Ex Machina (2015)

I know this might sound weird but: I don't care about spoilers. Of course I respect your right not to be spoiled, but I personally do not care if a movie gets spoiled for me. My thought is that if it is truly a good film, it should be able to be enjoyed without the element of surprise. I'm not interested in one-trick ponies. Also, sometimes it is really hard to write about a film where the most interesting parts relate to things that are revealed late in the film. This film is absolutely one of those. How does anyone write anything spoiler-free about Ex Machina beyond, "This movie is good with good effects and you should see it"? I guess it's the type of movie you are supposed to talk about with friends who have seen it. But at least right now, not too many people have seen this yet. To them I say: GET OUT THERE AND SEE THIS DAMN MOVIE SO WE CAN TALK ABOUT IT! I'm not sure if you are able to tell but, I liked this movie a lot.

My Favorite Tearjerker Music Cues (Spoilers)

Let me start by saying that it doesn't take much to get me crying over a movie. I just like to think that I'm very in-touch with my emotions! Something that I really respond to in a movie death or otherwise tragic scene is a well-place music cue, a callback to an earlier song that amplifies the importance of the moment and gives us a sense of history with the character. Here are some of my favorites. Major spoilers ahead!

Pan's Labyrinth - Ofelia's Lullaby

Young Ofelia has been completing tasks assigned to her by a magical faun, proving herself a princess against the backdrop of the brutal aftermath of the Spanish Civil War. She is eventually shot by her vicious stepfather, and as she lies dying, we hear her lullaby in both the score and in the gentle hum of her friend who cradles her as she dies. 

West Side Story - "Somewhere"

Romeo and Juliet in New York. As Tony AKA Romeo lies dying, his Juliet holds him and sings a line from an earlier song: "Hold my hand and we're halfway there, hold my hand and I'll take you there, somehow, someday..." They never got to that place. The score takes over the rest of the song and closes out the film as the makeshift funeral procession carries out his body. 

Les Miserables - "Bring Him Home"

After the bloody battle at the barricade, Inspector Javert surveys the aftermath, the fatalities. He is shaken by the sight of one casualty in particular: young Gavroche. He pauses to pin his own medal on the boy's jacket, as the score plays the melody from "Bring Him Home," a song earlier sung by Jean Valjean pleading with God to bring back his daughter's love interest safely. In the stage show this melody is heard when the audience sees the dead bodies of Gavroche and revolutionary leader Enjolras. These boys, none of them, will be brought home. 

The King and I - "Something Wonderful"

As the King of Siam lies dying (of heartbreak?), his son makes proclamations nearby as he prepares to assume the throne. As the old world dies to make way for the new, the King, surrounded by Miss Anna and his right-hand servant, breathes his last breath. The score plays the melody from "Something Wonderful," a song sung earlier by his wife about loving him in spite of his stubbornness and imperfections. 

La Vie En Rose - "Non, je ne regrette rien"

Singer Edith Piaf had a difficult life full of some triumphs and lots of heartbreak. Her final moments are intercut with shots of her childhood and her performing on stage "Non, je ne regrette rien": I regret nothing. 

 

Do you have any favorites?

Roar (1981)

Going by plot alone, this is a bad movie. I'm pretty sure the entire script could be written on a cocktail napkin. But as far as I'm concerned this is not a fiction film. This is a documentary about a bunch of well-meaning folks who decided to shoot a movie starring themselves and dozens of un-trained wild animals! Viewed under that specific lens, this trifle of a film miraculously turns into one of the most hilariously harrowing films you will ever see. Be sure to get all your friends to watch it with you because otherwise they'll never believe such a film exists. Moreso than most films, context is key. God bless Tim League and the folks at Drafthouse Films for crafting an ad campaign that allows audiences to finally see this film for what it is - absolute insanity! Oh what I would give to watch this film with Werner Herzog. Perhaps someone will take Kevin Rakestraw's suggestion and get him to do commentary for the home video release! At the least they could get Paul F. Tompkins to do his Herzog impression.

Actress (2014)

Thanks to Netflix, everyone is consuming documentaries en masse. All sorts of films that would never draw a big enough audience to justify a theatrical release, are suddenly getting a fair shake in the digital world. Think of a subject and there is a doc about it. Yet, despite all this diversity in subject, I haven't really seen that much variety in form. If a film is about an issue, it's a bunch of talking heads and graphics. If it's about a person it's an unending train of incidents with no shape. And of course there's the over-reliance on chyrons and talking heads. You will not find any of that in Actress. With its choice of subject and stylized photography, this movie comes out feeling like it could be a spiritual sibling to the David Lynch films Mulholland Drive and Inland Empire. Who would have thought that a film about a bit player from The Wire would yield so many interesting thoughts about femininity, relationships, the entertainment industry and the American Dream? A documentary can be anything you want. You just have to let it.

Furious 7 (2015)

I know this might lose me a lot of credibility when it comes to the snobbier cineastes out there, but I really enjoyed this movie. It is absolutely and without a doubt as dumb as they come, but it knows this and embraces it. It is a giant cartoon that knows what we want and delivers it over and over again. It gives us those moments that only cinema can provide. We are never going to get to see parachuting cars or have a chance to soar between skyscrapers in Abu Dhabi, but this movie allows us to leave reality behind for a little while and just embrace that part of our lizard brain that loves explosions.

Having said all of this, Furious 7 is not going to win the Oscar that Vin Diesel has predicted. Unlike the 5th and 6th films in the series that benefited from the honestly touching relationship between Sung Kang and Gal Gadot, this film unfortunately remains in emotional neutral. Though it tries really hard to be poignant, all of the emotion in this film comes from the fact that we know Paul Walker is no longer with us. None of it is really earned. Fortunately none of this gets in the way of the bombast we really came for.

To those of you not willing to take this ride I leave you with a quote from The Simpsons: "Look at those poor saps back on land with their "laws" and "ethics". They'll never know the simple joys of a monkey knife fight."

Friday Quote: An Ideal Husband

"It is a great nuisance. I can't find anyone else to talk to. I'm so full of interesting information, I feel like the latest edition of something or other. Well, after some consideration... so much to do, there's only one thing to be done. There comes a time in every son's life when he must, indeed, follow his father's advice: I shall go to bed at once."

An Ideal Husband (1999)

Kumiko, The Treasure Hunter (2015)

One of the greatest things about film is its ability to generate empathy. By watching a film we gain the ability to see the world from the perspective of another. Most often this occurs whilst watching foreign films. Suddenly you are able to see something of yourself in someone who lives a world away that you share little in common with. Cinema also allows us to empathize with the insane. The hack way to do this is by swinging the camera around, playing with film stocks and obvious music. The more subtle way to do this is simply by placing the camera somewhere unconventional. Move the camera a little to the right or to the left and what was once common and mundane can suddenly become something weird and alien. All of a sudden you can maybe understand how someone can watch a movie and believe that they can find the treasure that was buried on screen. It's kind of like how someone can watch a movie and suddenly decide that they have it in them to make one. We all have our own little delusions.

While We're Young (2015)

On the Criterion bluray of Blow Out there is an extended video conversation between Brian De Palma and Noah Baumbach. When this was first announced, I remember thinking the pairing to be rather odd. But the more I think about it, it makes sense. Just because Baumbach makes movies that look a certain way, doesn't mean that he only watches films that look like his own. As the child of a film critic I'm sure he grew up watching all kinds of movies and they're all there within him. Though the trailer wouldn't give you any indication of such, While We're Young has supplied Baumbach with ample opportunity to let some of his more genre oriented impulses out...and I couldn't be more pleased. It's not a case of a filmmaker pretending to be something he is not. Instead this is a wider embrace of who he really is as a person. Just as Frances Ha was his French New Wave film, this is his 70's Political Thriller. Of course it's still as cutting and hilarious as what we've come to expect from Baumbach, but that little bit of thriller goes a long way towards making this one of the strongest works in an already strong filmography. And oh what a charismatic "villain"! So far this is easily my favorite film of the year. See it while you're young.

Friday Quote: Adam's Rib

"For years, women have been ridiculed, pampered, chucked under the chin. I ask you, on behalf of us all, be fair to the fair sex."

Adam's Rib (1949)

Sans Soleil (1983)

I really don't know how to accurately describe Sans Soleil. It isn't entirely a documentary since it has scripted narration that is from the perspective of one fictional person to another. But it is also very much not a narrative film. It exists somewhere in between the two styles and creates something that could only have come from the mind of the elusive Chris Marker. The images are so beautiful and the ideas so insightful that either could easily exist without the other. But it is the ways in which they merge and play off one another that makes this film so truly wonderful. What could have been an above average TV travel special or NPR segment, instead becomes a fascinating examination of memory and one of the most unique cinematic experiences you will ever have. When you or I go on vacation, we come back with a few photos and maybe one interesting story. Chris Marker comes back with a masterpiece.

Belle (2013)

Belle is the story of a young woman named Dido Elizabeth Belle, the daughter of Royal Navy Captain who grew up being raised by her aristocratic relatives. She is bright, wealthy, and beautiful, and by all rights should have the whole world open to her. The catch? She's illegitimate, and her mother is black. She finds herself caught between two worlds, facing prejudice from the ignorant world outside her door, and trying to follow her instincts to her ultimate happiness. 

Can we talk about how lovely Gugu Mbatha-Raw is for a second? I can't think of anyone else who would be better in this role. She has a spark that can't be denied. The rest of the cast is great too; familiar faces include Tom Wilkinson, Emily Watson, Draco Malfoy I MEAN Tom Felton (playing a racist a-hole, of course), Penelope Wilton, Miranda Richardson, and Matthew Goode. In addition to being a Jane Austen-esque love story (you know, stolen glances, verbal sparring that means they're obviously in love, all that stuff I can't get enough of), it's about social issues too, notably the Zong massacre of 1781. It's an interesting touch to what is otherwise a pleasant if unexceptional film. I really loved this movie and after watching it alone one night I watched it again the next day with my sister, and I kinda want to watch it again...

It's currently streaming on HBO, and if you're a fan of period films or love stories (or both!), I definitely recommend it. If nothing else, give props to Miss Mbatha Raw for her mirror scene. So moving, so powerful. I've definitely got my eye on her. 

Podcast Recommendation: The Canon

A podcast I've gotten really into lately is Wolfpop's "The Canon," featuring film critics Devin Faraci of Badass Digest and Amy Nicholson of LA Weekly arguing over which films belong in the canon of great films. They each present their opinions (often fiercely disagreeing), and then they leave it up to the listeners to vote online. The most recent episode was about Rocky Horror Picture Show (obviously deserves to be in the canon, at least according to Amy). Sometimes they make it particularly brutal and have a "VS" episode, where listeners have to pick between two very worthy options. Some of their showdowns have included Star Wars vs Empire Strikes Back, ET the Extra Terrestrial vs Close Encounters of the Third Kind (how can you choose??), and Alien vs Aliens (Alien is the clear winner). Next week is Annie Hall vs Manhattan, can't wait!

You'll find yourself totally siding with one of the critics in one episode, and then by next week you've completely turned against them. That's all part of the fun! While they deal some low blows, you know they're still pals at the end of the day and that's why we love (to hate) them. It's crazy and a lot of fun, and it feels like when you argue with your fellow cinephile pals after watching something particularly discussion-worthy. Give it a listen HERE!

On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)

Released in December of 1969, this movie is quite literally the last hurrah for the cinematic 1960's. The turn this film takes in it's final moments is a real sucker punch. Nothing in the rest of its run-time prepares you for it. Sure it's a different guy playing Bond, but other than that it's business as usual. The costumes, the sets, the colors, etc. are all precisely what you've seen before. And then, suddenly, the carefree, technicolor aesthetic that began with films like Dr. No, The Pink Panther and Charade gets itself a real and palpable body count. Somehow the increasing darkness of the outside world found its way into escapist entertainment. People wanted to forget things like Charles Manson and Altamont, but all this movie gave them was a grim reminder that truly nobody is safe. Though producers tried to sort of un-ring that bell by getting Sean Connery to return two years later in Diamonds are Forever, there was really no going back. The cinematic 1960's died on country road somewhere in Portugal.

The Craig Duffy Classic Film Festival

As it often does, attending the Turner Classic Movies Film Festival this past weekend got my brain spinning. If I were programming a film festival, what would I show? The easy answer is to just say "All of the best movies!" But what is your definition of "best"? Do you stick exclusively to epic, foreign dramas? Or maybe you go the commercial route and stick to the spectacular and crowd pleasing? Lots to consider.

In planning out this hypothetical schedule, I called upon my love of making mix-discs for friends. Variety is key. You want to have an overall experience. Showing too much of the same becomes mind-numbing, but you also don't want to be arbitrary. There has to be some sort of logical flow  to the day. You have to really Rob Gordon this shit. Peaks and valleys, man. Peaks and valleys.

Having sweated out every decision here, I can now say with absolute certainty that if you were to dedicate a full two days to following the precise screening regimen I am about to lay out for you here, you will have one of the most cinematically fulfilling weekends ever!

So without further ado...

Day One

• 12:00pm - Singin' in the Rain
• 2:00pm - Nashville
• 5:00pm - A Night at the Opera
• 6:45pm - Alphaville
• 8:45pm - Sleeping Beauty (1959)
• 10:15pm - Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn
• 12:00am - The Blues Brothers

Day Two

• 12:00pm - The Red Shoes
• 2:30pm - The Lady Vanishes
• 4:15pm - The Rules of the Game
• 6:30pm - Hard Boiled
• 8:45pm - Blow Out
• 10:30pm - The Freshman (1925)
• 12:00am - Beyond the Valley of the Dolls

Which films would make the cut at your personal film festival? Should I program a third day? Let me know in the comments!

Ever After > Cinderella

It's silly to compare such different movies, but this is just for fun. And this will likely turn into a rant! 1998's Ever After is all about the "real" story of Cinderella, so it lacks all the pumpkin-into-carriage and mice-into-horses bits that the new live-action Cinderella wanted to capture. This year's version is basically a (barely) updated version of the 1950 animated film, magic intact. Since I am both a 90s girl at heart and have an unshakable aversion to CGI, it's kind of a given that I prefer Ever After. But let's compare the two anyway, shall we? Spoilers abound!

 

Danielle vs Ella
Okay, Drew Barrymore's accent is all over the place. And Lily James is undeniably lovely. But COME ON. Danielle blows Ella out of the water in the personality department. "Have courage and be kind"? That's nice and all, but Ella basically would have been satisfied to sit in her attic singing forever while slowly starving to death. Danielle speaks up! She gets things done and she PUNCHES HER STEPSISTER IN THE FACE. Having a Cinderella (made in 2015! Come on!) take so much abuse and just wait around for someone to rescue her is ridiculous.

The Stepsisters
I actually enjoyed the stepsisters from the new Cinderella. They were funny (wonderfully acted by Sophie McShera and Holliday Grainger) and totally over the top. But what I really like about Ever After is that one of the stepsisters (played by the always amazing Melanie Lynskey) is really sweet. She is pushed aside by her mother for her more beautiful and shrewish sister (Megan Dodds) and really feels for Danielle, becoming a valuable friend and ally to her. Sisters helping sisters, I love it!

Baroness Rodmilla de Ghent vs Lady Tremaine
Anjelica Huston versus Cate Blanchett. How can I choose? Okay, Lady Tremaine definitely gets the fashion points (although I do love the Baroness's ball outfit). Truth be told, Cinderella's costumes were the primary reason I went to see this film at all. They both act the hell out of their roles, and I cannot choose. We'll call this one a draw. I have to give a Sick Burn Point to Huston for her delivery of this line: when Danielle asks if she ever loved her, she responds "How can anyone love a pebble in their shoe?" OUCH.

The "Fairy Godmothers"
Ella's fairy godmother doesn't show up during any other hard time in her life. She just shows up to let her go to a dance. Danielle's "fairy godmother" is Leonardo Da Vinci, and they have a friendship throughout the film. Yes, he helps her get out of a tough spot, but she ultimately does her own rescuing. The winner here is obvious.

 

The Princes
Princes are princes. They're generally boring, and they're boring in both of these films. However, Ever After's prince at least gets in several meetings with her before they run off and get hitched. She throws an apple at him, he's annoyed. She shows up at court, they share words, he's intrigued. He meets her again while she's swimming like a lovely water nymph. And then they have a wonderful all-nighter where they fight and then befriend gypsies, and talk about books and life goals and then kiss and fall in love. Ella has one conversation with her prince in the forest, and then he pretty much has his mind made up that SHE'S THE ONE. And of course she feels the same way because she's totally sheltered. Sigh.

The Dress!
Cinderella's costumes are pretty breathtaking. While I was originally a little underwhelmed by Ella's blue dress, it's definitely grown on me.  However, lovely as it is, it's your fairly standard ball gown. Danielle's dress has wings! WINGS! And let's talk about the shoes for a second. I'm sorry, but no human foot could comfortably fit in Ella's shoe. That thing looks like fetish wear.

The bottom line:
I'm not trying to dismiss all fairytales or all love stories. I can somewhat accept a passive heroine back in the 1950s. But in 2015, with renewed interest in building up our girls to be more than just pretty faces, I'm looking for my princesses to pack a little punch. Ever After shows that a girl can suffer through abuse and survive, go to the ball, and get her prince, and still be strong and outspoken and do her own rescuing. Ella, you're nice and pretty but you've got a LOT of growing up to do.