Archive for January, 2010

January Movie Reviews

Avatar
Rated: PG-13
Starring: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang

Despite some 2D character depictions, this 3D spectacle is worth your dollars.

I must acknowledge the blue, six-legged, two-trunked elephant in the room. It’s name is Avatar and it has made 1.8 billion at the time of this writing. Is it a good movie? That answer is simple: It is a great movie. While it does have a few bad points, it has deserved every cent it grossed.

Avatar tells the story of Jake Sully, an ex-marine (Sam Worthington) recruited to participate in a scientific expedition on the alien moon of Pandora. He is given the opportunity to pilot, or inhabit, a genetically engineered version of the local sentient species called an avatar and gain back the mobility he lost while in the military. While in his avatar, he is tasked to convince the inhabitants of the planet, the Na’vi, to leave their home so that a mining venture can extract ore from beneath it.

There are two things that you must know before going into the film. First: the movie is long at a bit more than two and a half hours. Second: see it in 3-D. The pacing of the film is such that you won’t notice its length with slightly unequal parts action and drama. I’ve seen the film in 2-D and 3-D and I can confidently say that the experience is worth the extra price of admission.

The film is stunning with vibrant colors in dense jungles, sweeping expanses in flight and majestic, if floating, mountains. Even the science labs and the military base are impressive. The performances of the actors were strong with a notable mention of Zoe Saldana’s portrayal of Nytiri, Jake Sully’s guide within the Na’vi people. I was stunned to witness the aptitude of the actors playing the Na’vi and the technical teams responsible for animating their computer-generated counterpart to ultimately move the characters from ‘blue aliens’ to living, breathing people.

There has been some mention in new articles of the unfortunate two-dimensional portrayal of the military characters, the similarities between the Na’vi and the indigenous people of our own history, and the resonance of historical events on Earth. While these things may exist, they do not detract from the experience of the film as a sweeping journey, a coming of age story, and as a study in the technical marvel of film. I encourage all viewers to attend the film with an open mind and ridiculous 3-D glasses.

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
Rated: PG-13
Starring: Heath Ledger, Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell, Jude Law, Christopher Plummer

Stunning visuals and blazing performances saves the sometimes hard to follow narrative.

When Doctor Parnassus (Christopher Plummer), a millennia-old monk turned circus mentalist, is confronted with the loss of his daughter, he employs the aid of the wily Tony (Heath Ledger) to help him win a wager with the devil (Tom Waits). That’s the simple version of the plot of the film, but the actual experience involves mythology, psychology, and Burton-ology.

The film is good. Good in the sense that you might find yourself on a lazy Sunday flipping through cable channels, read the synopsis and think “Hmm, that looks good.” Not good in the sense that it is a must-see spectacle. The performances by the actors are very well done with the adversarial/strange camaraderie between Doctor Parnassus and Mr. Nick (read: the devil) are some of the best scenes in the film. The environment and sets are also well imagined. A great deal of the mundane portion of the story occurs in a horse-drawn traveling stage that invokes imaginings of old-style circuses and traveling shows. The fantastical portions of the film, which occur in the titular Imaginarium, are vibrant and whimsical with a hint of Burton-style sinister.

While the settings and performances proved the strong points of the film, the storytelling seems to be its weak point. The story of Doctor Parnassus is a strange, twisted thing that wasn’t given enough screen time for the audience to fully grasp the scope of his ability and, ultimately, the intensity of his sorrow. Additionally, the Imaginarium itself was vaguely explained and it isn’t until the later half of the film that it is fully explained. It felt as if there was a great deal missing from the film that could have made it far better than what was experienced.

I must note that this was Heath Ledger’s last role in a film. He passed away midway through filming, but had completed all, or mostly all, of the mundane scenes. In the fantastical scenes, he is replaced by Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell, and Jude Law in some of the most inspired plot explanation that I’ve seen in a while. Watching them give their own interpretation of the character of Tony was well worth the price of a matinee.

Sherlock Holmes
Rated: PG-13
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Rachel McAdams, Mark Strong

This gritty, well-paced action-mystery does the titular character justice.

I like mystery. I like action. I like Sherlock Holmes. If you are like me, you’ll find that a combination of these things would seem antithetical as it pertains to the common portrayal of the great detective. Usually portrayed as a bookish, monocled, pipe-smoking, English gentleman, Robert Downey Jr.’s Holmes is a refreshing re-imagining of a man so brilliant as to very nearly be a super-man.

The plot is simple: Lord Blackwood (Mark Strong) comes back from the dead to terrorize London. Frankly, that’s all beside the point. The point is: the film opens with Sherlock Holmes kicking a guard’s proverbial butt with such efficiency that one wonders what else he’s capable of. Fortunately for us, the film proceeds to show us how excellent a detective Holmes is.

Beyond the detective work, the film also shows us the human side of Holmes. He is condescending, sometimes callous, and socially awkward. More than that, though, we see the pain one experiences from having such a powerful intellect. We also see the fine line that Holmes walks between genius and madness. To this end, his companion, Dr. John Watson (Jude Law) provides the understanding foil to Holmes’ genius, focusing him and supporting him through his eccentricities.

The environment and color of the film skews toward a darker, grittier London while still touching on the grandeur of the privileged in certain scenes. The plot is complicated with new twists and turns added at an even, steady pace. There is action, martial arts, and a very, very large explosion, things that other Holmes films had reduced to simple fires and running after a shadowy figure down a dark alley. This is today’s Sherlock Holmes.

The film leaves me with positive feelings about the future of the Holmes franchise and Downey’s career.

This gritty, well-paced action-mystery does the titular character justice.

The List

The List

I bought some notecards yesterday with the intention of doing some story-boarding but today all I ended up doing was writing a list of all the things I’m doing in my life outside of work. All of my projects that I’ve either started or intend to start this year. It’s a little disheartening. Some of these things I’ve been working on for years. A book I’m trying to write has been percolating in my mind for nearly seven years.

Seven years.

What the hell am I waiting for? For someone who has never read my work to plop a contract on my desk and say “Write, and I shall pay you!” Well, yes. But the thing is, rationally, I know that this is not how the world works. I know I have to actually write something to put up and publish and send out and do the leg-work of getting it published. I know this, but I am stuck in the mentality of ‘it will just happen’.

So, In December,  I said that I wanted to do things ten days at a time. That was to be my New Year’s resolution. That didn’t really come to fruition. Mostly because I forgot about it. Also, because I didn’t find anything compelling about it. Okay, sure, the prospect of having something actually done is amazing, but, then again, I’m a lazy bastard.

Sigh.

There are so many things that I want to do and I find myself lost in the details and work of it all. At this point I’m suspending the ten day goal until I can fully understand what it is that goes through my mind.

Mood: Frustrated.

–

PS – I think I just lost all of my posts from my old blog.

Mood: Extremely Frustrated.

Weather Economics and Magery, Part 1

It wasn’t the first time someone spat on me but it was the first time blood accompanied it. I reached into a drawer of my desk, retrieved a handkerchief and wiped the spittle that had punctuated Jenna Hawthorne’s statement from my cheek. Across from me Hawthorne glared, as if to bore a hole through my skull with her hatred. That, too, was not a new sentiment. I tossed the tissue into the trash then leaned back in my chair to regard her.

“I don’t consider myself a villain, an evil person or an asshole,” I replied, keeping my voice soft, slowing the pace of my words. She was angry and I found at times like these a slow, even tone was required. “I am a businessman, Miss Hawthorne. I deal with industrial technologies, not human lives. Certain news media outlets would suggest otherwise, but…” I trailed off and and watched as her cheeks flushed with fury. In a way, it was somewhat amusing – for me at least. “Now, what would lead you to believe that I am, in any way, evil?”

“You sold your soul to the devil for power and wealth,” she hissed. There was such fury behind the statement that she trembled. I tell my employees that stress kills and I bring in expensive speakers and motivators to make sure that they have the tools available to them to keep the stress in their lives low. I worried about the young woman’s heart.

I would like to state that I hated this office. The desk was some sort of mahogany monstrosity and the walls covered with a rather useless bit of art. There were pieces of non-functional things everywhere. Behind me, a wide expanse of rolling green which gave way to the Chesapeake in the distance. There were no other buildings between my view and the water and the roads that cut through the forest was only noticeable by the subtle gaps in forest foliage. I had to turn around to view it, of course and I found this particularly irksome. What is the use of a beautiful view that cannot be seen while working? Aside from that, the office was far too large. The interior designer I’d hired said that it conveyed power and intimidation.

I’d just wanted someplace to do my work.

This devil accusation was such a part of my life – every interview, every conversation – that to bring it up to me, even now, causes my mind to wander. Better that, I suppose, than cutting back with an inappropriate response. “Contrary to popular belief perpetuated by the media: as far as I know, I still have my soul. With that aside, I think it’s important that we focus on the issue at hand. Why did you try to kill me?”

Her plan, I gathered later from videotape and records, had been to infiltrate the administration and get close enough to shoot or stab me. She’d been working in the company to that end for three years. She’d been at the company picnic that past summer. She sat before me wearing a dark power suit – the type that women wear that simply results in them looking overstuffed and awkward. Her hair, which had come loose in struggle with security, hung around her face in pale strands.

“Central Africa,” she said.

And of course I knew where the conversation was headed, and retrieved a disk from another drawer. “There’s drought in Africa, hundreds of thousands are dying and you’re doing nothing.” She tensed and I could see the conviction in her eyes. If she hadn’t been restrained, I would not have been over surprised if she tried to attack me. Again.

I twirled the crystal flattened sphere of the computer disk and set it on the desk. It spun slowly, casting prysmatic shards of light about the office. A particularly bright shaft of light hit me in the eye. I didn’t appreciate that. “I donate millions to the affected areas of the world, Miss Hawthorne.”

“But you can do more,” she shot back. “Damn you, Valentine, you’re a fucking mage!”

I raised a hand as the disk’s spin increased. It threw light upwards into the air above the desk and displayed a shimmering sphere, Earth. “These are the affected areas, yes?” I pointed out, then steepled my fingers. “This is a basic weather simulator. Change the weather in any part of the planet and move forward. Say 50 years. Oh, yes, sorry.” I released her from her invisible bonds.

Hawthorne glared at me for several long seconds and, again I thought she might leap the two meter wide desk to tackle me. She worked her arms tentatively. Finally, her eyes swept up to the globe and she reached out a hand. I watched as she manipulated data and rainfall, watching the consequences with a quiet, seething rage. She grew more frustrated with each passing moment as the world would not relent to her will.

I raised a hand and took the controls from her, manipulating data. “If I were to divert and direct reasonable weather to Central Africa.” The area of the world pulsed a bright blue. “As time wore on,” I set the timeline in motion, I’d done this before. “Monsoon season in Asia is brutal. Hurricane season everywhere else is stronger. Trillions of dollars in damages, hundreds of thousands dead, drowned.” The areas indicated darkened.

“You can’t put a price on human lives,” she began hotly. I could see that she didn’t want to believe me or the computer. Doubtless she thought this a trick or ruse.

“With water diverted, other parts of the world face drought. More dead. The Atlantic and Pacific oceanic current engines will be disrupted. Jet streams realigned. The world’s weather in chaos,” great swaths of the globe dimmed until only the narrow band of Central Africa remained alight. “Ten billion men and women over fifty years. The end of human civilization. Given the choice, Miss Hawthorne, would you make that decision?”

I watched her eyes, they still resisted, did not believe. I offered her a smile when we were interrupted by a gentle tone from my desk’s telephone. “Excuse me.” I pressed the intercom button and the chipper, over excited voice of my intern-assistant piped through the speakers, “Mr. Valentine, the police are here for Miss Hawthorne.”

“Thank you, Charlene. Send them in.”

As they bore her away, she stared at the globe. The narrow strip of light slowly dimmed as they timeline below the holographic globe progressed. It was a scenario I had been through on my own countless times. There was little I could do that the people could not do themselves. Hence the reason for my yearly eight figure donations. I couldn’t put a price on human life, misery or death, but hopefully some of my money could help.

There were far more dangerous issues that I had to handle.

As the door shut behind the police and Hawthorne, a demon sat in the chair that Hawthorne had just vacated, staring at the globe.

Return top

Switch to our mobile site