Summer in July started off quite strong I thought. One of the most anticipated films I was looking forward to was the release of Michael Mann's "Public Enemies". The film follows the somewhat fictional/factual exploits of John Dillinger (Johnny Depp) through his years of infamy right up to the point of of his demise. The film was given quite a cool reception for the most part, although some found it to be well constructed in the usual Michael Mann way.
While I do not consider this to be as strong as past work from Mann, notably "Heat" and "The Insider", I was fascinated with the docudrama tone the film took. The film tends to withdraw from emotion and show us a man at a high point in his life. We see his successes and failures, and in the end, although not much is revealed about the man that we already didn't know, we get a sense as to why he was such a charismatic figure. Depp gives a great performance as usual and I felt it was one of the stronger films to come out in the summer.
Next up for me was "Bruno", Sascha Baron Cohen's follow up to "Borat". As a film it became quite clear to me right away that "Borat" was by far more clever and funnier, however that's not to say "Bruno" didn't have his moments of inspiration. I film balances nicely the idea what people do to become famous as well as a challenge on public perception of homosexuality in general. Cohen's hi jinx work beautifully in some sequences, no better than the climactic finale which has Bruno in a wrestling ring with his gay lover much to the chagrin of onlooking spectators. However in some parts the film falls flat. Cohen seems to focus more on shock this time, and less on comedy, which I think is why some his stunts aren't pulled off as well. However, like "Borat", Cohen continues to challenge our prejudices and I give him kudos for his bravery.
"Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince" was the primary movie to see in July. So far it is second only to "Transformers" in the box office race. It seems hard to believe that Harry Potter has gotten so old. The first film is nearing its ten year anniversary, it's getting to be a tradition. I was not that impressed with the last Harry Potter film, however there is something endearing about this unique mythology that is hard to ignore. The fact that Harry grows older with every film, it's an interesting experiment in the history of film.
The only thing "The Half Blood Prince" has against it, is its familiar world. This being the sixth film, we pretty much know what to expect, but the great thing about this franchise is how it can surprise us even in this late stage. That being said, I would say this entry is one of the funniest ones, yet also one of its darkest. There is a particularly humorous sequence where Harry drinks a potion where everything brings him good luck, which he uses in order to gather information. Of course those familiar with the story will find the ending satisfactory as it sets us up for the final two installments which will no doubt be an event unto itself.
"500 Days of Summer" was this year's indie movie sleeper hit, it had a sweet gimmick, and two appealing stars, however I found it somewhat too cute for its own good, but still fairly clever. The story follows the rocky relationship of Summer (Zooey Deschanel) and Tom (Joseph Gordon Levitt). Tom is a hardcore romantic who sees Summer as his ultimate soulmate, however the film tells us almost out of the gate that things don't turn out so well. Summer is a more realistic person and even tells Tom at the beginning, she's not looking for anything meaningful. That doesn't stop Tom from falling in love with her right away.
Although the film is an anti-romance, it's never cynical or depressing, it has a hopeful message for anyone who thinks they have lost the love of their life, it even has a musical number and a parody of foreign films. However the cuteness factor wears out its welcome sometimes, but it's all very harmless and likable which made me kind of ignore all that.
The month ended with "Funny People" which was a huge disappointment. I give credit to Judd Apatow and Adam Sandler for stretching their talents, however that can't take away my feeling of utter boredom at the last part of the film.
The movie opens promising enough, with Sandler a self-absorbed comedian who finds out he's dying. A young up and coming comic (Seth Rogen) becomes his assistant. We are taken through the world of a comic's life that hasn't been depicted at all. It's only when Apatow takes a detour towards the domestic life of Sandler's former flame that it derails completely. The last third of the film should've been shorter, but Apatow dwells too long on the blissful life that should've been Sandler's had he not been such a jerk. Other sub-plots are either given too quick a resolution, or aren't referred to at all, and you have to wonder why they were put in the film in the first place.
Apatow always has a problem of adding too much weight in his films, the one time all his ideas came so perfectly was in "Knocked Up". I appreciate what he did, and I know he will make another great comedy again, but this was a misfire.
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