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Movie review: Brokeback Mountain

We went to see the much discussed Brokeback Mountain last night – the movie that has been billed as a ‘gay cowboy movies,’ and that is mostly because we have to categorize everything. The movie is stunning. Truly stunning. That being said, it is also horribly sad – a tragedy, really.

That being said, I’ll give my grade up front so if you don’t want to know anything more about the movie… As if it was some big secret, I give it a strong A, and yet I recommend this movie with some trepidation because it is just so sad. I even called my sister, who has had a tough month, and recommended that she not see it. So yes, it is phenomenal, but just be prepared.

I was not. I went into the movie knowing little about it – I knew it was based on a 1997 short story that was published in The New Yorker by Annie Proulx (whose name I can just never pronounce. Is it Pro-lix or Pru? She actually answers that question on her Web site, for those curious… Go to the FAQ. ) My boss actually had given me the complete New Yorkers for Christmas and I looked up the original, but I had not had a chance to read it yet.

I also knew that the movie was directed by Ang Lee, who directed Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, of course. My first experience with Lee, however, was with one of his early movies, 1993’s The Wedding Banquet. That subtitled movie is about a gay couple, one of whom looks to satisfy his nagging parents by marrying a friend, but it gets out of hand when the parents arrive and begin to take over the wedding plans. I have not seen it in years, but the movie is a CJD-fav.

Lee has such a delicate touch. His movies are always just so graceful. And Brokeback Mountain is no exception. From the scenery to the characters, the movie is just delightful.

Brokeback Mountain is that rare thing, a big Hollywood weeper with a beautiful ache at its center. It's a modern-age Western that turns into a quietly revolutionary love story.
-- Entertainment Weekly

The movie is about Ennis del Mar (remarkably played by Health Ledger) and Jack Twist (also very well played by Jake Gugenhaller), two ranch hands who come together when they are working as sheephearers on summer on a range on Brokeback Mountain. The two begin to share more that summer and eventually share their tent. That leads to a much deeper relationship.

Both men go on to marry and have kids – that’s what cowboys are supposed to do. Yet the two repeatedly come into each others lives – they eventually have regular “fishing trips.” Let’s just say that fish have never been safer. And during this period of the movie, it feels somewhat like the Alan Alda movie, "Same Time Next Year" but in some parallel universe.

The story is truly one of love – these men are passionate about each other. One of my faviroite scenes is on their first reunion, Jack is coming to visit Ennis and Ennis sitts at the window waiting in anticipation.

The tragedy is this love does not conquer all. There are severe consequences for this relationship – lost jobs, bad marriages, affairs, divorces, extreme loneliness and almost poverty… and more. In the end,

As the movie goes on, Ennis, penniless and alone, becomes a shard of a man, nurturing a lost dream.

Again, from the EW review:

Brokeback Mountain has a luscious doomed tenor that, at times, makes it feel like Edith Wharton with Stetsons. It's far from being a message movie, yet if you tear up in the magnificent final scene, with its haunting slow waltz of comfort and regret, it's worth noting what, exactly, you're reacting to: a love that has been made to knuckle under to society's design. In an age when the fight over gay marriage still rages, Brokeback Mountain, the tale of two men who are scarcely even allowed to imagine being together, asks, through the very purity with which it touches us: When it comes to love, what sort of world do we really want?

The movie is well worth the time. Andenjoy!

YEAH! I don't have to see King Kong

So our good friends, MB and CA, went to see King Kong last night. Given my previous reservations about it, I was interested to hear what they had to say. And despite the critical acclaim, I'm going to pass, thank you very much.

Here is MB's always entertaining take:

I'm sorry to tell you, but I thought it was absolutely terrible. CA fell asleep for the first hour. Save your money, or go an hour after the movie starts...

I didn't think it was possible for one's butt to fall asleep, but mine did. It was 3 freakin hours! And it wasn't Lord-of-the-Rings 3 hours, it was Ishtar 3 hours.

And CA, who was looking forward to the action, was not thrilled:

I had trouble keeping my eyes open for the first part. I had to wait well over an hour for the first dinosaur to get killed.

So I'm going to pass... and see Brokeback Mountain instead.

So I'm not alone on this King Kong thing...

I mentioned this weekend that I wasn't all that thrilled about the big King Kong movie -- well, according to the LAT this morning.

Hollywood has been betting for months that when "King Kong" hit theaters, the action epic would help reverse a nearly yearlong slide in movie admissions. Well, the rampaging 50-foot-tall ape finally has arrived, but like so many other recent movies, "King Kong" is not yet attracting stampedes of moviegoers.

Although writer-director Peter Jackson's remake of the 1933 classic did sell an estimated $50.1 million in tickets in its debut weekend, the film's opening receipts stood well below industry projections. Rival studios and show business prognosticators had said (and even hoped) that Universal Pictures' "King Kong" might gross as much as $100 million in its first five days of release.

But since the three-hour-plus movie started showing early Wednesday morning, its total domestic sales were $66.2 million -- almost exactly the take that "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" generated the previous weekend, in two fewer days.

The unexpectedly sluggish opening for "King Kong" adds to growing fears that U.S. audiences might be forsaking the multiplex: For the first time in more than 40 years, Hollywood by year's end will have recorded declining attendance for three consecutive years.

HP in Imax

So Harry on Imax is really excellent. I'm still a bit disappointed by the movie, but I still contend that it is the best of the Harry Potter movies. They just shortened some parts that I probably would not have shortened, but I can understand that you have to make cuts somewhere.

One of the weakest part of this movie is Dumbledore. In the past two movies, Dumbledore is played by Michael Gambon, and I don't know whether it is the actor of the director, it is just totally wrong. There are two perfect examples. The first is after Harry comes out of the pensive where he was exploring Dumbledor's memories. In his conversation with Harry, he seems perplexed and confused. In the books, he was perplexed, but he never let that interfer with his leadership or strength. The other scene is near the end in Harry's dorm room where he is talking about what happened with Lord Voldomort. Again, he seems surprised and perplexed.

In the books, Dumbledore is a majestic character and leader. In the movies, he is wishy-washy. Richard Harris played Dumbledore in the first two movies and did a great job. Gambon, however, just doesn't make it work, and it is too bad because he is such an important character... and I think Ian McKellen would have been a much better choice.

An aside: Here is an amazing tidbit from the WP on the HP Imax movie.

One challenge was the length of this Potter film, a copy of which in the Imax format weighs about 900 pounds. "The size of the film is enormous. Take our space films, 'To Fly' and the others -- they are the size of a coffee table. This is the size of a large, large conference table," Mensforth said.

Cool! Well worth seeing.

Movie updates… Harry Potter… Syriana… Pride and Prejudice

I know! I know! I haven’t been posting regularly. What can I say – work has been busy and life and all that stuff. DMV and I have very different ideas of what is a quiet time. We were talking to somebody and he said, ‘Yeah, it’s been a pretty quiet week.’ Um, what? Here was the past seven days:
* Last Saturday: ‘Casual make your own pizza night’ with our gourmet group.
* Last Sunday: We went to see Syriana --- OK, relatively quiet day.
* Monday: Work, of course, then to DMV’s CEO’s house for a blind wine tasting contest.
* Tuesday: Dinner with DMV’s (and my) friends.
* Wednesday: He has dinner; I have a quiet night.
* Thursday: My company holiday party at Tysons Corner mall and then shopping.
* Friday: Dinner at Citi Zen for our friend’s b’day.
* Saturday: ‘Christmas’ with DMV’s family

But tonight… we’re going to see Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire on the big Imax screen at the Smithsonian’s Air and Space Museum. Yes, I’ve seen Harry Potter already. But it’s Imax!

So yes, I have seen a bunch of movies over my ‘quiet’ period.

Can I just start by saying that yes, King Kong is out this weekend and I know everybody has their panties in a bunch about it, but I’m just not all that thrilled to see it. In fact, I’m not excited at all. I don’t really like three-hour-plus movies… and I’ve never been a real big fan of King Kong movies. As a animal freak, I always felt sorry for Kong. He’s living a happy life and has it all ripped away from him – to be kept in horrible conditions, I’m sure – so some money grubber can cash in. Kong gets angry about the situation and everybody ends up blaming him!? And, of course, Kong pays his life for it all. So, no, I’m not that excited about seeing it.

I was, however, very excited about seeing Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. This is my favorite of the Harry Potter books by a long shot. There are two scenes in the book that are just wonderful: The opening, which is a strong, powerful image, and then the climatic scene near the end, which is absolutely riveting. So of course, I was thrilled at the prospect of seeing that magic brought to the big screen. In fact, I even reread the book in preparation for the movie.

That was my mistake! The book is big – it marked the first Potter book that also doubled as weight lifting. So there was inevitably going to be stuff that had to be cut or condensed and I was just too close to it. My mind’s eye also created such rich images, I should have expected that it would be difficult for the director to meet my expectations.

That being said, the movie is quite good and probably the best in the series so far… and that final scene is good, but it just wasn’t as powerful as I think it could have been. Unfortunately I’m at a loss to suggest exactly what that missing piece was, but it somehow just didn’t make me sit on the edge of my seat. It was exciting, but it wasn’t thrilling.

So… I’d give HP4 a B+ and strongly recommend that you not reread the book before going to the movie.

I’ll also report back on how it is on Imax.

Syriana

Last weekend we went to see Syriana. I hadn’t really heard much about this movie, so I went in with pretty much a clean slate. DMV wanted to see it – I’m not sure why. I’m guessing it was because of the positive reviews.

I knew it was a George Clooney movie, but I’m just not a huge Clooney fan. Other then that, I didn’t know what to expect.

I didn’t know that it was from writer/director Stephen Gaghan, who won the Academy Award for his screenplay of 'Traffic.'

'Syriana' is something of a political thriller. For its backdrop, the movie uses the global oil industry and its relationship to the United States, the Middle East, and the intelligence communities. And, as somebody who is fascinated by those subjects, I found this movie just riveting. That being said, there are a lot of characters in this movie – and if you saw Traffic, that will not surprise you. And it jumps around between Washington to the men working the oil fields in the Persian Gulf to the leaders of those countries to the leaders of oil companies. One of the big complaints I have heard is that people found that confusing and that they had a hard time putting all the pieces together – and I understand that complaint. It can be. I guess I didn’t focus on the details and instead just sat back and watched the interplay between these various slices of life.

The movie definitely has a political point to make – one that I happen to agree with, of course. (Clooney gave an interesting interview to The Advocate when Good Night and Good Luck came out where he talks about politics and the movies. It is an interesting read.) The movie does a good job of dramatizing how the U.S. addiction to oil actually drives so many important decisions that have led to the United States being so despised in that region. But this is no Michael Moore screed. It is an interesting story. Much the way Traffic looked at drug issues, this looks at the Middle East.

Even if you don’t agree with that point of view, the movie does an effective job making its case so I think it would be a healthy start for a rich discussion and debate. I give the movie kudos for that if nothing else.

CJD grade: A-

Finally, and briefly, Pride and Prejudice. It’s Jane Austin, so you know how it is going to end. Go and enjoy the romance.

CJD grade: B

Crash the wedding...

I haven't posted in awhile. Work has been amazingly busy. Good busy, but very busy. So there are a number of updates. First off, movies. Last weekend, we went to see The Wedding Crashers. In fact, we went to a movie on a Friday night... a Friday night after 10p. Generally, that is nothing short of shocking because by Friday nights, DMV and I are both just short of drewling on ourselves because we are so tired. But we have been very excited about seeing this movie largely because it is directed by the fiance of one of DMV's college friends. MW is amazing, and we have met the director, David Dobkin, several times. That includes visiting them on location in St. Michaels, Md. at the Inn at Perry Cabin, where the big wedding in the movie takes place. (Totally coincidentally, when we were there that weekend, we got to meet NBC White House reporter David Gregory, his wife and son.)

So we have been waiting for this movie to come out for more than a year. We made sure to see it opening night. The movie is not typically my type of movie, but the movie has received good buzz and good reviews. And the movie is wonderful fun. The story is about these two friends who crash weddings for the sake of scoring. And the first third of it is a succession of those scores. The second third is the pairs attempt to get into the Treasury Secretary's wedding. The final third is a bit of a love story.

The movie has some cliches, but it is very funny. Definitely worth seeing. Nice work David! We look forward to seeing more.

CJD grade: A-

The same weekend, we saw Mr. and Mrs. Smith, starring Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. Both of them are hired assasins, but neither knows it. It is a tad bit unbelievable, but who cares about that. The worst part of the movie is the last third of it when the couple is now resisting getting captured by the people who have hired them. (And those are the kinds of streaches that the movie asks you to make repleatedly.) The movie is very average, but is made better because of the interplay between Pitt and Jolie. (No shock there!)

CJD grade: C+

Fantastic Four marketing

I did not see The Fantastic Four this weekend. Yes, despite the largely mediocre reviews, I want to see it because the fire guy is H-O-T... and not in just a 'I'm on fire' way! (See this week's Us Weekly magazine if you somehow need proof! And no, not online. You have to go buy it!)

Anyway, you do need to read this piece in the Portland Mercury, "Why the Fantastic 4 Human Torch ATV (with Light-Up Headlights!) is the Worst Movie Tie-In Toy Ever." Just a taste:

The Human Torch has no need for an "All-Terrain Vehicle"--because the last time I checked, the Human Torch can fucking FLY.

Has anyone told the Human Torch that it might not be safe to sit on top of a gas tank when one is on FIRE? Nice message to send the kids, assholes!

This thanks to Good Morning Silicon Valley... and the site is  not for those with an aversion to profanity.

BTW, we didn't see the Fantastic Four because we did see "War of the Worlds"... and more on this in a later post, but... ugh!

 

"Little Black Book"... a must miss

When we were out in California last week, we watched the movie "Little Black Book," which is 111 minutes of my life that I will not get back.

The movie is about Stacy Holt (Brittany Murphy),  who gets a job as an associate producer for a Springer-esq slimy daytime talk show hosted by Kippie Kann (Kathy Bates). Stacy gets frustrated when her boyfriend Derek (Ron Livingston) does not discuss his past relationships. So, with the encouragement of her co-worker Barb (Holly Hunter), she delves into his PDA to learn about his ex-girlfriends Stacy then uses her job on the show to interview these women and eventually becomes friends with them. And she finds out some of them are still attracted to her boyfriend.

So you see all these good actors and you say it can't be so bad? Unfortunately it can. In fact, it can be worse. We can only assume that they had some clause in their contract that they had to fulfill.

If you care to see this movie, stop here because I'm going to give away the ending... For those of you who are making the right choice, I'll continue... The final scene of this movie is where they do a live broadcast of the Kippie show and -- presto -- it focuses on Stacy and how she went through her boyfriends little black book. And the show is produced by Barb.  Like a Jerry Springer episode, they have all the ex-girlfriends there. And even bring out the boyfriend. They have woman undercutting other women -- not to mention friends slicing and dicing other friends -- while the seeming message is to spur distrust and miscommunication in ones relationships. If the movie sought to be a romantic comedy, it is neither loving nor funny. It is cold and mean spirited.

The truly sad thing is that it is written by a woman.

On top of all that, Murphy just can't carry a movie, at least not yet. Maybe someday, but not in this case.

Thankfully the movie got generally bad reviews -- I don't even remember it being released, to be honest. But even the bad reviews seem to have missed the maliciousness of this movie. No, there is no real character development. No, it is no 'Working Girl' nor is Murphy any Melanie Griffith -- although both apparently want to be. And no, it isn't romantic nor comedic. But the worst thing about the movie is that it is just mean.

This from the scathing review from Kimberley Jones in the Austin Chronicle:

Little Black Book isn't your run-of-the-mill romantic comedy – it's much worse – and, rather disgustingly, the devils on earth it unmasks are all female and vindictive.

And Solon's review:

The movie can't distinguish between what's likable and human and funny and what's simply repellent. In that respect, it's just as indiscriminate as the reality TV it shakes its finger at.

Life is tooooo short. Miss this movie. You'll be glad you did.

CJD grade: D-. The soundtrack saves it from getting an F... and which they don't actually sell. You'll just have to buy Carly Simon albums.

Amazing 'Crash'

Yes, I know I haven't posted in awhile. I am now running the blog for work and I have to post something every day there. I then end up in the situation where either I don't have enough time to do everything... or I don't have anything else interesting to say. I have been working on a post about our recent trip to Kenyon College, but... I'll try to actually finish that today.

But a short and sweet... We went to see Crash last night, which is the best movie I have seen this year... and there really isn't a second place. I won't give anything away, of course, because one of the things I loved about this movie was I went in with almost no expectations. We had been trying to see the movie for weeks. We went a few weeks ago, but because of a fire in the neighborhood, traffic was terrible and we ended up seeing Monster In-Law. I'm trying to think if there could be a more stark contrast.

Crash is difficult to describe. It is a wonderful movie where there are multiple story lines that all come together through chance and circumstance. The first movie using this writing style that I remember was Pulp Fiction. I generally the writing style because I am in awe of it. I cannot imagine the work it must take to bring all these people together without making a movie seem phony. The careful writing, keen direction, and phenomenal directing ensures that you care about these people even though some of them are distasteful. You get a passing glance into each person's life, yet you feel like you know them and care about them, to one degree or another, even despite their sometimes egregious faults.

At the crux of it all is the race issue. Every race is in the movie -- black, white, Chinese, Arab... sorry, Persian... and the underlying story is about how all of these races deal with one another -- or don't, as the case may be.

There are a few negative reviews and, to be honest, I don't know what movie these folks saw.

It is rare that we are ever shocked these days. We've been there and done that. After Janet, Michael and Dean's crazed scream, is there really much that can surprise us? Check out this movie because it is shocking in its honesty. There is race talk that we all know goes on, but is never really addressed publicly. The white woman who wants the locks in the house changed because a black man has put them in... The black man who complains that he wasn't served coffee at a restaurant -- he says because he is black -- even though he doesn't drink coffee.

It isn't a light film, but it is amazing and wonderful.

Crash is just amazing and it will leaving you thinking for days.

CJD's grade: A

One irony... I actually had to switch seats because the group of people behind us were talking through the movie. And yes, it was a group of some minority. Perhaps I could be a character in the movie?

Even more Star Wars...

So I'm not even pretending that this is going to be the final Star Wars post, but... well, one shouldn't make promises that one can't keep.

The WP.com has an online poll about the best Star Wars movie. I, of course, voted for the first/fourth, but the latest movie is running neck-and-neck with Empire Strikes Back, which the WP.com Star Wars blogger contends is the best. And I know people get all hot and bothered about Empire. I just never really got it... and I still don't. This is a movie without a beginning or end. Call me a traditionalists, but if you are writing a story, a beginning and ending would be good. But what do I know.

Anyway, my favorite cousin -- a graduate of USC's cinema school -- sent me her take on the Sith:

so, when we got home from seeing episode 3 we immediately went home and watched episode 6 to go right to the downfall of darth.  and for those who go on and on about the FIRST 3 being so much better than these LAST 3 -- we say -- WATCH 6 AGAIN!!!  it is like a trip to muppetville outerspace.  there are more disgustingly cute and furry creatures than a disney store.  and there is no good acting, no good dialogue and since lucas can't deal with actors, i say these latest movies are just so far superior becuase the technology has caught up to his vision and they are just seamless as far as what is real and what is not.  you are SOOO right about the big picture -- the good vs. evil is irresistable.  but DAMN he sucks at the minutiae -- stuff life dialogue! -- which makes all the difference in the world between a special effects blockbuster and an epic film [like th elotr trilogy which is SOOOOO far superior i can't STAND it!]

 

there.  i've said it.  and as you, i liked this latest movie... but then again, i liked the last 2 as well because they were BEAUTIFUL to watch and that is all i expect from george...

Meanwhile, the NYT has a story about John Williams' score
Emotions of 'Sith,' Carried by Score [NYT, 5.23.2005, registration required]
The member of the "Star Wars" creative team whose contributions are largely being taken for granted is the composer John Williams.