Big Fish

Well, today is Ewan McGregor's birthday, according to IMDB.com, so as a birthday gift to the talented Mr. McGregor, I thought I would review maybe my favorite film that he appears in, "Big Fish".

Big Fish is a 2003 movie directed by the ever-creative Tim Burton. It tells the story of a young man, played by Billy Crudup, who has never really been able to connect with his father due to the wild tall tales the older man claims he lived through. His father, played by an eccentrically, wonderful Albert Finney, is now on his death bed. Desperate to understand his father's life before he dies, the film follows the son going back over his father's various stories one last time. The movie then shows the viewer the tall tales with McGregor as the younger version of Finney. We see the father's version of his life as the son attempts to discover the truth behind the fairy tale.

This movie has a lot of heart, and the typically wild Burton imagination that make it a pleasure to watch. Cameos from such fine character actors as Steve Buscemi, Danny DeVito, and Helena Bonham Carter (Burton's wife for those of you who don't know), populate the film with interesting people as we, along with Crudup, try to discern where the fantasy ends and real life begins. The real heart of this film however lies along the father - son relationship, and despite some moments that are mildly difficult to swallow, overall it is very well done. A special commendation for Ewan McGregor as he plays a role that is mostly fantasy right to the hilt and makes us believe in this larger than life character, which is all the more important as we see Finney on his death bed.

A great family movie that ponders the importance of family, the fleeting nature of truth, and the immense amount of pleasure that can be found in fiction. Definitely one you should rent.

24/30

March Madness

I know this is supposed to be a movie blog and everything, but my favorite team and alma mater is making its second consecutive trip to the final four this week. Yes my Michigan State Spartans are back, and I had to throw them a little love. Tom Izzo is two wins away from his second title. He is an icon in East Lansing. No way he leaves for Oregon next year. Go Green! Go White!

Now some other links for you.

1. Interesting interview with The Godfather's James Caan on his new website.

2. The latest on the next X-Men film.

3. Ben Child discusses "Kick-Ass" and the world of comic-book films.

4. Tim Burton's next project, an update of Disney's Sleeping Beauty, has an big name reported in connection with it.

Repo Men

After seeing this sci-fi thriller adapted from the novel, "The Repossession Mambo", it took me a while to formulate my thoughts. I couldn't really decide how I felt about it. Released just a few weeks ago, "Repo Men", not to be confused with the 1985 cult hit "Repo Man", follows Jude Law through a dystopian futuristic set that looks eerily similar to "Blade Runner". Law and Forest Whitaker star as best buddies working for a greedy and soulless corporation known as the Union. The Union builds artificial organs and then charges exorbitant interest rates making sure that just about everyone is unable to pay. This is where Law and Whitaker come in. As repo men, their job is to reclaim the Union property, which they do several times during the movie in particularly gruesome fashion. After an accident, Law has a heart replacement put in and can no longer perform on the job. Predictably he falls behind on his payments, and the Union sends best bud Whitaker after Law to reclaim his heart. What happens after that however is anything but predictable.

The direction by Miguel Sapochnik is average, if a little frenetic. The acting is solid and benefits tremendously from an appearence by Liev Schreiber as Law and Whitaker's cynical boss. The plot makes an effort to draw some comparisons to the real world. It seems to be making a statement on the current housing markets, and of course the health care debate, but it never really succeeds on that level. The film was not well received by critics and thanks to its extreme gore, has not done all that well at the box office. Yet I can't completely condemn it. "Repo Men" is uptempo, and entertaining. It has a twist you will have trouble spotting, and creates a complete, if hard to believe, sci-fi world. Final verdict... its ok.

18/30

Some links and such

Hey guys, I'll get to the Repo Men review in a minute. First a few links to some news stories from around the world of movies.

1. Rhys Ifans talks about "Greenberg" and the upcoming "Harry Potter".

2. Cinematical discusses the possibilities of a "24" feature-length film.

3. Roger Ebert reviews the hilarious looking "Hot Tub Time Machine".

4. Empire magazine talks about the potential reunion between director David Cronenberg and Viggo Mortensen.

Forest Whitaker as Louis Armstrong

A bit of film news for you today. According to Collider.com the Louis Armstrong biopic appears to be a go, which is good news for me. Forest Whitaker is going to direct and star in the film and after having tremendously enjoyed "Bird", his biopic of Charlie Parker, it is evident that the man has an appreciation for jazz. The film is currently titled "What a Wonderful World". In honor of that, a little later this weekend I will post my review on the brand new "Repo Men" that Forest appears in. So stay tuned.

Jaws

This 1975 film by Steven Spielberg is well known for being the original summer blockbuster. It is based of the wildly popular novel "Jaws" by Peter Benchley, who also co-wrote the script (and has a small cameo in the film as a TV reporter). "Jaws" was nominated for 4 Oscars including Best Picture. It lost Best Picture (to the terrific "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest"), but won in the other three categories, including the 2nd Oscar win for composer John Williams. It stars Roy Scheider as skittish, civic-minded police Chief Martin Brody in one of the great "average guy" performances. Richard Dreyfuss provides much of the film's humor as a wealthy shark expert named Hooper, and Robert Shaw, in one of his last appearances, as the incomparable Quint.

The plot is simple. A giant killer shark shows up out of nowhere to terrorize a New England town during the tourist season. After some scares that might keep you out of the water for a while and some political wrangling with the mayor of the town, the chief of police, a shark expert, and a local fisherman set out to try to kill the shark.

The film is fast-paced, technically challenging and innovative, and knows its purpose is simply to entertain. For the film nerds out there, this movie has tons of film trivia hidden inside (not to mention other movies referencing it). For instance, the technique of using the camera as the shark was a desperate solution to the film crew's inability to get the mechanical shark (or as the crew called it, "Bruce") working. Spielberg was forced to shoot from the shark's point of view, providing some of the more chilling moments of the movie.

The real strength of Jaws however, is the chemistry between the three leads. Brody, Hooper, and Quint evolve and play off of each other, the more isolated they become. Much of the animus between Shaw and Dreyfuss was rumored to be more than acting. While that may be true, it lead to some wonderful moments between the two. A night scene in the cabin of Quint's boat is outstanding as all three actors run through a variety of topics and emotions, playing off each other with ease. Robert Shaw in this scene alone is worth the price of admission.

All in all, an excellent film. There are no deep themes or symbolism, and there are some minor editing flaws, but it is a relentlessly entertaining reminder that movies are first and foremost a way to tell a darn good yarn. One of my favorites.

28/30

Basics

OK, before we get to the movie goodness, lets lay down some ground rules. I will rate movies on a completely arbitrary 30 point scale, scientifically developed by one Ben Keedy and myself . This is my blog so I don't really have to justify it. I watch all kinds of movies, from foreign, to horror, to drama. I always try to keep an open mind, although I have trouble with some romantic comedies. I will try to include links and photos for your viewing pleasure. Hope you like it.

First things first

hello world,
I am the newest blogger around. My name is Adam and I really enjoy movies. So I figured I would regale you with some of my thoughts on films new and old. Starting soon, I will begin posting, and I hope you will begin reading (and enjoying). Feel free to comment on my movies, or to provide suggestions on future reviews.

Thanks for tuning in