The Skin I Live In Review

The Skin I Live In Review

2011, 117 minutes

Rated R for disturbing violent content including sexual assault, strong sexuality, graphic nudity, drug use, and language

      What happens when you mix rape, murder, obsession, drugs, sex, nudity, cruelty, and a mad scientist?  The Skin I Live In.  The Skin I Live In is the new film from director Pedro Almodóvar starring Antonio Banderas and Elena Anaya.  It follows Dr. Robert Legard, a scientist whose wife was burned in an accident and because of that, he keeps a woman, Vera (Anaya), as his prisoner/patient to test making an indestructible skin for her.  And that's all I'm going to tell you.  This new film by Almodóvar is completely different and very similar to his previous films.  It is different in the respect that it is cold, calculating, and horrifying.  It has no ravishing romance as rottentomatoes.com points out.  But, this is not necessarily a bad thing as it is a bizarre and fascinating film with twists and turns.  

      In terms of the story, it is twisted, violent, disturbing, and weird; all in a good way.  The first half was interesting for me as I had no clue where it was going.  With Almodóvar's last film, Broken Embraces, he hooked me in from the start with references to his previous films, bright colors, and a compelling romance.  This one took me a bit to get into, as it was completely different in what did not seem to be a good way.  But the film kept running, until it finally exploded with a twist that turned the film into something powerful and meaningful.  The first part was completely made up for as it, too, took on another dimension.  From then on, the story was compelling and kept me fascinated up until the end.  

The story is propelled further by Alberto Iglesias' ravishing score that pulses with electric guitar chords and mystery.  This score further solidifies him in my eyes as the best living film composer.  He has scored Almodóvar's films for the past 15 years, and will most likely continue this.  I anxiously anticipate his next scores.  I normally do not look forward to film scores to be released, but I cannot wait another day for this one.

      Now for the acting.  Banderas reunited with Almodóvar for the first time in 21 years for this film and is incredible.  He plays Legard with a cold coolness that makes you feel little sympathy for him.  Through Banderas' chilling performance, one can see into the black heart of Dr. Legard and all of his complexities which, if discussed detail, would ruin the movie.  Anaya is captivating as Vera.  She hits all of the right notes in this film.  She is sexy, cold, loving, and vengeful all within scenes of one another.  Anaya was recently in Fred Cavayé's excellent Point Blank and I am excited to see what she does next.

      The production design is also fantastic, as it always is in an Almodóvar film.  In this particular film, the primary colors are cold and dark: blue, black, and grey primarily.  But, that is not to say that Almodóvar's signature red does not show anywhere.  It does in many forms including blood.

Overall, The Skin I Live In is another triumph for the world's greatest living director.  Having followed Almodóvar's films for years, it is exciting to see that with age, he has not lost his incredible talent.  Though The Skin I Live In is not the best work he has done to date, it is still an impressive and thought-provoking look at the layers beneath the visible human skin.

Just a warning: The Skin I Live In is incredibly disturbing with no less than two rape scenes, very strong language, disturbing violence, and themes that will definitely turn some off.  If you can handle this material, go see this.  If not, stay away.  Far away.  

4/4

-Joshua Handler

View with: Bad Education and Talk to Her

The Ides of March Review

The Ides of March Review

2011, 99 minutes

Rated R for pervasive language

The Ides of March is George Clooney's new film about a political campaign manager who finds out about the dirty side of politics.  Not only did Clooney act in Ides, but he directed and co-wrote it too.  I don't have a lot to say about it because there is not a whole lot to say about it.  First off, the acting was stellar.  The cast includes the likes of Ryan Gosling, George Clooney, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Paul Giamatti, Marisa Tomei, Evan Rachel Wood, Jennifer Ehle, Jeffrey Wright, and Max Minghella.  Gosling, once again, turns out an outstanding performance as the political campaign manager.  He is completely believable, as he looks comfortable in his role.  Clooney and the rest are great as always.  Giamatti is especially excellent as the Republican candidate's number two man.
But, great as the acting is, the story is uneven.  The beginning set-up is boring and slow, with no interesting content whatsoever.  Then, the whole middle portion is juicy and compelling with plot twists abound.  But, then the film ends with no punch like it should.  Great political thrillers such as All the President's Men pack a punch at the end.  Understated, but powerful.  The problem with this film is that it is not powerful, has no original message, and just doesn't take all of its plot threads and twists and tie them together.
A nice aspect of this movie, though, is the cinematography which is crisp, cool, and assured.  Also, the incredibly versatile composer Alexandre Desplat (The King's Speech, A Prophet, Fantastic Mr. Fox).
Overall, The Ides of March is a waste of a cast, but not entirely a waste of time.  It is a good, not great piece of entertainment that will likely be a hit if you see it.  But, I will say this: with the amount of talent involved, this film should have been more.

3/4
-Joshua Handler

The Descendants Review (Advanced Screening)

The Descendants Review 

2011, 115 minutes

Rated R for language including sexual references

      The Descendants is Alexander Payne's new film after a seven year hiatus from filmmaking.  Payne, director of the smash hit Oscar-winner Sideways, is known for making realistic, human dramedies.  Now this may seem cliché of independent filmmakers, which much of the time works against them, but Payne really knows how to get the right tone, reaction from his audience, and the right performances out of his actors.  And this film is no exception.  The Descendants follows a Hawaiian land baron, Matt King (George Clooney), when his wife falls into a coma and he is left to care for his two kids (played by Amara Miller and Shailene Woodly in a performance bound for an Oscar nomination).  The film hits the right tone between comedy and drama.  There are moments where you will laugh out loud and there are others where you will have tears in your eyes.  Both happened to me.

Much as I would love to elaborate on the emotions (I will later), I cannot write one more minute because I must address Clooney's performance.  This is flat-out the best work Clooney has ever done and if he does not get nominated for the Best Actor Oscar come Oscar time, I will be speechless.  In most of his films, Clooney is suave, cool, and charming.  In The Descendants he lays it all off to the side and lets raw emotions take over.  As King faces the difficult situations that any person does when they are faced with a situation such as this, he has his ups and downs.  Clooney understates his performance in many parts when King is down which benefits him greatly.  If King were too suave, he wouldn't be believable.   When hard times hit, Clooney shows it.  When happy hits, you know.  Riding the emotional ups and downs of his character,  Clooney always hits the right tone and even adds in some of his signature humor.  This is the best work he has done yet and I cannot stress how many awards he deserves for this.

      Alexander Payne, the co-writer and director of this film, should have no trouble garnering Oscar nominations for his directing and screenplay.  His work here is solid, tight, and gorgeous.  Infusing a very generic baseline story with humor and pathos, he leaves the viewer feeling for his characters and wanting to spend more time with them.  The best part of the film are the emotions that are delicately placed into the film.  Some scenes, especially one towards the end (you'll know what I'm talking about if you see it), are beyond moving and beautiful.  They will have you in tears.  Payne is on his way to becoming one of the great directors.  If he keeps up at the pace that he's going, he should be remembered in history.  

      Overall, The Descendants is a beautiful film, both in terms of visuals and story.  This is a must-see for all moviegoers and a definite Oscar contender.  I hope you enjoy this as much as I did upon its late-November release.  Please post comments below when you see this.

4/4

-Joshua Handler

Reviews Coming Soon This Week

Take Shelter
The Ides of March
The Descendants
The Artist
The Skin I Live In

Melancholia Review

Melancholia Review

2011, 130 minutes

Rated R for some graphic nudity, sexual content, and language

Melancholia is Danish provocateur Lars von Trier's (Antichrist, Breaking the Waves, Dancer in the Dark) new film starring Kirsten Dunst, Charlotte Gainsbourg and Kiefer Sutherland.  After premiering at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year, the quality of the film was overshadowed by its some comments that director von Trier made at a press conference (look that up on YouTube) which is really too bad because this film is stunning.  Melancholia follows a depressed bride's (Dunst) wedding and her family dysfunction.  It also follows a planet that is looming eerily close to crashing into the earth.  Dunst, in a career-restarting performance, won this year's Best Actress Prize at the Cannes Film Festival.  After her wooden work in the Spider-Man films, she has redeemed herself here.  As Justine, the bride, she says very little.  But, looking at her, I was able to understand her emotions.  In the opening shot of the film, she stares directly into the camera with a pained look in her face as birds fall from the sky as the world ends.  Through that one shot in super slow-motion, the sadness is evident as well as I could see that she had resigned herself to her fate (this becomes more evident in the second half of the film).  Through scenes such as this and many others, I became more and more aware of Justine's feelings and felt a connection to her.  Watching her in pain pained me.  

Charlotte Gainsbourg, Cannes Best Actress winner for von Trier's previous film Antichrist (do not see this excellent film if you cannot handle its subject matter), gives yet another amazing performance as Claire, Justine's sister, who is happily married with a husband (Sutherland) and son.  A shown in the opening sequence, she has a very different outlook on the looming apocalypse.  She wants to try to escape her fate and will not accept it.  Gainsbourg shows this not as much through her face, but more through her words.  Her nervous and pained speaking manner demonstrate her underlying nervousness about the apocalypse.  Bottom line, she is marvelous.

Aside from the acting, the story of depression is very realistic and is broken up into two parts: one part following Justine, the other, Claire.  Both stories intertwine and connect and are both fascinating as each character is well-developed and interesting.  Von Trier writes for women like no one else.  The Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar [Volver, Talk to Her, The Skin I Live In (to be reviewed next week)] is the only other to match him.  Also, the subplot about the planet, Melancholia, about to crash into the earth is a metaphor for depression, adding depth to an already dense film.
The visuals in the film are the year's best, hands down.  Every special effect looks real and the images von Trier creates are gorgeous.  One could put a frame around them and hang them.  The opening selection of slow-motion images is the best part of any film I've seen all year.  From Dunst flowing down a stream of deep greens and blues to an animated painting burning up, these images each have symbolic meaning and are the highlight of the film.  I will not say anymore about the opening so as not to ruin the surprise.  Von Trier's camerawork and visuals are also very impressive in the dramatic scenes as many are done in his signature hand-held Dogme 95 style which adds to the gritty realism of the film.
Another side comment about von Trier's genius is that unlike other apocalypse films á la 2012, he never goes into how the rest of the world reacts.  By doing this, he would have lost some narrative focus and character development/focus.  His characters are in their own world, it seems, and by not showing the rest of the world, he focuses in on his characters more.  A brilliant choice.
Overall, as one of my friends put it, this is the most humane depiction of the apocalypse that has ever been made.  Never feeling too long, rushed, or false, Melancholia is a truly original vision from one of the world's greatest directors.  From the opening, all the way to the close, he keeps the viewer with Justine and Claire.  A quick warning, though.  If you are expecting the disaster film of the year or cannot sit through a conversation-fueled drama, do not see this film.  If you enjoy art house filmmaking, this is truly it at its finest.  Melancholia is a modern masterpiece.

4/4
-Joshua Handler


View with Antichrist and Dogville.

50/50 Review

50/50 Review

2011, 99 minutes

Rated R for language throughout, sexual content, and some drug use

50/50, plain and simple, is a miracle.  This is a film about a man (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) who finds out he has cancer and his friend (Seth Rogan) and him try to get him through it.  Coming into the film, I was expecting a nice and heartwarming film that was worth the time, but nothing special.  Wow was I wrong about that.  What I got was the best film of the year so far.  Yes, I have said that multiple times, but that shows the high caliber of the fall 2011 film selection.  Drive and Tabloid had that distinction two weeks ago, but hey, a better film came along.  No, 50/50 does not have the excellent and inventive score and cinematography that Drive had, nor does it have the incredibly unusual true story that Tabloid did, but it does have more humor, realism, and most importantly heart than Drive ever had, and that is why the film won me over.  From the opening scenes where I was introduced to Levitt's mild-mannered character, Adam, and his foul-mouthed, pot-smoking, womanizing friend, Kyle, I immediately felt a connection with them and liked them.  Their normality is their charm and appeal.  This and the film's honesty are most likely due to the fact that the screenwriter, Will Reiser, based this film off of his own experiences.
Reiser's screenplay never overplays the emotions that follow cancer and it never cracks the wrong/inappropriate joke at the wrong time.  Yes, the film is raunchy, but it is raunchy in moderation, in contrast to this summer's absolutely awful Horrible Bosses. Reiser also does a great job developing all of the main characters fully, but that is not all.  He goes farther by developing the character of Adam's mom (a fascinating and heartbreaking subplot in the film), girlfriend, and therapist.  These rich and flawed characters add to the film's quirkiness and believability.  Also, Reiser's daringness to go into some deeply emotional scenes (some of the audience members at my showing were audibly crying, and I will admit I was getting teary also) adds that extra level to the story.  I hope this screenplay scores an Oscar nomination because most other films dealing with this subject and taking a comedic approach would not have been able to balance comedy and drama this masterfully.
Along with the excellent screenplay comes some wonderful performances especially from the versatile Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Inception, (500) Days of Summer).  He plays Adam with such skill that I forgot that I was watching an actor.  He moves effortlessly from some awkward male-bonding scenes to serious emotional scenes.  I don't think this will score him an Oscar nomination, but he sure deserves to be considered.  Rogan and Anna Kendrick (Up in the Air) are the film's two main co-stars who do a great job, but neither role seems like a stretch for either one of them.  Bryce Dallas Howard and Anjelica Huston also turn in some memorable performances.
Overall, 50/50 is a must-see film.  Though heart-wrenching, the wonderful sense of humor (I laughed aloud many times, a rare occurrence) and characters make this one worthwhile.  Do not let the difficult theme of cancer stop you from seeing this.  This film is a small gem that demonstrates with a little money, a great script, and some talented actors, you can make a masterpiece.

4/4
-Joshua Handler

Reviews Coming Soon

50/50
Melancholia
The Ides of March

Moneyball Review

Moneyball Review

2011, 133 minutes

Rated PG-13 for some strong language

Moneyball is the first film in six years from director Bennett Miller (Oscar-nominated director of the outstanding 2005 film, Capote), and it is one hell of a return.  This film stars Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill as two men who revolutionize baseball and save a failing team by breaking the two down into a mathematical equation and the success they achieve from it.  Moneyball works for so many reasons, first and foremost being Brad Pitt in one of the best performances of his career.  Pitt, an actor who has played many various and assorted characters ranging from a mental hospital patient to a spy married to another spy to Jesse James.  In every role he plays, he brings a certain charm and energy into the role which makes him extremely likable.  His charismatic air and ease in role always makes me curious as to how he will pull off his next role.  Of the actors in Hollywood that flood the tabloids, Pitt is the best.  And Moneyball is no exception to his fascinating career.   Working from an excellent script from Oscar-winners Steven Zallian (Schindler's List) and Aaron Sorkin (The Social Network), Pitt delivers the rapid-fire banter effortlessly.  As Billy Beane, the Oakland A's general manager, Pitt fleshes him out to make him a real person.  In one scene you see him trading players breathlessly over the phone, and in another, you see him listening to his daughter play music for him with a loving and caring look in his eyes.  In short, there are few male lead performances this year that can match Pitt's.  The only one that was more impressive was Dominic Cooper's in The Devil's Double.  

Great as Pitt was, Jonah Hill holds his own quite well playing Beane's assistant who creates the formulas that Beane uses to pick players most likely to succeed on his team.  The best moments in the film occur when he is conversing with Pitt, with the two throwing witticisms back and forth.  Hill, like Pitt, has a natural ease in this film and is an absolute pleasure to watch.  

Sorkin and Zallian's script is flat-out electrifying.  They do not focus on the game of baseball as much as the behind-the-scenes work which is a breath of fresh air considering that every other sports film focuses on the "inspirational true story" that has everyone on their feet clapping by the end.  As mentioned before, the dialogue that these two brilliant writers give their actors is ingenious and keeps the laughs coming.  They do not overplay the situations, giving the film a low-key feel.  The back-and-forth exchanges between Pitt and Hill are similar to the one between Jesse Eisenberg and Rooney Mara at the beginning of The Social Network.  With words thrown back and forth like tennis volleys, the viewer is on the edge of their seat every step of the way trying to keep up with the pace.  In one word, brilliant.

Though the acting and script were phenomenal, I did have one slight problem: the pacing.  Though the final forty minutes were some of the best that I've seen this entire year, there is a chunk in the first part that moves a little too slowly.  However, do not let me discourage you from seeing the movie with that criticism.  If you do not see it because of reading that, you are making a grave mistake.

In total, Moneyball is one of the year's best films so far.  If you go see the film for nothing but Pitt, that will be enough.  He's that good.  If you see this film, you will be delighted to find a witty, fun, and enlightening film to take your teens/sports fans to that will have you talking long after the credits roll.

3.5/4

-Joshua Handler

Drive Review

Drive Review

2011, 100 minutes

Rated R for strong brutal bloody violence, language, and some nudity

Starring Ryan Gosling and Carey Mulligan, Drive is, simply put, a work of cinematic art.  It is also the best picture of the year so far along with Tabloid.  What do these two films have in common?  They are both indie films.  And Drive shows what a great director and cast can do with the action genre indie-style.  Everything from the lighting, music (from Cliff Martinez, a name to look out for as he also did Contagion's music which was very different and original), and the camerawork is near perfect.  Danish director Nicolas Winding Refn (Cannes Best Director Winner) does a great job finding the right approach with the material.  He goes for a minimalistic style, which fits the material and Gosling's performance like a glove. 

Ryan Gosling, in another fantastic performance, plays The Driver to minimal and maximum effect.  He says (and everyone else for that matter) very few words, but the viewer knows what is going on inside him due to his facial expressions.  When conversing with Irene (Mulligan), a woman with whom he has fallen in love with, he does not say much, but we can see the love and happiness (two emotions rarely shown by The Driver in this film) flowing through him as a little smile appears on his face. 

Gosling, an actor who has shown his range of talent in films such as Lars and the Real Girl, Half Nelson, Crazy, Stupid, Love, and Blue Valentine (my #2 favorite film of 2010), demonstrates that he can still do more than already shown with The Driver.  I’m quite glad to see that he is catching on with audiences as he has had at least three film releases this year (Crazy, Stupid, Love, The Ides of March, and Drive).

Refn, a director known for his violent arthouse films, Valhalla Rising and Bronson proves that he is a director to watch out for.  In this film, he goes for lighting that evokes the softness of classic Hollywood noir and the colors of modern-day L.A.  He films everything with grace.  The action scenes, many of which are in slow motion, are extraordinarily shot and have enormous tension built up before exploding. 

Cliff Martinez’s score has a very electric feel to it along with a string of ‘80s europop songs.  These songs give the film a very European feel which suits the sleekness of the film wonderfully.  His original compositions are very simple, but convey the mood and rising tension of each scene.  They are electric and alive and greatly add to the film as a whole.

Drive’s action scenes, though few, are insanely intense due to the fact that they are very naturalistic (no blasting music, gunshots, or explosions).  One never knows when someone will be killed or seriously maimed.  Something could happen out of nowhere.  These scenes (as mentioned before) are mostly in slow motion, an effect that if overused (as in Watchmen) can become melodramatic, but if used right, as in this film can add to the overall effect.  One gets to savor the action and gets to really feel and see the savagery and violence being shown.  Though brutal, Drive’s violence feels natural as it just happens as a part of the story and no big deal is made.  The slow motion adds to the naturalistic effect as you see everything unfold as in a ballet.  One gunshot here, another there gracefully and slowly hitting the target, and then it is over.  Michael Bay needs to take a hint from Refn.

Overall, Drive is a masterpiece of modern cinema, but be warned, this film is not going to be for everyone as it essentially an arthouse film and does not have a lot of action or dialogue (as mentioned before).  It is also the most violent film (aside from The Devil's Double) that I have seen that has come out in 2011.  If you are up for a film such as this, by all means, go see it!

4/4
-Joshua Handler

Point Blank Review

Point Blank Review

2011, 84 minutes

Rated R for strong violence and language

Point Blank is a French action-thriller directed by Fred Cavayé and is 84 minutes of pure action.  Now, many films go wrong by making the film all about the action and not about the characters, but this lean, mean film is stronger and better than just about every action movie that has come out in past few months because it balances the story, characters, and action.  Point Blank is about an innocent man who goes on a hunt for his wife's kidnappers and uncovers secrets and conspiracies.  The premise for the film is pretty generic, but everything else completely makes up for it; the strongest of these being the fantastic acting by Gilles Lellouche, Elana Anaya, and Roschdy Zem.  

These three actors do a phenomenal job at making their characters come alive and not leaving them to be generic, one-dimensional characters.  They fill their roles with emotion.  Lellouche and Anaya play a couple in the film and have completely believable chemistry.  They look like ordinary people and look like friendly, normal, relatable people that you would find on the street.  In the film when they are in peril, we root for them every step of the way.  Towards the end of the film, there is an especially tense scene in which I was on the edge of my seat gripping the armrest in the theater.  This scene involved one of the main characters and seeing them in peril made me uncomfortable because I liked them so much.
The action in this film was nothing to laugh off either as it was well-filmed and appropriate as in it happened at the right time.  Action is a hard thing to film nowadays as movies keep becoming more and more generic as they try to be more and more elaborate.  In this film, the action filming is nothing special, but that is why it works.  The director didn't try too hard.  He doesn't go for the Michael Bay-all-out-action style, he uses no "shaky camera" style, and he keeps the camera in a place where the audience can discern what is going on.  This simplicity made the action thrilling.
Overall, Point Blank is one hell of an action movie that kept me interested and entertained.  Go see this if you can find it at one of your local theaters.  You won't be disappointed.

3.5/4
-Joshua Handler