Colin’s Reviews

REBECCA

THE LAST PICTURE SHOW

Year: 1971

Director: Peter Bogdanovich

Stars: Jeff Bridges, Cybill Shepherd

Think: American Graffiti with Rednecks

Many films have featured the perils of “aimless” characters, such as Graffiti, The Graduate, and Dazed and Confused. In most cases, the bored, confused, and vulnerable characters are teenagers. In The Last Picture Show, set in a small Texas town in 1951, there are also aimless teens wandering around questioning life. What adds something extra to this film is that it’s not just the teenagers in this town who are aimless. Even the adults are starting to suspect that A) their town sucks and B) so do their lives. Like real towns, it seems like nothing is going on in Anarene, Texas. Also like real towns, the real drama is all under the surface and most of it occurs between the sheets or in the backseats of cars. The film boasts a great ensemble cast of then-unknown actors. The teenagers in town include a pre-Lebowski Bridges as the captain of the football team, George W. Bush impersonator Timothy Bottoms as his confused best bud, goofy-ass Randy Quaid as a goofy-ass rich kid, and beautiful, pre-menopause Cybill Shepherd as the biggest tease in film history. The adults in the town include a sarcastic waitress played with raspy passion by Eileen Brennan; Ellen Burstyn and Cloris Leachman play the original desperate housewives; and Ben Johnson plays Sam the Lion, the pool hall owner who overlooks the town’s moral conduct. Bogdanovich’s goal was to give the film a feeling of an authentic 1950s movie, ignoring the popular new wave styles of his filmmaking counterparts Scorsese, Coppola, and Spielberg. He succeeded vastly in this department. In fact, Roger Ebert said that The Last Picture Show was “the best film of 1951″ because of its authenticity in 1950s cinematography and production design. While the film is filled with little dramas, they play out so subtly and calmly that in the end, it feels like nothing really happened. Sort of like real life, I guess.

THE 400 BLOWS

Year: 1959

Director: Francois Truffaut

Stars: Jean-Pierre Léaud, Patrick Auffay

Think: Oliver Twist + Welcome to the Dollhouse

Antoine Doinel (Léaud) is a Parisian juvenile delinquent in Truffaut’s autobiographical debut film, The 400 Blows. The title refers to Antoine’s numerous times making it to third base with the neighborhood hussies. Okay that’s a lie. Titled Les Quatre Cents Coups in its native France, the term is actually a French phrase similar to “raising hell.” So the good ol’ USA translated it literally, causing it to make no sense whatsoever. Antoine is a schoolboy who is constantly getting himself into trouble, mostly rooted in the incompetence of his mother and stepfather (Claire Maurier and Albert Rémy, respectively). His parents struggle to make ends meet and therefore constantly shift the blame between each other and Antoine. Things aren’t much better at school, as Antoine’s hard-ass teacher (Guy Decomble) seems to have it out for him. Antoine’s best friend and partner in crime, René (Auffay) is practically the only person on his side. The film seems to be an early study of child psychology, with its young hero acting out as a petty criminal, an obvious cry for attention stemming from his problems at home. Léaud and Truffaut would re-team for four more films that all followed the adventures, growing up, and romances of Antoine Doinel (a rare film franchise that wasn’t about superheroes or serial killers). Léaud’s work in The 400 Blows is proof of the unmatched caliber of European child actors. From Italy (Bicycle Thieves, Cinema Paradiso, Life is Beautiful) to Sweden (Fanny and Alexander, My Life as a Dog), to The 400 Blows‘ native France, it seems that Europe has an endless amount of talented and (most of all) realistic young thespians. With the cuteness of Shirley Temple and the acting chops of Marlon Brando, European films like The 400 Blows gives us even more proof that child actors can carry films that aren’t always directed at their own demographic. Antoine Doinel may be an adolescent, but his story will resonate with even the post-puberty (and subtitle-friendly) set.

TROPIC THUNDER (2008)

Director: Ben Stiller

Stars: Ben Stiller, Robert Downey Jr.

Rated: R

Think: Apocalypse Now x South Park

I’ve given Ben Stiller a bad rap before, mostly because of my hatred for Meet the Parents, Envy, Duplex, Along Came Polly, and The Heartbreak Kid. However, I was always fond of his films that he wrote and directed (Reality Bites, The Cable Guy, and Zoolander). Regardless of the movies other people write for him, Stiller knows how to write a good movie of his own. Tropic Thunder is a hilarious and bawdy satire of the movie industry and it’s the funniest film I’ve seen this year since Forgetting Sarah Marshall (which I oddly enough labeled as “The Heartbreak Kid, but good”). There are so many in-jokes in Tropic Thunder that you can spend the whole movie thinking of what film or celebrity they’re poking fun at. But even if you tried to count, you’d probably be distracted by the amazing special effects and over-the-top humor. The film within a film (that quickly stops being a film) is also called Tropic Thunder and stars Tugg Speedman (Stiller), a Stallone-esque action hero whose career is on the skids since he tried drama by playing a retarded farm boy. That joke has made Tropic Thunder a target for protests, which is ironic since it’s probably the least funny joke in the movie. It’s a shame those people are judging a film by its bad retard joke. Jack Black plays Jeff Portnoy, the movie’s comedian (think Eddie Murphy’s career with Chris Farley’s lifestyle), Brandon T. Jackson is Alpa Chino, the rapper-turned-actor (Ludacris, anyone?), and Jay Baruchel plays newcomer Kevin Sandusky. Stealing the show is Robert Downey Jr.’s Kirk Lazarus, a 5-time Oscar winning Method actor with a bit of a Russell Crowe streak that’s hard to ignore. Kirk has dyed his skin to play a black man, and won’t break character even when the actors realize they’re no longer making a movie and are now actually fighting a war. The film is also stocked with great cameos that I won’t go into as to not spoil any surprises. The biggest draw is Downey Jr.’s performance. If there was ever a completely true and crass commentary about movies and society, it might be Kirk’s explanation that in order to get an Oscar, you can’t go “full on retard” like Tugg did. You can only be a little bit retarded. If The Other Sister doesn’t make you a believer in that theory, I don’t know what to tell you. Along with Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight, I’d say that Downey Jr. in Tropic Thunder is one of the best supporting roles of the year. Since the Academy seems to have a no-comedy policy (especially for a comedy that pokes fun at the Academy’s policies), I doubt he’ll see a nomination for it, but Disneyland taught me that it’s good to have wishes and dreams. Many movies about Hollywood don’t succeed, but rarely do they have such hysterical moments like the ones in this movie. Although it’s not a comedy classic or groundbreaking cinema, Tropic Thunder is just as raunchy as it is smart, which makes me appreciate it even more.

ORDINARY PEOPLE

CAMP NOWHERE

Year: 1994

Director: Jonathan Price

Stars: Christopher Lloyd, Jonathan Jackson

Think: Home Alone + Meatballs 

Christopher Lloyd may be one of the most underrated comedic actors in the industry, and this underrated kids comedy showcases his range. A-list comedians are often given the chance to portray different characters in the same movie, like Eddie Murphy (The Nutty Professor), Mike Myers (Austin Powers) or Robin Williams (Mrs. Doubtfire). Camp Nowhere provides Lloyd with the chance to play a slew of different personas as a former teacher helping a group of teens con their parents. Jonathan Jackson, Andrew Keegan, Marnette Patterson, and Melody Kay play a group of schoolmates each about to be sent to a different summer camp (computer camp, boot camp, drama camp, and fat camp, respectively). So they enlist an eccentric and somewhat sleazy former teacher (and who plays eccentric and somewhat sleazy better than Lloyd?) to help them hash a plan. They rent out an old hippie commune and have Lloyd act as their fake camp counselor. A bunch of teens away from their parents at an isolated lake? Sounds like either the making of an ‘80s teen slasher flick or an ‘80s teen sex comedy, but Camp Nowhere veers a little more towards the family-friendly side. It’s still pretty fun though, with a little something for everyone. Besides the normal hi-jinks and the fun Parents Day climax, there’s a nice bond that forms between the core group of kids (the brain, the rebel, the bitch, and the fat girl). Although apparently the filmmakers thought that slapping a baggy sweatshirt on a thin actress would make us think she’s a cow. And the filmmakers didn’t even stick to the Breakfast Club teen stereotypes. Other kids at the camp include a “thinks she’s hot but isn’t” girl (Hillary Tuck), a “too young to actually be hot” girl (Allison Mack), and a “just wait and see, she’s about to be really hot… probably around 2003 or 2004″ girl (Jessica Alba). The guys, well, are bullies or nerds. Not much variety there. Aside from all the kids, the other adults in the film are played by a variety of character actors (i.e. actors whose faces are more familiar than their names). And in my opinion, Christopher Lloyd is one of the best character actors around and Camp Nowhere is finally a flick to put his talents on full display.

TAXI DRIVER

THE RED BALLOON

Year: 1956

Director: Albert Lamborisse

Stars: Pascal Lamborisse, A Red Balloon

Think: Old Yeller - Dogs + Latex and Helium

I remember my dad showing me The Red Balloon when I was a kid and I remember loving it. One might assume that showing a child a dialogue-free French short film would create the makings of a film snob. After all, while all my friends were watching Fraggles, I was experiencing “cinema de France”. After revisiting the film, however, I found it to be sweet, funny, and very unpretentious. Its simplicity and vivid imagination show why it would still be entertaining to a suburban American kid with Nintendo. A sort of take on “Mary Had a Little Lamb”, it begins with a little boy (Pascal Lamborisse, the director’s son) walking to school, where he finds a red balloon tangled on a lamppost. After getting the balloon down, it “follows” him to school, home from school and around the city of Paris in general. He gets in trouble with his teacher when the balloon enters his classroom. He becomes the envy of the other boys when they see his new toy. It becomes his companion, friend, and bodyguard on a tour through the City of Lights. The balloon itself seems to take on a rather vivid personality. While watching it move through the city tagging along with the little boy, it’s amazing to think that it wasn’t computer animated. If made today, there would likely be no real balloon at all, with all of its actions being added by special effects. But since The Red Balloon does things the old fashioned way, the balloon becomes a fully fleshed (or is it fully rubbered?) character. The Red Balloon won an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay (it beat out Fellini’s La Strada and the original The Ladykillers). It marks the only time that a short film has ever won an award outside the “Best Short Film” category. A type of film that would have very little chance of making it today, The Red Balloon excels in giving an inanimate object a personality all its own.

THE DARK KNIGHT (2008)

Director: Christopher Nolan

Stars: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger

Rated: PG-13

Think: Heat + Way More Elaborate Costumes

I’ll start with the obvious detail that I’m sure you already have heard: Heath Ledger gives a knockout performance as The Joker. Deformed, deranged, and having a hell of a time, The Joker terrorizes Gotham City without a motive, without a back-story and without a care in the world. The Joker gets a sick joy out of seeing pain and destruction, and we get a sick joy watching him do it. Christopher Nolan has solidified his franchise-boost by making a sequel more superb than his Batman Begins from 2005. The tone of this film, much more than the first, is very heavy on that little adjective used in the title (clue: “knight” is not an adjective). Even after learning the ins and outs of Bruce Wayne’s psyche in the earlier film, Nolan helps reveal even more layers of the title hero in The Dark Knight. First off, Bruce Wayne doesn’t believe he’s a hero at all, and neither do many of the citizens of Gotham. Bale and Ledger both seem to have approached their characters with careful consideration. Batman is a guy who wants answers, explanations, and justice, and is trying to find his own justifications for what he does. The Joker doesn’t care about any of those things. As Bruce Wayne’s cheeky butler Alfred (Michael Caine) explains, some men commit crimes for money or fame. Others just want to see the world burn. Take a guess which kind of guy The Joker is. I was a bit leery of jumping on the yay-for-Heath’s-last-role bandwagon, but it’s a powerful performance that hits multiple notes and it’s fascinating to watch. Ledger’s Joker is funny, creepy, and sad, yet completely frightening throughout. Regarding the hype around the film, The Dark Knight lived up to my expectations and then some. The action scenes are exciting, the character arcs and storylines are enthralling, and the performances all around are great. Aaron Eckhart is quite good as District Attorney Harvey Dent, who makes a tragic and believable transformation into Two-Face. Maggie Gyllenhaal is an improvement as Assistant D.A. Rachel Dawes, playing the character much less Nancy Drew-ish than Katie Holmes did. Caine, Morgan Freeman and Gary Oldman also return in supporting roles that may be small, yet they still help carry the story and populate the complex world of Gotham City. But it’s definitely Ledger that steals the show, and it’s a show I didn’t have many complaints about. Besides Bale’s Batman growl and a random subplot that seemed to be a poke at the Patriot Act, the characters’ relationships and interactions made us care about what happened to this city and its inhabitants. I haven’t heard an audience applaud so many times during a movie (not just at the end, but throughout the film, spurred by dialogue, action scenes, and even facial gestures), and the film deserves its applause. It’s taken a long time to get the Batman storyline on a realistic and respectable level, and in many ways The Dark Knight is thus far the franchise’s crowning achievement. The best word to describe the film might be “awesome”. And I don’t mean “awesome!” in a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles kind of way, but in the fact that it fills you with awe. I was in awe of the special effects, in awe of the performances, in awe of the unwinding story, and even more in awe that Hollywood hasn’t disappointed me this time around.

A PRAIRIE HOME COMPANION

Year: 2006

Director: Robert Altman

Stars: Meryl Streep, Lilly Tomlin

Think: A Prestigious Empire Records 

Sometimes a film will take you into a world you never knew existed, and I’m not just talking about fantasy or sci-fi films. In A Prairie Home Companion, that world is a real life radio variety show that broadcasts out of St. Paul, Minnesota. The show combines spiritual and country music, comedy acts, and stories. It is performed for a live audience while simultaneously being broadcast live over the radio every week. Altman takes us into this world for the backstage (and onstage) goings-ons during its fictitious final performance. In the film, the theater has been bought out by a corporation and will be torn down to make a parking lot. It’s up to the loyal employees and performers to do what they can to stop the takeover. The wonderful ensemble cast includes: Streep and Tomlin as two singing sisters, Kevin Kline as the theatre’s bumbling security guard, Woody Harrelson and John C. Reilly as a singing cowboy duo, Tommy Lee Jones as the corporate honcho overseeing the takeover, Maya Rudolph as the level-headed (and pregnant) stage manager, Virginia Madsen as a mystery woman, and Lindsay Lohan as Streep’s moody daughter. Garrison Keillor also plays himself, the emcee of the program. For fans of subtle stories, wonderful acting, and a slice of life you never knew existed, this is a film for you. We float in and out of these characters’ lives, on-stage and off, as they prepare for the final show. What Altman achieves so beautifully is that while we are metaphorically floating from character to character, the constant fluid movement of the camera makes us feel as if we are physically floating from character to character. The soundtrack is full of funny and pretty songs, great improvised scenes (the Duct Tape commercial is a highlight), and insight into a show that, amazingly, has remained on the air for over thirty years. This was Altman’s last film before he died, and he definitely went out with class and style.