Bloggish review blog

Mavens Review: The Village Barbershop

indieabby88 — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 02:36:23 GMT

I'll get this out of the way right now: You probably aren't going to see "The Village Barbershop" on any shortlists for Film of the Year. It's not a terribly important movie. It doesn't make any statements and relies on a lot of cliches and "hollywood-ending" plot points. But (and I know this is gonna sound silly) it's got an awful lot of heart, and, in the words of Mark Kermode, "does what it says on the tin." It's a sweet, poignant comedy that delivers decent performances and a mild amount of entertainment.

The movie tells the story of Gloria (Shelly Cole) and Art (John Ratzenberger of Pixar fame). Art runs a men's barbershop in Reno. His wife has died, he's lonely, he's kind of a curmudgeon. At the start of the movie, his longtime business partner dies unexpectedly (and inexplicably. It just sort of happens without any kind of announcement). Now, Art is in debt, behind on his rent and needs an extra barber to help run the place. He originally hires the spirited, pregnant Gloria to do the books, but realizes she's got the skills to trim hair. As the movie progresses, wouldn't you know it, Gloria ends up opening Art's mind and heart and turning the business into a success.

Like I said, "The Village Barbershop" is far from unique. It also suffers from weak writing in several places, and overacting in others (watch for the judge at Art's hearing about 3/4 of the way through the movie). But Ratzenberger and Cole bring the goods in both their scenes together and apart. Both actors turn in real, grounded performances that only serve to point out how silly everyone else looks. The other characters are cariactures. Art and Gloria are characters.

If you're looking for the next indie darling, the next "Waitress" or "Juno," "The Village Barbershop" ain't it. But if you're looking for a sweet, undemanding movie to watch on a Friday or Saturday night, it's a pretty good candidate.

Recommendations:

"Waitress"- More pregnancy, more pie, less hair.

"Juno"- More wit, better music

"Steel Magnolias"- More women, more drama

Mavens Review: The Guitar

indieabby88 — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 07:09:28 GMT

It's hard to think of the accurate words to describe "The Guitar." "Ridiculous," "overdramatic" and "Oxygen channel after dark" are all words and phrases that spring to mind. But mostly, it's just bad.

Basically, the plot is this: Saffron Burrows is sick. She has cancer. Dr. Janeane Garofalo gives her one or two months to live. In addition to this, she gets laid off from her job and ends a relationship with a man she's apparently dating (I gathered...I wasn't entirely sure what was going on) to add up to pretty much the worst day ever. Saffron Burrows almost kills herself, but notices an ad for short-term loft apartment rentals and goes for it, completely abandoning her apartment and all the stuff in it (Saffron isn't much of one for moving her stuff with her, it turns out).

What follows is a kind of bisexual, white New York City "Last Holiday." Saffron starts spending money left and right, buying all kinds of swanky clothes and furniture for her apartment. She also buys a guitar, and a bunch of amps she doesn't really need (it looks like she's getting ready to host a rock concert in her loft) because of some childhood dream of owning a guitar that never got fulfilled. Oh! and before I forget, there's that bisexual thing: Saffron has sex with the guy who keeps delivering all her packages (Isaach De Bankole) and the gal who keeps delivering all her pizzas (Paz de la Huerta). All this without ever leaving the apartment!

Things keep getting more and more implausible, to the point of utter laughability. All the characters, including the female lead, are totally two-dimensional, barely explained, and chock-full of stereotype fulfillment. Here's an example: the pizza delivery girl is both a) Italian and b) getting married to an abusive boyfriend with mob connections. Other characters, such as Saffron's boyfriend who breaks up with her in the first ten minutes of the movie, should seem more important than they appear (and they appear very little, mostly as incidental plot devices). Finally the whole plot structure collapses and the movie just goes flat, at which point it has the good sense to end.

The thing that gets me the most about this movie isn't the terribly goofy plot, nor the more-intimate-than-necessary sex scenes. It's the message that materialism will heal you, and that an object can give you meaning and something to live for. "The Guitar" is more or less a female-empowered antithesis to "Fight Club." Where Edward Norton found emptiness and confusion in endless catalog shopping, Saffron Burrows seems to have found happiness. "The Guitar" tells us that shopping cures all ills, even, it turns out (spoiler alert) cancer.

Reccommended movies:

Fight Club: searching for meaning and masculinity in a comercially dominated culture.

Last Holiday: At least it's supposed to be funny.

Wit: A movie about cancer that's far more interesting and believable.

More shameless self promotion/"Inkheart" movie review

indieabby88 — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 03:06:17 GMT

Just uploaded a new vlog post! Anyone who's interested, feel free to check it out and comment (we're such comment whores). This week is a review of "Inkheart."

Review: Three Monkeys

indieabby88 — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 00:21:42 GMT

I find movies about secrets to be terribly interesting. Affairs, murders, accidents, humiliations and the lengths people will go to hide them generally make for pretty compelling stuff.

"Three Monkeys," the Turkish entry for the best foreign language film Oscar, is one such movie, and (I think) probably a pretty strong contender. I'm assuming the title has to do with the proverb "see no evil, hear no evil, do no evil," since the family at the center of this movie has plenty of issues that they deal with by not talking about them.

Things start off when a Servet, a campaigning politician, is involved in a hit-and-run accident. Not wanting to tarnish his reputation right before the election, Servet has his driver, Eyüp, take the fall for him in exchange for a sum of money to be given to his family. In the meantime, Eyüp's wife, Hacer, has an affair with Servet, only to have it abruptly cut off when her ne'er-do-well son discovers them. Oh, and the family is also haunted by the ghost of their dead son...there's a lot of tension going on.

Probably the best thing "Three Monkeys" has going for it is its subtlety. The film's style is very subdued, and we only see characters behaving in extreme ways when the situation absolutely calls for it. The performances are all very natural, never over-the-top. We can identify with all of the characters (except, perhaps, Servet, who's pretty much a scuzzbag). The movie is also very solid visually. It looks like it was shot on DV, which gives it a gritty, but also intimate feeling. The camera is unsparing in its portrayal of the characters. We see every flaw, every stray hair, wrinkle and stress line, all of which goes into making a better, more detailed vision of who these people are, and the effects their years of supressed emotions have had on them.

I am very, very glad I got to see "Three Monkeys." It's a well-worked, intense movie that nobody has talked about, but that everyone should be. This movie has all of the intrigue of a Hichcock film (atmospherically speaking, it feels like "Strangers on a Train," but more subdued) but most of the action happens behind closed doors. It's a really intriguing approach to a premise that could easily have been made into a preachy, hysterical melodrama.

Related movies to watch:

"Rachel Getting Married": Some of the drama, but with the added plus of joy and redemption.

"Strangers on a Train": Intrigue with more thrills

"Crimes and Misdemeanors": Affairs and examinations of the people that have them.

Why horror remakes will always suck

indieabby88 — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 06:23:25 GMT

So, I just downloaded Taken By Trees' cover of the Guns 'n' Roses song "Sweet Child Of Mine," after hearing it on the trailer for the upcoming remake of the classic horror film "Last House on the Left," which looks utterly odious (I saw it during the trailers preceding the equally odious "The Unborn." Don't ask me why I decided it'd be a good idea to watch this movie...I think it was probably Gary Oldman that did it) Anyway, my ire at the fact that this movie, among others, was being re-made gave me pause. Why is it that movies with a strong following in one generation get remade a couple of generations later into movies that are completely awful? Why is it that the remake of "The Hitcher" not only was a pile of flaming dog poo, but was destined to fail from the very moment the idea of the remake came into being? Why does this seem to be the case with nearly every horror remake since...well...pretty much forever?

After giving it some thought, my thinking is this: the problem with remakes is twofold. The more recent problem that's emerged is the hollywood pop horror machine running out of ideas and, as a result, remaking movies that weren't really worthy of the treatment (BBC film critic and horror film guru Mark Kermode claims this was the case with "Prom Night" and "Mirrors").

The other, more angering problem is this: Most of the audience these remakes are aimed at (such as the loud and undiscerning teens who shared the theater with me during tonight's screening of "The Unborn") have grown up with no clue who Wes Craven is, or that "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" originally came out in the 70s, not in 2003. This is a generation of people who don't know about The Thing or, it seems, the original versions of The Hills Have Eyes and Friday the 13th. The major studios think they can pull the wool over an audience's eyes by showing them warmed-over versions of culturally important movies with all the significance removed.

The fact that these movies are nothing more than vain, empty husks of their original selves stems, I believe from one simple factor: what makes these movies great is the context and the cultural climate in which they were created. Wes Craven's work in the 70s is considered classic not only because it legitimately scared the pants off you, but because it was shocking in a way that few movies were at that time. Last House on the Left (which, supposedly, is itself a take on Bergman's Virgin Spring) was the product of people who had grown up watching the Vietnam war on TV. What audiences were seeing was a wakeup call to a culture that had become desensitzed to violence. Friday the 13th was, in its way, a satiric morality play (Jason's mom, after all, is taking out her revenge because her son drowned while being neglected by horny camp counselors).

None of these remakes work now (nor, I posit, will they ever) because the true meaning of these movies, the spirit in which they were created, has been lost. In an age where movies like the Saw franchise are practically considered the norm, a modern version of Last House on the Left packs no punch. It only has something to say to modern audiences if you consider the original film in its cultural context. The same goes for Friday the 13th. A movie like this has no noticeable place in a culture that's become desensitzed to both violence and sex. It'll only be a cheap thrill unless you consider why the original came to exist in the first place. Not to mention that the script wasn't that great in the first place. The only thing this movie has going for it is its concept, and if that loses its significance, you can kiss the whole thing goodbye.

All this is to say, I wish Hollywood would quit churning out fifty or so of these cheap-ass thrill-a-minute meaningless remakes year after year after year. The people who produce these wastes of perfectly good celluloid aren't considering what it is about these movies that ever appealed to anyone at any point in time. They are considering only the legions of teenagers who are unaware that, many years ago, the forgettable horror flick that has them cowering in their seats was once an important, groundbreaking piece of work. These movies are not a form of preservation, but rather one more patina of tarnish.

Movies about Australia that were better than "Australia"

indieabby88 — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 07:30:31 GMT

So, I guess this is more of a list than review, but here goes:

While "Australia" itself is not a bad movie (indeed, Baz Luhrmann has done much, much worse), it references a ton of movies that the casual viewer may not pick up on, but that hardcore fans of Australian cinema will notice, and movies that should not go unseen. So, here's a rundown of movies related to "Australia" and general Australian films that should be watched. I couldn't care less if you choose to see Baz Luhrmann's latest release, or skip it. But if you've got any interest in the land down under at all, do yourself a favor and check these movies out.

The Man from Snowy River

Rabbit-Proof Fence

Ten Canoes

The Proposition

Picnic at Hanging Rock

The Last Wave

The Year of Living Dangerously (related more to Australian cinema than to the country itself. But give it a watch!)

My Brilliant Career

Strictly Ballroom (Luhrmann's first film and, in my opinion, his best)

That's my list! All of them are fantastic movies. For my money, the best director to come out of Australia is Peter Weir. His movies have been pretty diverse, ranging from his early indie cult classics to blockbusters like his last movie, "Master and Commander." But he's really capable, and it's hard to go wrong with him at the helm.

The Nicaraguan Greeting (A review of the Guatemalan Handshake)

indieabby88 — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 23:53:31 GMT

"The Guatemalan Handshake" is a hard movie to pin down. Equal parts "Napoleon Dynamite" and Hal Hartley movie, it's an episodic piece of oddball cinema that achieves occasional moments of brilliance.

The most I can say by way of plot is that Donald Turnupseed (Will Oldham) goes missing, and his best friend, a ten-year-old girl cryptically named Turkeylegs (Katy Haywood) seems to be the only one who cares. Also, an old insane woman loses her dog, Donald's pregnant girlfriend Sadie becomes a demolition derby protegee and a ridiculously cool, wedge-shaped orange electric car goes from owner to owner (say what you want about the movie, that car is awesome).

As with "Napoleon Dynamite," the portrait of life in a small, unremarkable American town is dead on. Seedy roller rink? Check. Dying downtown strip? Check. Utter lack of attractive people? State fair as the cultural event of the year? Check and check. Unlike Jared Hess' movie, however, the truly funny moments are few and far between, and the film has a more overall cerebral bent to it, perhaps a little closer to the subtle comedy of Hartley's "Henry Fool" but less intellectual. This works both for and against the film. It puts more of the focus on the composition (which, by the way, is pretty gorgeous), but even stellar cinematography can't make up for dragging stretches, of which this movie certainly has its fair share.

I can't say I disliked "The Guatemalan Handshake." In fact, I think the general feeling is that I liked it. I'm sure there will be audiences out there who will simply adore this film, and call it a work of genius. It may well be. It's just not my type of movie. It may well resonate with some people. It just didn't leave me floored.

Reccomendations (if you like this movie)

Napoleon Dynamite: The dying small town vibe and cast of offbeat characters are a good compliment to the folks you'll see in "Guatemalan Handshake."

Henry Fool: While it doesn't have the same atmosphere as "Handshake," Hal Hartley's lit-cinema film about the transformation of a working-class loner into an acclaimed poet by his mysterious loner mentor has a similar super-smart feel and subtle humor that it takes a certain kind of viewer to recognize.

Some shameless self-promotion

indieabby88 — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 15:51:29 GMT

So, I started a vlog with a friend of mine, and fellow movie reviewer for the KU radio station. We discuss movies, and it's been a pretty fun experience so far. I figured this might be a good place to announce it...seeing as how discussing movies is kind of our deal. Anyway, here's the link. Please, check it out and give us some feedback. It would be greatly appreciated

The link: http://www.youtube.com/user/TwoAwesomeMovieNerds

A video:

Pele vs. Military Dictatorship

indieabby88 — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 00:42:35 GMT

The Year My Parents Went on Vacation is a movie about many things. It's about the process of growing up. It's about soccer, it's about politics, and it's about judaism. Somehow, all of these elements come together to make a touching movie that's just as beautiful and haunting as other South American politically and culturally charged dramas, such as "The Motorcycle Diaries."

Our main character is young Mauro, a 12-year-old sent to live with his grandparents when his own parents flee Brazil's totalitarian regime in 1970, under the pretense of "going on vacation." Upon his arrival, Mauro finds that his grandfather has just died, and it's up to an elderly jewish neighbor, Shlomo, to take care of him. Turns out that Mauro's family is supposed to be jewish, too, but the boy was raised outside of the faith, something Shlomo finds to be highly disturbing. Fortunately, during the course of his stay in Sao Paulo, Mauro forms a sort of family with Shlomo, a group of kids in the building, and other members of the synagogue and the neighborhood where they live.

The scenes in which the whole community comes together, for bar mitzvahs, funerals and (of course) world cup soccer matches, are particularly touching. It's sweet to see how much the people in the film's neighborhood care about each other and their country.

Mauro's confusion over what has happened to his parents is equally touching, although it's more heartbreaking than joyous. He is always hopeful, but continually disappointed, angry and sad. Michel Joelsas, the actor who plays Mauro, is a real find. He's earnest, sweet and utterly convincing. Daniela Piepszyk, who plays Mauro's fiesty friend Hannah, pulls off a clever, charming performance. It's not often I find child actors very praiseworthy, but these kids have really got it going on.

Engaging and lovely in every sense of the word, Cao Hamburger's "The Year My Parents Went on Vacation" is a movie that should have gotten a lot more buzz than it did. Apparently it was Brazil's entry for the foreign film academy award, and deservedly so. There are very few movies I've recieved from Spout that I'd want to watch again. "The Year My Parents Went on Vacation" is definitely one that will be making its way back into my DVD player soon.

Abby likes short shorts!

indieabby88 — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 18:37:50 GMT

Far from the inconsistency and general disappointment of Shorts! Vol. 2, Shorts! Vol. 3 is chock-full of funny, beautiful and fascinating films that, in many cases, made me hungry for more.

The standout comedies are a pair of short films by different directors about Ninjas. I knew I was in for a treat with Steven Tsuchida's "A Ninja Pays Half My Rent," (His surreal comedic short "Spam-Ku" is a favorite of mine) and he didn't disappoint. Tsuchida is really great at weird, funny, punchy dialogue; and come on, who doesn't enjoy watching a good ninja smackdown?

"The Climactic Death of Dark Ninja" is an even more entertaining thirteen-minute piece about a group of aspiring filmmakers trying for the perfect re-shoot of the key scene of their kung-fu film. Think Wes Anderson meets "Son of Rambow." Anyone who's ever tried shooting an "epic masterpiece" on a home camcorder (or known someone who has) will find "Dark Ninja" hits painfully (and delightfully) close to home.

I also loved Eva Saks' "New York Trilogy" which contained the shorts "Confection," "Colorforms" and "Date." The first two are stories about upper-crust little girls rebelling in some small way against their straight-and-narrow parents with poignant and charming results. "Date" is a very different film, about a man and a woman and what I can only assume is a memorial for missing and dead victims of 9-11. It's pretty cryptic, and doesn't seem to fit in with the other two at all, but holds its own.

"My Name is Yu Ming" was another favorite that falls more into the drama category than comedy, although it has its funny moments. A young man from China decides on a whim to move to Ireland. Not realizing that most residents of the country speak English, he prepares for the big move by learning Gaelic.

The French short "L'Entretien" was a beautiful and thoroughly curious film that made me wish it had been longer. Accurately described as a "Kafkaesque tale," "L'Entretien" tells the story of a man whose new job seems to find him, bringing along with it a series of surreal and deeply creepy events. The look of the film is a blurry black-and-white that makes it seem a lot older than it really is, and adds a lot to the strangeness of the short.

Both of the animated offerings, "Clay Pride" and "Seventeen" are pretty solid. "Seventeen" is a beautifully animated and imaginative short from the Netherlands, showing a young man's early experiences working as a roofer. Director Hisko Hulsing provides us with glorious swirling colors and an emotive score that go hand in hand to create a dark yet playful feeling.

"Clay Pride" is really pretty silly, but the concept is funny. A very thinly-veiled metaphor for race and homosexuality, "Clay Pride" is a mockumentary on the life of Steve, a clay man in a world of plasticine characters (yes, there is a difference, although I'm not entirely sure what it is).

All in all, Shorts! Vol. 3 contains sixteen short films, not one of which is dull to watch. Some, like the musical "Pretty Dead Girl" or "Hyper" are too goofy to be taken seriously, and others, such as "Gowanus, Brooklyn" (the starting point for the acclaimed film Half Nelson) suffer from stylistic issues that make them seem lesser than they should, but for the most part, this is a volume of great short films to enjoy and share around. I know I'm going to be making people watch "Dark Ninja" every chance I get.