Silver Linings Playbook

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I wasn’t sure what to expect going into Silver Linings Playbook, but after watching it’s going on my top ten movie list-of all times.  From the very beginning you get this sense that Pat Solitano (Bradley Cooper) is not crazy.  Sure he has serious rage problems and impulse control issues, but who isn’t crazy in their own way?  He's so good in this role.

David O. Russell has an uncanny ability to give us deeply flawed characters we can’t help but root for.  Pat is the latest.  We meet him after an eight-month stint in a mental institution.  The time away from the problems that drove him there does nothing to satiate Pat’s love for his estranged wife.  The indirect reason he went away in the first place.  He’s determined to reunite with his wife although she has a restraining order against him.

As Pat tries to find his silver lining and have any chance of a normal life, his family makes it very difficult.  His dad, Pat Sr (Robert De Niro) clearly has psychological issues of his own.  His mother Dolores (Jacki Weaver) seems at a loss as to how to make all her boys happy.  Further adding to the family turmoil is a visit from Pat’s brother, Jake (Shea Whigham), who seems to be doing very well and is a fully functioning member of society. 

After seeing his friend, Ronnie (John Ortiz), Pat gets invited to dinner.  What he doesn’t know is Ronnie’s wife Veronica (Julia Stiles) has invited her sister Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence).  We pick up on the fact that this is a set-up but it takes Pat too long to figure it out.   Pat’s inability to have a polite conversation is on full display as we find out Tiffany has experienced her own set of life circumstances that are anything but enviable.  She makes inappropriate advances when Pat walks her home but this gets him thinking.  Tiffany proceeds to “stalk” Pat in an effort to start a friendship that he at first wants no part of but later realizes could be a huge help in getting his wife back.

Everyone in the movie is amazing.  Amazing.  They all turn in performances that are heart felt and very much deserving of Oscar nominations.  One scene in particular with Cooper and De Niro is so genuinely raw it just blows you away.   Jackie Weaver is the perfect balance of presence and maternal interaction.  When she comes to pick-up Pat from the institution and they end up also giving a ride to his friend and fellow patient Danny (exceptionally brought to life by Chris Tucker), you can tell she just wants Pat to succeed.  But she doesn’t know how to help. 

Jennifer Lawrence always knocks it out of the park for me.  I love her.  In hearing that Russell wasn’t even seriously considering her for the part of Tiffany, I was floored.  I don’t know what other actress could have been more appropriate.  You fall under her spell because she’s too young to be so unsuspectingly wise.  Anupam Kher serves as a more obvious source of guidance for Pat.  Their relationship is amazing and their chemistry enjoyable. 

I rarely love a movie as much as I did Silver Linings Playbook because a lot of movies are just stories being told.  I felt these actors lived these lives and were these people.  I saw myself and my own misguided attempts at achieving normalcy in these characters actions, and I guess in some ways I hope I can come to a place where I realize we’re all just doing the best we can every day.  And that has to be enough. 

Lincoln

It must be Oscar season.  Lincoln was fantastic.  I’m not a huge Steven Spielberg fan but I love history and I love period pieces.  I also love Daniel Day-Lewis.  Give me such an all-around phenomenal movie like this, and I’m a very happy girl. 

I went in with very high expectations.  I usually try not to do that because movies rarely tend to be as good as you think they will be.  Maybe that’s just me.  Day-Lewis carries us through what could have definitely felt like a long movie if not for such good pacing.  Kudos to Spielberg for his part in that as well.  Sally Fields blows us away with her razor-tongued, mad Mary Todd Lincoln.  Scene after scene as another reputable actor bursts onto the scene you almost audible say, “He’s in this too?!?!” 

Rick Carter’s production design beautifully takes us back to 1865 when the white house was a skeleton of what we’ve come to know. Joanna Johnston’s costumes continue to solidify where and when we are in history as we watch this amazing story unfold in front of us.  Obviously we know how this story is going to end, but it is so engaging we hold out hope that time will not come.  We see the fragile family and political life Lincoln so expertly navigated.  Is there anything this man wouldn’t take up?

Tommy Lee Jones is a major standout as Thaddeus Stevens.  As the recipient of Mrs. Lincoln’s harsh words, he takes a page from her husband’s book and plays the consummate politician.  He plays his character with such knowledge and understanding that I fell in love with Mr. Jones as an actor all over again.  I believe period pieces like this are a much harder job for actors.  You better bring you’re A game or everyone is going to know if you didn’t do your homework.  Not that Joseph Gordon-Levitt was bad he was just….there. 

Gulliver McGrath’s Tad Lincoln was another standout.  The way he follows Day-Lewis in their scenes and interacts-I’m in.  Can’t wait to see what he does next.  James Spader and John Hawkes are thoroughly enjoyable.  Nearly everyone in this is a true delight to watch. 

A short review for such a long movie, but I have nothing else to say except it was very well done. 

The Master

There Will Be Blood is still my favorite Paul Thomas Anderson movie but The Master was pretty good.  At first I didn't have much of a problem with Freddie Quell (Joaquin Phoenix), but as the movie progressed I felt like I needed to separate Quell from Phoenix because the two don't belong together.  On the surface, Phoenix seems a natural fit to play the troubled, alcoholic Navy vet, but as the movie progresses I just found it hard to watch Phoenix’s interpretation of the character.  We begin with a look into what it was like to be in the Navy during WWII.  Lonely.  

The story starts strong as we are immediately tossed into the turmoil of military deployment-complete with graphic "sand women" sexual encounters.  We get to know Freddie as a possessed man who will go to any length to ingest intoxicating liquids-no matter how dangerous-but also as a very, very vulnerable soul.  When I had a hard time understanding why Lancaster Dodd (Philip Seymour Hoffman) put up with his erratic behavior and obvious vices, I thought it was because he makes a "drink" Dodd enjoys but it's also because Freddy is a child in a man's body.  Dodd immediately recognizes this and moves to both protect and manipulate Freddy simultaneously.  As the charismatic leader of what some people trust is meant to be Scientology, he sees himself as a God-like figure.  He needs to accept Freddie as is.  Love him and show him the proper way to live.

I started my separation of Freddie and Phoenix's interpretation of a brilliantly developed, multi-dimensional character when he stows away on Dodd's boat and they meet for the first time.  This is very early in the movie so prepare yourself for about two hours of crap acting from Phoenix.  As we travel around the boat and get to know others members of The Cause (Dodd’s organization), I prepared myself for something else.  I was struck by how beautiful this movie was shot.  Director of photography, Mihai Malaimare Jr., does a phenomenal job of showcasing the superbly appointed costumes and locations.  The muted colors provide a seemingly perfect filter for which we can watch this story unfold.  Malaimare’s never-ceasing camera movements lull us into a dream-like trance that is not too far off from what I would imagine Cause members feel as they go through processing.  Repeatedly answering the same questions in rapid succession in hopes of breaking through the filters we put on our own lives and hide behind when we don’t want to face reality.

 Hoffman & Amy Adams enrapture us in their world of complete, blind faith.  Much like Daniel Day-Lewis in There Will Be Blood, they are so spot on, I am in awe of their character development and commitment to roles, that would seem, they were born to play.  I won’t dwell on my dislike of Phoenix as Freddie, but I will say that he steals nearly every scene he’s in—in the worst way imaginable.  His interpretation of what I find to be an interesting and very human character just doesn’t work and comes across very forced and unnatural in delivery.  There’s a scene when Mrs. Dodd (Adams) awakens Freddie (Phoenix) and tells him he has to clean up his act after she confesses to her husband she believes Freddie, continuing on his current path, will be their undoing.  I find it ironic that Phoenix is the undoing of Freddie’s character having a fully believable interpretation in this film. 

There are definitely a few scenes that are not truly effective because I’m not sure if Anderson is alluding to some real tenet of Scientology or if he is fleshing out the precepts of The Cause.  Regardless, with all of Anderson’s movies we have been given a true onion with The Master.  I probably will not watch this movie as many times as his others that I enjoyed more completely, but it will still take a few viewings to fully grasp a story that only Anderson could tell.  I’m sad it’s so difficult for me to get past Phoenix because this really is a gorgeous movie with some outstanding performances that deserve Oscar buzz-if not hardware.

Flight

Romantic comedies :: single women as flight :: alcoholics

We go through the same thing over and over and over and over again.  At times you feel disengaged because it's just so much to consistently take.  How can one person be this self-destructive?  Bravo Mr. Zemeckis for not only bringing us into this dark, uncomfortable world, but for keeping us there for so long.  However, I feel a bit cheated (as I do with RomComs) with the ending.  For a movie that is so strong in many ways, the ending is just total crap.  There's no way that would happen. Ever.  So for the ending alone, I have to say the mark was missed.  Big time.

From the opening scene we witness a totally functioning Whip Whitaker (Denzel Washington).  The aviators help perpetuate this illusion.  We have a grown man with big responsibilities.  It's clear his demons are just as big.  But he has become incredibly good at hiding and, if called out, dismissing said demons.  The whole movie is just this build to "will he or won't he".  We observe the limits to which every relationship he has is pushed.  It's not comfortable.  But that's the point.  How many people wanted to shut this movie off?  Disregard it as too long (this was my initial gripe)?  It's because it's deeply true in the emotions it portrays and evokes from the audience.  Denzel does an amazing job keeping us in Whip's cheering section throughout the tumultuous trip.

Don Cheadle is great as the lawyer who just wants to get his client off.  He's there to clean up the problem-with no regard for the actual problem maker.  He admits to not caring, buries evidence that hurts their case and basically acts as an indirect enabler.    John Goodman plays a fantastic direct enabler.  In the final scenes when Whip calls for Harling (Goodman) you know it's going to be good.  And he delivers.  I do think it's a bit overreaching though that people are saying he should be nominated for a best supporting Oscar.  Kelly Reilly plays a perfectly dysfunctional love interest although her back story scenes and weird Crash-esque introduction to the main story felt forced.

Flight does a great job of showing us the dark depths of addiction and just how seemingly incapable some people are of turning around once that far down the rabbit hole.  I think it also shows us that every choice matters.  This small step may seem like a slight divergence from the path, but we know once the flood gates have been opened, it's much more difficult to close and return to the path.  As simple as this lesson is, and as many times as we've been told, Flight reinforces that it really is our choice alone and we will live with the repercussions forever.  However big or small that step may be.

Skyfall

Contrary to what Adele sings on the title track, this is not the end.  We get Daniel Craig for at least two more Bond movies.  That's probably for the best because I hope his last go as double 0 is a tighter production.  **SPOILERS INCLUDED

As much as I was looking forward to Skyfall, it wasn't everything I was hoping it would be.  Mostly because it was just TOO long.  I feel movies like The Dark Knight Rises gives studios this false idea that if we're paying extra for IMAX or if a movie isn't a certain length we will be disappointed.  "We paid good money to see this movie so give us more!"  I only want more if it works for the story.  Quality over quantity any day for me.  (I was a fan of The Dark Knight Rises so I'm not against long movies.  Just long movies that could have been better had they continued to purge excess script fluff.)

I totally fell for the overall story of Skyfall.  The idea of MI6 being attacked with such intimate understanding of it's structure and by someone on the "inside", it's brilliant and provides a perfectly natural transition for a few key roles in Bond's life.  Having the movie center on M's past and make her such an important part of the story only makes sense because it's her last.  However, it is overindulgent in the last 30ish minutes to the point where I actually just wanted the movie to be over already.  Once the final credits rolled, I got the warm fuzzies again because it was a fun Bond movie with plenty of nods to the Sean Connery & Roger Moore classics that I originally fell in love with, but not a movie you watch over and over.

Per usual, Ralph Fiennes is great.  So is Ben Whishaw as the new Q.  Thoroughly enjoy that casting call!  Although I would have liked to see a few more toys from that department.  Rory Kinnear puts in a solid performance as well in his return to the franchise as Tanner.  Naomie Harris strikes the perfect balance between old-timey Bond girl kitch and a more updated interpretation of Miss Moneypenny.  Personally, Javier Bardem is a little too enthusiastic in a few moments for me to fully get on board with his villain but he nails it for 95% of the movie.  (The makeup team that created his facial prosthetics hit it out of the park!)  Berenice Marlohe's ethnic ambiguity is a touch Eva Green in Casino Royale and very much enjoyable from start to finish.  She's gorgeous and I loved her.

Overall I give it a solid B.  Roger Deakins shoots the hell out of the movie so the whole thing looks great.  The locations were amazing and totally delivered.  Costumes seemed like an afterthought and a few of the cocktail dresses were not even flattering or necessarily beautiful.  Put Daniel Craig in a suit and it doesn't even have to be an expensive suit-he'll still look good.  I wonder if he still has that light blue bathing suit.....

Arbitrage

I had a platonic date with THE Drew Seeley but I made us late for our first movie choice so we decided to see Arbitrage instead.

Richard Gere & Susan Sarandon play Robert & Ellen Miller with such ease you immediately get caught up in their upper crust Manhattan world of gala checks and ignored extra-martal affairs.  Until Robert's makes him the focus of an investigation by Detective Michael Bryer (Tim Roth) that proves vaguely irritating for his character before crossing into potentially life-altering places.  Bryer persists in his quest for the truth behind a car accident that resulted in a fatality.  He believes Robert is involved but he cannot prove his theory.

Most people try to keep business and pleasure separate but in Robert's selfish pursuit of his version of a perfect life, he realizes these two worlds are not only intertwined but dependent on one another.  While trying to facilitate the sale of his curiously audit-clearing hedge fund, we find out he has had to take a few "short cuts" to make it to the top.  If nothing else, he is a man defiant in the face of certain failure and incapable of remorse or empathy, but some how he manages to charm you past these short comings, and you soon understand how he's made it to the top in such an unsavory business.  I'm not sure if the character is perfectly developed or if this is simply Mr. Gere in yet another effortless turn at humanizing an outrageous character's id.  My guess is the later.

That's about as much praise that I can heap on this movie.  It's not a bad movie but it's also not great.  The plot never really goes anywhere terribly exciting but you want it to.  And you expect it to.

I was lucky enough to read an earlier draft of writer/director Nicholas Jarecki's previous script The Informers.  He wrote the HELL out of the script.  When it was produced they ended up chopping some 40 pages to keep the budget from inflating even more than it already had and it showed in an incomprehensible story lines that never connects to any other part of the story.  It was a shame what ended up getting lobbed onto the big screen instead of what he had intended.  So maybe this vision of his got hacked also-but I doubt it because he also directed Arbitrage.

Perhaps I missed "the point" which was that the story is more about who you turn to for help when you get stuck in the stickiest of situations--rather than a fictional expose of the dark world of New York City finance.  If that's the case, they chose the wrong part of this story to focus on.  The interesting part is diving into the mind of a Wall Street megalomaniac and watching it all unravel.  Now that, I want to see.

Premium Rush

This was the most exciting movie that could have been made about a bike messenger in New York City. Anyone remember Phone Booth?  Yeah, that's what I thought....