REVOLUTION (2012)

Everyone should see this.  Canadian environmentalist and filmmaker Rob Stewart (SHARKWATER) has created an important documentary that is at the same time a plea for action to save the human race.  I saw this at VIFF last year and Stewart was at the screening and hearing him speak was very inspiring.  Here is a man who is desperate to spark a change, and ultimately a revolution, about how we live our lives.  Fundamental shifts in perception need to be made for humans to go on living the lifestyles that we want.  And even that has to change.  Our dependence on fossil fuels, on consuming material goods, and chasing the so-called (North) "American Dream" of having a house with a picket fence and a car and a family and a dog need to be re-examined.  And it is urgent.

Stewart's film is beautiful.  It follows him around the world as he examines certain case studies of how climate change, deforestification, and the acidification of the oceans is affecting certain species, and also highlighting how it will affect us humans.  (The lemurs in Madagascar are incredible!) This film is about saving us.  Stewart realized that he had to bring it home to the humans, because the only way people will react is by realizing themselves how these issues will directly impact them.  His goal is to have 1 billion people see this film.  No matter what your stance is on climate change, you should see this film.  What is the worst that can happen?

TO THE WONDER (2012/2013)

Terrence Malick is on a roll!  Both in the quality of films, but almost more importantly, in his output!  Malick is a renowned recluse, and in the past has gone for years, decades even, between releasing films.  He is a perfectionist, and Hollywood seems to have realized that it needs to give the man the time and space to create his art.  Since the release of TREE OF LIFE, which baffled some and dazzled many, most notable most of the celebrated critics, Malick has stepped up his production, and in fact already has this film, TO THE WONDER, coming out in wide release this year.  A quick search on IMDb shows that along with TO THE WONDER, 2013 will also bring KNIGHT OF CUPS and an "Unnamed Terence Malick project," as well as in 2014's VOYAGE IN TIME.  So here's hoping that with Malick's newfound productivity, the quality will remain on par!  I'm not sure what I can add to this powerful and moving trailer.  It is full of beautiful imagery, transcendental music and words, and featuring characters experiencing passion, love, and existential crises. In other words, a Terence Malick film.  Sign me up.

THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES (2013) Trailer

While I'm posting about Ryan Gosling, I may as well post this trailer.  Looks interesting!  Lots of great talent involved.  The trailer just keeps on revealing talented people!  Gosling is re-teaming with writer/director Derek Cianfrance (BLUE VALENTINE), who is a very talented filmmaker.  I'm sure this will be gut-wrenchingly emotional, beautiful, and slightly dreamy.  Wouldn't be surprised if Grizzly Bear showed up on the soundtrack either.  What more can I say?  Looks good!  I'm hearing good buzz about it too.

ONLY GOD FORGIVES (2013) Trailer

"A Bangkok police lieutenant and a gangster settle their differences in a Thai-boxing match."



Drive 2?  Not that there's anything wrong with that.  I'm in!

SIGHTSEERS (2012)

Directed by: Ben Wheatley.
Written by: Alice Lowe, Steve Oram, and Amy Jump.  
Starring: Alice Lowe, Steve Oram

Dark, dark, dark.  But quite funny.  But soooo dark.  Those are the two adjectives I would use to describe Ben Wheatley's SIGHTSEERS, a black comedy about two seemingly normal people on holiday that takes a dark turn.  Chris and Tina, who after being together for a few months, decide to go caravanning and see the endless tourist traps of middle England.  The mood is set eerily when Chris, a pleasant enough man with a massive ginger beard picks up Tina from her mother's house.  The mother, a woman who is either desperate for attention, or suffering from dementia, or perhaps a little of both, is immediately suspicious of Chris.  Does she get a strange feeling from him or is she just angry that he is taking her daughter away from her?  But off they go anyways, and we quickly realize that Chris has a temper, and there is something much more profound and menacing going on beneath his cold eyes and red Gortex jacket.  Despite his temper, we never fear for Tina.  She has an innocence and a naivety that will protect her through the whole trip.  They're also "in love" and Chris will do anything to "protect" her.  Even a random murder.  And so goes SIGHTSEERS.  If you watch the trailer you will realize I am not spoiling the film by telling you that Chris and Tina commit a few casual murders as they make their way from historic Tram line to Druid stone circle to Pencil Museum, along the way meeting unfriendly and callous people who only stoke the dark furnace that burns within Chris.

If pressed for more adjectives I would add beautiful, melancholy, eerie, moving, and sad.  Firstly, the cinematography is gorgeous.  The landscape, as manicured as rural England is, is beautifully shot with many cutaways to geological features, weather, streams, and plants.  Much of it reflects how our characters feel; lonely, lost, confused.  Roiling storm clouds reflect their inner minds.  They stare down into the swirling foam of a slowly moving stream before Chris says he can't look at it anymore, why?  Because it reminds him how lost and confused he is?  Because he can't make sense of what he sees?  By the time we reach the climax, they have made their way through lush southern England up into the northern Highlands and park their caravan precariously on the edge of a shale cliff.  They've truly gone into a cold and hostile place, far from any other human contact.  And this is why the film is melancholy.  Despite their normal exteriors, both Chris and Tina are deeply problematic.  Both, surely, have undiagnosed issues, and have dangerously found enablers in each other.  Chris says he is taking a sabbatical and wants to write a book, and Tina is his muse.  But what form of inspiration will this muse inspire in him?  On top of being misunderstood, Chris seems to be an anachronism, a man out of his own time.  A slow motion shot of him yelling and holding a wooden club above his head seems to be a direct reference to a shot from the prologue of 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY: apes discover they can use tools to conquer their enemies, and one screams victoriously upon vanquishing a rival.  Chris, big red beard and all, either belongs in prehistoric or middle ages as some sort of primal brute, both for his nonchalant use of violence, but also his simple and undeveloped mind, which swings between moods as much as a young child's does who does not get what he wants.

Ben Wheatley previously directed the critically acclaimed KILL LIST (2011), which I have never worked up the courage to see.  Apparently, it is quite the mystery story, but with splashes of terrifying violence, and a twist ending to give you nightmares for weeks.  I was apprehensive about watching SIGHTSEERS, but if you have seen any of Edgar Wright's films (who is an executive producer on this film) such as SHAUN OF THE DEAD or HOT FUZZ it is more along those lines of humour and violence, with an extra layer of eeriness.

On the whole, I'm not sure I would recommend this film to everyone, but I think most people can take some enjoyment from it.  It certainly is a very dark comedy, and if you have the stomach for some flashes of DRIVE-style gore, then the payoff is a strange, often funny, and beautiful holiday around the countryside with two in-love misfits with a penchant for a bit of the ultraviolence.

One Man's Opinion: Roger Ebert (1942-2013)

I was incredibly saddened to hear of Roger Ebert's death today. It's a strange feeling to be upset about the death of someone I have never met. Like many others, I'm sure, I felt I had a connection with Ebert. I had never personally interacted with the man, but I felt his voice was mine, that he was able to say the things I wasn't able to articulate. Ironic, considering he was no longer able to physically speak. But that tragedy on his part was a boon for many online readers such as myself. Before cancer took his lower jaw, I followed him casually. I enjoyed his review show with Richard Roeper. But after losing his voice, Ebert took to the Internet with passion and intensity. He found new ways to connect to an even wider audience through his website and blog, Facebook, and Twitter. Not only was he able to publish film reviews on his site, he commented, reblogged, and posted links to a myriad of subjects that interested him. And this allowed a further look into the mind of a man who spoke his opinion, who was unapologetic about his views, and who had interesting things to say about film, modern media, and the world in general.

The true connection I formed came through his writing. Ebert found a balance between educated journalist and blue-collar commentator. His writing is accessible, funny, informed, and honest. He did not hesitate to praise or trash a film, and always had evidence and an informed opinion to back it up. One thing I learned was to write about how a movie makes you feel. His writing also taught me to see movies as they were. It is obviously pointless to compare an action-adventure film with an art-house picture. Instead, consider: was a film able to add or say something new, or was it just following a formula? Does it give you something? Does it, if temporarily, allow you to forget about the world outside the movie theatre? Does it hold a mirror up to your own life? To society? I have tried to apply some of these ideas to this very blog. I have also learned a lot from his books, from both his extremely earnest and enlightening memoir "Life Itself," as well as his "Great Movies" collection, which are packed with essays about movies he has loved over the years. Prolific writing like his, about how great and transformative movie medium can be, is an inspiration for my own writing. A few months before he died, I wrote him an email thanking him for his work. I will never know if he ever read that message, but I am glad I tried. I will truly miss this man's perspective.

THE HIT (1984)

Directed by Stephen Frears.

Starring: John Hurt, Terence Stamp, Tim Roth, Laura Del Sol

Do you ever read about a film, see its poster, see its DVD cover, like the time period it was made and set, like the genre, like the director, like the actors, like the plot premise, and then hope that it lives up to what you think it is?  Well, I did for this movie, and ... it did!  It was everything I expected it to be -- and I mean that in the best way possible.  There's nothing worse (in the film world) than seeing a trailer, or watching a clip of a movie, or even just reading about it, and getting very excited and then are promptly let down!  That to me is very deflating.  There is that old saying "don't meet your heroes" -- lest you be disappointed.  But yes, to put it simply, THE HIT was great and I loved it.

Terence Stamp is Willie, an ex-criminal who, ten years after turning informer on his old crime partners, is living a simple but happy life in rural Spain.  One day he is kidnapped and handed over to two hit men who have to come finish the job on him for his betrayal.  Expecting that this would one day happen, Willie has an enlightened view on his mortality.  This perplexes the young and rambunctious Myron (Tim Roth), and intrigues his boss, the cold career hit man Braddock (John Hurt).  The three of them set off for France to bring Willie to meet his old partners -- and his maker.

It is a beautiful and stylish road film where the three men -- plus an attractive young Spanish woman they bring along with them -- get to know one another, and test each others limits.  The hit men cannot understand Willie's perspective, and his cool attitude about his approaching execution.  He doesn't flee when he has a chance, and he makes no attempt to steal their weapons.  He is calm, collected, and composed.  The naive Myron is a loose cannon; he likes women, beer, and violence.  The experienced Braddock is weary; he has done this too many times.  You can see on his face that he has seen a lot of death.  You can also see his envy -- and admiration -- of Willie's enlightenment. 

The cinematography is gorgeous.  The barren Spanish countryside is a perfect setting for such a destitute group of people to travel through.  Like our characters, we often see the car from an extreme distance, very impersonally and isolated.  Just a small white vehicle tracing a line across the landscape, creating a tail of dust to be blown away in the wind.

Frears' actors are cast perfectly.  Terence Stamp is perfect as Willie; his slightly mischievous face hints that he might have a secret plan of some sort, but it is also a worldly face, of someone whose intelligence goes much deeper than he lets on.  John Hurt is also perfectly suited for Braddock.  His creased face (even when he was young he looked old), and slightly sad eyes (often covered by sunglasses) belie a regretful resignation that this is all his life is, one filled with violence and death.  And Tim Roth -- a very young Tim Roth -- works amazingly as a wild young man with bleached hair and without a care in the world aside from his pistol, his next beer, and getting his thousand pounds at the end of the job.

If you think you might like this film, you probably will.  I'm creating a list of my favorite crime films from the 1970s and 1980s and this definitely sits near the top of that list.  Frears is an accomplished and skilled director.  He knows how to use style in an effective way that doesn't draw too much attention to itself, but enough that it informs the subject matter and characters.  Well recommended!

Criterion has a gorgeous DVD of it out now (also a clip after the jump).  I borrowed mine from the local library (I requested it over a year ago!).  I'm hoping Criterion will put out a Blu-ray of it some time too.

LINK: "40 Critically Acclaimed But Little Seen Should-be Classics"

Here's a link to a little list someone has put together about some old films that are critically acclaimed, but are forgotten.  I assumed I would have seen more than one of them, but no, I had seen only Jean-Pierre Melville's LE DEUXIEME SOUFFLE, which is also one of my favorite films!  That being said I certainly recognized a handful of them.  But if nothing else, this list underlines a point that I have been trying to make with this blog, and that is that there is a virtually bottomless supply of wonderful movies out there!  We live in a world that creates many thousands of films each year, and have been doing it for well over a century.  While this list might be a little obscure for the layperson, even for myself as a cinephile, it is a great reminder to keep one's eyes open.  If you are reading this, then you probably have an interest in film.  Do yourself a favour and go to the library and borrow films, read sites like Criterion.com (or this blog!) for ideas, or go to a film festival.  There's so much out there!

40 Critically Acclaimed But Little Seen Should-be Classics

GREGORY CREWDSON: BRIEF ENCOUNTER (2012)

An upcoming documentary about American contemporary photographer Gregory Crewdson.  I'm not familiar with his work, but as a photographer, film maker, and film lover, I am interested to see this!  Crewdson's photographs appear to be highly cinematic, in their rigorous attention to detail, composition, and story.  I have read some criticism of his work as vapid, obvious, and superficial, but again, not knowing his work, I cannot say myself how I feel.  What does intrigue me, is how his photos might trigger something in me, like an idea, or the germ of a story to be teased out.  The nature of photography leads it to being a starting off point, the genesis of a discussion or a thought for the viewer, and despite what criticism there is out there about Crewdson's work as being only skin deep, if it gets one thinking, acting, or re-acting, then more power to him.  I think I will seek out this film.  I have seen several interesting documentaries about photographers, like WAR PHOTOGRAPHER and ANNIE LEIBOVITZ: LIFE THROUGH A LENS, and being a photographer myself, it is always interesting seeing how those at the top of the medium work.

Gregory Crewdson: Brief Encounters Trailer from Benjamin Shapiro on Vimeo.

BADLANDS (1973)

I was just watching one of the real estate videos that I shot last week, and the stock music my editor chose to overlay on the soundtrack totally reminded me of the xylophone music from this wonderful Terrence Malick film from 1973, BADLANDS.  I watched this when I was in school several times, and if I do recall, had to do a sequence analysis on a section of it for a final exam.

Anyways, it is certainly high time that I rewatch this, as it is a beautiful film.  This is also Malick's debut feature film.  The trailer below basically gives you the plot line.  Also the music I'm referring to is in there too.  Take a look!  And then go rent it!