderful Asa Butterfield as young Hugo, I could have seen several other actors in each role. Sacha Baron Cohen brings some depth to the character of the Station Inspector Gustave, with his injured leg and hesitant romance with a flower shop girl, but his mannerisms are a tad distracting, if rather funny. Likewise, Ben Kingsley gives his usual nuance to the role of Georges Melies, but I found him unnecessarily mean-spirited at the beginning, making his mid-film declaration that Hugo was cruel frustratingly feeble.

My main issue with the film as a whole and the reason it is this low on my list is the pacing. I suppose Scorsese did the best he could, spicing up a relatively simple story with all the visual interest he could muster to drag it out to two hours, but I found it somewhat slow. I know I grew up when explosions and action became the norm in popular entertainment, but there are a number of slow movies on my list, so I don’t know if the fact that this one left me bored at times is my own fault or Scorsese’s. Considering that Hugo’s content is appropriate for children, I can’t help but think many kids would lose interest along the way too.

Part of this pacing problem is the fact that I thought the film was leading somewhere unexpected. With all the fantastic imagery with the automaton and Melies’s sketches flying around, I thought there might be some mystical secret to be revealed, but no, it was all just a metaphor for the magic of movies. Perhaps Hugo has some hidden power that can redirect trains?! No, it was just a cool effect in a dream. Perhaps Hugo is really an automaton himself?! No, it was just a dream within a dream. Did Scorsese see Inception? When the big “reveal” finally comes to explain Melies’s behavior, it’s because…people stopped liking his films. It’s understandable, I suppose, but, ultimately, as the explanation for this whole mystery and his bitter behavior, it’s a bit anticlimactic.

Nevertheless, Hugo is one of the most visually fascinating films out there, an homage to the original directors, like the real Georges Melies, who never could have imagined their work turning into billion-dollar blockbusters and special-effects extravaganzas. The end can’t help but make every viewer smile, and it’s enjoyable to see that a director like Scorsese can do something without constant shootings and F-words. If only he’d try it more often…

Best line: (Hugo) “Maybe that’s why a broken machine always makes me a little sad, because it isn’t able to do what it was meant to do… Maybe it’s the same with people. If you lose your purpose… it’s like you’re broken.”

 
Artistry: 10
Characters/Actors: 6
Entertainment: 6
Visual Effects: 10
Originality: 6
Watchability: 5
Other (aforementioned pacing issues): -9
 
TOTAL: 34 out of 60
 

Next: #273: Bambi

© 2014 S. G. Liput

 

Dave (1993)

05 Saturday Apr 2014

Posted by in Movies, Poetry, Reviews, Writing

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The President is William Mitchell,
Popular but quite the swine.
He lies, philanders, cooks the books,
And looks a lot like Kevin Kline.
 
A busy night requires that he
Get a decent look-a-like
To take his place for just a moment
Just in case danger may strike.
 
The Secret Service finds Dave Kovic,
Who could be Bill Mitchell’s twin.
He does a very worthy job
And likes the role that he is in.
 
But, when Bill Mitchell has a stroke,
Bob Alexander, chief of staff,
Decides to keep Dave on for good
And run the land on his behalf.
 
While Dave agrees to play along,
He knows Bob’s whole plan is shady.
No one notices the difference,
Even Ellen, Bill’s First Lady.
 
The pure Vice President is sent on
Some long African peace tour,
And Bob bribes the few who know
To keep his little plot secure.
 
Although it all goes well at first,
Dave soon wants to help out more.
So he tries to cut the budget,
Something Bob cannot ignore.
 
Because she knows her husband’s crooked,
Ellen knows that something’s wrong.
She catches Dave within the lie, but
Both of them still get along.
 
When Dave decides to take the reins and
Help the country as he should,
He fires Bob and tells the press that
He will try to do more good.
 
But Bob has dirt on Mitchell’s scheming,
And he gives it to the press,
Prompting Dave to go to Congress
And, on live TV, confess.
 
He also offers proof that Bob took
Part in all his past misdeeds,
But suddenly Dave passes out,
And his ingenious plan succeeds.
 
Within an ambulance, they switch out
Dave for Bill, still comatose.
The news reports a much worse stroke,
Which clueless doctors diagnose.
 
With Gary Nance, Vice President, now
Stepping up to chief-of-state,
Dave goes back to his normal life,
But better things may still await.
 
For Ellen’s now in love with David,
Joining him in life mundane,
But Dave still dreams of helping more
And plans to launch his own campaign.
_____________________
 

With a title that gives little hint to its plot, Dave is all about Kevin Kline, who plays both President Bill Mitchell and Dave Kovic. Kline is the magic charm that makes the whole film work, portraying both a jerk and a lovable guy who’s in over his head and barely knows it. His eccentricities, such as the way he embellishes the lines and orders given him (or sometimes doesn’t, to comedic effect) are priceless. Yet, his sympathetic idealism is like something out of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, and one can’t help but root for his plans, even if he is lying to the whole country throughout the film (due to Bob Alexander, played by the icy Frank Langella).

While his beneficent proposals are pretty unrealistic (putting every single person to work is not really in the government’s power; see the New Deal), it’s nice to see a film point out the flaws in the system in a fairly nonpartisan way. Comments about the unwieldiness of the budget, the unnecessary programs that gobble up millions, and the selfishness of many politicians make Dave a film to be taken seriously, and many cameos by actual congressmen, senators, and news reporters give it a sense of realism.

Sigourney Weaver as Ellen Mitchell, Ving Rhames as Secret Service man Duane, Charles Grodin as Dave’s accountant friend (having played one in Midnight Run, Grodin must like playing accountants) and Ben Kingsley as Vice President Nance round out the well-cast roles, and I must say that Kline and Weaver have some winning chemistry. (As a side note, when Dave operates two giant robotic arms, I couldn’t help but think that it’s too bad Sigourney Weaver didn’t get ahold of those and fight a giant alien.) As a comedy, the film is amusing throughout but doesn’t have any standout hilarious scene, like other Ivan Reitman films (Ghostbusters, Stripes). Dave nonetheless is an entertaining Prince-and-the-Pauper look at a fictional Washington conspiracy that thankfully hasn’t really happened. I think.

Best line: (Duane, as Dave and he part ways) “I would have taken a bullet for you.”

 
Artistry: 6
Characters/Actors: 8
Entertainment: 8
Visual Effects: N/A (except for one scene with the two Kevin Klines)
Originality: 6
Watchability: 8
Other (language): -3
 
TOTAL: 33 out of 60
 

Next: #275 – The Emperor’s New Groove

© 2014 S. G. Liput

 

We Are Marshall (2006)

01 Tuesday Apr 2014

Posted by in Movies

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Marshall University’s a West Virginia school
That bore an awful tragedy that no one could foresee.
Their football team just lost a game, but everything seemed cool
Until their chartered plane flew home and crashed so suddenly.
 
The school’s whole team (except for four), the boosters, staff, and coaches
Are sadly killed upon impact, consumed in flame and ash.
The whole town mourns in utter shock. As their school year approaches,
They all assume the football program perished with the crash.
 
Nate Ruffin, their team captain, thinks they ought to play, however.
He rallies Marshall’s students to demand a football team.
So President Don Dedmon seeks a coach to put together
Another team. His efforts, though, are fruitless, it would seem.
 
But Wooster’s coach Jack Lengyel contacts Don to fill the need
And help the hurting town to cheer for football once again.
Assistant coach Red Dawson doesn’t think they can succeed
But overcomes survivor’s guilt to help recruit more men.
 
In order for their team to grow, they need some freshmen players
So Don asks for an exemption from the NCAA.
It takes a trip to their headquarters before anyone cares,
But finally Don gets permission for freshmen to play.
 
The team Jack puts together with the constant aid of Red
Cannot compare with what they lost, despite how hard they train.
When Jack seeks help from a rival coach, he lets Jack go ahead
And study his successful techniques, feeling Marshall’s pain.
 
The new young team’s first loss is hard, and tensions start to rise,
But Jack inspires his whole team to honor those long gone.
While most in town support the team, a couple realize
They’re stuck in mourning what they lost and need to now move on.
 
When Marshall plays Xavier, the whole town views the game,
And, playing hard, the team from Marshall manages to win.
Although they lose most games that year, they later win acclaim.
They honored everyone who died by never giving in.
____________________
 

We Are Marshall is a seemingly formulaic sports drama that nonetheless creates the appropriate amount of heartache and inspiration to rise above the sum of its parts. The initial crash, though offscreen, is traumatic in its effect upon the characters: mothers, fathers, fiancées, sons, daughters, and guilt-racked survivors.

The mourning community is populated by skilled actors, including Ian McShane as a grieving father, David Strathairn as Don Dedmon, and Matthew Fox as Red Dawson. Being a huge fan of Lost, I found it enjoyable to see Fox, who played a different Jack throughout the hit series, in another role.

While Matthew McConaughey received praise for his portrayal of Jack Lengyel and recently won an Oscar for Dallas Buyers Club, I didn’t care for him at first. His folksy quirkiness is at times more annoying than likable, but he grows into the character nicely by the end. Still, in Lengyel’s scenes with Red, I can’t help but feel that Matthew Fox seems to be more of an Oscar-worthy actor than McConaughey.

The film has some memorable and often funny training montages to great ‘70s music, as well as a number of cameos by various notable coaches and other famous people. Another thing I liked was the fact that Lengyel never promised miracles and never delivered any. Yet, despite all the pain Huntington, West Virginia endured, Marshall’s Thundering Herd went on to achieve great success, titles that would have never been won had the town just given up after the crash. While there is no real mention of God amidst the tragedy, some scenes in a church reveal the town nevertheless sought comfort in the Lord.

We Are Marshall may not be a perfect film, but it possesses some undeniably powerful moments, such as when a rival college’s players are shown with crosses on their helmets in solidarity with Marshall, plus a rousing ending that proves that a tragic loss need not define one’s future.

Best line: (Jack Lengyel) “Ya see, Red, it doesn’t matter if we win, or if we lose. It’s not even about how we play the game. What matters is that we play the game. That we take the field. That we suit up on Saturdays and we keep this program alive. We play the game, and, Red, I’m tellin’ ya one day… not today, not tomorrow. Not this season probably. Not next season either, but one day you and I are gonna wake up suddenly; we’re gonna be like every other team, in every other sport where winning is everything, and nothing else matters. When that day comes… well, that’s when we’ll honor them.”

 
Artistry: 6
Characters/Actors: 7
Entertainment: 6
Visual Effects: 5
Originality: 5
Watchability: 6
Other (brief language): -2
 
TOTAL: 33 out of 60
 

Next: #280 – A Bug’s Life

© 2014 S. G. Liput