AIDS, Apathy and the Will to Survive

image: ifcfilms.com

Everyone knows the gears of bureaucracy grind along with the efficiency of a mucked up stop watch.  For every inch gained, a mountain of energy is expended.  Be it civil rights legislation or a new freeway, border patrol or garbage disposal, nothing is achieved without hours and hours of political wrangling.  Passing an eco-friendly bill may be one thing but when human lives are at stake, people don’t stop at pushing.  They start fighting.

Once such brawl is the subject of David France’s Oscar nominated documentary, How To Survive a Plague.  France, one of the original journalists of the 1980’s AIDS epidemic, tells the story of ACT UP, a coalition of infected, mostly homosexual citizens committed to finding treatment for the deadly disease.  Plague doesn’t simply document the history of a decade’s worth of protests and policy.  It tells the human stories of those involved in the struggle, fighting not only for survival but to ensure the health of those who come after.

Using 90% archival footage, Plague has an immediate visual impact.  It’s one thing to read about the horrors of AIDS but to see the gaunt faces of those afflicted and hear the sobs of mourners as they fling the ashes of loved ones onto the White House lawn, is quite another.  Apologies to Dallas Buyers Club, which takes place in the same era, but witnessing first hand a protest during a mass in St. Patrick’s cathedral holds far more weight than an emaciated Jared Leto.

image: midnightreview.co.uk

In standard documentary style, the historical portions are intercut between testimonials of survivors of the political struggle.  These modern day pieces break up the low-res, grainy look and gives context to the history.  While I would have liked more old school footage with narration, it doesn’t detract and puts modern faces to the characters from thirty years ago.  The soundtrack is also impressive, swelling and building at just the right moments

Red tape is often stained with the blood of those trapped in it.  To the legislative warriors of ACT UP, the fight was for survival in face of oppression, prejudice and a country that didn’t care enough about the “gay disease”.  By casting an unblinking eye at the very heart of the struggle, David France sheds light on the humanity behind the protests and puts a face on the unrest.  While it’s hard for us imagine a civilized government denying anybody the care they need, How to Survive a Plague reminds us of how apathetic a ruling body can be and how powerful the voices of many can be in moving those mountains.  One brutal inch at a time.

Score:  9 out of 10

VR Meets V-Day

Joaquin Phoenix continues the rise of his namesake as Theodore in Her, the latest emotional epic from director Spike Jonze.

Can you love what’s artificial?

On the surface, that’s an easy one.  People throw around the “L Word” haphazardly.  We love our cars, iPhones and clothing accessories.  Movies are beloved, music speaks to the heart and a goofy YouTube video of a purring cat makes us feel good.  But do we really love them?  Last I checked, nobody has written a power ballad for their toaster.  Your friends won’t try to fix you up with their Prius.  As much fun as it is, none of us are willing to die for our Xbox One.

Maybe.  What if our video games knew us personally?  Imagine if our car asked us how our day was, Knight Rider style, and we felt like they genuinely cared.  What if Siri loved you back.

Spike Jonze (Adaptation, Where The Wild Things Are) attempts to answer this question with Her, a humorous, honest and beautifully made portrait of an unlikely emotional union.  And it just so happens to be one of the best films of the year.

Her centers on Theodore Twombly (Joaquin Phoenix), a quiet, melancholy man who spends his working days writing touching hand written letters for a relationship company.  His nights are a lonelier affair, spent in seclusion as he struggles to adapt to newly single life.  While wrangling with his impending divorce from Catherine (Rooney Mara), Theodore’s only personal attachment is his full of life co-worker and neighbors Amy (Amy Adams) and Charles (Matt Letscher).  Enter Samantha (Scarlett Johansson), a brand new operating system designed to learn and interact with its owner on a personal level.  Upon installing the OS on his computer, the two embark on a strange and touching journey through an interactive relationship.

Yes, I said “the two embark”.  Much of the film is spent watching Phoenix chat with his faceless cell phone and on the surface, I was dubious on how it would work.  Like I said in the opening, how can an actor connect with an inanimate object?  In the hands of a lesser director, it would have been insufferable, but Jonze makes it work with an excellent script and two dynamite performances from Johansson and Phoenix.  Joaquin in particular continues the acting renaissance he started with The Master.  His portrayal of the silent sufferer is entrancing and engaging, despite rarely having a physical co-star to work off of.  On the other side of the tech, Scarlett Johansson runs the gambit from professionally courteous to sensitive to emotional with perfection.  It’s incredible to watch them grow together, exceptional considering one part of the puzzle is trapped in plastic.

Amy Adams and Matt Letscher try to show Theodore what a great couple they are. (image: screenrant.com)

Without some deft direction, the story could have dipped into schmaltz but Jonze’s trademark visual flair and smart decision making keeps things interesting.  The near future would of Her seems like a natural evolution of our own with subtle updates.  From modern costuming with twenties era flair, to tiny wireless headphones, the postmodern setting provides a realistic, believable background.  Her has a love story soul supported by a sci-fi skeleton and if the setting didn’t work, the whole ship would have sank.  You won’t find teleporters and spaceships in this version of the future and it’s a good thing.

Biting humor is also a big part of the picture.  More than once, I found myself howling, capping off a year full of laughs from unexpected places.  From a foul mouthed video game character to some frank late night chatting, the harder edged material prevents the film from turning into a summer rom-com.

In fact, the Katherine Heigls of the world could learn a thing or two from the excellent supporting cast.  Adams, who has had a sensational year, continues the streak as Phoenix’s neighbor and emotional counterpart.  She’s drab yet engaging, a perfect “friend zone” witness to Theo’s unusual new parner.  Rooney is also strong as Theo’s soon to be ex-wife.  Important in detailing the other side of personal connection, Rooney is strong willed, on point and surprisingly complex for such a small role.

Her is all about connections and Spike Jonze’s latest and most accomplished effort cements the theme at every turn.  The setting fits in with the tech, the cinematography latches to the impressive score and the actors lock in with the exceptional script.  Everything clicks along like a finely tuned watch, all powering a fascinating and engrossing premise.  Jonze understands love is a complex mystery and rather than overdo the sentiment, he wisely sets the table with good characters and lets the story naturally run its course.  The result is an incredible tightrope walk of brash humor, honesty and genuine heart.  Maybe we’ll never start dating our stereo or whisper sweet nothings to the Keurig machine in the kitchen but if those devices ever start whispering back, Her may not be as science fiction as it seems today.

Besides, who doesn’t love their coffee.

Score: 9.5 out of 10

Click the above image to check out my review of The Wolf of Wall Street!

A Brave and Somber Exploration of a Musician’s Troubled Life

(image: http://www.slate.com)

“A life lived for art is a life never wasted.” – Macklemore.

He should know.  Art has always been born from blinding struggle and life experience.  Every good novel stemmed from a bitter breakup.  Every quality comedian dealt with pain through humor.  Music is no different.  A melodic transcription of the performer’s personal strife, passion, pain and joy.  The life of a small time artist can be at times exhilarating and crushing.  For good work to blossom, sometimes it has to be.

Enter Joel and Ethan Coen (No Country For Old Men, Fargo) to put low level troubadours at the center of their latest project, Inside Llewyn Davis.  A challenging and heartbreaking black dramadey, Davis doesn’t rank at the top of the duo’s canon but remains a stern reminder of their impressive filmmaking chops.

Oscar Issac plays the title character, a rambling folk artist making this way through the sixties Bleeker & MacDougal folk scene.  He crashes on couches, plays the occasional gig at Greenwich Village’s Gaslight Café and struggles to keep his crumbling personal life from hitting bottom.  In the role of Llewyn, Issac’s biggest strength is his musical skills.  By writing and performing the bulk of the extensive soundtrack, Issac adds authenticity to an emotionally stoic role.  When not singing, Issac’s uncertain and borderline bumbling Llewyn reminded me of Larry from 2009’s A Serious Man in a good way.  He’s far from a perfect person and his flaws make him relatable even when he’s being a jerk.  He’s a talented everyman whose zeal for making it in the biz clouds his judgment on everyday affairs.  Easily one of the most interesting characters written this year.

Oscar Issac with his dynamite feline co-star. (image: whatculture.com)

Surrounding the melancholy guitarist are friends Jean (Carey Mulligan), Jim (Justin Timberlake) and the wonderfully cantankerous Roland Turner, played by a Walter Sobchak channeling John Goodman.  Goodman’s random inclusion during a long drive to Chicago is a shot of comic energy exactly when the audience is starting to fidget.  Mulligan is the only chink in the supporting cast armor as she again makes no attempt to connect with the other actors.  I know I’m a broken record, but she has two speeds: overdone anger or dull indifference.  And if I had to give an honorary Best Supporting Actor award, it would be to the cat Llewyn carts around.  A near “purrrfect” performance.  (groan).

Fortunately, the Coen’s are at the helm and they’re nowhere near as hacky as my puns.  Proving once again they are elite filmmakers, the duo expertly blends their benchmark humor with gut wrenching drama.  While the tone is one noted and there’s a serious lack of character arc, the depiction of the 1960’s folk scene is spot on.  The world created by the Coen’s is a captivating vortex of rejections, bar gigs and personal pressure in which Llewyn fails to deal with.  The result is the singer’s slow and painful personal decent, a spiritual drain anybody who’s ever climbed a career hill can identify with.

When the credits rolled, my initial reaction was one of cautious appreciation.  Nothing comes easy for audiences.  There’s no hero arc.  No shoved in love story, no cliché moment of redemption, no cinematic attempt to maintain interest.  It’s a film only the Coen’s would be brave enough to make with studio money and as the trials and tribulations of Llewyn stewed in my mind, my reservations evaporated.  Inside Llewyn Davis is a brutally wonderful view into the world of a struggling artist with all the humor, pathos and filmmaking mastery that’s made the Coen Brothers the kings of American cinema.

Score:  9 out of 10

Click the below image to check out the review!

Surprisingly Sensational

Jennifer Lawrence scopes the competition in the first Hunger Games. (image: theguardian.com)

When you write film reviews, it’s easy to be elitist.  Your critical peers talk lovingly about Jean-Luc Godard, Kurosawa and Dogma 95.  The drive is to hang with your peers and in doing so, I’ll sometimes miss out on the bigger picture.  Thus is my story of The Hunger Games.

When my girlfriend borrowed the book set, I picked up the first novel, read two paragraphs, poo pooed the first person narrative and tossed it aside.  What me?  How could I, a film critic looking for respectability, possibly entertain the notion of reading a series that looked like it was penned by a high schooler.  I put the book down, ignored the movies and never thought twice about it.

But then, I got a wakeup call.  A friend of my girlfriend’s father asked me what I thought about the most recent installment in the Hunger Games trilogy.  Being all cinematic and too cool for the room, I responded, “Naaaaah.  Haven’t seen it.”  His shocked response?

“What kind of movie critic are you?  You HAVE to see it!”

While he was half joking, he was right.  The Hunger Games has permeated modern culture, made Jennifer Lawrence a star and has millions upon millions of fans.  And let’s face it.  The general public could care less about my opinions on The Cremaster Cycle.  They’re more interested in what I think about films they actually want to see.

So, I dived in, popped it on Netfilx and learned an important lesson.  The Hunger Games may rely on some standard tropes of the teen action genre, but the end result is so well directed and exhilarating, I’m hungry to see the entire series.  In short, I was a bit of an ass for putting it on the shelf.

The Hunger Games takes place in the nation of Panem, a dystopian society consisting of a highfalutin capitol and twelve poor districts.  In celebration of a quelled rebellion, the country hosts a yearly Hunger Games competition where a boy and a girl from each district are thrown into a competition of death and survival.  Imagine a combination of The Running Man, Lord of the Flies and the Truman Show.  Got it?  You’re halfway there.  After her sister is chosen to compete, Katniss Evergreen (Jennifer Lawrence) volunteers in her stead and takes on a seemingly impossible challenge.

As I said in the opening, The Hunger Games made Jennifer Lawrence a star and for good reason.  She’s exceptional as the young, skilled and likable Katniss.  Whether she’s dodging fireballs, outsmarting fellow combatants or simply connecting with fellow cast mates, Lawrence’s character balances vulnerability and survival skill to great effect.  She especially shines when forming a shaky alliance with a fellow contestant and dealing with the personal tragedies of mortal combat.

Supporting Lawrence’s good work is some exceptional direction by screenwriter/director Gary Ross.  With an expert sense of pacing and eye catching costuming, Ross elevates the film beyond my meager expectations of a Hollywood blockbuster.  The movie also has a fine supporting cast including a wonderful Stanley Tucci as the game’s MC and Woody Harrelson as sponsor and mentor for the teenage protagonists.  The filmmakers also managed to inject some honest themes in to the screenplay.  Notes of corporate exploitation, loyalty and betrayal run through the movie, providing more meat than I originally expected.

Of course, things aren’t perfect on the dangerous utopia of Panem.  Some of the CGI used to create the world is downright jarring, most noticeable in the film’s climax.  The screenplay is also fairly predictable and not because I’m aware of the two sequels.  And of course, this is teen fiction and with the genre comes some standard clichés that make my thirty year old brain cringe.  It was written for young people and some of the relationships and character arcs show the influence.

But when the final curtain draws on the first Hunger Games, I had nothing but nice things to say.  The action is well choreographed, there’s genuine tension and, most importantly, I walked away anxious to see the second installment.  I’ve talked about my critic hat before and how tough it can be to let go of preconceived notions.  The Hunger Games not only reminded me that good things can come from popular places, but it’s OK to grab some popcorn and give in to the hype.  To the gentleman who prompted me to see this, I’d like to thank you.  Not only was The Hunger Games worth my time and attention, you taught me an important lesson in critical humility.  In other words, shut up and enjoy.

Score:  8.5 out of 10