Carol (7/10): Haynes delivers a subtle and stylistic period piece

¨I don't know what I want. How could I know what I want if I say yes to everything?¨

Todd Haynes´s critically acclaimed film adaptation of Patricia Highsmith´s novel (The Price of Salt) is without a doubt very stylish. It is a love story between two women who fall for each other at first sight, although it avoids all the common cliches in the romantic genre. Mostly because the script says very little and everything is told through nonverbal expressions such as glances and touches. It is very restrained and sets the mood very early on transporting the audience to the 50´s thanks to a carefully crafted production and costume design. What´s more impressive is that it does so effortlessly. Carol is a restrained film, but one that Haynes has absolute control over setting the mood from the very first scene. I wasn´t won over by this film as most everyone else seems to be, but I can understand the praise for Hayne´s direction. What I do want to point out is how influential the score of this film is; it truly is something special and it plays a huge role in setting the mood. It is one of the best scores I´ve heard in a film this year. 

The film centers on a store clerk named Therese Belivet (Rooney Mara)  who doesn´t seem to know what direction she wants to take in life. Her passion seems to be photography and that is what she enjoys doing. Her life changes unexpectedly when she encounters an older woman named Carol (Cate Blanchett) who stops by the store one evening to buy a Christmas gift for her child. The two exchange glances at each other and after a few minutes Carol shows up at the register and starts a conversation with her. Carol is currently going through a divorce from Harge (Kyle Chandler), and is in a custody battle for her child. Harge begins discrediting her morality after he discovers her interest in women and uses that to his advantage, but Carol is a determined mother.  Therese quickly bonds with Carol, but at the same time she realizes her love could affect her custody battle. 

Carol wasn´t nominated for Best Picture as many critics were expecting, but it has received six Oscar nominations. Ironically, Cate Blanchett was nominated in the best actress in a leading role category despite having less screen time than Rooney Mara who was nominated in the supporting category. It doesn´t make much sense, but it has increased Rooney´s chances for winning considering Brie Larson is almost a lock to win for her lead performance in The Room. The other nominations for Carol include Best Score, Best Cinematography, and Best Adapted Screenplay which are all deserving. The film stands out without a doubt for its stylistic direction from Haynes and wonderful performances from Blanchett and Rooney, but above all for its mesmerizing score. 

Pan (4/10): All visuals, but no heart

“If you don't believe, Peter, then neither will they.”

It seems that every decade there is a new attempt at bringing Peter Pan back to life wether it be a reimagining of the classic tale or a prequel. This time it was Joe Wright’s turn to give us an origin story of Peter Pan and how he arrived at Neverland. The concept seemed pretty interesting considering Pan is such a fascinating character, and Joe Wright who delivered solid films like Pride and Prejudice and Atonement seemed to be the perfect man for the job. That is why Pan was among my most anticipated films of the year, although that anticipation began to wear down once the first reviews starting coming in. The visuals are quite mesmerizing, but the problem with Pan has more to do with the narrative structure of the film. Pan is such a lovable character, but here he seems to lack that charm that made kids fall in love with his childish and wacky behavior. This Pan seems more mature and not very mischievous. He is in search of his mother and is trying to find meaning to his existence. But that approach sort of takes the fun out of his character. However, the choice of including Hook as an ally was pretty engaging. I liked that element of the story, but that was about it. Hook and Pan have a solid relationship in the film, but it never takes center stage and the action scenes kind of eclipse any attempt of establishing these characters. Hugh Jackman rarely works for me as a villain since he seems to go over the top with these characters at times. Blackbeard was not the exception for Jackman. Rooney Mara seemed like the perfect choice for Tiger Lily, but her character is never given much opportunity in the film and I thought it was a waste of talent. Pan seemed to have all the right ingredients to become a success but from the moment Peter arrives at Neverland to the sound of miners chanting Nirvana’s Smells Like Teen Spirit, all the magic disappeared. 

I wouldn’t blame the film’s lack of heart on its cast because I thought there were some strong performances. Levi Miller did a good job playing the title character, but the problem is that this Peter simply wasn’t childish and lively as the ones we are used to seeing him in. Adeel Akhtar was given the task of playing Sam Smiegel and in my opinion his character was the closest to the cartoon. Of course here Hook is playing Peter’s friend so he is nothing like we are used to seeing. Garret Hedlund gives the best performance of the film and I think that his character would’ve been a more fascinating character study. We could have used more of his origin story and then explore reasons as to why he ultimately became the Hook we all know. The cast and the visuals were all very satisfactory, but the narrative elements are what ultimately hurt this film and didn’t allow it to take off the way I would’ve wanted it to. Pan was definitely a disappointment for me, and it just goes to prove how difficult it is to bring Neverland to life. I’m in the minority here, but I think that Spielberg’s Hook is the best adaptation of the story. Watch that instead. 

Trash (7/10): An upbeat version of City of God, albeit not as raw.

“Anyone who touches that wallet; I want them dead.”

Ever since his feature film debut in 2000, Billy Elliot, Stephen Daldry’s movies have either been nominated for Best Picture or for Best Director. He followed up the success of Billy Elliot with The Hours, The Reader, and Extremely Loud Incredibly Close. His latest film, Trash, which takes place in Brazil and is almost entirely in Portuguese, ends his Oscar nomination streak (although it was nominated for the Bafta Awards), but it does borrow some common themes from most of his past works. The lead characters are children and the story has an upbeat message despite the subject matter. The screenplay was adapted by Richard Curtis from Andy Mulligan’s 2010 novel and some may find some plot similarities between this film and Meirelles’s City of God, although Trash is much more upbeat and less raw. The three lead characters played by children are extremely charismatic and despite not being professional actors they carry the movie. Perhaps my greatest complaint is that given the subject matter the film doesn’t seem raw enough. These characters live off the trash dump but the film looks too impeccable and clean. It’s just a minor complaint because for the most part I was entertained with the story, but it doesn’t come close to reaching the rawness of City of God. 

The film opens with a man on the run from police authorities. Jose Angelo (Wagner Moura, who international audiences may recognize from Elite Squad) has hidden something and the police seem desperate to locate it. As they close in on him Jose spots a garbage truck and tosses his wallet towards it before he is captured. Frederico (Selton Mello) apprehends Jose and begins torturing him for information on what they are looking for. In the next scene we follow the waste truck as it is dumping the trash and several people gather around it looking for food or anything useful. A twelve year old kid named Raphael (Rickson Tevez) finds the wallet which contains some money and a special key. He holds on to it and tells his best friend Gardo (Eduardo Luis) about his discovery. They have no idea what the key opens so they decide to tell another of their friends about the mystery. Rato (Gabriel Weinstein), who lives in the sewers knows exactly what the key is for and he wants to split the findings with them so he joins the adventure. Things gets complicated however when Frederico arrives at the dumping site and offers a reward for anyone who finds the wallet. From that point on the kids don’t only have to try to solve the mystery, but try to avoid being caught by the police in the process. 

The plot involving the key may seem similar to Daldry’s previous film, Extremely Loud Incredibly Close, which focuses on a kid trying to discover what the key opens across New York City, but in this case we discover it pretty early on in the film, but the discovery leads to more mystery and thrills. The three lead characters are much more charismatic and the film delivers several funny moments. It is an engaging thriller that gradually build the suspense, but unfortunately the ending is a bit far fetched and stretched out. Martin Sheen and Rooney Mara have supporting performances as he plays Father Julliard and she an English teacher named Olivia who is doing volunteer work. Both end up involved in the case when they decide to help the kids out in different ways. Despite these familiar faces, the true stars of the film are Tevez, Luis, and Weinstein who bring a lot of charisma and innocence to the story. The film’s message is heavy handed as it is a social cry against political corruption and it is juxtaposed against these innocent children who feel like they are being crushed by the unfair system. The film never feels raw enough to convey that strong emotional message, but it is presented in such a way that feels upbeat and entertaining nonetheless. Trash is worth a watch for the performances of these young actors and the gorgeous cinematography capturing the beauty of Brazil. There are also some very interesting and well filmed chase sequences that help build the overall suspense and thrills that the film delivers. 

My Review: Ain't Them Bodies Saints (7/10)

"Every day I wake up thinking today's the day I'm gonna see you. And one of those days, it will be so."

David Lowery's Ain't Them Bodies Saints was one of my most anticipated films of 2013 after hearing about it in the Sundance Film Festival, but one I never got around to watching until now. Despite having a predictable story, the film was appealing thanks to the strong cast and beautiful cinematography which helped establish a unique lyrical mood to an otherwise familiar tale of love on the run. The script is also well written despite a slow build up, but it includes poetic moments as well that made this feel like a Terrence Malick film at times. The dialogue blended perfectly with the beautiful photographed scenes in the Texas fields which gave the film a more romantic tone. I enjoyed the slow build up and the poetic moments which never hurt the actual pacing of the film. David Lowery has proved with his work here that he is a director we should keep our eyes on. The film is visually stunning and that is what elevates it from other similar films.

The film takes place in the Texas Hill Country during the 70's where we are introduced to a young couple, Bob Muldoon (Casey Affleck) and Ruth Guthrie (Rooney Mara), who are deeply in love. They also happen to be bank robbers who find themselves caught up in the middle of a gunfight with the police. Ruth wounds one of the officer's, Patrick Wheeler (Ben Foster), but Bob takes the blame after they end up surrendering. Bob is sentenced to several years in prison, while Ruth who was pregnant at the time is set free. In prison, Bob writes to Ruth almost at a daily basis worrying about their newborn daughter and promising them that they will soon be reunited. Skerritt (Keith Carradine), the man who had raised Ruth and Bob when they were young kids, gives Ruth a nice house where she can settle and raise her baby. After four years in prison, Bob escapes and tries to return to Ruth to fulfill his promise to her, but the police are searching all over for him. He finds a place to hide out at his friend's, Sweetie's (Nate Parker) bar and writes to Ruth letting her know he will come for her and his daughter, but Skerritt knows that this might endanger the girls lives so he warns Bob to stay away. The question is whether or not the young couple can resist staying away from each other for their daughter's sake.

A lot of credit for the success of this film has to be given to the cast. Rooney Mara and Casey Affleck give convincing performances and share a lot of chemistry together. If there was no chemistry between them the entire romantic drama would've fallen flat because much of the story relies on their connection. Their characters are sympathetic and we are drawn to them as an audience. The supporting turn from Ben Foster and Keith Carradine also adds more depth to the film because they all want the best for Ruth and her daughter. The story is told through their emotions more than through their words and that is what makes this film stand out from other romantic dramas with a similar premise. Ain't Them Bodies Saints is a visually satisfying experience with powerful performances and an engaging climax at the end. 

My Review: Her (8/10)

"She's not just a computer."

Her is a beautiful and melancholic film written and directed by Spike Jonze which benefits from a wonderful and sweet performance from Joaquin Phoenix (who goes through a 180 degree transformation from his disturbed and troubling character in The Master to this sympathetic one) and one of the best voice performances I've seen on screen from Scarlett Johansson. I wonder if this film would've worked without her considering that Samantha Morton was originally the voice of Samantha, and only during the editing process did Jonze feel something was missing and decided to recast Johansson. In a film like Her where the need for connection is vital, Jonze found it between Phoenix and Johansson creating a believable and unique love story. It is a touching film that the audience can identify with because it deals with universal themes such as trying to move on from past relationships that we thought would last forever and the void that's left from it. Phoenix captures that melancholy perfectly through his facial expressions contrasted with those flashback scenes where he seemed blissfuly in love. This need for connection is perfectly represented in this film, which also manages to introduce a social commentary as to where we seem to be heading with all the technological advances. The sci-fi elements work really well because we definitely seem to be heading towards this futuristic world and Jonze blends those elements with this beautiful and sad love story. Her is philosophical at times and despite turning into a pretty much standard love story halfway through the film it still manages to be a great meditation on our need as humans for establishing connections (and they no longer need to be human connections). Her is a genuinely nostalgic romantic film that manages to touch its audience and speak to the heart.

The story centers on Theodore (Joaquin Phoenix) a letter writer who's been separated from his wife Catherine (Rooney Mara) for an year, but still hasn't found the strength to sign the divorce papers. He is very good at his job as he excels at expressing feelings through letters, but he's not doing so well at managing his own feelings around others. He is rather lonely and spends most of his time playing video games when he's not at work. He does have a very close friendship with his neighbors, Amy (Amy Adams) and Charles (Matt Letscher), especially with Amy as they both seem to share a sort of brother sisterly kind of love. His life turns around when he purchases a new artificially intelligent operating system, OS1, and immediately connects with Samantha (Scarlett Johansson), the voice behind the system. As they continue to spend more time together they begin falling in love with each other which excites Theodore because he's starting to feel alive again, but at the same time fills him with doubts and fears as he's conflicted about having a relationship with an operating system. Samantha also begins to grow intellectually as she experiences new things and is capable of having human emotions. Their unconventional love is what's explored in this film as the two connect and bond with each other.

Jonze has crafted a very unique and original story which I found to be a great psychological study on human relations. I wish I would've connected more with this film as I've found it to be on most of my friends top 10 lists for best films of the year, and despite liking this film quite a bit it still didn't manage to make my list. The premise is very interesting and Jonze directs this film masterfully, but I couldn't help and feel that halfway through the film it does become a rather conventional love story (at times it felt like a normal long distance relationship) with some familiar trials that couples go through. I actually never felt a true connection in their relationship until a key moment near the end of the film and that is where I really bought their love story. The elements I connected the most with where the nostalgic feelings of lost love as we got to see some interesting flashbacks between Theodore and Catherine. I also loved the score of this film, the music was lovely and touching. I also enjoyed the social commentary quite a bit which never felt forced. The scene where Theodore is worried about how he will be perceived by his friends for having a relationship like this and how relieved he is when Amy approves is proof that we not only seek connections in life, but we also search for social approval. It's a clever and melancholic film and one that we can all come out of experiencing something completely different (and that is a good thing).

My Review: Side Effects (7/10)

¨Depression is the inability to construct a future.¨

Side Effects is said to be Steven Soderbergh´s last film, but I expect him to come back from retirement sometime in the near future. If he decides this is really going to be his last film then he will go out with a good resume, although I wouldn’t consider Side Effects among his best works, which are Traffic, Ocean´s Eleven, and Out of Sight, but it still is a strong film to go out with it. I actually enjoyed Contagion and Magic Mike more than I did this, but the variety of films that Soderbergh has directed is proof of what a versatile director he really is. His films are all very different from each other and even Side Effects takes a tremendous turn halfway through the movie proving what a great director Soderbergh can be. The movie begins as sort of this drama about pharmaceuticals and depression, but at the midway point it transforms itself completely to a provocative suspenseful thriller. This is not an easy task, but Soderbergh manages to make the transition masterfully. I had a hard time with the pace of the first part of the film, but your patience is really rewarded through the second part where the film picks up completely and has you second guessing everyone´s intentions. None of the characters in this film are likeable, they are all morally ambiguous but somehow we care for what happens to them. My only complaint would have to be that Channing Tatum´s character doesn’t get much depth, but the film really doesn’t focus on him so it is ok. His role could have been played by a nobody and it would have been pretty much the same thing. This is probably one of his weakest performances as of late. Rooney Mara, Jude Law, and Catherine Zeta Jones on the other hand give very strong performances and have us siding for each one of them at different times. This is something only Soderbergh could have pulled off, completely switching the genre of the film halfway through the movie.

This is one of those films that fortunately the trailer doesn’t give away much and that the less you know about the plot the better because the twists are really rewarding. I will describe the plot as brief as possible without giving anything away. Emily Taylor (Rooney Mara) had her world turned upside down when her husband Martin (played by Channing Tatum) was imprisoned for some kind of financial fraud. He was imprisoned for four years and he is finally being released. Emily is trying her best to adapt and make the transition back to her normal life after having decided to wait for him, but she´s finding it very difficult to deal with and is suffering from some sort of severe depression. One day she tries to commit suicide by smashing her vehicle into a concrete wall. She ends up in the hospital being treated for mild injuries and Dr. Jonathan Banks (Jude Law) treats her and makes a psychological evaluation. He decides to let Emily return home after she promises to continue treatment with him several times a week. During the days that follow, Emily continues to struggle with depression and Dr. Banks begins testing some new medication on her since she is struggling with the side effects. He also decides to set an interview with Dr. Victoria Siebert (Catherine Zeta Jones), Emily´s former shrink who treated her during Martin´s time in jail. Somehow Emily begins to experience some strange side effects and something goes terribly wrong putting both Emily and Dr. Banks’ life in the public eye.  

Side Effects may suffer from a very slow opening, but it does get better once the suspense begins. I loved the way in which Soderbergh suck me into the film and had me second guessing everything that was going on. That was what made this film enjoyable because I was prepared to stop watching when we got to the midway point. Jude Law and Rooney Mara were both superb in this film; they gave strong performances and had good characters to work with. The screenplay was also really well written with some great dialogues and fun twists. It was written by Scott Z. Burns who had worked with Steven in the past (Contagion and The Informant). He also is responsible for adapting the screenplay for The Bourne Ultimatum. His filmography is proof of what a talented writer he is, and he doesn’t disappoint here with a very clever and ingenious script. Side Effects is one of those movies that sticks with you and has you thinking for days to come. It is a very rewarding and satisfying film, but I´ve had more fun with other Soderbergh movies.

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My Review: The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (9/10)

¨You will be investigating thieves, misers, bullies. The most detestable collection of people that you will ever meet - my family.¨

The American version of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo has finally arrived and it was as good as I expected it to be considering David Fincher was at the helm of the project. Fincher has made some excellent movies and this one will rank among my favorites along with Seven, Zodiac, The Social Network and Fight Club. I really wasn’t a big fan of having this movie remade since I considered the Swedish version was great, but when I heard Fincher was going to direct it, I didn’t doubt going to see it. I was hooked from the beginning although I expected this movie was probably not going to be as dark as the original. I was surprised this Hollywood production actually went to those dark places the original one did and that the Lisbeth Salander character was played so well by Rooney Mara. The best thing about the Swedish version was Noomi Rapace`s performance as the girl with the dragon tattoo, but in this film Rooney Mara really performs at the same level and reaches that same intensity bringing to life once again one of the most memorable female roles I`ve seen. The movie is not easy to watch, it has some dark and raw scenes, but the story is so well written and Fincher`s direction is just brilliant that it makes the film worth seeing all over again despite haven seen the original films or read the Millennium novels by Larsson. Despite knowing what was going to happen I really enjoyed the performances, the scenery, and the sound editing of this film. It might not be better than the Swedish film, but it does live up to it and perhaps now a broader American audience will actually become familiar with this bestselling novel. I still recommend the three original Swedish versions as well. 

Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig) is a journalist who works for Millennium magazine in Sweden and has recently been sued by a business tycoon named Hans-Erik Wennerstrom (Ulf Friberg) for libel against him. The truth is that Blomkvist has been framed and the proof he had against Wennerstrom was false so he loses a lot of money in the lawsuit. It`s during this time that he receives a job proposition from Henrik Vanger (Christopher Plummer), a former CEO of the Vanger group, who lives in an isolated island along with the rest of the members of the wealthy family. Henrik has hired Mikael because he wants him to investigate what happened to his disappeared niece, Harriet, who he believes has been murdered by someone in his family forty years ago, although police officers haven`t been able to find any clues over the years. The reason Henrik hasn`t given up looking for the killer is that every year on his birthday he receives a portrait with a flower as a gift from different parts of the world that he presumes is from the killer. He says that the killer has to be someone from the family because there was an accident on the bridge the day Harriet disappeared and no one could get in or out of the island on that day so it couldn`t be an outsider. Henrik`s brothers were all Nazi sympathizers during the War and he suspects any of them could be the killer. Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara) is a computer hacker who is pretty good at what she does, but is a very troublesome teenager who has very poor social skills. She dresses like a punk, has several piercings, and a dragon tattoo on her back. She was hired by Henrik to follow Mikael during the trial and make sure he was clean. When Mikael asks for an investigator to help him solve the mystery, they recommend her to him and they begin working together forming an unlikely alliance. They soon discover however that digging up the past could bring them trouble.

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo has several good things going for it beginning with the excellent story written by Larson. It has a lot of suspense and thrills, it works better than most mystery films. Zaillian really does a great job with the adaptation of the novel. The second thing it has going for it are excellent characters and good actors playing them. Rooney Mara, Daniel Craig, Christopher Plummer and Stellan Skarsgard are all excellent in this film and they have rich and memorable characters to interpret. Lisbeth Salander has to be one of the best female characters I`ve seen in an action film in a long time. Her side story is a nice compliment to the murder investigation, and in the next two sequels the film shifts its focus mainly back to her. I still think this first novel is better than the next two so I don`t expect the next movies to be as good as this one (at least that’s how they played out in the Swedish films). The cinematography in this film is also great, setting the dark tone of the film. The film has recently been nominated for 5 Oscars including Best Cinematography and a Best Actress nod for Rooney Mara. I think it got snubbed for a Best Picture nomination (it was better than some of the movies nominated). This isn’t a movie for everyone: it is dark, it has some strong scenes (a difficult to watch rape scene), but it is a well made thriller and among the best films of the year.

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