Summary of movies I have seen so far this year

Once again I apologize for not getting blogging as much as I have in the past, I fear I'm losing readers. I have been busy with other projects, work, plus I'm moving pretty soon so I've been busy with that. My movie reviews do take up time to write so I am forced to give you a somewhat abridged version of the past few movies I've seen in theatres the last few weeks.

In Bruges: Probably my favorite movie I've seen so far this year. While some have compared this to Tarantino's style, I would have to disagree, there's a melancholy that hangs in the air with this film that I think is missed in most of Tarantino's work. You can say that yes these men are hitmen and yes they are funny, but in no way do you envy them or want to trade places with them. What's great about this film is how everyone seems so human even Ralph Feinnes Supposed villain carries a code of honor. 4 Stars

Shine a Light: A concert film with The Rolling Stones by Martin Scorsese seems maybe 20 years too late, but the energy by the band and film maker is still there. Mick Jagger's stage persona fits perfectly with Scorsese's frenzied camera movement, and despite jokes about the band's age, they still put on a pretty good show. My only regret was not being able to see this film on Imax where I think you get the full effect. Still a highly entertaining film, wished they played "Street Fighting Man" though which is my favorite Stones song. 3.5 stars

Forgetting Sarah Marshall: I sometimes don't think I share the kind of humour of all those Judd Apatow followers. Don't get me wrong I have laughed and enjoyed everything they've done, even "Walk Hard" which didn't get the best reception, and I think "Knocked Up" in particular was a riot. "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" falls somewhere near the middle of the pack, the raunchiness didn't impact me as much this time, but as always the biggest asset comes from the characters, and anyone who references the muppets as much as this film should just get my automatic thumbs up. And Extra brownie points as always goes to the Apatow MVP Paul Rudd!!! 3 stars

Stop-Loss: A film with good intentions that is lost in an unfortunate after school special type script. The performances are all strong, but sometimes the message lingers on for too long. On a plus note, it's the first Iraq themed film I've seen that actually tries to make it about the young soldiers and the issues they must face when coming home. Some powerful scenes, but just not enough. 2.5 stars

I'll try to keep up with my movie reviews from here on in especially since summer is sneaking up on us which means this blog will soon be celebrating its 1st anniversary!!! Yay!!!

The Lost Weekend: Still packs a punch

Another apology I have not been keeping up with my blogs as of late yet again, and thus my Billy Wilder series has suffered. I intend to plow through with Wilder into May since I think the great director deserves more attention than I have given him, plus there are so many more movies I want to discuss. But for now here are some thoughts on "The Lost Weekend" which I have just recently viewed again.

It's amazing how well "The Lost Weekend" has kept up today, for many it is still the quintessential film about alcoholism. There have been some good films done on the subject but "The Lost Weekend" still seems to remain the template of the genre.

One of my favorite bloggers Kim Morgan noted her fondness of the film stating it is not minor Wilder but should be mentioned along with his better known masterpieces like "Double Indemnity" and "Sunset BLVD." The power is a combination of Wilder's uncompromising direction, the rawness and reality of the script, and the tour de force performance of Ray Milland. The film garnered Wilder his first Oscars for Direction and screenplay (along with co-author and frequent collaborator Charles Brackett) and it also gave Milland a best actor Oscar.

It tells the story of Don Birnam (Milland) who has been battling his alcoholism for quite some time. At the beginning of the film Don is about to go off for the weekend with his brother in order to dry up and do some writing, however the temptation of the drink overpowers him and he soon cuts off all communication with his brother and girlfriend (Jane Wyman) both of whom have been trying to help him and are at their breaking point.

What encounters afterwards is Don's pretty much Don's descention into his drinking routine as he goes from bar to bar trying to get as much money as he can so he can spend it on booze. Even the bartender at one of his regular joints knows he's had enough and even discourages giving him a drink every now and then. We know things get desperate for Don when he tries to pawn off his typewriter for money. It's an agonizing sequence where he struggles to go from street to street not being able to find a pawn shop that's open only to discover later that they're closed due to the holiday weekend.

It has been said that the inspiration for writer Don Birnam came from Wilder's relationship with Raymond Chandler who he co-wrote "Double Indemnity" with only a year earlier. It's well documented that Chandler would drink during the writing sessions which drove the disciplined Wilder crazy, you could probably sense that some of the scenes in "The Lost Weekend", particularly when Don is hiding liquor around his apartment stem from the Wilder/Chandler relationship.

But it's the realism of these scenes that we come to understand Don's sickness, and Wilder's not afraid to take us to the brink of what alcohol can do.

What I found interesting about this film is how Wilder seems very sympathetic towards Don, unlike his other anti-heroes like Kirk Douglas' "anything for a story" reporter in "Ace in the Hole", or Fred MacMurray's often misguided and greedy Walter Neff, both of whom receive their comeuppance, Wilder makes it known that Don could be a pretty descent guy when he's not drinking. The real villain of the film is alcohol, and Don even knows it saying he is two people, Don the writer, and Don the drunk.

Wilder seems to understand that alcoholism is a sickness and can stop people from reaching their full potential which makes me think this is why he decided to end the film on a hopeful note (unless Hollywood just wanted a happy ending slapped on like they usually do).

In any case, "The Lost Weekend" is one of those rare cases where it is as powerful today as it was when it was first released.

Reflections after just watching "New York, New York" for the first time

1. Martin Scorsese can be an old softy when he wants to be, De Niro's marriage proposal to Minnelli is perhaps his sweetest and most romantic scene I've even seen him do.

2. Robert De Niro is able to be a goofball and let loose. As Jimmy Doyle he perhaps gives one of his most underrated performances, as a man who can be funny and relaxed, but at the same time have the kind of darkness rage and jealously that would come out in full force with "Raging Bull"

3. Liza Minnelli was quite the talent and perhaps if Hollywood musicals didn't go the way of the Doe Doe, she would've had a better more deserving career in the movies. I was blown away by her performance in every sense and was surprised it didn't warrant her an Oscar nomination.

4. The "Happy Endings" number with Minnelli could be thought of as overblown in a way, but it was the closest thing I think that a post Golden age film has gotten to recreating the energy and and grandeur of that era. Had Martin Scorsese been directing films in the 40s and 50s, he would've fit right in.

5. Try as he might, Scorsese cannot make a non-Scorsese movie and that's why we love him, and his final stamp comes with the ironic twist on the regular Hollywood ending by putting us back into reality.

Final Summation: Honestly the only thing that bothered me with this film was perhaps the length, however I would say the final third is probably the most powerful. Martin Scorsese has made a different movie that sets it a part from his usual more acclaimed films. I sensed that after making both "Mean Streets" and "Taxi Driver" earlier he felt like lightening up a bit, even though this is still in many ways a dark film about a relationship falling apart. I would put this along side some of my favorite Scorsese films and actually would rank it above his more recent work including his Oscar winning "The Departed".

R.I.P. Charlton Heston and Richard Widmark

Sad news to the movie world yesterday as the king of the epic movie Charlton Heston died at the age of 84. I remember watching "The Ten Commandments" for the first time as a kid, and actually being scared at the sight of Heston in his long grey beard and deep commanding voice as Moses where he smashes the ancient stone tablets down on Edward G. Robinson and the rest of the idol worshipers. Although he is best known for his biblical roles such as Moses and his Oscar winning "Ben Hur", and of course his immortal "Damn dirty Ape" line from that little known Sci-Fi movie, my favorite Heston film is Orson Welles' classic noir "Touch of Evil" where he doesn't quite pull off the role of a Mexican, but he's probably the only straight arrow with a clear conscience in the whole film. But still thanks to Heston, I will probably never worship any false idols ever in my life.

Also since I was so busy I failed to mention the passing of another movie icon Richard Widmark who died last week. I first saw Widmark as the prosecuting attorney in the all star film "Judgement at Nuremberg", but he made a lasting impression in film noir for me particularly in his Oscar nominated turn as Tommy Udo in "Kiss of Death". His sadistic laugh and crazy actions such as pushing a lady in a wheelchair down a flight of stairs is what makes that film so memorable today.

Pro Screwball

There are many things George Clooney's "Leatherheads" isn't, however I was more than satisfied with what it is, a nice old fashioned comedy with more than a few surprises. It's been well noted by Clooney himself that he prepared filming this movie by viewing the classic screwball comedies of Preston Sturges, Howard Hawks, and (I suspect) Frank Capra to name a few. Even though when it comes to fast paced comedy, Clooney is no Sturges, Hawks, or Capra, he's perfectly willing to find his own pace and I think it suits this film just fine.

The film is set in 1925, Clooney plays Jimmy "Dodge" Connelly, the aging captain of a group of rag tag pro football players who seem to be playing a go nowhere sport. After the team goes broke, Jimmy sees the only way to keep football and his team alive is to legitimize football. Enter Carter Rutherford ("The Office's" John Krasinski) as America's golden boy, who not only plays college football but is being touted all over the country as a WWI hero who got a German platoon to surrender. With Rutherford on board, Jimmy knows his franchise will survive. However things take a turn after a hot shot girl reporter named Lexie Littleton (Love that name) played by Renee Zellweger, snoops to blow the lid off of Rutherford's war hero story to turn him in to a fraud. Predictably sparks fly between old Jimmy and Lex, but also between her and Carter, all three of these characters are charismatic and likable which keeps this film afloat through some of the slow spots.

Clooney seems to find the right tone and era to tell his story, which deals with a recurring theme of playing by your own rules even if it means making up new ones. I guess that is what I found so fascinating about this story, in the end each character seems to make up their own rules, or own road to live by, and I found that to be a rather profound message to be brought up in a comedy.

Clooney seems at home in almost anything he does lately whether it's a hard message drama like "Michael Clayton" or a buddy heist flick like the "Ocean's" movies, but for my money I like him in his comedies whether it's with his Coen Brothers pics or in this one. I think Jimmy is one of his most endearing characters and it seems to fit Clooney perfectly, not only is he funny in it, but he also gives a sense of pathos to him as well. There is a nice little bit of a scene near the end with Jimmy and Maxi, where she asks him "aren't you worried about your reputation?" Jimmy's answer is almost what I would think Clooney himself would say in the same smart allecky tone it is delivered too.

This all being said I couldn't say that "Letherheads" is a perfect movie, the weakest point comes from the script which seems to try too hard to give that snap, crackle, and pop dialogue we know and love from those classic films of the 30s. Clooney's pacing was right when it came to the more poignant moments, but I wished he picked it up when it came to the high comedy.

However that all being said, I think Clooney has a gift for comedy, his kind of sense of humour is definitely something I share, he fills his scenes with colorful situations and background sight gags that make you pay attention. And it's also nice he takes time to make us care for these characters by letting us get to know them, in the midst of all the zaniness.

This is the third film Clooney directed and completely unlike his last one "Good Night and Good Luck", which may be why this is receiving a cool reception by most critics. But Clooney's comedy has what I think many modern comedies are missing: class and character.

3.5 stars out of 4

Initial Thoughts on Wilder

It's hard to peg Billy Wilder in one specific category. You could say Hitchcock worked mostly in the suspense genre, while Ford worked mostly in westerns, but perhaps no other film maker mastered almost every Hollywood genre better than Billy Wilder (Although Howard Hawks might be a good argument.)

Wilder brought a great sense of cynicism to every film he was in. Sometimes that cynicism was unbelievably harsh like with "Ace in the Hole" or "Sunset BLVD." (Still the single greatest film about Hollywood ever). Yet when he hooked up with writing partner I.A.L Diamond you could sense a bit of a tender side particularly with romantic comedies such as "Love in the Afternoon" (A tribute to his mentor Ernst Lubitcsh) and "The Apartment". With those films you could still feel the Wilder cynicism shine through, but you felt he had a little bit more sympathy towards the characters situations.

Of course Wilder is often sometimes overlooked as the brilliant director in favor of his brilliant dialogue. Even before he directed his first film, he was responsible for co-writing some of Hollywood's best comedies, among them Lubitcsh's "Ninotchka" and Hawks' "Ball of Fire".

The first Wilder film I ever saw was probably his most non-Wilder film he ever directed, it was "The Spirit of St. Louis" which was a pretty straight forward story about Charles Lindbergh's flight across the Atlantic. I watched it at a young age when classic movies were still a fairly new experience for me and I only knew one thing, and that was I really liked Jimmy Stewart who stars in the film.

Time went by until I saw my second Wilder film which was "Some Like it Hot". I recognized that the name was indeed the same director who made "The Spirit of St. Louis" and suffice it to say after viewing it, I was amazed that both films were made by the same man.

I never knew the people behind the camera when I first started watching movies, I just picked them at random, which meant Billy Wilder just sort of snuck up on me, it didn't matter which movie I'd watch in those early days, "Stalag 17", "The Lost Weekend", "Sabrina", "Double Indemnity", all were directed by Billy Wilder, it's as if he was some sort of chameleon where every film he made was different from the last.

To this day I am still discovering more of Billy Wilder's films, having just viewed both the newly restored "Ace in the Hole" (Which may be my favorite Kirk Douglas performance ever) and his latter day masterpiece "The Private Life of Sherlock Homes" where he attempts to give the world famous detective a human side.

Despite the fact that most of his films are always different from the rest, you can always be assured that they all have one thing in common and that is the great Wilder wit. His dialogue has always been far and away the best that classic Hollywood ever had to offer. When people describe that quick, smart, sassy dialogue from classic films, more than often they are describing a Billy Wilder film.

This month in April I will be examining some more of Wilder's films so won't you join me it'll be a hoot. I'm BACK BABY!!!!