19 August 2007, early evening
The last time I watched a film in the cinema by myself, I was waiting for some friends downtown, and decided to kill the time by watching Go. I must have been in OAC at the time. That’s a damn long time ago. Today, on my day alone, I decided to watch Sunshine. Sunshine is a beautiful film. I can’t recall the last time I found a movies special effects so captivating. It doesn’t hurt that there is a whole more more to the film than its FX budget. The movie is the latest film by Danny Boyle, the man behind Trainspotting, 28 Days Later, and Shallow Grave. The premise is simple: the sun is dying, and a small ship has been sent off into space to re-ignite it. The film isn’t campy sci-fi: it’s a thrilling-ass thriller. My heart is still beating fast. Once the film really gets going it moves at such a fast pace. The ending is incredible. I’ve been told the film has got mixed reviews, but I can’t imagine why. The acting is solid, as is the plot. It’s a very exciting film. And, as I mentioned, it’s really stunning to watch. I can’t recommend this film enough.
The official Sunshine web site.
[4] Movies
18 August 2007, late evening
A bunch of us went and saw Superbad today. The film was kick-ass. It’s about a trio of high school boys trying to pick up booze and make it to a party, all in the hopes of laying the mack down on their respective love interests. Of course, it’s a lot more involved than that. It’s pretty damn funny. All the leads do a great job. You need to watch this movie.
Update 2016-08-04: I watched the film again last night with Shima. How had she never seen this movie? Like a fine wine, Superbad has aged well.
[1] Movies
27 July 2007, mid-morning
I knew I had to watch Once Upon a Time in the West after seeing a short clip of it set to song My Body is a Cage by the Arcade Fire. The clip is really well done, but is essentially a four minute long spoiler for the movie. That sucked, but I’m of the opinion that if the only worthwhile thing about a movie is a twist at the end, it’s not a particularly good movie. (Obviously it’s always nice to be surprised, but a movie should be more than its last 5 minutes.)
Once Upon a Time in the West is a film by Sergio Leone, who is probably the most famous director of Spaghetti Westerns. He gained fame for his “man with no name” trilogy of: A Fist Full of Dollars, For A Few Dollars More, and The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly. Once Upon a Time in the West was the film he made following this trilogy. It is an incredible film. A lot of people are of the opinion it’s his best film. It’s certainly one of the most beautiful films I’ve seen. The cinematography is amazing. Leone has a very interesting style, using very tight head shots or very long shots for much of the film. The music is sparse and simple, but key points in the film are heightened by the sudden appearance of a more exciting score. The film stars Charles Bronson and Henry Fonda. Fonda, famous for playing good guys, was cast as the villain. (Apparently for audiences of the day, the initial shot where this is revealed would have been quite shocking.) Bronson is a man with no name chasing him down, for reasons that aren’t clear till the final moments of the film. (This is what is ruined by the Arcade Fire clip.) Claudia Cardinale plays the leading lady of the film, and she is smoking hot. Meow. Jason Robards rounds out the cast as the bandit with a heart of gold, who befriends Cadinale and Bronson. Once Upon a Time in the West is a slow and thoughtful film. It is almost 3 hours in length. The pacing is perfect. I could keep going on about how awesome the film is, but i’ll stop now. Suffice it to say I think you should watch it.
Movies
23 July 2007, late evening
Shima finally watched Requiem For a Dream. I’m not sure if she’s regretting watching it now. It’s a hard movie to forget. It’s easily the best film on addiction out there, and one of the bleakest movies I’ve ever seen. (And I’m all about bleak and depressing films, so that really does mean something.) The film stars Ellen Burstyn, Jared Leto, Jennifer Connolly, and Marlon Wayans. They all do stellar jobs — Wayans included. The plot traces the downward spiral their lives take over the course of a year as they each succumb to their vices. It’s good. I think everyone should watch this film once. You’ll never ever want to do heroin, I guarantee it. I’m not completely sure why I own the film. I’ve seen it way more times then is probably healthy.
The official Requiem For A Dream web site.
[6] Movies
11 July 2007, early morning
I watched Transformers: The Movie again with Steph last night. The 1986 cartoon really does smoke the new live-action movie. The dialog and plot are much better, and the characters all have much more depth to them. This children’s cartoon had more drama and tension then the new film could muster over the course of two very long hours. There are so many memorable moments in the movie, and so many great lines of dialog.There are a lot of great voice actors featured in the film, including many celebrities. Robert Stack plays Ultra Magnus, Leonard Nimoy is Galvatron, and 80s bad boy Judd Nelson plays Hot Rod. The film is also Orson Welles last movie. Orson Fucking Welles! The cartoon is firmly rooted in the 80s, due to its (kick-ass) soundtrack. If you haven’t seen Transformers: The Movie, you really should.
The official Transformers: The Movie web site.
Movies
9 July 2007, early morning
I watched Transformers over the weekend. It confirmed what I already knew in my heart: that there can be only one true Transformers movie, and that film was made in 1986. Michael Bay’s take on Transformers isn’t total crap, which I guess counts for something. The movie stays more or less true to the original source, in that there are giant transforming robots from outer space who have taken their fight to earth. I wasn’t too bothered by the fact there were no Energon Cubes or that Starscream didn’t sound like Cobra Commander — (RIP); I was willing to look past all that if the film was good — but it wasn’t. Transformers looks and feels like every other Michael Bay film: there are lots of great special effects and wicked explosions, but beyond that there is very little whatsoever to the film. Unlike the cartoons and movies, you don’t really develop any sort of affinity for the robots featured. The Decepitcons have almost no lines, and the Autobots seem to exist solely for comic relief. I suppose Bay is relying on the fact people coming to see the film already like the robots, which is easier than developing their characters through the film. There are characters introduced for no conceivable reason, other than for eye candy or comic relief. (For example, what was the point of having a team of high school hackers working for the NSA. You could remove them, and any interaction with them from the film, and it would all still make perfect sense.) The plot is also really boring for the most part. I don’t want to go on and on about how bad it was, so just trust me when I say it’s not good. The only redeeming thing about the film is how slick the transformers look. ILM did an amazing job bringing the Transformers to life. I’d like to think Michael Bay had nothing to do with that, but who knows. So yeah, Transformers wasn’t so good.
Oh wait, there was also a really hot chick in the movie, so that was also good.
The official Transformers web site.
[9] Movies
4 July 2007, early morning
I watched 300 over the weekend with my cousins. If you aren’t aware, the film is about the Battle of Thermopylae. Frank Miller’s take on the story is probably not what one would call, historically accurate, but it is certainly entertaining. Frank Miller has a very distinct style to his work, regardless of what he is writing about. Frank Miller’s work on Daredevil is similar to his work on Batman is similar to his work on Sin City is similar to his work on 300. It’s all macho men and not quite whorish women all mixed together with film noir style dialog. 300 takes place in ancient Greece, but the formula is the same. Xeres of the Persians is transformed into a Boy George like villain for the film. Visually 300 is stunning. I don’t think I’ve seen another movie quite like it. It has a very surreal look about it. Apparently the same crew that did the post-processing for Sin City worked on 300 as well. The movie is bloody and violent and awesome. I wish I watched this in the cinema.
The official 300 web site.
Movies
28 June 2007, evening time
I’ve had Apocalypto sitting under my desk for months; I finally watched it tonight. Mel Gibson knows how to make good movies. It’s a shame he’s so damn crazy. Apocalypto takes place during the last days of the Mayan civilization, just before the West showed up and really cemented their downfall. The movie really draws you in: the characters all speak Yucatec Maya, the movie looks to be shot entirely in Mexico, and the costumes and make-up are perfect. Like most Gibson films, the movie is incredibly violent; it’s bloody as hell If you are squeamish, you may want to pass this film by. If not, I think it’s definitely worth checking out. It’s very entertaining.
Of course, it’s a Mel Gibson film, and it has a boat load of critics. For example, Is Apocalypto Pornography?
Movies
28 June 2007, early morning
Shima and I met at Cumberland last night to watch A Mighty Heart. The film is about the kidnapping of Daniel Pearl, the efforts to get him back, and the aftermath of the whole affair. Everyone who has been talking up Angelina Jolie’s acting in the film is quite right to do so; she does a very good job. The supporting cast is also excellent. Irfan Kahn is great as the Pakistani counter-terrorist agent assigned to find down Pearl. He’s how I imagine Jack Bauer from the sub-continent: ruthless, but polite. All in all the film is depressing. (In fact, thinking about the film while writing this is depressing me.) Knowing how the events played out in real life, there is really no other way the film could have gone. I suppose the last few moments of the film do leave you with some hope — Mariane Pearl sounds like an extraordinary woman. The film makers did a great job of not making this movie in to a big sensational mess; I suppose the source material may have helped with that. It’s well worth watching. It’s a very good film.
The official A Mighty Heart web site.
Roger Ebert’s review of A Mighty Heart.
Movies
14 May 2007, early morning
I watched the Pursuit of Happiness without any sound on the plane ride back to Canada, having decided it wasn’t worth splurging the $2 for headphones. Dreamgirls was up next, and I wanted to see it, so I sucked it up and bought a pair of uncomfortable crap earbuds. I regretted not getting them earlier, since I imagine the Pursuit of Happiness would be even better with sound. Anyway: Dreamgirls was a very enjoyable film. It’s a musical about the rise and not-quite fall of Motown-esque sort of music studio. The film features several stars, including the delectable Beyoncé (meow). Eddie Murphey plays a James Brown sort of character, and is by far the best act in the movie. (The best scene in the movie has to be Murphey singing his “Jimmy Got Soul” number near the end of the film.) As I said, I enjoyed watching the film. It’s nothing brilliant, but quite fun to watch.
The official Dreamgirls web site.
[1] Movies
30 April 2007, mid-morning
City Idol was an excellent movie. It captures all the excitement that surrounded the City Idol event perfectly. Watching the movie you really feel like you are racing along with the contestants and organizers as they try to shake things up. I was thoroughly impressed with this film; Shima and Riadh liked it a lot as well. It was a great way to end this years HotDocs festival for myself. I think it might have been my favourite film of the bunch that I saw. After watching City Idol I am all the more depressed with the municipal political system. It is depressing that such an articulate, thoughtful, and charismatic young man like Desmond Cole couldn’t win his riding. Of course, he had to compete against Helen Kennedy and Adam Vaughn; that was a tough race to be a part of. Still, its a shame people are always willing to vote in more of the same. Cole still seems active politically and in his neighbourhood, which is great news. The movie is certainly worth watching if only to see Cole’s monologue about police harassment midway through the film. During my screening the audience started clapping after he was done. It was fucking brilliant.
City Idol was the last film I saw at Hotdocs 2007. BlogTO quite liked the film as well.
[2] Movies | Hot Docs 2007
30 April 2007, early morning
3 Times Divorced was a depressing little film about a Palestinian woman’s trouble getting custody of her children back from her abusive husband. This is complicated by the fact she’s from Gaza originally, so she isn’t a full Israeli citizen, and that she’s a women trying to deal with a deeply enshrined patriarchy in the Sharia court. It’s a film full of frustration. The production is a bit sloppy, but the footage is interesting, so I suppose that balances out. On the whole, it sort of felt like another, “look how backwards these Muslims are,” sort of film. I don’t think it covered any exciting new ground in this regard. Still, on the whole it’s a good film.
3 Times Divorced was the 6th screening I attended at HotDocs.
Movies | Hot Docs 2007
30 April 2007, early morning
I think I would have enjoyed Forever more if I wasn’t so exhausted. The film is a series of interviews that take place at the Peré-Lachaise cemetery in Paris, which has no shortage of celebrity graves. In terms of cinematography it was great, but on the whole I just wasn’t in the mood for this film. Compared to the other documentaries I watched thus far, it certainly is one of the ones I liked the least.
Forever was the 5th screening I attended at HodDocs.
Movies | Hot Docs 2007
30 April 2007, early morning
There are scenes in the film Circus School of children doing standing back flips, again and again and again. All you hear is this constant thud, thud, thud, and all you see are the grimaces on the kids faces as they are doing them. It’s kind of painful to watch. These little scenes struck me as being microcosms of the movie as a whole, which was incredibly intense. Shot almost entirely in a school for acrobats in China, the story follows the trails and tribulations of a small group of children trying to learn their tricks and make it as acrobats. The film really was excellent. My heart was beating so fast during the first half of the movie while you’re watching the trapeze artists practice and then compete. The second half of the film leaves you wondering how broken these children will be once they are done with the school. They are worked so incredibly hard. It is amazing what the kids accomplish mind you, but I’m not sure the costs are worth it. In the QA we learned the film makers didn’t think so, but this doesn’t come across in the film. There is almost no narration, no blatant editorializing. It’s just scene after scene of kids working hard to become acrobats. You need to watch this movie.
After this film, we went to watch Forever. BlogTO did the same thing. Circus School was the 4th screening I attended at HotDocs.
Movies | Hot Docs 2007
22 April 2007, late evening
I watched Last Call at the Gladstone tonight with Shima. (I mentioned the film a few days back.) The film follows the lives of the residents and staff at the Gladstone, as it makes its way from flop house to boutique hotel. The film takes place over 5 years, and it’s really amazing watching the transformation. The arts community is up in arms now about how they are going to be displaced by all the yuppies moving into Queen West, but these same people seem to forget that their presence has had an equally destabilizing influence on the neighbourhood as well. Of course, I don’t think you can make the argument Queen West was a health neighbourhood in the 80s or 90s. I would argue the changes have been for the better — for the most part — but the city should be more active in ensuring that people aren’t completely displaced. The movie is really well put together. It tells a complete story about gentrification, from start to finish. It’s at times quite powerful. I’ve been really impressed with all the movies I’ve seen at Hotdocs thus far, and this film is no exception. The filmmakers should be proud of what they have put together.
This was the 3rd screening I attended at Hotdocs 2007. The film was shown with To Costco and Ikea Without a Car, which was a cute little short.
Movies | Hot Docs 2007
22 April 2007, late evening
I went to watch Enemies of Happiness with Rishi. We met at the cinema, which was pretty packed. Hotdocs seems to be more popular than ever. Prior to the screening of Enemies of Hapiness was a screening for the short film XH-PG, a movie about the protests in Mexico following the last election. It was a series of interviews, and reasonably interesting, though I didn’t think it was anything spectacular. Enemies of Happiness followed, and I was quite impressed with the film. The film makers followed Malalai Joya as she campaigns for a seat in Afghanistan’s parliament. It was a very interesting movie, showcasing the troubles she went through to run as an outspoken female candidate in a fairly sexist society. Compared to The Devil Came no Horseback, this film was certainly more hopeful, though that isn’t saying much. It’s a good movie, well worth checking out.
The official Enemies of Happiness web site. This was the second screening I attended at Hotdocs 2007.
Movies | Hot Docs 2007
21 April 2007, lunch time
I’m a big fan of the Hotdocs film festival that takes place in the spring here in Toronto. As in previous years, I bought myself a festival pass, and plan to watch a crap load of films over the next week or so. The first film I saw for the festival, The Devil Came on Horseback was an incredibly depressing look at what is going on in Sudan. (I suppose it’d be tricky to make a happy go-lucky film about Sudan.) The movie follows ex-Marine Captain Steidle as he tries to raise awareness about the situation in Darfur. Steidle was on the ground as things there started to escalate, and witnessed first hand all the wanton death and destruction reigned down by the Janjaweed. He was in Darfur as a monitor with the African Union, and took countless photos of the things he saw. I don’t think I’ve ever see that many dead bodies in a single film. I honestly have no idea how he can sleep at night, having seen first hand all the things he has seen. It must be incredibly hard. The Devil Came on Horseback is excellent. It’s a very powerful film. I think everyone needs to watch it.
The official The Devil Came on Horseback web site. This was the first movie I saw at Hotdocs 2007.
Movies | Hot Docs 2007
17 April 2007, early morning
Dave, Patrick and I watched Sleeping Dogs on Sunday night at the Royal, an independent cinema in Toronto. One of Dave’s co-workers was involved with the film, which is how we all heard about it. The film was written and directed by Terrance Odette, who I think has done a nice job with this film. Brian Stillar in the lead role was great. The plot follows Stillar, a blind diabetic alcoholic, as he escapes from a rehab clinic in search of his dog, whom his brother has taken to the pound to have put down; a nurse at the clinic tracks him down, and wanders the streets of Kitchener-Waterloo with him, as they make their way to the pound. It’s a film is about isolation; everyone in the film is alone in the world, more or less. (There is a scene near the start of the film which I thought was clumsily edited: Stillar and his brother are talking, but it is cut together such that it looks like the director spliced two distinct conversations together. Of course, it is possible I’m just reading too much into bad editing.) The film is very slow moving: the plot is light, and a lot of scenes play out without dialog. At times this works, and at times it is tedious. The soundtrack is incredibly annoying — shrill and piercing “twangy shit”. (I suspect this was done on purpose, as a character in the film talks about how annoying twangy country music is, but that doesn’t make it any less annoying.) The film is marred at times by how low budget it is. At times the sound is atrocious, and it takes away from the movie. The actors in the film vary in skill from great to not so good, and the interaction between bad actors and good ones is painful to watch on the screen. (I thought all the leads were quite good mind you.) Nevertheless, it’s well worth watching — we must support our Canadian talent when we can.
The official Sleeping Dogs web site.
Movies
8 April 2007, late evening
I saw An Inconvenient Truth and thought it was really great. You can learn more about how we are doing a spectacular job of fucking up the planet at the An Inconvenient Truth web site. It’s pretty crazy how much we’ve managed to change things on this planet in such a short period of time. Al Gore should have been president. Seriously. America stop dropping the ball already.
Movies
7 April 2007, lunch time
After watching the Prestige, Shima and I watched Thank You For Smoking. The film follows a tobacco lobbyist during a particularly trying period of time: he’s trying to take care of his son; a hot shot journalist is on his case; they want to brand cigarettes with a skull and crossbones, etc. He manages to get through all these crises using hit wits alone. It’s a strange film if only because you find yourself rooting for the lobbyist — somewhat anyway. He’s a smooth talking salesman sort of guy. There are a ton of cameo — Rob Lowe’s is very funny. It’s a short fun film to watch. There isn’t much substance to it I suppose.
The official Thank You For Smoking Website
[1] Movies
5 April 2007, late evening
There are times when Hollywood churns out films in pairs. Armageddon and Deep Impact, for example, both came out at the same time. Now, Armageddon sucks a lot, but compared to Deep Impact, it’s a beautiful piece of art. In the turn of the century magician genre of movies, we have The Illusionist and The Prestige; The Prestige is clearly the better film. More than that, The Prestige is an excellent film in its own right. The somewhat convoluted story follows the rivalry of two magicians, played by Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman. (It’s Wolverine versus Batman!) The story is excellent. Christopher Nolan has done a great job with this film. If you haven’t seen this movie you really should. It’s very entertaining.
The official The Prestige web site.
[2] Movies
10 March 2007, lunch time
Shima and I watched the Namesake last night. The film is based on the book by Jhumpa Lahiri. The story follows a Benghali family of four as they live out their lives in America. The novel’s focus is primarily on the son in the family, and the conflict he feels being a first generation American. The movie spends a good deal of time focusing on the parents as well. I thought this part of the movie was incredibly well done. The book is excellent, and i’m glad to say so was the movie. Mira Nair has done a great job here, as have all the actors. Irfan Khan and Tabu are particularly good, and Kal Penn gives a great performance as well. What else can I say? I was very impressed.
The official The Namesake web site.
[1] Movies
15 February 2007, early morning
Shima and I watched Michael Gondry’s latest film The Science of Sleep last night. To say it’s really weird would be an understatement. It’s a very surreal film. The film features Gael GarcÃa Bernal and Charlotte Gainsbourg as a pair of neighbours who over the course of the film develop feelings for one another — sort of. Much of the film takes place in Bernal’s dreams. The film constantly jumps between the real world and the dream world. It’s very strange. Gondry is very creative; the dream sequences are really quite a pleasure to watch. I liked the film; if you watch it, go in expecting something totally off the wall.
The official The Science of Sleep web site.
[1] Movies
12 February 2007, early morning
I watched Little Miss Sunshine with Mezan and Carvill over the weekend. It was a thoroughly enjoyable film. The movie follows a somewhat dysfunctional family as they travel in a beat up VW Bus to California so the youngest member of the family can take part in the Little Miss Sunshine pageant. The actors all did a really great job; everyone is spot on with their parts. The little girl that plays the beauty contestant to be is incredibly cute, and definitely my favourite character in the movie. (Though all the characters are enjoyable in their own way.) The film is very good. You should definitely watch it, if only to revel in the train wreck that is these creepy little girl pageants, and to see Olive’s kick ass dance number.
The official Little Miss Sunshine web site.
[2] Movies
6 February 2007, late evening
Children of Men is one of the best movies I’ve ever seen in my entire life. Holy shit that was good. Alfonso Cuarón has done an amazing job with this movie. He has captured a fascist future perfectly. Its scary how real it all looks and feels. I didn’t even think people could film stuff like the last few scenes of the movie. You need to see this film.
The official Children of Men web site.
[1] Movies
