Author Archives: Keith Garlington

“ARGO” and the Oscars

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There’s a very interesting thing happening this awards season. The believed to be front-runner for Oscar’s biggest award, Steven Spielberg’s “Lincoln”, finds itself in the dust of the surprising “Argo”, Ben Affleck’s Iran hostage thriller. I loved “Argo” as did many others and I have no problem with its award season success, but very few people saw this one coming. Sunday night it took home the biggest prize at the Screen Actors Guild Awards to go along with the top prize it won at The Golden Globes. So now all eyes are on The Academy Awards. But for “Argo” to pull one final rabbit out of its hat it’s going to have to buck a pretty established trend.

In what I believe are two of the most inexplicable snubs in Oscar history, the Academy failed to give director nominations to either Affleck for “Argo” or Kathryn Bigelow for “Zero Dark Thirty”. Bigelow has won several recent awards including the Best Director nod from the New York Film Critics. But it’s “Argo” that’s really running wild and it’s “Argo” that could be the fly in the Academy’s soup. You see the winner of the Best Director Oscar is almost always a sign of who will win Best Picture. It’s extremely, extremely rare for a Best Picture winner to not also take home the Best Director Oscar. So what is the Academy to do? This spotlights their blatant snubs even more and with them comes real questions of motivation.

Could it be the Academy is punishing Bigelow and Affleck for the perceived politics behind their films? Now I think anyone watching these two fantastic movies with an ounce of objectivity has to conclude that both are simply telling stories and not trying to make a huge political point. Perhaps that’s why I loved them so much. I get tired of being force-fed political perspective at the expense of good storytelling. Both of these movies are set in politically charged climates yet both Affleck and Bigelow allow the audience to process the politics. In fact, for me both pictures go beyond politics and into much deeper and more personal areas – something I can really appreciate.

So what else could the Academy’s beef be with Affleck and Bigelow? Both have created strong and challenging movies that certainly deserve to be nominated. Could it be that the Academy is unhappy with Affleck and Bigelow’s failure to use their opportunity to put a hard political slant on their films? Are they angry because they see the two films as leaning too much to the political right? Whatever the inexcusable reasoning is behind it the Academy has dropped the ball and now “Argo” is bringing it all into the light. I love it!

5 PHENOMENAL FRENCH LANGUAGE FILMS

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Years ago as I began to grow as a movie fan I opened myself up to foreign cinema. I can’t express how thankful I am for that decision. And while I still don’t see as many foreign language films as I should, over the years foreign cinema has introduced me to some truly great movies. From the far east to the middle east, from South America to Central Europe, there are wonderful filmmakers making movies all over the globe. While I’ve dipped my toes into the films of many different countries, I’ve found French cinema to be one of my favorites. So I thought it would be fun to look at five phenomenal French language films. This is the first Phenomenal 5 dedicated to foreign cinema but it won’t be the last. Now there are many French films that I haven’t seen so it would be silly to call this the definitive list. But there is no denying that these five French movies are nothing short of phenomenal.

MON ONCLE#5 – “MON ONCLE” – Jacques Tati only made six feature-length movies but that’s all it took to establish him as a fantastic filmmaker. “Mon Oncle” is the consummation of Tati’s many talents all wrapped into one delightful creation. The film features Tati’s signature style of visual storytelling and comedy as well as his familiar critiques of materialism, consumerism, and social elitism. But at its heart is a very funny story featuring one of the most lovable characters you’ll find – socially awkward but certainly lovable. Monsieur Hulot’s sweet and friendly demeanor is infectious and he’s always content regardless of his state. But perhaps my favorite thing about this film is the incredible sense of community that Tati is able to capture. Hulot’s working class neighborhood is filled with life, energy, and an assortment of entertaining characters. Those things also perfectly describe “Mon Oncle”.

#4 – “BREATHLESS”BREATHLESS – Acclaimed director Jean-Luc Godard’s first feature-length film was “Breathless” from 1960. Long considered one of the signature movies from the French New Wave, “Breathless” remains to this day a highly influential film. In the movie Godard went to great lengths to buck the traditional trends in filmmaking by using several innovative visual techniques now forever associated with the French New Wave. But “Breathless” isn’t all about style. There’s also a very good story born out of the social climate of 1960 Paris. At first I had a tough time gathering my thoughts on the movie. But after processing the film and looking closer at the story, it has become a true favorite of mine. Jean-Paul Belmondo and the lovely Jean Seberg are fantastic and Godard gives us some of the best street views of Paris. Groundbreaking and highly entertaining.

MR HULOT#3 – “MR. HULOT’S HOLIDAY – I really want there to be variety in every Phenomenal 5 I do, but for this list I couldn’t leave off either if these two Jacques Tati classics, the aforementioned “Mon Oncle” and “Mr. Hulot’s Holiday”. “Mr. Hulot’s Holiday” is my favorite Tati film and one of my favorite comedies of all time. Every ounce of Tati’s creative genius is on display in this film. As a director he has an incredible eye for structuring each scene and capturing each moment. In front of the camera as Mr. Hulot he brings out the comic brilliance of legends such as Keaton, Chaplin, and Lloyd. “Mr. Hulot’s Holiday” is a very visual comedy with a heavy emphasis on sight gags and perfectly timed humor. There are so many great laughs in this simple but hilarious picture and it’s a profound example of how true comedy can be done without the gimmicks and clichés we often see today.

#2 – “AMELIE”AMELIE – One of the most delightful French films I have ever scene is “Amelie” and delightful is the perfect word for it. It’s the story of a shy and reserved waitress and all of the quirky individuals that make up her everyday life. She’s a lonely soul who tries to overcome it through her playful imagination. The perfectly cast Audrey Tautou is magnificent as Amelie who lives her life in beautifully filmed Montmartre. But there’s also the wonderful assortment of side characters that give this film such life. There’s the mysterious painter neighbor, her wacky cafe coworkers and regular customers, the mean jerk of a grocer. I can go on and on but regardless of who they are, Amelie has a positive impact on their lives. There is so much charm mixed with laugh-out-loud hilarity that permeates this entire picture. Gorgeous cinematography, brilliant writing, and pitch-perfect performances. “Amelie” is a joy.

The 400 Blows (1959)#1 – “THE 400 BLOWS” – Much like “Breathless”, Francois Truffaut’s “The 400 Blows” was a pivotal film in the French New Wave. It’s arguably the most powerful movie about adolescence and it’s an intensely personal film for the acclaimed director. Based on Truffaut’s own childhood, “The 400 Blows” looks at the life of young Antoine in early 1950’s Paris. He’s viewed as a troublemaker by the adults in his life and he finds the streets to be his only refuge. There are several stinging and uncomfortable scenes but all of them lead to the final shot which is one of the most potent in film history. There is such feeling and emotional pop throughout as we see this challenging and often times difficult world through young Antoine’s eyes. There’s also an undeniable technique and style behind the movie’s visual presentation. It’s an amazing expression of Truffaut’s vision and when combined with the brilliant screenplay the result is a glorious piece of cinema history.

So there are my five picks for the most phenomenal films in French cinema. Agree or disagree – please leave you thoughts below. Also be watching throughout the next several days as I review several of these and other French films on the site.

REVIEW: “Girl on the Bridge” (1999)

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GIRL ON A BRIDGE PosterGabor is a sideshow knife thrower who finds his female assistants on the bridges of Paris. These women aren’t crossing these bridges mind you. No, these women are attempting to end their lives by jumping into the Seine River. Gabor (wonderfully played by Daniel Auteuil) entices them with an unusual offer – join his traveling show as the target girl. If his knives miss them they earn 25% of the profits. If he hits them the girls still get their death wish, just in a more interesting and adventurous way. Now Gabor is no slouch. In fact, he’s an amazing knife thrower. But we learn that he has reached that age where the aim starts to go and his confidence has taken a hit. That’s when he comes across Adèle, a young lady ready to take that ill-fated plunge into the river.

French singer, actress, and ex-Johnny Depp flame Vanessa Paradis plays Adèle, an attractive young woman who finds herself at the end of her rope. We learn in a brilliant but somewhat disconnected opening sequence that Adèle has lost all self-confidence and her entire life has consisted of one failed relationship after another. She has a penchant for jumping headfirst into the lap of any guy who gives her a smile and this misguided search for happiness has left her with no hope. That is until she meets Gabor. He convinces her to join him and the two set out for a series of shows starting in the French Riviera.

The shows go extremely well and Gabor feels as if he’s found his lucky charm. Adèle eventually begins to believe her luck has changed as well and for the first time in her life she feels she’s on the right track. There is an unusual bond that forms between them that can at times be sensual but also telepathic. There is one scene where Gabor seems to be guiding her hand as she plays the roulette wheel. The interesting thing is he is in a different room. We also see them able to converse even when they are miles apart. But director Patrice Leconte never lets us get too comfortable with that conclusion. There are some scenes that draw into question what we are seeing. That hint of doubt and skepticism gives the story an interesting kick.

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But the real magic of this picture lies in the unusual relationship between these two lost souls. Auteuil and Paradis are fantastic and they sell these two characters beautifully. And let’s face it, it’s not often that we get stories about the sideshow knife throwing scene. But that scene seems a perfect fit for these two. The danger and flirtation with disaster we see in their death-defying act mirrors their mentalities towards life. It seems neither feel comfortable with happiness and both find themselves going back to the same attitudes and poor decisions that has plagued their lives. Leconte plays with these dynamics and manages to inject some humor into them as well. The results are sometimes offbeat and other times quite moving.

“Girl on the Bridge” isn’t just a unique story. It also has a unique visual style. It’s filmed in sharp black and white and the decision to do so was a good one. It served well in capturing the uniqueness that permeates all aspects of this picture. And this is a unique film, but it’s also a very well-written and well conceived picture with a lot of heart simmering under the surface. It does keep you at arm’s-length for a while but everything comes together nicely all the way up to the perfect ending. There are a few minor issues with tone and cohesion, but this is still a very good example of the quality that comes from French cinema. It may not be for everyone but it certainly worked for me.

VERDICT – 4 STARS

“Bridesmaids” – 2.5 Stars

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I’m one of the few movie fans who just doesn’t appreciate Judd Apatow’s special brand of humor. In fact I often will skip a movie just for seeing his name attached to it. I would have done the same with “Bridesmaids” if not for the Academy Award nominations and critical buzz it received. Unfortunately it doesn’t take the movie long to latch itself to the other Judd Apatow productions. Yet underneath the veneer of fart jokes, toilet humor, and raunch lies a movie with some heart and some genuinely funny moments, a movie that could have stood on its own and done without the other junk that Apatow seems compelled to put into his pictures.

After seeing the trailer my first impression of “Bridesmaids” was that it was “The Hangover” starring women. That was enough to turn me off. But from a story perspective it’s quite different. It’s actually a movie about Annie (Kristen Wiig), a disillusioned thirtysomething living in Wisconsin whose had a run of bad luck. She recently had to shut down her bakery, she has no money, and she’s forced to share an apartment with a loopy British guy and his freeloading sister. She hates her new job at a small jewelry store and her personal life is equally in shambles. Her boyfriend left her and she’s currently in a one-sided go-nowhere relationship with the insufferable and self-centered jerk Ted (Jon Hamm). It’s a good life, right?

Despite all her troubles at least Annie has her best friend Lillian (Maya Rudolph). That is until Lillian reveals that she is engaged to be married to a loaded Chicago bigwig. Annie is asked to be the maid of honor and to plan the wedding with the help of Lillian’s quirky group of bridesmaids. Among those bridesmaids is the wealthy, prim and proper Helen (Rose Byrne) who doesn’t mind throwing around her money and connections. Soon Annie and Helen find themselves in a serious competition to be the true BFF of the bride. Melissa McCarthy plays Lillian’s crude and sometimes obnoxious sister-in-law who doesn’t quite fit in with the rest of the bridesmaids. McCarthy received an Oscar nomination for the role. But even though she provides some laughs with her raunchy female John Candy routine, its just a variation of a role we’ve seen many times before.

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Annie and Helen’s rivalry heats up and eventually boils over. Annie’s desperate attempts to one-up Helen ends up causing a series of mishaps that not only threatens the wedding but her friendship with Lillian. While the whole wedding thing is a key component to the story, it’s really a movie about Annie and her decision to face the changes in her life. It’s about not letting life’s changes grind you down. Instead you move on. You turn the page. This isn’t easy for Annie because the movie really piles it on her. I mean you name the tough situation or bad break and Annie gets it. But life throws her a lifeline in the form of Nathan (Chris O’Dowd), a friendly highway patrol officer. The question is, will Annie ever reach out and grab the line?

As I mentioned, there’s really is a lot of heart in the story and Annie’s plight is certainly a sympathetic one. It’s also easy to care for her thanks to Wiig’s wonderful performance. I also really enjoyed Maya Rudolph as Lillian. She and Wiig play off of each other beautifully and the movie was at its best when these two were on the screen together. But when it gets down to it, this is a comedy and “Bridesmaids” has some truly hilarious moments. The script has moments of comedic brilliance that results in some of the funniest scenes I’ve watched in a long time. But this also gets to the film’s big weakness which I alluded to earlier.

It’s the raunchiness and cheap toilet humor that drags the movie down (something that seems to be mandatory for every Apatow production). These unnecessary moments yanked me out of the story and undermined a lot of the more clever and intelligent humor that the movie uses. You could cut out the raunch, including a lot from McCarthy’s character, and the movie would be better for it. Then you have scenes such as when the ladies are trying on gowns at a high-end bridal shop and then begin feeling the effects of food poisoning. The gross-out bathroom humor is lazy and ridiculous and seems terribly out of place. I swear I felt I was suddenly watching a cheap National Lampoon’s flick. Sadly, these are the things that keep “Bridesmaids” from being an even better film than it is. Yet despite these shortcomings there are moments that are incredibly funny and even heartwarming. You just have to weed out the other Apatow influences to enjoy them.

REVIEW: “Mama”

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If there’s one thing that modern horror movies love to use it’s creepy little girls and we get a big dose of them in “Mama”, the new horror picture from executive producer Guillermo del Toro and first time director Andres Muschietti. “Mama” steers clear of the cheap and often used blood and gore and instead goes the eerie ghost story route. But while it may stay away from one set of conventional, hackneyed horror movie gimmicks it fully embraces others. But that’s okay. There’s enough here to make “Mama” feel fresh. More importantly, it has it’s fair share of creepy moments.

Jessica Chastain gets her first movie of 2013 under her belt by playing a role that shows her incredible and impressive range. Here she dons a short black wig and fake tattoos to play Annabel, the bass player in a punk rock garage band. No, I’m serious! Her boyfriend Lucas (Nicolaj Coster-Waldau) has exhausted his resources in a 5-year search for his twin brother and two young nieces. His brother snapped, killed several co-workers and his estranged wife, then disappeared with the girls. We learn all of this in the opening sequence and it’s pretty effective table setting.

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Lucas’ final search team stumbles across the wrecked car of his brother which leads to an old abandoned cabin. Inside they find Victoria and her younger sister Lilly. The two are nothing more than wild animals. They immediately go under the care of Dr. Dreyfuss (Daniel Kash) who is able to make progress with Victoria through the small bit of English she remembers. He ends up sending them home with Annabel and Lucas with hopes that the familiarity and love will help their progress. I shouldn’t need to tell you that something else comes home with them, something the girls simply refer to as “Mama”.

Now it won’t take you long to notice almost every familiar ghost story gimmick. There are flickering lights, mysterious slamming doors, eerie voices, terrifying dreams, loud bursts of music, and even a spooky closet and a “what’s under my bed?” scene. And of course horror movies can’t feature smart characters. Everybody does some pretty dumb yet standard stuff. I mean at what point do these people finally realize that walking towards the creepy screams, moans, and gurgling sounds IS NOT A GOOD IDEA!

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But let’s be honest, these things are a given when it comes to modern horror pictures so you have to accept it. And despite these predictable devices, “Mama” still manages to deliver a ghostly good time. Like any good PG-13 horror flick, the scares in “Mama” generate in your head with director Muschietti often using what the audience doesn’t see. He works heavily in mood and tone and his skillful use of sound is one of his key instruments. But he also has a keen eye for visuals and I noticed several classic techniques taken from Hitchcock and other accomplished directors. All of this makes the movie a little unnerving when it needs to be and creepy throughout. It’s never ‘jump out of your seat’ scary but it doesn’t need to be.

Then there’s the way the story plays with the deep love of a mother for their child. Two opposite approaches to this collide head-on. I won’t go into spoiler territory but I found it to be pretty clever. In fact “Mama” as a whole is pretty clever. Yes, horror movie cliches abound and the ending may leave you scratching your head, but this is still a satisfying endeavor filled with strong performances and made by a director who knows what he’s doing. This may not break new ground or take the genre in new directions, but it’s a lot of fun and ultimately satisfying. That’s how movies should be.

VERDICT – 3.5 STARS

10 MOST ANTICIPATED FILMS of 2013

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I had a lot of fun going back and revisiting my most anticipated movies of 2012 list from last January. It was interesting to see which films lived up to my expectations, which movies fell short, and which ones made it into consideration for my Best of 2012 list. I am proud to say that several of the movies really impressed, but unfortunately a couple of them disappointed and one was pushed back to a 2013 release date. But that was 2012. This is a new year and that means a new list. So enough horseplay, right? Without further ado here are my most anticipated films of 2013. Like last year, some on this list have legitimate question marks. But like last year, all on this list really intrigue me.

#10 – “EVIL DEAD” The original “Evil Dead” remains one of my favorite horror movies of all time so normally I would be very sceptical of a new remake. But optimism quickly replaced scepticism just by seeing Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell heavily involved. The pair were the forces behind the original film and if you’ve seen the released red band trailer, you can see their fingerprints all over this picture. It looks gory and gruesome but it also looks potentially frightening and that’s something that we rarely get with the modern horror movies of today. This thing could tank. But it could also be old school horror in its glory.

WOLF#9 – “THE WOLF OF WALL STREET” Whenever Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio team up the results are usually pretty terrific. This new collaboration sees Leo playing a stockbroker surrounded by Wall Street corruption and mob influences. The film also features a great supporting cast featuring Matthew McConaughey and last year’s Best Actor Oscar winner Jean Dujardin. On the flipside it also features Jonah Hill, something that is a cause for concern. Nevertheless Scorsese is an amazing filmmaker whose credentials prove him to be a master of his craft.

#8 – “WORLD WAR Z” I swear 2013 looks like it’s going to be a big, big year for science fiction. The first sci-fi movie on this list mixes in a dab of horror. It is “World War Z”, a post-apocalyptic zombie outbreak picture starring Brad Pitt. Now I can see where some people may be experiencing zombie fatigue but not me. This movie sounded like a lot of fun and that was before I saw the trailer. Now I’m thoroughly pumped for it. Of course there is the risk of this turning out to be another catastrophic zombie movie. But I’m really thinking that this could be something special. Don’t believe me? Just check out the trailer then mark June 21st on your calendar.

THOR#7 – “THOR: THE DARK WORLD” The first Thor movie was one of the bigger surprises in Marvel’s cinematic universe. It had the potential to be really good or a real cheesefest. Marvel handled it perfectly resulting in an exciting and often funny superhero romp. Now it’s time for the sequel and just like with all of this wave of Marvel films it ties into the larger movie universe. Chris Hemsworth and Natalie Portman both return but more exciting is the return of the wonderful Tom Hiddleston as Loki. He alone is worth the price for the ticket. I am a little cautious with this one but I have faith in the creative minds at Marvel.

#6 – “INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS” There’s not a lot of information out there about “Inside Llewyn Davis”. So why on earth is it even on my most anticipated list? Simple. It’s written and directed by my favorite filmmakers Joel and Ethen Coen. The brothers have been known for dipping their toes in just about every genre. This film is about the 1960’s New York folk music scene. Sounds pretty drab doesn’t it? Well not in the hands of the Coen’s. Their cleverness and creativity always interests me and I can’t wait to see what they have in store for us. It’ll be smart, witty, and undeniably unique. Add the interesting leads of Oscar Isaac and Carey Mulligan and this could be a real treat.

superman_#5 – “MAN OF STEEL” I really want there to be a strong Superman franchise. There’s lots of things “Superman Returns” did right but it couldn’t overcome director Bryan Singer’s creative liberties. Now we get another reboot but this time there’s a lot of promise. Christopher Nolan and David Goyer, the creative geniuses behind The Dark Knight trilogy, are heavily involved in this production which really excites me. The fact that Zack Snyder is directing worries me some. But listen to this supporting cast: Amy Adams, Kevin Costner, Russell Crowe, Michael Shannon, and Diane Lane. Yep, I’m all over this one and my fingers are crossed.

#4 – “TO THE WONDER” Terrence Malick doesn’t make a lot of movies but when he does they’re attention getters. Now, out of the blue, we are getting two films out of him in a three year span. His last film “The Tree of Life” was my favorite movie on 2011 so naturally I would be interested in this one. I am a sucker for Malick’s style and even when he may miss the mark slightly I am consumed by his presentation. This looks like another Malick gem this time starring Ben Affleck, Rachel McAdams, and Javier Bardem. This could be really good and I can’t wait for it to hit theaters.

OBLIVION SMALL#3 – “OBLIVION” Yep, another science fiction movie makes my list but this one intrigues me most of all. Tom Cruise stars as a drone repairman who works high above the war torn remains of Earth. He ends up accidentally setting off a series of events that brings with them shocking revelations. That’s really all I know. But I can say the recently released trailer really grabbed me. The cool premise and amazing visuals has the sci-fi part of me drooling. Many of the details about “Oblivion” have been intentionally hidden. But the studio is “excited” about the project. So am I.

#2 – “IRON MAN 3” I remember when I first heard that Robert Downey, Jr. had been cast to play Iron Man. I thought Marvel Studios had lost their collective minds. Now can you imagine anyone else playing him? I love what Downey, Jr. does with his Tony Stark character both in “The Avengers” and the previous two Iron Man pictures. “Iron Man 2” wasn’t as good as the first film but even it had its moments of pure fanboy brilliance. Now he’s back and what a cast he has along with him. Paltrow and Cheadle are back. But new are Guy Pearce, Rebecca Hall, and Ben Kingsley. This will be a big film and needless to say I’m all over this one!

MUD#1 – “MUD” At only 34 years of age, Jeff Nichols has become one of the most intriguing directors working today. He only has two films under his belt but both demonstrated his amazing style of Southern storytelling. “Shotgun Stories” was great and his second film “Take Shelter” was one of the best of 2011. “Mud” takes him back to the deep south. Its been called a modern-day Huckleberry Finn and stars Matthew McConaughey. Nichols is a fellow Arkansas guy and the way he captures the rural southern landscapes is unlike any other. “Mud” did well at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival and it’s my clear #1 movie to see in 2013.

So how about you? What are some of your most eagerly anticipated films of 2013. Here’s hoping we have a lot of good things to talk about doing the upcoming movie season!