Author Archives: Keith Garlington

The Keith & Movies Valhalla Induction: “There Will Be Blood”

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The Keith & the Movies Valhalla is a place of tribute for those movies that I hold in the highest regard. These are films that embody everything that is great about motion pictures. These are the best of the best – movies that I truly love and that stand above the rest. There are many great movies that won’t find their way into these sacred halls. But here you will find those films that I believe personify brilliance in filmmaking, storytelling, and entertainment. These glorious 5 star accomplishments are worthy of special recognition as the very best. Ok, enough of the high drama! In other words, these are my favorite movies of all time, ok?

BLOODFor me, no movie is driven by a more brilliant and quite frankly perfect performance than Paul Thomas Anderson’s “There Will Be Blood”. From the moment Daniel Day-Lewis appears on screen Anderson’s grimy period vision begins to flourish before out eyes. Day-Lewis’ work here is mesmerizing and a prime example of why he is our greatest working actor today. Channeling his best John Huston voice, Day-Lewis stunningly portrays one of the most vile yet compelling movie characters ever. I can’t imagine any working actor being able to pull it off so well.

But while the lead performance is the true highlight for me, there is more to love about “There Will Be Blood” than just that. Anderson’s script is crisp and razor sharp and it gives Day-Lewis plenty to chew on. I also love all the things that bring this region specific period picture to life from the flawless cinematography to the unnerving score. Paul Thomas Anderson puts together an amazing motion picture experience that I can watch over and over. For me it’s clearly Anderson’s best film. But I’ll go even further. It’s one of my favorite films of all time so its place in the Valhalla is well deserved. What a gem!

“There Will Be Blood” is the sixth inductee into the Keith & the Movies Valhalla. But there are more amazing movies to come in the near future so stay tuned. What are your thoughts on this Paul Thomas Anderson new classic? Is it worth the accolades it’s received or is it an overrated picture? What about the performance of Daniel Day-Lewis? You now know my opinion. I’d love to hear yours. Please take time to share your comments below.

REVIEW: “The Big Picture”

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THE BIG PICTURE poster

In the recent French film “The Big Picture” Romain Duris plays a man who seems to have the perfect life. He’s a successful lawyer practicing in one Paris’ most prestigious law firms. He has a pretty wife and two adorable young children. He’s financially set, has a nice home, and can even afford the most modern equipment for his side passion – photography. Looking at his life you would have to wonder how it could get any better. In “The Big Picture” co-writer and director Eric Lartigau shows us that the perfect life can easily be misleading and the doors that open to a new life can appear unexpectedly.

Duris’ plays Paul Exben and we quickly begin to notice blemishes in his seemingly spotless life. He finds out that his boss and dear family friend is terminally ill and wants him to take over the law firm. Even worse his burned out writer wife Sarah (Marina Foïs) feels smothered by motherhood and she begins to distance herself from Paul and their children. He soon suspects her of having an affair with a jerky photographer named Grégoire (Eric Ruf). Confrontations and eventual violence follows which forces Paul into an unexpected but potentially better new direction. But there are always consequences and Paul finds that the struggle between new life and old can be unbearable.

Duris is a fantastic actor who has shown a wide range throughout his career. Here he gives an emotional but measured performance. His ability to stay within the bounds of director Lartigau’s vision is phenomenal. Lartigau wants us no know the pain and inner conflict Paul is feeling but he never overplays it. Instead of throwing out contrived scenarios to draw out emotion he allows us to step back and watch Paul – to observe his emptiness and solemnity. Duris does the rest, often telling us his character’s feelings through his melancholy eyes or scraggly appearance. Its a brilliant performance that’s essential for making the film work as a whole.

BIG PICTURE

There’s a lot more I’d like to talk about but I won’t in order to avoid spoiling it but let’s just say the movie ends at a very different place than it starts. The film is loosely adapted from the 1997 Douglas Kennedy novel that was set in suburban Connecticut. Here things are moved overseas and the story goes from Paris, France to Montenegro. But the book’s main focus is still intact. It’s still about a struggling man trying to put a proper identity to his life. The French title for the film, “L’Homme qui voulait vivre sa vie”, better captures that. It’s translated “The Man Who Wanted to Live His Life”. But the real drama is found in the conflict.

Paul is given that rare opportunity at a new life. But he’s not a scoundrel. He knows there are consequences and dangers to this new life. There is a cloud of uncertainty and nervousness that hovers over him. There are responsibilities and needs connected to his old life. Paul wrestles with all of this and for me that’s when “The Big Picture” is the most fascinating. Even though things seem to look up and a new page is turned, Paul remains burdened by reality which keeps him from moving on. I’m trying to be very cryptic here and dance around the greater story. But these intriguing themes are the lifeblood of this movie.

“The Big Picture” dabbles is several genres. At different times it feels like a domestic drama, a crime story, or an intense thriller. Lartigau beautifully weaves all of this together and he keeps us glued to the screen with his crisp and fluid pacing. Everything moves and flows nicely right up to the final 10 minutes. The movie takes a jarring turn in what comes across as an abrupt and contrived conclusion. There is still a message to glean from the final moments, but considering how well connected the narrative had been up to that point, the ending did feel strangely out of place. But it doesn’t completely undo the story that “The Big Picture” is telling. It remains a stirring and thought-provoking picture driven by a brilliant performance from Romain Duris. It asks more questions than it answers and allows the audience to wrestle with the rights and wrongs. I like that.

VERDICT – 4 STARS

REVIEW: “Moulin Rouge!”

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MOILIN ROUGE POSTEROn the surface there’s nothing about the 2001 romantic musical “Moulin Rouge!” that would draw me to it. I’m overly picky and less enthusiastic about musicals than any other movie genre. Baz Luhrmann’s schizophrenic style of filmmaking isn’t something I naturally gravitate towards. Also Nicole Kidman is an actress that I appreciate but who has never really blown me away. So I sat out during the movie’s release and eventual Oscar run. “Moulin Rouge!” would go on to earn 8 Oscar nominations including a Best Actress nod for Kidman. It would win two for Costume Design and Art Direction.

It’s been over 10 years since the release of “Moulin Rouge!” and I’ve finally caught up with it. It’s funny, it wasn’t the music or the popularity or the Oscar recognition that finally got me to sit down and give this film a shot. It was my very real and deep-seated affection for the city of Paris. This proves to be fairly misplaced motivation. The beauty and essence of Paris is never explored or injected into the story and my overall “Moulin Rouge!” experience danced between stimulation and tedium.

I won’t deny that “Moulin Rouge!” has its moments. There’s a visual flare that Luhrmann has that’s undeniable. Here he presents a kaleidoscope of hyperactive visual pageantry. The colors and the pizazz leap off the screen as he moves from one shot to the next at break-neck speed. The problem is he milks it for all its worth, especially in the first half of the film. There’s an almost sensory overload as he bombards us with wild, raucous dance sequences, painted faces, and swirling dresses in a relentless parade of musical debauchery that had me ready to leave Montmartre and head to the more pensive and subdued Latin Quarter.

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Yet, just as I was ready to check out, there would be some little nugget that kept me there. Whenever Luhrmann would dial things back the movie would take a better turn and I could latch on. These are the moments where we get into the actual story. It’s set in 1899 Paris. A young writer named Christian (Ewen McGregor) moves to Montmartre with hopes of experiencing the true Bohemian life of the area. Christian is a wide-eyed idealist who has a special boyish obsession with love, something he has never truly experienced before.

Luhrmann instantly begins to lay out his unusual world. His depiction of Bohemian life opens up on a frantic sugar rush. He quickly baptizes Christian into this weird world through a wacky assortment of characters. He runs into an eccentric group of artists and performers who acquire his help in finishing their musical production. Their ultimate goal is to sell their show to Mr. Zidler (Jim Broadbent), the proprietor of the wild and rowdy Moulin Rouge. The biggest attraction of the Moulin Rouge is the beautiful Satine (Nicole Kidman) and Christian is instantly smitten with her. But Zidler has other plans for his most prized property especially after she catches the eye of a wealthy Duke and potential financier (Richard Roxburgh). If Christian is going to win her love he’s going to have to fight for it.

Listening to that setup of the plot you would think there was a pretty strong story in place but it’s actually a bit anemic. There is an interesting romance in there but it ends up being swallowed up by the injections of peculiar song numbers that feel terribly out of place at times. We get big show versions of everything from Madonna’s “Like a Virgin” to Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit”. Clearly these wild song choices worked for many people but for me they got in the way of something much more interesting – the complicated romance between Christian and Satine. Luhrmann does allow the romance more breathing room in the final act but by that time I felt worn down by the relentless pomp and spectacle. Luhrmann hasn’t an ounce of subtlety and here he flexes his hyper-stylized muscle whenever he can.

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Even though the more interesting story is smothered for much of the movie, it still manages to stay interesting thanks to the fantastic performances of the two leads. Ewen McGregor is great and watching his character move from innocent naivity to someone who has the harsh realities of the world revealed to him is great fun. But for me it was Kidman’s performance that not only stole the show but kept the movie going. She was a key reason I wanted to sit through the patented teeth-grinding Luhrmann scenes. Kidman is the one performer who has a lot to do and I found her work to be fascinating. Broadbent was okay but his character was so wacky and it was hard for me to get passed that. John Leguizamo has a fairly nice sized role as Henri Toulouse-Lautrec. Toulouse-Lautrec was a noted French artist but in this film his scenes mirror what I would imagine an acid trip to be like. He’s all over the place and comes off as a clown. Now considering the difficult life Toulouse-Lautrec had, from his childhood struggles to his crippling health problems which resulted in his death at age 36, this portrayal of him could be construed as an insult. Either way it didn’t work for me.

Unfortunately that also sums up my overall reaction to “Moulin Rouge!”. It just didn’t work for me. It’s a shame really because under the heavy coating of Baz Luhrmann’s mind-numbing stylistic excess lies a romantic tale that actually has heart. It’s a romance that’s made all the more interesting by two deeply commited lead performances. But sadly that doesn’t erase the countless times I was rolling my eyes or checking the time. I know “Moulin Rouge!” has a following and if you can connect to this type of schizophrenic storytelling you’ll probably find a lot to like here. But for me it was a case of too much visual insanity, too many poor choices for songs, and not enough of the central romance. That’s enough to keep “Moulin Rouge!” off my rewatch list for quite some time.

VERDICT – 2 STARS

REVIEW: “Fast and Furious 6”

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FAST 6 poster

I’ve tried on a few occasions to watch the earlier movies in the Fast and Furious franchise but I could never get into it. The whole underground street racing scene has never appealed to me and the barrage of Skittles colored cars and bikini-clad women gyrating in slow motion got old quick. Now clearly the series has an ardent following as evident by the four total movies that fit this description. I just couldn’t count myself among them.

But in 2011 the series took a sharp turn in the right direction with the release of “Fast Five”. Gone were the street car racing raves and gratuitous skin shots (with the exception of one obligatory homage of sorts). Instead director Justin Lin and writer Chris Morgan made the film into a full-blown old school action picture only with vehicles as the main weapon of choice. It was a great move and I had a ton of fun with it.

So that brings us to “Fast and Furious 6” (yes, there have actually been six of these films). Lin And Morgan return as does franchise stalwarts Vin Diesel and Paul Walker. After making his franchise debut last time, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson returns as do many other faces that franchise faithfuls are sure to recognize. The good news is “Fast and Furious 6” sticks to the same formula as the last picture. It’s loud, preposterous, and seemingly custom made for the summer popcorn season. I don’t think it’s as good as “Fast Five”, but it’s still a fuel-injected good time.

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Once again an international location is chosen and our cast is thrown in it. Last time it was Rio. This time it’s London, England. Dom Toretto (Diesel) and Brian O’Conner (Walker) are still wanted men. They’ve both settled down in the Canary Islands with hopes of putting their former lives behind them. But that quickly changes when DSS agent Luke Hobbs (Johnson) appears at Dom’s doorstep with news that an old acquaintance has appeared and is working for a powerful ex-military criminal named Owen Shaw (Luke Evans). Dom is persuaded to get his team back together and help Hobbs stop Shaw and find out about this mysterious person from his past.

There are several things about this film that are a given. Diesel grinds up his handful of lines in his familiar deep and gravelly voice. The Rock is given an endless supply of hammy tough guy one-liners and corny testosterone-laced analogies. And Paul Walker still has that sheepish and boyish vibe going. The rest of Dom’s crew aren’t asked to do any heavy lifting and that’s a good thing. Neither Sung Kang or Chris “Ludacris” Bridges are particularly good actors and Tyrese Gibson’s comic act grew old quick. But none of these performances are why people will go to see this film.

But I do want to talk about the two newcomers to the Fast and Furious world. I’ve just recently noticed him but I quite like Luke Evans. He gives a rock solid performance here as the main baddie. While his character is really nothing more than a thief and his overall motivations are shallow, Evans brings a pretty menacing quality to the role. And then there’s Gina Carano. Can I just go ahead and say I LOVE Gina Carano? Once again she’s tough as nails and she holds her own among the macho types. Just like Steven Soderbergh in the movie “Haywire”, director Justin Lin keeps her within her comfort zone and never stretches her beyond her bounds. She’s one of the high points for me and she gets her scenes to shine.

Fast 6 1

But enough about the acting. “Fast and Furious 6” is a straightforward action picture built upon some ludicrous yet spectacular set pieces and more flipping, jumping, and crashing of cars than you can count. The movie aims to be even more outlandish than the previous film and it succeeds. But it still keeps you glued to the screen as the vehicular mayhem amps up with each big sequence. Sure it’s sometimes dumb and always over the top. Some of the dialogue is high-end cheese at its finest and the jokes often fall flat. But it still delivers the pedal to the metal, “ride or die” adrenaline rush that has made it such a guilty pleasure.

I still say this film isn’t as fluid or as polished (if you can call any of these movies polished) as “Fast Five”. But I appreciate that the movie never pretends to be anything other than what it is. The filmmakers know the type of movie they’re making and there is no pretension or artifice at all. That’s key for the audience as well. If you know what kind of movie this is, you’ll know what to expect. Don’t think you’re getting a film with deeper, thought-provoking themes and top-tier performances. Understand that this film and this series is all about the wild ride and if you’re willing to get into the car, you’re going to have a good time.

VERDICT – 3.5 STARS

5 Phenomenally Heartbreaking Movie Set Tragedies

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A lot of my Phenomenal 5 lists have been fun, playful, or downright silly. Others have focused on actors, actresses, or different movie years. This week I’m taking a more somber tone and looking at some of the saddest moments in filmmaking. So much time and effort are put into making the movies that we watch and talk about. Unfortunately there have been instances of real life tragedy that makes us wonder if it’s all worth it. The five tragedies caught headlines and changed lives. Unfortunately there were several of these to pick from so I won’t say this is the definitive list. But the sad reality of these 5 movie set tragedies is most certainly heartbreaking.

#5 – “DELTA FORCE 2”

Delta Force 2

I liked the original “Delta Force” movie with Chuck Norris and Lee Marvin. But as was the case with many films in the era, there just had to be a sequel. “Delta Force 2” had some pretty good action scenes but overall it wasn’t a good movie. During filming in the Philipines there was a horrible helicopter crash that took the lives of four crew members and the pilot. Sadly, the crew was only a few days away from wrapping up shooting. The crew was set to do some filming when eyewitnesses said the chopper veered left before crashing into a ravine. It’s said shots of the helicopter was used in the film. To add another layer of tragic mystique to the story, this was the second Chuck Norris movie that experienced a fatal helicopter crash in the Philipines.

#4 – “TOP GUN”

Top gunOne of the signature movies of the 1980’s was Tony Scott’s “Top Gun”. It was all the buzz and it put Tom Cruise on the bedrrom walls of teenaged girls everywhere. But the movie was also scarred by a tragic accident during the filming of one of the many air combat scenes. Art Scholl, one of the most renowned aerobatics pilots of the time, was killed after putting his plane in a flat spin for one of the movie’s key scenes. While getting some camera shots himself, Scholl would radio in that he had a serious problem. He was unable to recover and his plane crashed into the Pacific Ocean. Neither Scholl or the plane was ever recovered leaving the full cause of the accident still in question. It was such a tragedy and the finished “Top Gun” movie was dedicated to Art Scholl.

#3 – “THE CONQUEROR”

ConquerorRegarded as a huge flop, “The Conqueror” remains a shining example of what not to do when making a film. It starts with the terrible casting decisions most notably John Wayne as Genghis Kahn. But the film would be remembered for something far more tragic. “The Conqueror” was filmed around St. George, Utah less than 150 miles from a government nuclear test site in Nevada. For weeks the cast and crew worked within the vicinity of the tests. It wasn’t until later that the effects of the tests would be revealed. Despite the government’s assurance, 91 cast and crew members died from cancers that are believed to have resulted from nuclear fallout. All of the main cast including John Wayne, Susan Hayward, Agnes Moorehead, Pedro Armendariz, and John Hoyt were cancer casualties as was director Dick Powell.

#2 – “THE CROW”

CrowBruce Lee was an amazing martial artist and action movie star. Sadly his life ended early on a movie set. Years later his son Brandon Lee, also an accomplished martial artist, found a place in the action pictures of the late 80’s and early 90’s. His most popular film was “The Crow” from 1993. It would turn out to be his last movie. With only eight days of filming left Brandon Lee was killed when a gun prop fired a live round. The accident occurred during an action scene involving a shootout. A lodged live round was mistakenly fired which struck Lee in the abdomen. He would die a short time later after the bullet lodged in his spine. Many called the accident a Lee family “curse”. I think it’s simply a horrible tragedy that took the life of a great up and coming action star.

#1 – “TWILIGHT ZONE: THE MOVIE”

TWILIGHTIn 1983 Steven Spielberg and John Landis co-produced “Twilight Zone: The Movie”, a collection of four shorts bookended by a prologue and epilogue. It was based on the classic TV show and I remember seeing it in the theater. But the movie was forever scarred by a gruesome and horrific accident that took place on the set. In a segment about a racist who ends up in the shoes of the different groups he hates, the great actor Vic Morrow and two young children were tragically killed in a scene where they were fleeing from a helicopter. Pyrotechnics caused the pilot to lose control of the low-flying chopper and it crashed on Morrow and the two children he was carrying. Both Morrow and one of the children were decapitated while the other was crushed. Scandal followed after it was learned the use of the two children broke numerous rules including several of California’s child labor laws. Landis never took any kind of responsibility for the accident which forever soiled his relationship with Spielberg. Most importantly is that three people lost their lives in a heartbreaking tragedy that probably could have been avoided.

There are 5 heartbreaking movie set tragedies that will forever be linked to their movies. What are your thoughts on these sad moments in moviemaking history? What are some others that come to mind? Please take time to share your thoughts below.

Your Voices: On Keith & the Movies

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Your Voices

Possibly the coolest thing about doing this site is the thought that people may actually enjoy reading what I write. Obviously that isn’t the driving force behind writing but in terms of movie blogging it does make a difference to me. That’s why every comment, every visit, and every ‘like’ brings a smile to my face. It’s very satisfying and in a way it’s an encouragement to keep on. So in other words, I really appreciate all of the contributions that so many of you have made either by commenting, visiting, or just reading my content. Thank you.

But today I’m starting something called Your Voices which asks you to contribute in a slightly different way. I’m always interested in what people have to say so I thought it would be cool to hear from you about Keith & the Movies. I want to hear your opinions on the site and the content. I don’t want this to be about self-aggrandizement (okay maybe a little). Instead I thought it would be cool to see what people enjoy the most when it comes to the content I put out . I want to see what’s working and what isn’t.

So the first Your Voices post goes like this: I’ll throw something out to you and you respond in the comments section. Here we go!

Place these 6 Keith & the Movies features in order from your favorite to your least favorite. Also throw in a what thoughts you may have.

KMKM The Movie Reviews
 The Phenomenal 5
Classic Movie Spotlight
 The Public Movie Defender
Keith & the Movies Valhalla
 K & M Commentary

I hope you’ll take time to rank these features and share a few comments about them. I can’t wait to learn what’s working and what you all like the most! This will also let me know some things I can fine tune to make this site better and more fun for everyone. Thanks again!

THE END