"The Secret World of Arrietty" and "Act of Valor"

The Secret World of Arrietty - Studio Ghibli is considered by some to be the Pixar of Japan (or is Pixar the American Studio Ghibli?). Its films, comprised mainly of the work of Hayao Miyazaki, have dazzled children and adults around the world for decades. Their latest, based upon the popular Mary Norton novel, The Borrowers, tells the story of miniscule people who live in the walls and under the floorboards of human homes. Arrietty (voiced for the American release by Bridgit Mendler) is about to be thirteen and is very excited about her "first borrowing." She'll be accompanying her father Pod (Will Arnett) on a mission to get some necessary items from the kitchen of their hosts. Her mother Homily (Amy Poehler) frets for her daughter's safety.
The venture seems to be successful until a human child, Shawn (David Henrie), who is around Arrietty's age, sees her from his bed. Arrietty has been taught all her life to fear humans but Shawn is a gentle soul and she seems to know it. The frail, bed-ridden Shawn seeks out a new friend, while Arrietty tries to reconcile what she's been told her whole life with her own intuition.
Written by Miyazaki and Keiko Niwa, "The Secret World of Arrietty" is directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi. It's a very quiet and thoughtful film and tells a nice, if somewhat slight, story. If you're a Miyazaki fan it probably won't top your list but you will enjoy it. 7/10.


Act of Valor - Going into this unique film I knew that it starred real active duty Navy Seals. This would mean it would have spectacular action sequences, the likes of which we've never seen before. It also meant that I would lower my expectations as far as acting and dialogue were concerned. These guys put their lives on the line in dangerous situations and kill terrorists for a living. I'm willing to look past the fact that they don't possess the acting chops of Edward Norton. This movie would have to be judged by a different standard.
Having said all of that it's difficult not to judge it by well, the same standard as anything else. As expected, the action scenes in which the Seals really get to show what they can do, are incredible. It's the inclusion of a narrative that is problematic. Making a documentary style drama that didn't require these men to act outside of the action scenes surely would have worked better. As it is, the non-combat dialogue scenes amongst the Seals are limited but it's still asking more of them than should have been asked and the scenes are meant to be powerful. I don't blame the non-actor actors for this, I blame the filmmakers who asked them to do that kind of dramatic heavy lifting.
There is, it should be said, one moment in which one of these non-actors gets to shine in a one on one face off. Senior Chief Petty Officer Miller (we are given no full names of characters or Seal actors), whose overall performance is a little less wooden than the rest of the Seals, interrogates a captured suspect (played by actor Alex Veadov) aboard the suspect's own yacht. In this moment, we see a man with a playful streak to his menace. ("You've never seen 'Star Trek?' That's insane.") As the scene progresses he becomes more terrifying by the second, using nothing but his words. Knowing he interrogates real terror suspects for a living made me feel that much safer. It's the one genuinely good piece of Seal acting in the film and it is the most memorable scene in the entire movie.
Honestly, I feel bad saying anything negative about a film that so positively portrays the people who protect this country every day. There are many things to recommend here but I can't go so far as to say that "Act of Valor" is a truly good movie. You just can't ask non-actors to carry emotionally powerful scenes like so many key moments in this film are meant to be. While I certainly never expected them to be great actors, the filmmakers shouldn't have expected them to be either. It's a glaring fault that I just can't ignore. 6/10.

Sound of Noise

The cop film, while being one of my favorite genres, rarely yields true originality anymore. But this highly inventive Swedish comedy takes the cop film in a direction we've never seen- or heard- before.
Amadeus Warnebring (Bengt Nilsson) was raised by musical prodigies and his younger brother is now the conductor of the most respected orchestra in Sweden. But being tone-deaf meant Amadeus and his family knew from a young age his future would lay elsewhere. Now he's a detective on the trail of a group of musical terrorists, whose aim is to shake up the world around them through vigilante acts of percussion.
The terrorists in question include four remarkably talented drummers with a disdain for the average piece of music and the law. They are led by a conductor named Magnus (Magnus Borjeson) and Sanna (Sanna Persson), whose wild musical experimentation got her kicked out of music school years earlier. This hasn't deterred her exploration in the least. The plan the six hatch is to perform a concert in four movements around their city. Not to kill anyone, not for money, but to bring exciting music to a world they feel sadly lacks it. The lengths they go to however are what make this a big case for the music hating Amadeus.
Written and directed by Ola Simonsson and Johannes Stjärne Nilsson, "Sound of Noise" has a spirit of fun that makes its premise really fly in ways that it wouldn't have had its creators been too smugly impressed with their own work. It has its flaws but they're largely forgiveable as the film as a whole is just so likeable. Its score, written by Bjoreson, and actually performed by his character's gang of "terrorists," is unlike any film score you've ever heard and perfectly captures the movie's world.
I'm very happy to recommend "Sound of Noise." Its one week run at the Varsity in Seattle ends tomorrow night but look for it soon on DVD and Blu-ray. 8/10.

The Bob Awards

It’s that time again. Time for the film industry to be shaken up by the long and mighty arm of the Bob Awards. And time for me to reaffirm my nerdiness for yet another year. As you may remember, there are no trophies but winners will be receiving Red Robin gift certificates in the mail. Colin Firth squealed with delight upon receiving his last year. Squealed! Unfortunately they don’t have Red Robin in the UK and it expired. He was very sad. The winners are…

Art Direction: “The Artist” – Robert Gould and Laurence Bennett

Cinematography: “The Tree of Life” – Emmanuel Lubezki

Costume Design: “Hugo” – Sandy Powell

Film Editing: “Drive” – Mat Newman

Makeup: “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2” – Nick Dudman, Amanda Knight, Lisa Tomblin

Original Score: “The Artist” – Ludovic Bource

Original Song: “The Muppets” – “Man or Muppet” by Bret McKenzie

Sound: “Drive”

Visual Effects: “The Tree of Life”

Animated Film: “Winnie the Pooh” – In a time when animated studios are more and more concerned with appealing to adults, Disney and directors Stephen J. Anderson and Don Hall made something unabashedly intended for five year olds. In doing so they captured the true spirit of Milne’s characters and created a film for anyone who’s ever loved the Hundred Acre Wood. This is a wonderful little movie.

Supporting Actor: Albert Brooks – “Drive” – For decades Albert Einstein (his given name) has made us laugh and cringe in equal measure in the brilliant comedies he has written, directed, and starred in. This role is perfect for him because it is exactly what we’d never expect from him. I’d hate to say anything more to spoil it for those who’ve yet to see his work here. But what. A. Performance.

Supporting Actress: Elle Fanning – “Super 8” – In the movie within the movie, Fanning’s Alice Dainard is cast to give the film an emotional core. At just 13, Fanning provides this summer blockbuster with just that.

Actor: Jean Dujardin – “The Artist” – A few years ago Dujardin was a Bob Award nominee for “OSS 117.” At the time it was apparent he had more talent in his eyebrows than most actors do in their whole bodies. It’s incredible what a true talent can do without dialogue. With silence Dujardin makes us laugh, breaks our hearts, and then simply dazzles us. I don’t know how many other performers today could carry a silent film on their shoulders. Dujardin proves he can not only carry one, he can make it look easy.

Actress: Charlize Theron – “Young Adult” – Mavis Gary is delusional, incredibly unlikeable, and sadly unable to accept that she’s no longer 17. But there is so much more to this 37 year old ghost writer than that. Theron provides this character with a wealth of depth that keeps us from turning away in disgust, whether she’s trying to destroy a marriage or indulging in the Pile of Despair meal at the Kentacohut.

Monty Python Award for Best Ensemble Cast: “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” – Gary Oldman’s career best performance as cerebral British intelligence officer George Smiley isn’t the only exceptional work in this Cold War espionage tale. Benedict Cumberbatch, Tom Hardy, Colin Firth, Toby Jones, Mark Strong, Stephen Graham, and John Hurt are all in top form in this superb piece of filmmaking.

Adapted Screenplay: “Moneyball” – Steven Zaillian & Aaron Sorkin and Stan Chervin – The scribes behind “Schindler’s List” and “The Social Network” took a non-fiction book about the cold world of baseball statistics and turned it into an inspiring story about finding the value in every individual. The dialogue is artful yet completely realistic. Baseball fans (like me!) and non-baseball fans alike have united in their love of this film.

Original Screenplay: “Young Adult” – Diablo Cody – As critical as I was of some of the cringe-worthy dialogue in “Juno,” I never thought I’d ever truly be a Diablo Cody fan. But she has grown tremendously as a writer. She doesn’t just shove uncomfortable moments in front of us and “dare” us to laugh. This is a dark, cynical comedy, but one with empathy for its characters and an underlying sadness that gives it a sense of reality missing from “Juno.”

Director: (tie) Michel Hazanavicius – “The Artist,” Nicolas Winding Refn – “Drive” – The two most ambitious pieces of filmmaking last year were also the two most outstanding. Hazanavicius took a tremendous risk making a silent, black and white film in 2011. But his confidence shines through every beautiful frame of “The Artist.”
Refn meanwhile played with our expectations and displayed an understanding of the film buff’s mind that few directors show. Throughout “Drive” you told yourself that you knew what was going to happen next and he was counting on that, making it all the more exciting when he showed you how wrong you were.

Best Picture: “The Artist” – This is the first time in a long time that my favorite movie of the year is also (probably) Oscar’s. Most of its detractors haven’t seen it, believing that a silent black and white film will be too boring, staid, and self-important. The reality is that “The Artist” is a highly entertaining, vibrant, and joyous celebration of film and life. This is a wonderful movie that proves that a true work of art can be a joy to watch.

And now the fun stuff…

Funniest Movie: “Horrible Bosses”

Funniest Performance: Colin Farrell – “Horrible Bosses”

Most Entertaining Movie: “Super 8”

Favorite Quote: “How can you not be romantic about baseball?” – “Moneyball”

“Mind-bottling” Award for Best New Word: Kentacohut – “Young Adult”

Funniest Moment: Breaking into Pellitt’s house – “Horrible Bosses”

Best Dramatic Moment: Hatteberg pinch hits – “Moneyball”

Favorite Scene: (tie) Freeing Joey from No Man’s Land - “War Horse,” “Vladimir Claus” leads British intelligence in the singing of the Soviet anthem – “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy”

Best Action Sequence: Scaling the Burj Khalifa – “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol”

Best Fight Scene: Harry vs. Voldemort – “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2”

“Sky Captain” Award for the movie that makes you feel like you’re 10 years old again: “Super 8”

“Hoosiers” Award for Inspirational Movie that’s actually inspiring: (tie) “Moneyball,” “War Horse”

“Withnail and I” Award for Best Friendship: Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, and Jason Sudeikis – “Horrible Bosses”

Nick and Nora Charles Award for Best Couple: Jean Dujardin and Berenice Bejo – “The Artist”

Asta Award for Best Supporting Dog: Uggie – “The Artist”

Best Family Film: “The Muppets”

Most Loveable Movie: “The Muppets”

Best Projectile Vomiting: (tie) Gabriel Basso – “Super 8,” Kate Winslet – “Carnage”

Best Cameo: Jon Hamm – “Bridesmaids” (I know he’s in a few scenes, but still…)

“Unforgiven” Award for Most Badass Movie: “Drive”

Clint Eastwood Award for Most Badass Performance: Ryan Gosling – “Drive”

“XXX” Award for Best Absurd Action Extravaganza: “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol”

Best Trailer: “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”

Best Poster: “Winnie the Pooh”

Best Opening Credits Sequence: “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”

Best Movie You Probably Missed: “Carnage”

Best Car Chase: The opening of “Drive.”

Best Sequel: “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2”

Worst Sequel: “Cars 2”

Best Remake: “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”

Best Title for a bad movie: “Hobo with a Shotgun”

Movie that everyone seemed to like but me: “Attack the Block”

Biggest Disappointment: “The Rum Diary”

Worst Trailer: “Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star.” Yes, even worse than “Zookeeper,” “Chipwrecked,” and “Jack and Jill.”

Best Soundtrack: “The Muppets”

Best Vocal Performance: Bill Nighy – “Arthur Christmas”

Performer of the Year: Ryan Gosling for his three excellent and vastly different performances in “Crazy, Stupid, Love,” “The Ides of March,” and “Drive.”

Best Ending: “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” (Not the resolution of the plot. The final few minutes to the sounds of “La Mer.”)

The Bob Award Nominations

It's that time again. Time for me to overthink the past year in movies and try to rectify what Oscar got wrong. Because clearly I know better. Here are the nominations for this year's Bob Awards. The winners will be announced within the next couple of weeks.

Art Direction:
The Artist
Captain America: The First Avenger
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Cinematography:
The Artist
Drive
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
The Tree of Life

Costume Design:
The Artist
Hugo
The Iron Lady
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
X-Men: First Class

Film Editing:
The Artist
Drive
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Moneyball
Super 8

Makeup:
The Artist
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2
X-Men: First Class

Original Score:
The Adventures of Tintin – John Williams
The Artist – Ludovic Bource
Drive – Cliff Martinez
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 – Alexandre Desplat
Super 8 – Michael Giacchino
War Horse – John Williams

Original Song:
Captain America: The First Avenger – “Star-Spangled Man”
The Muppets – “Life’s a Happy Song”
The Muppets – “Man or Muppet”
Winnie the Pooh – “So Long”

Sound:
Drive
Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol
Super 8
The Tree of Life
War Horse

Visual Effects:
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2
Melancholia
Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol
Super 8
The Tree of Life

Animated Film:
Arthur Christmas
Winnie the Pooh

Supporting Actor:
Albert Brooks – Drive
Colin Farrell – Horrible Bosses
Jonah Hill – Moneyball
Patton Oswalt – Young Adult
Christopher Plummer – Beginners
Alan Rickman – Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2

Supporting Actress:
Jessica Chastain – The Tree of Life
Elle Fanning – Super 8
Melanie Laurent – Beginners
Melissa McCarthy – Bridesmaids
Octavia Spencer – The Help
Shailene Woodley – The Descendants

Actor:
George Clooney – The Descendants
Jean Dujardin – The Artist
Ryan Gosling – Drive
Gary Oldman – Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Brad Pitt - Moneyball
John C. Reilly – Carnage

Actress:
Berenice Bejo – The Artist
Viola Davis – The Help
Kirsten Dunst – Melancholia
Jodie Foster - Carnage
Rooney Mara – The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Charlize Theron – Young Adult

Monty Python Award for Best Ensemble Cast:
The Artist
Carnage
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2
Horrible Bosses
Super 8
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Adapted Screenplay:
Carnage – Yasmina Reza & Roman Polanski
The Descendants – Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon & Jim Rash
Drive – Hossein Amini
Moneyball – Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin & Stan Chervin
The Muppets – Jason Segel & Nicholas Stoller
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy – Bridget O’Connor & Peter Straughan

Original Screenplay:
The Artist – Michel Hazanavicius
Beginners – Mike Mills
Horrible Bosses – Michael Markowitz and John Francis Daley & Jonathan Goldstein
Midnight in Paris – Woody Allen
Win Win – Tom McCarthy & Joe Tiboni
Young Adult – Diablo Cody

Director:
Michel Hazanavicius – The Artist
Alexander Payne – The Descendants
Nicolas Winding Refn – Drive
Bennett Miller – Moneyball
J.J. Abrams – Super 8
Tomas Alfredson – Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Best Picture:
The Artist
Beginners
Carnage
The Descendants
Drive
Moneyball
The Muppets
Super 8
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Young Adult

"Carnage," "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" (take 2), and "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows"

Carnage - 2011 was not a particularly strong year for comedy so thankfully one of the last great movies to be released in it turned out to be pure comic gold. Black gold really.
The Cowans, Nancy and Alan (Kate Winslet and Christoph Waltz) are visiting the New York City apartment of the Longstreets, Penelope and Michael (Jodie Foster and John C. Reilly). These couples are not however, old friends. A few days earlier their children had gotten into an argument which led to Zachary Cowan hitting Ethan Longstreet in the face with a tree branch, costing Ethan two teeth. The intention is to discuss the situation as civil adults and decide how best to move forward for the sake of their kids. Things do not go as planned.
Directed by Roman Polanski (who co-wrote the screenplay with Yasmina Reza who wrote the original play), "Carnage" spends all of its 79 minutes in the Longstreet home (with a moment or two out in the hallway). It examines the systematic breakdown of civility and how these four seemingly intelligent and evolved adults devolve into behavior more childish than that of their own children. Reza and Polanski examine all of this in the funniest way imaginable.
All four performances are stellar and it's wonderful fun to watch the shifts in mood and alliance. Two characters at each others throats one moment bond the next at the drop of a hat. Reilly and Waltz are particularly funny, Reilly as the character who seems to change the most over the course of the film, while Waltz's Alan seems to have been the most honest from the beginning.
"Carnage" is sharp as a razor and often howlingly funny. It's one of the best films of the year and sadly the most overlooked, critically and commercially. 9/10.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy - I don't know if I've ever written two separate reviews of a movie before but with this film I felt it necessary.
This British spy film set during the height of the Cold War follows the brilliant ice cold intelligence veteran George Smiley (Gary Oldman) and his search for a mole in MI-6. In my initial review I declared that while I liked the film it was, "incredibly difficult to follow" and "a little too subtle even for me." The movie stuck with me for a couple of weeks though and I was convinced if I saw it again that I'd have an easier time following it and I hoped that by extension I would come to love it.
As it happened I understood for the most part how all of the pieces fit this time around but I came to love the film for reasons other than that. The world the film (directed by Tomas Alfredson of "Let the Right One In") places you in is incredibly absorbing. Being set in 1974 allows us to see a fascinating time in the intelligence community. The old guard who has been at the forefront of the Cold War since it began (including Smiley and John Hurt's Control) is being pushed aside by younger officers who think they know better (played by Toby Jones, Ciarin Hinds, and Colin Firth), causing an internal pettiness that only further muddies the already murky waters.
With a career best performance by Oldman, "Tinker" also has an excellent supporting cast. Firth, Hurt, Tom Hardy, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Mark Strong are all pitch perfect. Alfredson's direction and the screenplay by Peter Straughan and the late Bridget O'Connor make the Cold War spy game come alive and the challenge of following the film ultimately makes it more rewarding. I look forward to watching it a third time and understanding even more.
I can't quite put the stamp of perfection on it but such as it is, "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" is very high on my list of the best films of 2011. 9/10.

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows - If you saw Guy Ritchie's first "Sherlock Holmes" in 2009 then you know what to expect from this sequel which re-teams Sherlock (Robert Downey, Jr.) and his dear friend, Dr. Watson (Jude Law).
When Watson's honeymoon is rudely interrupted by Holmes's nemesis, Professor Moriarty ("Mad Men's" Jared Harris), Watson reluctantly agrees to join Holmes on one final case. There's more plot than this but why bother trying to explain it? Ritchie's "Holmes" movies are about fun and he delivers it well this time. While not as fresh as its predecessor, it doesn't suffer from the "kitchen sink" syndrome that so many action oriented sequels suffer from. Yes, there are a lot of frenetic action set pieces here but none more than in the first movie. Noomi Rapace (the original "Girl with the Dragon Tattoo") and Stephen Fry as Sherlock's brother Mycroft add to the fun as well.
It's not award winning stuff but it's quite entertaining and that's all I wanted. 7/10.

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol

A fourth "Mission: Impossible?" Seriously? The first three movies (directed by Brian De Palma, John Woo, and J.J. Abrams respectively) were all fairly entertaining with some nice sequences but I wouldn't deem any of them as actually being...good. For this newest entry, "Incredibles" and Ratatouille" director Brad Bird was given the reigns for his first live-action film. With a massive budget and arguably Paramount's biggest current franchise on the line, it was a gamble to be sure. So how well did it pay off?
As in the previous films, IMF agent Ethan Hunt has chosen to accept a mission that one might describe as being...exceedingly difficult. His new team consists of Jane (Paula Patton) and former tech geek turned field agent Benji (Simon Pegg). While performing this mission at the Kremlin the building is bombed, Hunt and his fellow team members barely escaping with their lives. Russia sees this as an uprovoked act of war perpetrated by the IMF. With the team on the run they gain another member, an analyst named William Brandt (Jeremy Renner) whose past and motives are called into question.
There's not much point into getting into the details of the plot or just why the U.S. and Russia are on the brink of war in 2011. The script by Andre Nemec and Josh Applebaum doesn't always make sense and with the wrong director the movie could have easily gone off the rails. Bird however, handles the material beautifully. He shoots big action sequences shot with IMAX cameras with such confidence and flair that you'd think he'd been doing it all his filmmaking life.
The sequences, particularly one shot at the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, are an absolute blast to watch whether you're just a regular Joe or a film buff. The execution is impeccable which allows us to accept most of the incredibly far fetched moments along the way. The film's sense of humor is strong as well. Most movies of this nature throw out several ham fisted attempts at comedy but Bird's comic sensibilities are strong and having Simon Pegg in such a large role certainly doesn't hurt.
There's not much else to say about "M:I - GP" other than it's just a whole lot of fun and it's the first movie of the series I would actually officially declare as good.
I have a final comment though about the movie's final scene. Without getting too spoilery I'll just say that it takes place in Seattle. There's no action here to speak of. It features characters sitting at a table and talking, wrapping things up. It was clear from the slightly out of focus buildings in the background that once again Vancouver, B.C. was playing the role of Seattle. So Paramount and Tom Cruise were welcome in Moscow, Dubai, and Mumbai to film incredible action sequences involving dangerous stunts and large explosions but for a scene involving drinking some coffee at a table... Seattle just wasn't having it. I really hope that everyone responsible running the film industry out of Seattle sees this movie and is horribly embarrassed and ashamed of themselves. It's absolutely pathetic. 7.5/10.

Six Quick and Dirty Movie Reviews

I've gone to six movies in the past few weeks as a part of the annual awards season crunch. There are 52 weeks in a year but the film industry decides that at least 75 percent of the best movies produced in it need to come out within three weeks of one another, leaving those of us who love movies playing an endless game of catch up. So here's a quick look at what I have seen of late.

Hugo - Due to its abysmal trailer I had no intention of seeing this, despite its being directed by Martin Scorsese. But its reception was so overwhelmingly positive that I finally decided to check it out. It is actually very good and like "The Artist," is a loving ode to the pioneers of cinema. Asa Butterfield ("The Boy in the Striped Pajamas") is terrific in the title role as is Chloe Moretz ("Kick-Ass") as his new friend. You have to hand it to Moretz especially. Somewhere along the line a producer must have told her, "Yes, we understand you're American and you'll be playing a French girl but we need you to perfect a British accent so that you'll fit in with the rest of the cast."
Ben Kingsley provides the film's real heart and soul though. As George Melies, possibly the most important innovator of film's infancy, Kingsley shows that when he's got good material to work with he's one of the best there is. I'm glad to see him in something not directed by Uwe Boll.
I cannot for the life of me however, understand the purpose of Sacha Baron Cohen's presence as the train station's security guard. The character seems to exist solely to give Hugo a reason to be scared in the station. The trouble with this is that Hugo is already an orphan living in a train station. A buffoonish and borderline cartoonish security guard isn't exactly scary when you're already faced with that. The amount of screen time devoted to him also causes the movie to drag for several minutes at a time.
Despite Cohen's misguided antics, "Hugo" is a mostly magical film and one that I sincerely hope will get kids excited about watching movies made long before "Star Wars." 8.5/10.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - A few days before finally seeing the original Swedish film for the first time I saw David Fincher's American remake. As much as I loathe Hollywood's need to remake everything, especially movies that are less than five years old, I suspected Fincher was the man who could make this worthwhile. He does.
This film has a much more palpable sense of atmosphere and more effectively creates tension (and I don't think I'm saying that just because I saw it first). That said, for me it really is a toss up between the two films. Daniel Craig is equal to Michael Nyqvist as one of the story's two main protagonists. As the titular character, I'd have to give the edge to Noomi Rapace in the original. Her Lisbeth Salander was cold and almost nihilistic. Rooney Mara's is an explosion of rage. While it is a take on the character that makes perfect sense, I thought Rapace's take was more interesting.
Without getting too detailed I'll simply say that there are elements that I prefer in each movie. Little differences that add up to two very good films that seem to complement one another rather than being competitors. I'm sure there are film buffs who will get into bitter arguments over which movie is better but it's just a waste of time. 8.5/10.

War Horse - Despite getting off to a slow start, Steven Spielberg's tale of a horse's journey through the First World War is ultimately a beautiful and powerful film. Joey was never meant to be a plow horse but he becomes one due to a poor English family's desperation and the love of his young owner Albert (Jeremy Irvine). However, when the war breaks out Albert's father sells Joey to the British Army leading to an incredible and often terrifying four years for the horse who ends up on both sides.
It is a unique film in that it really is the horse's story. The people he touches are of varying ages and walks of life throughout western Europe and they come and go easily but not without making an impression. It features an outstanding international cast (all the Brits are played by Brits, the French by Frenchman, and the Germans by Germans) and God bless Spielberg for shunning CG. There is almost none of it and what little there is was employed solely for the safety of the horses.
Just hang in there for the first twenty minutes or so and you'll be rewarded with a great moviegoing experience. Make a point of seeing it on the big screen. 8.5/10.

The Adventures of Tintin - As for Spielberg's other film in theaters now, I am far less enthusiastic. My problem is not with the motion capture animation. There's no creepy uncanny valley effect here, the problem is, surprisingly, with the storytelling. Considering that Spielberg directed, Peter Jackson produced, and Edgar Wright ("Hot Fuzz") co-wrote it astounds me how they could have created so little tension. There was real potential here and some nice moments but there's never a real reason to care.
The story concerns Tintin (voiced by Jamie Bell) and his efforts to assist Captain Haddock's (Andy Serkis) treasure quest. Their adversary is Ivan Ivanovitch Sakharine (Daniel Craig), who while definitely a bad guy (he has no aversion to murdering) is nothing more than a competitor in a race that has no real consequences. If he gets there first he just gets there first. End of story. Looking just at Spielberg's own canon you take "Raiders of the Lost Ark" as an example. We don't become involved with that film because we just want Indy to get the Ark. He doesn't want to get it, he needs to get it, because the Nazis getting it first...would be bad. (Of course they do end up getting it and it doesn't work out so well for them in the end but I digress.)
Maybe the race is enough for some viewers or for those who grew up loving the comics (I've never read them), but for me "Tintin" is largely a failure due to its complete lack of consequences. "Winnie the Pooh" and to a lesser extent, "Arthur Christmas" aside, 2011 was a deeply disappointing year for animation. 5/10.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy - This Cold War British spy thriller directed by Tomas Alfredson ("Let the Right One In") is wonderfully stylish and boasts maybe the best assembly of actors put into a single film in 2011. It is also incredibly difficult to follow. I'm perfectly willing to accept that the movie is just smarter than I am but I felt more clarity along the way would have made this film more enjoyable and rewarding. It's a little too subtle even for me.
Gary Oldman stars as George Smiley, a thoughtful, brilliant veteran of British Intelligence who is forced out by younger colleagues (chiefly played by Toby Jones, Ciarin Hinds, and Colin Firth). However, once it is learned there may be a Soviet spy in their midst, Smiley is coaxed back into action by a former superior.
Quiet and unhurried, "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" is an intellectual thriller rather than a fast paced one. There are excellent performances all around, particularly from Benedict Cumberbatch ("Sherlock," "War Horse"), Tom Hardy ("Inception"), and Mark Strong ("Kick-Ass"). We are also treated to a rather surreal Cold War Christmas party. I just wish that the film hadn't been too clever for its own good. 7.5/10.

The Iron Lady - I had my doubts about this biopic about controversial British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. For one I suspected the film industry's liberal bent would equal outright villification of Thatcher rather than creating an honest and balanced portrait and for another, as great as Meryl Streep is, something about the trailers led me to believe she was laying it all on a little thick here. It turned out that neither was an issue. It's actually a very sympathetic and largely positive portrayal of the first female PM in British history and Streep gives a typically Streepian performance, though I wouldn't hand her an Oscar for it.
The trouble with this film written by Abi Morgan ("The Hour") and directed by Phyllida Lloyd ("Mamma Mia!") is its indecisiveness. The filmmakers couldn't make up their minds about what "The Iron Lady" should be. 1 hour and 45 minutes, much of it dedicated to the present, where Thatcher is suffering from dementia, is hardly enough to cover her entire life. Yet that is what they attempt to do. This really should have been a mini-series or a film focused purely on a single period of her life. For instance, a 1 hour 45 minute film purely about Thatcher and the Falklands could have been riveting and actually more revealing than what we get here.
In the end "The Iron Lady" feels like an overview. We don't really truly get to see what effect her 11 years in office had on Britain and the world for good or ill and we only really get a cursory examination of the woman herself. It's worth seeing for those interested but it is disappointing. And there just isn't enough of Richard E. Grant. Tip of the cap to Jim Broadbent though, as her husband Dennis. He's fantastic here. 6/10.

Finally, I can't say enough about "The Artist," which has expanded to more theaters as of this week. I urge anyone who really loves movies to put it at the top of their must see list.

The Artist

When I first saw "OSS 117" at the Seattle International Film Festival in 2006 I discovered an actor with one of the most expressive faces I'd ever seen. Jean Dujardin showed he possessed more comic talent in his eyebrows than most actors do in their entire bodies. At the time of course I had no idea what "OSS" writer-director Michel Hazanavicius had in mind for Dujardin in the future but once I heard what it was I knew it was going to be something special.
"The Artist" is a (mostly) silent, black and white film and it is the perfect showcase for its star. It's Hollywoodland, 1927, and superstar George Valentin (Dujardin) has yet another hit on his hands. It is clear from the reception to "A Russian Affair," that Valentin's star shines as brightly as Keaton's or Chaplin's and what's more, he knows and loves it. He also doesn't mind aggravating his leading lady (Missi Pyle), his producer Al Zimmer (John Goodman), or his wife Doris (Penelope Ann Miller). Still, he has great affection for his valet Clifton (James Cromwell) and his loyal canine co-star (Uggie the Dog).
After the premiere of "A Russian Affair" however, someone else enters the picture; hopeful young dancer and actress Peppy Miller (Berenice Bejo). There is an instant connection and slowly Peppy's star begins to rise. George is only too happy for her until Zimmer decides that silent films (and thus George) are the past. Talkies and Peppy are the future. George considers talking on screen to be beneath him and feels that talkies will be a failed experiment but a combination of being wrong and the stock market crashing effectively end his career. He attempts to pick up the pieces on his own while Peppy becomes a bigger and bigger star, but she continues to love the man who gave her her start.
Hazanavicius has written and directed a film that most filmmakers would be far too afraid to make. He reminds us all though that the loss of silent film as an art form more than 80 years ago was a sad one. His love and respect for it is in the details such as shooting it in the aspect ratio of the day, 1.33:1 (what TVs used to be before HD) and his supreme confidence in his cast. Dujardin is beyond wonderful and proves to be a true artist himself. It's clear that had he been born in another era he could have been as popular and beloved as Valentin in the mid-'20s. Bejo is excellent as well. She clearly pours her heart into the role of Peppy and shows her talent knows no time period bounds.
One of the advantages of making a silent film is that French leads such as Dujardin and Bejo can easily share the screen with Goodman, Miller, and Cromwell who provide fantastic support. I'd be incredibly remiss however if I didn't make special mention of Uggie, who may be the finest movie dog since Asta from the "Thin Man" series. I could watch Uggie and Dujardin play on screen again and again. They obviously have a lot of fun together. The music of Ludovic Bource is superb as well. A perfect fit.
"The Artist" is a movie for true film lovers. It is made with love and a sense of joy that is incredibly rare. I believe as well that Hazanavicius hopes to encourage those who haven't to give silent movies a try. He wants a new generation to discover Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin, and so many others. This makes me love his film all the more. I hope that many more will love it too. 10/10 ("The Arist" is currently in limited release. In Seattle it is playing at the Harvard Exit.)

"Melancholia" and "Young Adult"

Melancholia - I had only seen one Lars von Trier movie before. It was the well made but monumentally depressing Bjork vehicle "Dancer in the Dark." Yes, I just used the words, "Bjork vehicle." And when I say monumentally depressing I don't mean it was sad or it bummed me out a little. I mean for the last hour of the movie I felt as though life was horrible and nothing would ever be good again. That's the effect it had.
My friend Justin meanwhile has also only seen one von Trier film, "Antichrist." His description of that made "The Human Centipede" sound like a feel good romp. So why would I want to see another movie directed by this bizarre Danish man? ...I don't know, "Melancholia" just looked interesting.
The film is the story of two sisters fighting their own battles with depression. Oh, and there's a giant planet that may or may not collide with earth. Which would be bad. The younger sister, Justine (Kirsten Dunst), has just married Michael (Alexander Skarsgard) and due in part to limo difficulties they are two hours late to their own reception. In these early moments we see Justine laugh and enjoying her big day. Upon their arrival however, the anger of her older sister Claire (Charlotte Gainsbourg) and the bile of their despicable mother (Charlotte Rampling) fuel the deep sadness that lurks under the surface. The rest of the night is a disaster and an embarrassment to Claire and her husband John (Kiefer Sutherland), who are hosting the event. It doesn't end well either. All of this takes place before it is known by the characters that the planet Melancholia is coming near earth.
"Melancholia" is a moody, atmospheric film that I just liked for some reason. I can't say why and I really couldn't tell you what von Trier is really trying to say. But despite it's subject matter and who made it I didn't find it to be nearly as bleak as "Dancer in the Dark." It's not a fun film but in its way it's entertaining and it features terrific performances all around, particularly from its two female leads.
What else can I say about "Melancholia"? I wouldn't recommend it to most people, not even most people who enjoy independent films, but if you like your movies brimming with atmosphere, this is one you don't want to miss. 8/10.

Young Adult - It's hard to believe that it was four years ago that Diablo Cody burst into the film world with her Oscar winning screenplay for "Juno." For a period in early 2008 she was the toast of Hollywood for writing a movie that while quite good, contained the words, "honest to blog," along with a few other clunkers. Its quirkiness (how I've come to loathe that word) prompted people who never watched independent movies to boast that they knew "indies" inside and out. This of course led to a backlash which for better or worse I was a part of. I don't think "Young Adult" is going to inspire that same kind of reaction but for me, that's a great thing.
Mavis Gary (Charlize Theron) is the ghost writer of a once popular series of young adult novels. She is also a deeply troubled 37 year old woman who can barely take care of herself or her little dog. She also guzzles Diet Coke as though it were the nectar of life.
Living alone in Minneapolis and attempting to write the final book of the "Waverly Prep" series (due to its waning popularity the publisher is cancelling it), Mavis receives an e-mail with a birth announcement. Her old boyfriend, Buddy Slade (Patrick Wilson) and his wife Beth (Elizabeth Reaser) are now proud parents. Mavis reacts to this news the way any rational adult would. She gets into her car and drives to the small town of Mercury, Minnesota to reclaim Buddy and take him away from his wife and child. "Babies are boring!" she declares.
Upon her arrival in Mercury she runs into someone she barely remembers from high school but who most definitely remembers her. Matt Freehauf's (Patton Oswalt) locker was next to her for four years but its only after a few drinks that Mavis remembers him. And as the victim of a hate crime. A group of jocks who had mistakenly believed Matt to be gay pummelled him within an inch of his life forcing him to walk with a cane. When Mavis opens up to Matt about her reason for being back in town he foresees disaster but nothing will deter her.
"Young Adult" could have been a very predictable and cliched dark comedy full of uncomfortable moments that the filmmakers "dared" you to laugh at. Instead it manages to surprise and while there are laughs to be had (and some are uncomfortable) there's a sense of reality here that is deeply sad. Most movies in this vein would have milked Matt's story for "edgy" laughs at his expense. But this movie acknowledges that his story is anything but funny. Matt laughs to keep from crying.
Mavis meanwhile, is not only unlikeable she's borderline horrific. Yet there is a severely broken heart there that the average dark indie comedy either wouldn't show us or would merely touch upon at the last minute to try to fool us into thinking the film had something to say when it actually didn't. Cody's outstanding script and Theron's marvelous performance provide Mavis with a wealth of depth. They allow us to recognize something of Mavis in someone we may know or even, yes, ourselves.
Director Jason Reitman ("Juno," "Up in the Air") always displays a light touch but it always seems to work. He never overwhelms the story or gets in the way of the dialogue or the performances. Cody, for my money anyway, has grown tremendously since "Juno." There are no cringe worthy lines or characters here. In addition to Theron, the rest of the cast is excellent. Wilson does a wonderful job as the very likeable Buddy, who is either ignoring Mavis' signals out of politeness or just isn't picking up on them. But Oswalt is pitch perfect in a role that deserves Oscar consideration. He's proving himself to be more than just a stand up comic turned actor. This is a man of enormous acting talent.
"Young Adult" is easily one of the best films of 2011 and it will almost certainly be passed over by the vast majority of people who fell in love with "Juno" back in 2007. So much the better. 9/10.

"The Descendants" and "Arthur Christmas"

The Descendants - "Election." "About Schmidt." "Sideways." Alexander Payne doesn't do pleasant. What he does do are character studies of people who are at best deeply flawed and at worst thoroughly unlikeable and he does it very well. With "The Descendants," he returns after a seven year absence. Payne is still Payne but in his time off he seems to have developed a gift for empathy. A little bit of it anyway.
Matt King (George Clooney) considers himself "the back-up parent" to his two daughters, ten year old Scottie (Amara Miller) and seventeen year old Alex (Shailene Woodley). It's something he does when he has time outside of his demanding work as a lawyer and as the only trustee of a large piece of virgin Hawaiian land. With his wife Elizabeth in a coma however, Matt has to step up and has no idea what to do.
Scottie has begun acting out in ways she never has before while incidents of getting drunk on school grounds are typical for Alex. The strain on the family only grows when Alex reveals to Matt that in the months leading up to her coma, Elizabeth had been having an affair.In spite of the setup and subject matter, "The Descendants" manages to be a more "likeable" film than you would imagine. Like Payne's other films there is a comic throughline to make all of the heaviness more palatable. For the most part it works, the comic aspects feeling natural rather than forced. There are moments however that don't click, many of them involving Scottie's behavior. Payne and co-writers Nat Faxon and Jim Rash created a fine screenplay but they don't really deliver a totally believable ten year old. Scenes of her flipping someone off or trying out a new swear word she's learned from Alex don't really come off like the acts of a child actually doing these things (which of course kids do). They come off like an adult's attempt to write a kid. Amara Miller, in her first role, doesn't really play these scenes well either. That said, she handles some of the heavier dramatic moments very well.
Overall the acting is rock solid. Clooney is fantastic in one of the better performances of his career. As with "Up in the Air" it's the perfect marriage of "laid back Clooney" ("Out of Sight") and "serious Clooney" ("The American"). Woodley is very good as well, which is particularly evident in her scenes with Clooney. Their father-daughter relationship is a decidedly complex one but believable. They have their problems, she takes shots at him fair and unfair but ultimately she loves her dad and is rooting for him through the struggles. As her friend Sid, Nick Krause gives a very memorable and funny performance as an annoying, empty-headed, but ultimately likeable kid, who somehow seems to provide some sort of comfort to the King family.
"The Descendants" is a film that deservedly received several Golden Globe nominations this morning and will no doubt be a contender come Oscar time. The sense of place Payne establishes goes a long way towards its success. Its Hawaiian flavor permeates the film but in a way that doesn't distract. The film and its characters are well aware that Hawaii isn't quite like anyplace else but it's not paradise or a place to get away. It's just where they happen to live. It's a detail that makes "The Descendants" unique. This is one very good film. 9/10.


Arthur Christmas - Santa Claus the Nineteenth (voice of Jim Broadbent) is going out for his final Christmas Eve mission. Having been Santa since World War II he's an old pro, and he's employed modern technology in the art of present delivery. Instead of a sleigh he travels in something more closely resembling an alien space craft and rather than sliding down each individual chimney he tasks an army of elves to deliver gifts to an entire city in a matter of minutes. This Swiss watch operation is overseen by his oldest son, and heir to the red suit, Steve (Hugh Laurie).
Steve looks at the big picture but his younger brother Arthur (James McAvoy) sees each individual child. Due to his clumsiness, Steve and the elves try to keep Arthur out of the way, which means the head job in Santa's mail room. He loves Christmas more than anyone else at the North Pole and is determined that the wish of each and every child comes true. He has a deep admiration for his father but it's put to the test when a bike isn't delivered to a little girl in England due to a slight mishap. Santa and Steve are content to shrug a single missed child in the whole world off but Arthur won't have it. With the help of crusty old Grandsanta (Bill Nighy) and a dedicated elf (Ashley Jensen, "Extras"), little Gwen is going to get her bicycle no matter what.
Produced by Aardman ("Wallace and Gromit"), "Arthur Christmas" is, not surprisingly, full of heart. While the film is CG animated, not stop motion, it still feels like an Aardman effort through and through. Directed by Sarah Smith, with a screenplay by Smith and Peter Baynham, it's an enjoyable story that encourages kids to maintain their enthusiasm in any and all circumstances. It also features some terrific voicework, particularly from Nighy. His Grandsanta has been in retirement for 70 years and at the age of 136 (by his own admission) he simply has no use for modern ways. A sleigh, eight tiny reindeer, and some magic dust are all he needs and he would never dream of sending an elf to go in through a window when he himself could "go down the chimbley." Smith and Baynham give Grandsanta all of their funniest lines and Nighy makes the most of them.
What holds "Arthur Christmas" back a bit is that Grandsanta aside it's never really as funny as it ought to be. There are certainly a few assorted gems but there are several moments when the comedy just doesn't hit the way it should. It keeps a good movie from becoming a great one.
Only time will tell if this gets added to the rotation of essential Christmas movies but even if it's not great you will enjoy yourself and it will make you feel just that much more Christmasy. 7/10.