Get Low Film Review

I’ve let this film simmer in the back of my head since I saw it with Troy and Nicole on Saturday.  When I came into the theater, I did not have very high expectations nor low expectations.  I figured this would be an average film that would entertain but not wow.

The film follows Felix Bush as he nears death and decides to throw a funeral for himself… while he’s still alive.  Along the way, he wrestles with the demons of his past that have forced him into living life as a hermit for 40 years.

I suppose the most immediate thing I noticed is that the acting in this film is above par.  Robert Duvall plays a stick-to-his-guns man with a mystery in the character of Felix Bush.  Obviously, this is the most captivating performance and holds the film together.  You’re never quite sure what is running through the character’s mind at any moment except that he doesn’t take bullshit.  His soliloquy at the end may end up nabbing him an Oscar nod.  It is both moving and subjective.

Bill Murray’s Frank Quinn acts as the near opposite of Felix.  He seeks his opportunity to capitalize on Felix’s half-death.  He is, at times, a very loyal man, but he’s also almost always working an angle.  Murray has mastered the feat of hinting at subtle humor in small facial gestures and light tonality changes.  He provides an excellent mirror to Felix’s character.

Lucas Black also puts in a good performance as Frank Quinn’s assistant at the funeral home.  He seems to be the one closest to unraveling the enigma that is Felix Bush.  However, at times, I didn’t feel like he was completely there while others felt like he was giving it all (in a good way).

The film brings up some interesting ideas and ways of living.  One thing to remember throughout is what the tagline states, “A True Tall Tale.”  The phrase contradicts itself.  While the audience is lead to believe that the stories told within the film are true through subjective points of view and flashbacks, it is important to keep in mind that truth may not be what it seems to be.

In a similar vein, it is interesting to note Bill Cobb’s Reverend Charlie Jackson.  Here is a black preacher in a position of authority (the only man Felix Bush seems to trust) under the setting of sometime in the 20s-30s.  No mention or note is brought to his blackness.  In this sense, the film fictionalizes the setting of Tennessee where, in that time period, Charlie Jackson would not be in such a position of power.  I enjoy that the film takes this stance.  It moves the film further from the truth, but I do not believe it is idealizing history for the sake of being politically correct for modern times.  I believe the film uses this tweak to history to its advantage, and it pays off.

Overall, I believe that the film ultimately suffers from lackluster cinematography.  No shots really wow.  In fact, it was easy to predict what shot would be used during each scene.  The film presents very interesting ideas about truth and fiction with great performances, but it suffers from the technical work of filmmaking.

I would like to inch towards 4 stars, but my mind keeps on coming back to 3.5.

NOTE: Since making this review, I learned that the movie is loosely based after a true story.  I believe this just throws in a whole other layer of complexity to this intriguing story.

Secret Pleasures #11: Mogwai and Pygmy Tarsiers

Did you see the title and was completely baffled?  Or were you a cool kid and actually knew what one was, maybe both?  Well, ever heard of Gremlins?  The movie not the imaginary creatures that steal your homework.  Mogwais are the animals that if feed after midnight or exposed to water turn into gremlins.  However, unlike their evil counterparts Mogwai are sooooo cute.

Gizmo the sweet Mogwai.

Though not exactly lifelike Mogwai (specifically the one named Gizmo in the film) easily charm hearts.  Though as a child I refused to watch Gremlins because it was scary I loved Gizmo and wanted to have him as a pet (which sort of happened since I have a cat named Gizmo).  But, sadly all I could find was a stuffed animal…until now.

Actually, it’s more like two years ago…

An animal thought to be extinct was found in Indonesian forests and it just happens to be a real life Mogwai.

Called a Pygmy Tarsier this primate/lemur fits in the palm of your hand and is furry with big eyes (aka adorable).  If possible I’d get one right away as a pet.

I’m one of those people that unless it’s a cat I don’t really like looking at a ton of pictures of animals.  It’s not that I don’t think they’re cute I’m just not the fawning type.  However, the Pygmy Tarsier is not only cute but also fufills my childhood dream of owning a Mogwai; therefore, I can look at it’s pictures over and over.

My Secret Pleasure: seeing cute fictional animals become real

Agora Review

Alright, I just came fresh off the movie theater experience on this one.  So, my opinions are still a little brash, but more heartfelt.

First off, I am glad that I saw this for free.

Second off, Wow, are those Pagans, Christians, and Jews super angry or what?

Agora follows the philosopher Hypatia during the midst of the Christian takeover of the Roman Empire in Alexandria.  Alexandria plays a strong role in the film as the melting pot of many different religions and beliefs and slaves; Egyption hieroglyphics are right next to Roman statues.  The film primarily studies the conflict between (changing) relgion(s) and science.

I suppose that the primary metaphor and quest for Hypatia throughout the film is her trying to reason out if the sun revolves around the earth, vis versa, and how.  Circles and their perfection continue to arise as the dominant imagery which are then added to by the ellipse.

The standout performance I would say is Max Minghella as the slave then Christian, Davus.  He reminds me of a younger, miniature version of Mark Ruffalo.  Still, his performance is sullied by the constant shots of him looking around worried.  They grow to be quite tiresome.

Rachel Weisz does her best as Hypatia, but I suppose her past performance as Evie in The Mummy sort of soured this one for me.  The entire time, I kept on thinking of Imhotep bursting out in all of his glory.  Either way, all of her lines seemed to be tainted by her not really believing what the character is always saying.  When she’s trying to be the smart, distressed women that no one will listen to as she philosphizzzes it up, she just does not seem in the groove of things.  When the small moments are abound, she handles them gracefully.

On that note, there are not that many small moments to be had.  The film is basically split up with Philosophy-Anger-ATTACK-Repercussion-Philosophy-Anger-ATTACK-Repercussion and so on.  There’s far too much yelling in this film, and, quite frankly, when there is violence it really just does not look real.  This is emphasized during the bird’s-eye-view shots over the battlefield when all of the extras are play acting with stabbing each other in that tight space between your arm and your side.

Overall, the film struggles under the weight of being historical fiction/biography that is fraught with religious stereotypes, false endings, and too many Google Earth effects.

Super HeroiHOT #23: Agent 355

A picture's worth a thousand... bullets

Alright… So, I geeked out a little over the weekend and read all 60 issues of Y: The Last Man.  You know, no biggie.  In a comic that is entirely filled with women (excluding one man and his male monkey counterpart), tons of female characters worth review are to be expected.  However, there’s one badass chica that really stands out amongst the others, and that’s Agent 355.

APPEARANCE:

Ready to bring it... or some other lame but equally (badass) appropriate phrase

Agent 355 does not fancy it up with her dress code.  You know, being part of that whole secret sect of the government thing sort of has its downsides in fashion.  Nevertheless, 355 makes black look damn good.  Sure, it’s her prevailing color and she doesn’t really change up the clothing that much, but at least it’s practical.

Just doing this makes you look good

The atypical clothes that 355 sports is jeans or some other work/travelling pants with a white or off collar shirt (usually long sleeve) and a black, leather jacket over the top.  You have to give her some leeway, though.  I mean, she has to travel lightly since they travel all over the world to… oh, save it from dying out since there’s only one man left.

What I really like in the series is that it takes place over a 5 year period.  According to the progression, it seems like 355 does not get her hair cut during that time.  So, it’s really neat – and rare – for a comic to have a gradually changing look to one of the characters.  Plus, most of the time, she just looks really badass.

Nevertheless, excluding that she doesn’t have room to pack and she’s a government agent, she doesn’t really dress all that amazingly.  It’s practical (yet again, that comes up), but it doesn’t fully work.  I personally enjoy the moments between action where she can let loose and be a little more informal in style.

Appearance: 6/10

PERSONALITY:

No really... Have you?

355 definitely falls under the government hardass category.  However, it’s those little moments that are injected with subtle tidbits of humor or raw emotion that come up here and there that really makes this character so goddamn likable.  In the end, the reader realizes that despite all of the programmed attitude and badass killing, 355 may just be the most human character in the comic.  When she tells Yorrick (the lead and last male) her name, it means something to us even if we can’t here it.

The hints at humor completely break up the character making her more than the stereotypical badass killer (usually reserved for white men, mind you).

Or moments where you realize that she isn’t just a killing machine.  She does have regrets.  She does have feelings.  She is human.  Sure, her mission is to protect Yorrick and restore the whole planet so it can keep living, and she never loses sight of it.  But, that does not mean she cannot examine the means that she uses to achieve that goal; the terrible things she has to do to other humans for the sake of all of mankind.

Plus, she can just be really insightful.  How do you reread and reexamine the political statement behind Lennon’s “Woman is the Nigger of the World” song in a (fictional) reality where the earth is populated (nearly) strictly by women.

Things they hate

Granted, I feel like there would not be as much of an examination or glimpse at 355′s character if it were not for Yorrick.  He’s the one that makes all of the quips and seems to be the exhausting, troublemaking, child that needs to be babysat.  However, through all of his faults, he still manages to get 355 to open up.  So, his importance must be noted.

Overall, 355′s personality may not be fully apparent at first, but the little moments along the way make her out to be one of the most likable characters to be created.

Personality: 10/10

SUPER POWERS:

GOOOOAAAAALLLLL!!!

When I said that Agent 355 was a badass, I meant, “Agent 355 is a motherfuckin badass.”

First off, she has no superpowers.  So, that instantly scores big (in case you hadn’t noticed, I tend to favor the more “realistic” characters).

Second off, she belongs to a secret organization known as The Culper Ring that has been serving the President for years.  Yes, this is like Chuck Norris’ The President’s Man but with women… and more badass… and no lame montages.

Can someone yell "BRUTAL!" aloud for us?

I suppose what’s really awesome about 355 is that she’s succinct.  All of the action is brief because she only does what is necessary to remove the threat against her and her party.

Fightin those ninjas

Plus, her weapon of choice is a collapsible baton.  That’s just fuckin’ sweet.

Being trained by the government sure has its advantages in the whole martial arts, gunslingin’, weaponry fields.  And, it sure as hell shows.

Not only that, 355′s tactics are incredibly skilled.  She’s smart and resourceful with her fighting.  All of this nets her a perfect score.

Super Powers: 10/10

SECRET IDENTITY:

With her bare hands

Brian K. Vaughan does something ingenious throughout the entire comic: he never reveals Agent 355′s real name.  Sure, right near the end she whispers it to Yorrick, but the reader is never let in on it.  In one of the issues that examines 355′s backstory, we do get to see a lot of who she was before the Culper Ring.

She lost both of her parents at a young age and ended up getting in some scraps in the foster business.  Eventually, her attitude and naturally skill netted her the Culper Ring job.  Since that point, she has lived her job.

The best thing about her secret identity is that it remains a secret.

Secret Identity: 9/10

ADDITIONAL ITEMS:

One of those wonderful little character quirks that Vaughan throws in is that, throughout the 5 year period the comic primarily explores, the reader is given glimpses of Agent 355… knitting.  You find out what it turns into at the end, and it is a beautifully rendered section.  Nevertheless, SHE’S KNITTING AND AN ASSASSIN!  That’s just awesome.

And yes, she does use her knitting needles at one point as a weapon, in case you were wondering.

+2

GRAND TOTAL:

37/40
or
92.5%

Yet again, we get a high scorer who, quite frankly, deserves a lot of cred.  On top of that, Vaughan and artist Pia Guerra deserve a lot of cred for crafting such a memorable character.  Other writers in the mainstream (even if this was DC Imprint Vertigo) really should take a look at how many awesome female characters that are positively shown with a great amount of variance this comic has.  It’s a standout in the world of comics.

I mean, if you had a comic where 99.9% of your available cast was female, how would you make them all have distinct voices?

You betchya

Secret Pleasures #10: Using Laser Pointers to Successfully Retard my Cat

Alright, so you’ve just spent 5 hours cleaning the house, you’re tired. You finally sit down to pick up your book and have a sit with your beloved Catman(or woman). Everything is in its place to the perfection of the gods. All the books in place, pots on shelves, dishes on racks. You’re ready to relax.

But as soon as you settle down, the clock strikes the dreaded 3:33, and the once sleeping cat (who’s been napping all day) has awoken, and for some strange reason, as you look at him from across the room you can’t help but think you’ve just seen a tint of red in his normally bright blue eyes.

Did you see that?

And then the floor cracks open as the flames of hell arise to wake the beast lying on the rug. And he’s off on a daily rampage that tears your perfectly place home to pieces, as he jumps on shelves, breaks all your plants, slides across your record player to scratch your favorite album, knocks all the pictures off the wall and rips through the trash with a voracity that has no equal!

Tacgnol: Destroyer of Worlds

This is how most days go.

However, I do have a solution to this. Just as he rushes back into the bedroom to gnaw on a few of my books I whip out the only sufficient weapon I own, the laser pointer. This is a useful tool to use up all of his excess energy before he moves on to crawling up the screens of the windows. And he loves it. I makes him run up walls and pace the floors in patient wait of his one great foe. I use this tool so that he gets so tired that he eventually has to fall down where he stands so that I can actually have that one relaxing moment left in my day.

But I think the best part of this tool is when I run the laser pointer in circles around the cat to the point in which he simply can’t walk anymore and has no choice but to fall down, eyes crossed on the floor in a deep sleep that will be sure to knock him out for a good couple hours. His will is, at last, mine to control. And I love it. If only this worked on humans.

Wait a minute... I've found it.

Scott Pilgrim Round Two

Alright, I couldn’t resist and saw Scott Pilgrim in theaters again.  Let me remind you, double viewing happens RARELY for me.  Last time that happened was for The Dark Knight, and that was mostly because my parents paid for it the second time.

So, what did little Mr. Elliott focus on this time.

1.) Once again, I found the editing to be spectacular.  Very self-aware and compelling.

2.) I paid a lot of attention to the lighting the whole time.  Nothing completely unconventional here, but it does some interesting things for focusing on the characters.  Plus, there were a lot of filler lights to smooth out shadows.  This may be to mimic some of the shading in the comic (which is fantastic).

3.) I did have some issues with the make-up.  I found that many of the girls were a little too caked up.  I suppose there are two ways to view this in relation to the source material: 1. They’re trying to gloss over the idea version of these characters in terms of perfection in comics and videogames.  2. They should have kept the small imperfections to aim for more of the emotional “real” side of the story.

Anyway, the final consensus is once again that it’s worth watching.  It survived a second scrutiny, and I really just want to tear apart a couple scenes shot by shot…  oh yeah(?).

Click here for the original review!

Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World: Review

Let’s start this off with a “Yes, I have read the books” and a “Yes, I am a fanboy who actually accepts others’ interpretations rather than being a dick about staying true to the original”.

In that case, I’m pretty damn pleased with Scott Pilgrim.  It, like the comics, will more than likely become an underground hit in the same vein of The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou or even Wright’s other film Shaun of the Dead.  It will more than likely grow on people over time and the people who loved it the first time will gobble it up for repeat viewings.  Hell, there are so many easter eggs and pop culture references (I found myself chuckling when the audience was silent), that would take days to dissect.

What I found most interesting was Edgar Wright’s use of eyeline and fake-out crosscuts to set a pace primarily in the beginning of the film.  Eyelines are something generally unnoticed by viewing audiences and it works on a subconscious level.  An eyeline is when a character looks left and the following cut shows us what they are looking at to the left of them.  Wright sutures eyelines into the film to cross between completely different scenes making the scenes fluid and transitory between each other rather than definitive.  It takes a lot of ingenuity to pull this technique off effectively in a new and fresh way, and I really respect him for it.

On that note, it must also be said about the obvious technique of blending images and text.  Obviously, seeing a “WOOMPH” or “Click!” on screen is a complete throwback to the comics.  (Speaking of which, was the meta-textual “the comics are totally better than the movie” quote made by Brian Lee O’Malley (the creator of Scott Pilgrim) making a cameo?).  This technique, I can honestly say, has almost never been used before in film.  And, it is a damn awesome technique.  Mind you, it was soured a little by an audience member above my sister and I trying to be clever and read every goddamn thing that was on screen wittily aloud to his girlfriend.  Nevertheless, the text worked incredibly well mixed in with the screen, and I found it not distracting at all.  Sure, sometimes they blinked a little too fast off the screen, but that just means you’ll catch something new next time… and, really, it matched the pace of the film.

I found the acting to be pretty spot on and witty.  You could tell that everyone had fun with their characters.  It was overacted, naturally, but that worked well.  This is a movie that seriously took itself not so seriously.  With such a large cast, it’s a surprise that so many of the characters stood out from each other without being complete stereotypes.  The film bathed itself in its comic book and videogame roots to burst into an oozing, gooey flower of sensory overload.

I suppose one issue that I had was that Scott is adorable, annoying, and you don’t always root for him.  SO, they got Scott spot on.  But, Ramona’s super mysteriousness never really erases itself and it seems like she has ulterior motives the whole time.  Therefore, Ramona isn’t very likeable.  If a director’s cut of the film comes out, I wouldn’t be surprised if that was slightly modified, but still.  I heard some groans from the audience with the decision at the end.  So, that sort of tacked the film back a bit.

The last battle confused me a bit until I realized “oh yeah, that’s what happens in videogames… which I should have known considering all of the times that has happened to me”.

Overall, Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World is a movie worth seeing, if only for the vibrancy and freshness on the screen (without ascribing itself to the terror that is 3D).  Sure, it missed things from the comics which are worth a read within themselves.  But, I’m okay with that because it crafted itself into a pleasurable, fun film which is hard to ask from most films today.

Because I couldn’t believe that I liked the movie so much, I went and saw it again.  Check out the Review Round Two.

The Extra Man: Review

The tagline for The Extra Man is “A Sexless Comedy.” At first, this seems to be quite a joke… but it’s not.

Now, that doesn’t mean that the movie completely ignores sex, it just makes sex an action that isn’t necessary or fulfilling for life.  Therefore, you can enjoy life through the finer things aside from carnal love making.

I suppose the biggest issue I have with the film is that it tried too hard.  Every character has a quirk and every character is handicapped in some way.  Whether this may be through sexual orientation, the physical body (appearance and the inner workings), financial means, or any other affliction.  This may just be an overly honest portrayal of mankind or a push for more comedy.  Either way, it did not feel right.

The film follows the young Louis Ives (Paul Dano) after he has been asked to leave a professorship in New Jersey.  He moves to Manhattan, and he begins working at a green magazine company at which he accidentally eats ribs for lunch in front of vegans.  Along the way, he must find housing.  This is when he meets the charming enigma that is Henry Harrison (Kevin Kline) who lives the finer life by enjoying dinners and aristocratic events with older woman.  He is cheap but acts high and mighty while having an affection for Christmas balls.

Louis Ives deals with conflicts over his sexuality while Henry Harrison aims to regain the adoration of Millionairesses and reclaim a room in Palm Springs.

The film does have its pleasant moments, but they do not override the nagging elbow in the side humor.  It is shot with a nod to films from far-back generations through its use of circle fade-outs/ins and the occasional sepia tone.  The shots come off as simple to possibly enhance the quirky plot.  In the end, it seems like the plot is more of a distraction to the filmmaking than the style is to the plot.

The film is lackluster and not very memorable.  There’s really no fingers to point at anyone in particular, and the film just has an overall “meh” feeling to it.

Oh, I almost forgot.  Katie Holmes annoyed the fuck out of me.

The Walking Dead #76: Review

I’ll keep this general and brief.

The Walking Dead is worthy of its Eisner Award for Best Continuing Series.  I am glad to pick up each issue month-to-month.  Sure, I could save money if I collected the trades.  And yes, I could probably be more likely to loan things out (although, I have had too many bad experiences with this practice) with a trade.  The problem is: I chomp (pun!) each issue up and cannot wait for the next bit of story.  It’s too good to wait for the trades.  Plus, the waiting is part of the fun and almost reflects a lot of the comics nature.

Anyway, this issue picks up from the surprise at the end of last with Michonne.  Rick flipped and now has to deal with the repercussions… though, they may not all be bad.  The characters come to grips with their past actions.  The next big confrontation is hinted at.  And Rick then answers the telephone.

Art = fantastic.

Overall: near perfection.

But seriously, people.  Read this comic.  Hell, the trades are even in public libraries!  You don’t have to catch up to where the series is currently at to understand and enjoy it.

Sercret Pleasures #9: Microwave Staring

Microwaves happen to be one of the best devices ever invented.  The whole science behind them is pretty fascinating – getting water molecules to dance – and it provides instant gratification.  Plus, microwaves are great to blow up with fireworks.  However, as cool as blowing stuff up is microwaves are also highly entertaining in their day to day business.

Microwave happiness.

Good microwaves have two things: 1) a turn table and 2) circle mesh on the door.

When food is cooking it’s almost hypnotizing to stare through the circle mesh door and view the turning food on the inside.  It goes round and round and round and round.  It’s hard to take your eyes off it.  Plus, not being able to see the entire item (because of the mesh) makes your eyes go in and out of focus.

If you like to play games when staring through the microwave try closing your eyes alternately.  Not only does your focus go even more out of control but the item inside looks both hazy and sparkly.

Why spend extra money on a TV when you can experience the thrill of a normal microwave?

The soft hum (maybe not so soft if your microwave sucks) of the microwave combined with the turning and eye tricks make the microwave even more addicting.  When your food’s done it’s almost sad.   But the mini psychedelic drug trip and relaxing hypnosis is meant to be short lived.  Any longer and you might get a head ache.

Best things to watch in microwave:

1. Water – whether it’s plain water or water used to cook mac ‘n cheese it’s fun to watch it bubble

2. Butter - it’s melts instantaneously and proceeds to crack and splatter like liquid fireworks

3. Marshmallows – they get so big!

If you want some momentary entertainment then go cook some food in the microwave.  You won’t be dissapointed.

My Secret Pleasure: being hypnotized by an everyday appliance