2009. Dir: Francis Ford Coppola. Starring: Vincent Gallo, Alden Ehrenreich, Maribel Verdú, Silvia Pérez and Rodrigo de la Serna. ●●●●○
At the heart of Francis Ford Coppola's latest film is the nature of the relationships between fathers and sons and brothers and brothers; the concept that as men we are constantly fighting for our place within the familial hierachy ensuring our alpha male position, or at least our close proximity to the alpha-male. Like the paternal influence in The Godfather the more the titular Tetro (Gallo) and his younger sibling Bennie (Ehrenreich) try to escape the pervasive influence of their tyrannical conducter father (Klaus Maria Brandauer) the more they become reflexions of him.
It is a long way from his genius run in the 1970's (2 Godfathers, a conversation and a trip to 'Nam) this film is a return to high quality melodrama that we missed in the workmanlike 90's and the muddled Youth without Youth. I believe I use the term melodrama correctly, without giving too much away the plot is as follows:
Bennie, a short version of Benjamin, biblical reference fans, the innocent youngest son and brother has run away from his military boarding school, got a job as a busboy on a liner (all resplendent in a pressed white uniform) and sailed to Buenos Aires to reunite himself with Tetro, formerly Angelo. Whilst Tetro is hostile to Bennie's presence his partner Miranda (Verdu) is welcolming and patient to both of their points of view.
It soon transpires that Tetro, who originally left the family home on a writing sabbatical, has failed to complete any of his works, suffered from a mental breakdown and now spends his time lighting avant-garde stripshows at the local theatre. Bennie attempting to ingratiate himself completes the play from Tero's scribblings, which are naturally a version of his realionship with his father, and eventually all the secrets the family has sought to hide are dragged out at a theatre festival and a funeral, with at least one of those scenes being unnecssary.
All three of the leads give superb performances. Gallo perfectly nails the unpredictability and inner conflict of the eponymous hero and Ehrenreich proves himself in the audience surrogate role as much a voyeur of the action as a participant. Verdu builds on her reputation from Pan's Labyrinth as the outsider, knowing exactly when to emote and when to just observe.
Brandauer is also chilling in his few scenes, his line on the beach "There is room for just one genius in this family" was so oily delivered I wanted to jump up and punch him. His presence in the film was even more foreboding for the limited screentime, any more and we might have got wise to the lecherous egotist and seen him as more clownish than domineering.
The melodramatic tendencies of the script were a minor turn-off and not helped by the telegraphing of major plot developments in early scenes (what did Brandauer just say? why does he not like her dancing with anyone watching? which parts in the therapy sessions are truths and which are lies? - answer these and you'll know the ending.) That said the comic breaks including the scenes of Faustus and the hotel room are deliciousy bawdy.
Coppola is clearly a better director than he is scriptwriter, the pace was elegant for the first third as we were introduced to the scene but following the initial disagreements between the brothers and the motorbike accident (I won't tell you when it comes or who is involved but it's exceptionally well edited with a it's-all-OK...OMG-moment that will have you jumping out of your seat) it speeds up until the closing scenes getting more wound up and fraught, perfectly reflecting Tetro's state of mind.
I would also like to compliment the cinematographer Mihai Malaimare Jr. Every shot was incredibly composed, with the decision to shoot mostly in black and white (using colour for the flashbacks and an overdone technicolour effect for the dance sequences - yes there are dance sequences ancilliary to the story) being a moment of true inspiration. Indeed it's worth catching this film for the composition alone.
Overall I would say that whilst Tetro is certainly of it's medium and stuck with many of the flaws of melodrama it is still a fantastic example of that genre and I highly recommend it.
Wednesday, 30 June 2010
Tetro
Tuesday, 29 June 2010
Tuesday Trailers - Toy Story 3
Well, I've ummed and ahhed about this, tried hard to stick to my guns and only show one trailer (for Inception) during June, but it's really hard to argue wit th cinematic juggernaut that is the latest Toy Story sequel. It's taken a massive $225m over the first couple of weekends in the US, as well as notching up flawless reviews and near rabid fan support. It would be rude therefore if I didn't show it here. That said, I haven't decided if I'll go yet.
Toy Story 3 opens on 23 July 2010.
Leslie Browne
Happy Birthday to
Leslie Browne
53 today
I won't pretend I know anything about ballet, in fact I only know of Ms Browne because of her oscar nominated role in The Turning Point, however I understand she is a superb performer. I could only find one clip on youtube, but she's one of the four Jewels in this piece from Sleeping Beauty. Enjoy.
Monday, 28 June 2010
Kathy Bates
Happy Birthday to
Kathy Bates
62 today
It's hard to believe now but there was a time when Kathy was being passed over time and time again when her stage performances were being developed for the big screen. Sissy Spacek and Michelle Pfeiffer both got the chance to steal her roles. Luckily she was cast as Annie Wilkes in Misery which led to the first her Oscar nods and began her high profile career. Her last film was Valentine's Day but I won't hold that against her if the France set Woody Allen pic Midnight in Paris turns out to be at all good.
Sunday, 27 June 2010
Personal News - 27/06/10
Not much new to say today, so I'll keep it brief. Rehearsals are going well for "Baby Jesus Freak". Nothing else on the agenda as there's only a month before my Corporate contract starts.
Um... that's all.
Saturday, 26 June 2010
Will Someone, please, give Meryl an Oscar? (Film News - 26/06/10)
This week has been incredible, everywhere you look there have been fascinating projects appearing out of nowhere, so much so that until the great Meryl's next project was announced I just didn't know what to lead with. On top of that we've got some updated releases and the Academy have broadcast their latest inductees. So, without further ado lets dig in.
Great Hope Springs
The never ending talent that is Meryl Streep has finally picked her next project, a full six months after gracing our screens in It's Complicated. What's more it looks like it might just get here some awards attention - at least that's what a million bloggers are collectively sighing. The film will trace a couple (her and Jeff Bridges) as they spend a weekend with a relationship counsellor (yet to be cast). Depending on which rumour you read Jessie Nelson (I am Sam) or Mike Nichols (loads of great movies) will be in the directors chair.
Obviously I'm thrilled to see Meryl back on the job, and I am sure this will be a quality film, but the oscar hype that surrounds her mere casting is a little too much - and I realise I'm being deeply hypocritical when I say this. Lets face it Meryl already has two Academy Awards - more than about 8 Billion people - and she has a record for acting nominations that will probably never be broken. Many of these nods may not have been in the crowd of best performances that year which means Meryl is simply filling up ballot papers on some occasions. Of course I love watching her act but I will confess that sometimes what we love is watching her act and most of the time she is unafraid of letting us know she is acting.
Can't we just let her make the film, and enjoy it or not based on our opinions of the film itself and not hyping up some wholly arbitrary awards system, which Meryl herself doesn't seem that focused on?
That's come out a lot rantier than I expected. I just hope I enjoy the movie when it eventually comes out.
Meryl, on an Oscar red carpet.
Read on for distracted physicists, school bullies, gangsters, robots, lots of sex, a mystery and a few animals. Now combine that to make the perfect movie.
As She Climbed Across the Table
I suppose it's happened to everyone. You work with someone every day and slowly you develop a tiny crush, an element of attraction - only they are so focused on the job that they fail to notice you. Of course it's one thing when relentless sales targets and workplace geography are the main barriers, quite another if the object of your affection has a greater affinity to the Black Hole she's studying. Yes, this metaphysical love triangle pits the hero against super dense matter. Sounds great. Based on the novel by Jonathan Letham, right.
Elliot Allagash
Will Jason Reitman be going back to school, and aiming even younger than Juno with his next film? It's quite possible following the news that he's optioned Simon Rich (of SNL) debut novel. It's about how money can buy you happiness (or at least protect you from being unpopular) in the private education sector. Oh, satire, eh?
Pretty Boy Floyd
You remember the super short scene in Micheal Mann's Public Enemies where Channing Tatum got shot in the back whilst running through an orchard (oops, spoilers for this film, Public Enemies and early 20th Century American history) well he was playing the legendary bank robber Pretty Boy Floyd (right, and not rally that pretty), and it's that legend's turn to has a biopic all about him. I wonder how it's going to end?
Rock 'em, Sock 'em Robots
Does anyone know what these are? (Original product on the left and I don't come close to recognising them) Or why they want to make a movie out of them? (Other than to boost the merchandise line that is.) I'm only including them here because I do quite like the title.
360
One for the adults here. Arthur Schnitzler's 1900 play, "Riegart", caused a great deal of scandal on it's release due to it's frank look at sexual relationships between class and social groupings. Whilst any dissection of those themes these days is highly unlikely to shock anyone it will certainly be interesting to see what has and hasn't changed in this field. The modern adaptation has been written by Peter Morgan and is set to be directed by Fernando Meirelles.
Untitled M. Night Shyamalan Project
You can tell M. Night's The Last Airbender (left) is about to hit cinemas because he's already showing his latest script about town. Oddly there's no talk about it being a sequel so I guess the tracking isn't very good. What we do know, and bearing in mind his scripts are more closely guarded than George Osbourne's budget plans, indicates a Taken like premise with supernatural elements. Bruce Willis, Gwynneth Paltrow and Bradley Cooper are interested in roles.
We Bought a Zoo
Cameron Crowe's next movie could well have the ubiquitous Matt Damon as Guardian columnist Benjamin Mee who, as the title suggests, bought a failing zoo in an attempt to revive it and ensure the safety of the animals. In spite of it being a true story (the wildlife park in Dartmoor is the real star) I have no idea what happens. I'm avoiding wikipedia for the next 18 months.
New Academy members
AMPAS have this week announced their latest inductees and as usual it's a fascinating list, as well as recent winners and nominees there are the usual mix of what really's and weren't they a member already's. Because I'm an actor I'm going to list those new to that branch and highlight some films that may have had a factor in their inclusion (going from the best choice, in my humble opinion, to the worst):
Mo'Nique - Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire and Shadowboxer
Christoph Waltz - Inglorious Basterds
Jeremy Renner - The Hurt Locker, The Assassasination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, North Country and Lords of Dogtown
Vera Famiga - Up in the Air, The Departed, Breaking and Entering, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, The Manchurian Candidate, Nothing but the Truth, Running Scared and The Vintner's Luck
Saoirse Ronan - Atonement, The lovely Bones and Death Defying Acts
Carey Mulligan - An Education, Pride and Prejudice, And When did you last see your Father, Brothers and Public Enemies
Anna Kendrick - Up in the Air and Twilight
Gabourey Sidibe - Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire
Tobin Bell - The Firm, Goodfellas, In the Line of Fire, Mississippi Burning, Tootsie, The Verdict, An Innocent Man, Loose Cannons and The Quick and the Dead
George Wyner - All the President's Men, Lady sings the Blues, My Favourite Year, To be or Not to be, The Bad News Bears Go to Japan, The Devil's Advocate, The Long Goodbye, The Postman, A Serious Man, Spaceballs, The Taking of Beverley Hills and Who's Life is it anyway?
Peter Sarsgaard - Boy's Don't Cry, Dead Man Walking, An Education, Kinsey, In the Electric Chair, Jarhead, K19: The Widowmaker and The Skeleton Key
LaTanya Richardson Jackson - Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, Lorenzo's Oil, Malcolm X, The Fighting Temptations, Lone Star, Sleepless in Seattle and When a Man loves a Woman
Shaun Toub - Charlie Wilson's War, Crash, The Kite Runner, The Nativity Story and Out to Sea
James Gandolfini - A Civil Action, All the Kings Men, Angie, 8MM, Fallen, The Juror, The Last Castle, The Man who Wasn't There, The Mexican, Mr. Wonderful, Money for Nothing, Night Falls on Manhattan, The Stranger among Us and Where the Wild Things Are
Sam Robards - American Beauty, Artificial Intelligence: A.I., Bird, Bright Lights Big City, Casualties of War, Che: Part 1, Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle, Not Quite Paradise, Pret-a-Porter and Tempest
Miguel Ferrer - Traffic, Another Stakeout, The Assassin, Cigarettes and Coffee, The Guardian, The Manchurian Candidate, Silver City, Sunshine State and Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me
Peter Riegart - Traffic, Chilly Scenes of Winter, City Girl and Crossing Delancey
Zoe Saldana - Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Avatar, Centre Stage and The Terminal
Adam Sandler - Mixed Nuts, Punch-Drunk Love and Spanglish
Ryan Reynolds - and every year there's one actor selected that I just don't understand. Sure hes cute, and maybe there are signs of talent underneath the six pack, but I don't think he deserves this just yet. The challenge out to Ryan now is to prove me wrong.
Release Date News
The Town - It's essentially a month of minor shuffles in terms of box office release dates, and the only film coming forward is this Bank Robber drama. Don't get held up on 24 September 2010.
Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps - Another week's delay before we see Olive Stone's Financial skullduggery sequel, but I suppose if you've waited 23 years a few more weeks won't matter. Bring out the shoulderpads and big hair on 08 October 2010.
The Debt - Still no publicity for this Isreali thriller remake which is a tiny bit concerning to anyone hoping to see it, but maybe Helen Mirren's been too busy bathing for Love Ranch. Flash back to when you worked with Sam Worthington on 29 October 2010.
Eagle of the Ninth - Centurion has already hit the 2010 quota for slaughtered Roman legions, so Kevin MacDonald's literary adaptation has postponed a year. Echo through eternity on 25 February 2011.
Hanna - Will this be a more serious look at the character traits of Hit Girl, with Saoirse Ronan as a teenager brough up to be an ultimate killing machine. Bring up an assassin on 29 April 2011.
We Bought a Zoo - IMDb doesn't yet list it in Pre-production, the lead actor is still in negotiations (see above) but that doesn't stop Cameron Crowe from fixing a release date - I full expect it to change. Manage your menagerie on 08 October 2010.
You see I get my own back on Ryan by glorifying him as simply a sexual object. Take that Reynolds.
Eleanor Parker
Happy Birthday to
Eleanor Parker
88 today
She might be predominantly remembered for the Baroness (boo hiss) in The Sound of Music but it's worth remembering Ms Parker was a versatile leading lady in the 50's picking up 3 Academy Awards nominations. Saying that it is the Baroness that sticks in the mind, and tell me have you noticed her eyebrows in the scene where she tells Maria to go - they are acting all of their own volition it's a joy to watch.
Friday, 25 June 2010
The Old Masters return (out this week - 25/06/10)
It's another weak week of film releases as the World Cup continues for England (just about), and congratulations to the U.S. readers for also surviving the Group stages. I have no doubts that Russell Brand will propel him movie to the top of the box office charts, and I only hope he's a less irritating actor than he is a TV presenter/stand-up comic. On the more arty front there are two auteur's synonymous with the 70's who are battling for my endorsement, even though a blogger I trust has panned them both in the comments here, I'm going to pick Tetro as the film of the week.
The Collector
When watching Home Alone I expect you thought that the scenes of slapstick violence meted on the burglars was both justified and hilarious. This film riffs on those elements only using the medium of horror. From the writers (hmm) of Saw IV, V, VI and VII.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○
Get Him to the Greek
I have a small problem in recommending this film, partly because Brand irritates me and partly because I haven't seen Forgetting Sarah Marshall, from which the character is spun. Mostly it's because I've heard the majority of the trailer isn't in the film.... I mean really what is the point of a trailer if it doesn't show you stuff from the film. Big mistake.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
Tetro
Francis Ford Coppola's second personal project, the first being 2007's Youth without Youth which in turn was preceded by a 7 year hiatus, follows two brothers (Vincent Gallo and Alden Ehrenreich) coming to terms with their destructive relationship with their conductor father (Klaus Maria Brandauer).
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●○○○○○
Villa Amalia
Isabelle Huppert reunites with director Benoît Jacquot for the fifth time, in this story of a pianist (careful) who abandons her life after her partner kisses another woman.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
Whatever Works
Woody Allens output continues to be only sporadically entertaining with his first New York movie for 5 years. Larry David fills the Woody role, Evan Rachel Wood (40 years his junior) plays the love interest and the cast is filled by the usual group of stereotypical New Yorkers.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●○○○○○
When in Rome
I actually quite like the look of this rom-com. Sure I suspect it'll be cheesy and forgettable but the premise of boys being put under a spell when their coins are taken from the Fountain of Love is quite cut, especially when they get as smitten as they are in the trailer, and when one of them is Danny DeVito. Anjelica Huston also gets a role as Kristen Bell's boss so there's a reason for going.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○
Wednesday, 23 June 2010
Wild Target
2010. Dir: Jonathan Lynn. Starring: Bill Nighy, Emily Blunt, Rupert Grint, Rupert Everett and Eileen Atkins. ●●●○○
To say that I enjoyed Wild Target, whilst true, seemes to be missing the point. I laughed a few times, didn't feel my money was wasted and liked the feel of the film. Here we are a few days later though and it's already slipping from my mind, the plot and characters were paper thin and the energy was patchy and I can't help but feel that for it to really work I should have laughed more.
In the film Bill Nighy plays Victor Maynard, the creme de la creme of assassins, able to practise his French verbs whilst completing each of his assignments. After a art scam involving a hammy Rupert Everett he is called to deal with the scammer Emily Blunt. Naturally (this being a film about hit men) he can't do it, which leads to them going on the lam with slacker Rupert Grint whilst being chased by Everett, rival Martin Freeman and Nighy's psychotic mother Eileen Atkins.
Experienced comic performers Nighy and Blunt are on top form here, with the formers clownish double takes and the latters ability to look vulnerable and dangerous simultaneously (usually whilst tottering around in heels) both eleicited some giggles. In fact the film works best in some of the wordless scenes - such as Blunt going to the National Gallery and Nighy first tailing his planned victim.
It seems a shame therefore that we couldn't have more of these silent comic esque capers as once the dialogue came in it wasn't nearly as sucessful. The script was by Lucinda Coxon (of The Heart of Me fame - not a comedy) and up next is The Danish Girl, which I suspect is on the serious side so maybe this just isn't her forte. If I seem harsh there were some good jokes, but they were exactly that and often quite laboured.
Or two main protagonists are joined by Rupert Grint (on holiday from Hogwarts, obviously) who is as much of a macguffin in the plot as the forged Rembrandt. He does surprisingly well as the homeless dopehead with a surprising instinct for the assassins arts with his completely naiveity and boyishness shining through but there's really nowhere for the character to go. Part apprentice to Nighy and part obstacle in the ineitable affair between the others once those situations are introduced the film doesn't really know where to put him.
Jonathan Lynn is a steady hand behnd the camera, as shown by his handling of the silent elements above, but this is a long way from his best work - you remember cracking up to Clue? (Although it is significantly better than The Fighting Temptations or Sgt Bilko)
To conclude this is a reasonably diverting piece and quietly entertaining, with some funny moments, but nothing to write home about. Oh, and the last joke (involving the pink cat in the poster) really isn't funny.
Tuesday, 22 June 2010
Michael Lerner
Happy Birthday to
Michael Lerner
69 today
I had hoped to get hold of a pic of Michael's Solomon Schlutz from A Serious Man but given his very brief screetime (he walks in with legal documents, coughs and dies) there aren't many shots online. So here's on from his more famous Coen brothers gig: Barton Fink. By the way did you know he's in the Atlas Shrugged adaptation currently being filmed - I say this because I didn't know and he's easily the most famous cast member.
