Paul Newman: A Delayed Tribute

When Paul Newman died, I left a rather lifeless tribute to hims, telling in a small paragraph my thoughts and feelings towards him, followed by my favorite Newman films. This man deserved better, he was such an influence on me as an actor. There was a naturalism to his performances that you don't see in others, Newman made it seem so effortless. I can't tell you how many times as an actor I've heard from directors "give me a little more" or "give me a little less". We are forever trying to find that sweet spot where everything seems to flow and we are no longer acting. Newman mastered that and looking back at his work I was just in awe at what he could do. I decided to revisit three films from his past, films where his star shone brightest. They are "The Hustler", "Hud", and "Cool Hand Luke", here's what I saw.

The Hustler: As "Fast Eddie" Felson, Newman perhaps gives his most acclaimed role as a young arrogant pool hustler who wants to make it to the big time. Eddie is a self-destructive loner, but in this film, the world is filled with loners. The film is less about pool and more about character, Eddie's whole world has been building up to a showdown with the famous "Minnesota Fats" (Jackie Gleason) but he loses not because of his lack of talent but because of his lack of character. Two people will have a profound impact Eddie through the rest of the film, his manager (George C. Scott) and the woman who loves him (Piper Laurie). They are both sort of the Angel and devil sides on Eddie's shoulder, and it takes personal sacrifice by one of them to make him turn into a man of character. Throughout the film Eddie is not much of a hero, but he is a human being who makes mistakes and who will make more mistakes but he comes out as a man of integrity and you cheer for him. Newman was made for this role, he has the boyish charm and sensibility of the character but he also had the hunger in him to prove himself, which is just what Eddie needed. This is one of the great ensemble films with standout performances form Scott, Gleason, and Laurie who is one of my all time favorites, but this is Newman's show, his journey, and his redemption in the end.

Hud: The first time I saw this film I hated it. Hud was an egotistical, womanizer who thought of nobody but himself, and I thought the film was despicable and depressing. Looking back at it now, I now know how wrong I was. Yes Hud was all of those things, but I also thought he was a pretty good guy who did the best he could, and God help me if I didn't feel sorry for him. Hud is a loner, a drifter, and no one loves him, not even his ethical father who always seems to be holding a grudge for Hud. I wanted to yell at the father saying "Hey dad maybe it's because you never loved Hud is because he acts this way." Newman seems to not only understand this character but he also seems to have walked in his shoes. The end is kinda tragic where Hud is left more alone than he was at the beginning of the film. He seems to be the scapegoat to everyones troubles, poor Hud.

Cool Hand Luke: Oh that iconic Luke, that beautiful Luke, with that Luke smile of his. How can anybody not love this movie, even people who don't love classic films love this movie, my brother who doesn't have the same enthusiasm for classic films as I do always watches "Cool Hand Luke" whenever it's on television. Luke is a hero plain and simple, there's nothing "anti" about him, he's a pure hero as Atticus Finch or James Bond. Two years in a chain gang for pulling the tops off parking metres? Come on! Luke doesn't let anyone get him down, he keeps coming, even if it's with nothing. There was that time they broke him by digging a never ending ditch but he came back, and when he's about to carve up a dead turtle for that sunglasses wearing sharp-shooting boss of his, but instead steals a truck along with George Kennedy, my eyes were almost full of tears. I find "Cool Hand Luke" to be a cathartic movie experience, and perhaps it has taken this long to figure it out but it probably is one of my absolute favorite movies of all time. Paul Newman is a legend just for this movie, and I thank him for it.

JEREMY AND THE MOVIES CELEBRATES 200TH POST!!!! WOOOO!!!

That's right, I have reached a meaningless milestone and I figured to pause and reflect on it. "Jeremy and the Movies" began about a year and a half ago when I learned about blogger and figured "hey this gives me the chance talk all about movies". Movies have been a great passion of mine, I love discussing, debating, and deconstructing them. One of my great goals in life is to one day direct my own film, and hope that it would be good. I have great respect for people who even attempt to make a film let alone make a really good, maybe even great one. Making a film requires overcoming so many obstacles and it takes perseverance, courage, and a vision.

When it comes to reviewing films I try to be fare and honest, and approach it as a regular viewer who wants to see a good film. Good films seem to become rarer and rarer these days in the mainstream market, and I seem to be avoiding the big multiplexes more and more in favour of the quaint art houses, unfortunately from where I live the closest art house is about two hours away which makes it somewhat of a nuisance, however I was able to steal myself away a few days ago to see "Rachel Getting Married" and "Happy-Go-Lucky" which you will hear about in days to come.

My Directors Spotlight series has become a highlight for me in this blog, where I just randomly pick one director who I either want to study more on or just talk about why they are so important to me. It's sort of become the heart of my blog and has taken it in a somewhat different direction. Each month I find myself going more and more in depth wanting to learn more. The Directors Spotlight series is definitely something I will continue to do, I am also thinking of new series' to compile for the new year.

I've started this blog for selfish reasons, it's my tool to vent my opinions about movies, and I'm glad there are actually a select few of you who are loyal readers of it, it's nice to know I'm not alone out there. So stay tuned for some more of the same along with some new and improved additions to "Jeremy and the Movies". Wooooooo

Life Affirming: First Thoughts on "Ikiru"

Earlier I mentioned I had not seen Akira Kurosawa's "Ikiru" before but it was always one of the top films I've always wanted to see. So I felt what was holding me up, and since this was my month devoted to Kurosawa and his films, I decided to seek it out. I have now finally viewed the film and although I am hesitant to grant it masterpiece status, seeing how I've only viewed it once, I must say it held me throughout its two hours and twenty-three minutes.

"Ikiru" is translated as "To Live" and is the story of a meek bureaucrat who has worked the same job for thirty years and has nothing to show for it. We learn right away that the man is dying of stomach cancer and is given a very limited time to live. The man is played by Takashi Shimura who was a consistent actor in many of Kurosawa's films, he was usually given top billing along with Toshiro Mifune in many Kurosawa's films, most famously as the samurai leader in "The Seven Samurai". But Kurosawa was able to use Shimura more freely as a character actor than the superstar Mifune and "Ikiru" is probably considered their greatest collaboration.

"Ikiru" is divided into two separate stories which isn't the first time Kurosawa has done this and it wouldn't be his last either. The first part of the film deals with Shimura coming to terms with his dying and trying to figure out how to make the last of his days meaningful. He starts out by going around town and living it up with a bohemian writer he happens to meet in the bar. After a night of that, he meets a girl who worked in the same office as he. She has decided to quit believing that life is too short to work in such a meaningless job. He begins the spend time with the girl and rumours go around that there is a romance between the two, but that is never what he has on his mind. He believes she holds the secret to what he's been searching for. The first part of the film ends with Shimura now deciding to dedicate the rest of his life in building a playground across a piece of wasteland.

Without revealing too much about the second half of the film, I'll just say it steers it into a direction I was unaware of, and it is in this half that Kurosawa creates a more complex story concerning a man's legacy and also depicting a harsh reality of bureaucracy.

"Ikiru" is quite unlike many of Kurosawa's films. He was a filmmaker who usually worked in genre like film noir or historical films, but like I mentioned before those films always seemed to overshadow his modern works which dealt with big ideas but were on a smaller scale. "Ikiru" not only deals with death, but also the fear of dying without anything to show for it. In the end Kurosawa asks if indeed his character achieved what he set out to do, and the question is left rather open to one's own point of view, which shows Kurosawa more as a philosophical filmmaker than he is given credit for.

Japanese cinema has been rather an obsession of mine over the past few years, and there have been many films I've viewed from there that often deal with death, and while one might think that a morbid subject, I never find these films to be depressing, they are always comforting. In an Ozu film, death is depicted more as a thing that is natural and inevitable, when we die, life still goes on, and that's a comfort. With "Ikiru" Kurosawa seems to take a more heroic stance by saying death is a reason to live, which makes this film very life affirming. At the end of the film I felt the same way as I do after watching "It's a Wonderful Life" and that is, it's important to make an impact on the world.

Some movies I've seen lately Part 2

Zack and Miri Make a Porno: Kevin Smith is the kind of director who runs hot and cold with me. His humour is an acquired taste, while I think "Chasing Amy" is close to being a masterpiece, while I struggled through "Mallrats". With his new film it seems he has learned a few new tricks from recent Judd Apatow films. Like Apatow's vision, the film is full of crude jokes but has a sweetness and a heart, it also thinks that full frontal male nudity is a funny thing. "Zack and Miri Make a Porno" may be Smith's most mainstream film, but I laughed perhaps harder than I have in long time in a theatre. 3.5 stars out of 4

Changeling: Clint Eastwood has the ability to make films that trim the fat. He can strip the story and the characters to the bare minimum which is why it's such a joy to see his films. "Changeling" seems to follow this Eastwood formula for the first two/thirds of the film, and I would say it was the most engrossing two/thirds I had at the movies in a long time, however for some reason, the film derails and Eastwood becomes sidetracked with over explanation and too many false endings. Despite all that, "Changeling" remains a mostly intriguing story told by a master filmmaker along with the best performance I've seen from Angelina Jolie. 3.5 stars out of 4

Rocknrolla: Going into this film it occurred to me I had never seen a Guy Richie film, and I wasn't sure what to expect. The film is an adrenaline rush full of some clever and funny moments and energy that is missing in recent crime stories. I can't really explain the plot all that much, needless to say it's full of multiple storylines that at some point intersect and all seem to revolve around a stolen painting that keeps falling into other people's hands. It's a fun mindless ride full of fun performances. 3 stars out of 4

The Duchess: The film gained some controversy by comparing the Duchess of Devon shire's predicament to Princess Diana. The film may do that but it never once becomes distracting, and I didn't really think "Hey that's like Princess Diana" while watching it. The film doesn't rise above the melodramatic soap opera to become something more meaningful, however it is never boring and benefits from fine performances from Keira Knightley and Ralph Feinnes. 3 stars out of 4

High School Musical 3: Don't ask! Some how and some way I found myself in the theatre watching this. Needless to say I was with someone who wanted to see it. While I may not be the target audience I felt like anyone deserves better than this carbon copy of kiddy entertainment. The characters are all stereotypes, the music is unmemorable, and the film never seems to be anything more than a Saturday morning Disney special. The only time this film attempts to be anything more is when Zach Efron does a sort of Fred Astaire homage by dancing on the ceiling, but they botch it but not making the most of it. For shame Disney, do your kids a favor and pop in a real musical like "Mary Poppins". 1 star out of 4

Initial Thoughts on Kurosawa

I remember first hearing the name Akira Kurosawa when I was very young and I bought a special edition of Time Magazine which listed the 50 greatest directors of all time. I had just become fascinated with film and learning what a director was so I really wanted this magazine to further my education. Kurosawa interested me right away after reading about how he influenced so many famous films of the west. I wonder how many "Star Wars" fans there were who had to own a copy of Kurosawa's "The Hidden Fortress" because two of its characters were the main inspiration for C3P0 and R2D2. Then of course there are the samurai films which were Americanized into now classic westerns such as "The Magnificent Seven" (Seven Samurai) and "A Fistful of Dollars" (Yojimbo).

Kurosawa's impact on western cinema was probably greater than it was in his own country. I just found out recently that Kurosawa's films were often looked down upon as popular entertainment and were never taken seriously in Japan. Being a popular filmmaker, that being someone who makes films for a mass audience usually becomes a hindrance if you want to be taken seriously. You could say North Americans were the ones to regard Kurosawa as an artist first the same way the Europeans were the first ones to really regard Hitchcock and Welles the same way. Perhaps it takes an outside party to fully realize a popular artist's worth.

Perhaps it was the heavy influence American films had on Kurosawa's work that soured him with Japanese critics. Like Welles, Kurosawa was a student of John Ford which might account for his impeccable composition and poetic imagery. Like Ford who very often told the history of America through his westerns, Kurosawa would attempt to the same thing for Japan with his Samurai sagas. His historical dramas such as "The Seven Samurai", "Throne of Blood", and "Yojimbo" are often sited to be his most famous films, and even though I think they are all great, they somewhat overshadow his films which are set in modern times. After winning the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival for "Rashomon", Kurosawa even said he wished he would've won it for a modern Japanese story. Films such as "Ikiru" (Which I confess I haven't seen), "The Bad Sleep Well", "High and Low" and a personal favorite of mine "I Live in Fear" deal with more complex issues that Japan was going through at the time. Kurosawa was a very contemporary filmmaker and his ability to tackle large scale issues in an intimate setting was something very difficult to accomplish, perhaps Spielberg is the closest one we have today who could even attempt to do that.

I get a very satisfying feeling when I watch a Kurosawa film, he was a man who understood drama and knew how to pull the audience in. When I think of the other important filmmakers from Japan such as Mizoguchi and Ozu I am in awe at how different each of their work is. I don't think they ever tried to copy eachother and each had their own different style. Ozu has been called the most Japanese of Japanese filmmakers, and in contrast Kurosawa could probably be called the least Japanese, even though his heart and his stories remained centered on Japanese lifestyle. Kurosawa probably could've gone off to Hollywood if he wanted to, but he stayed in Japan but in the world of cinema he is a national treasure.

November Director's Spotlight: Kurosawa

This month I'll be focusing on the great Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa. Kurosawa was no doubt one of the greatest Mavericks of filmmaking, he was greatly influenced by western films and vice versa. It was Kurosawa who along with Truffaut first introduced me to a whole new world of film that was separate from Hollywood. I look forward to re-visiting some of my favorite Kurosawa films and I hope to learn more about him that I hadn't before, plus I also hope to view some Kurosawa films I have not yet, so stay tuned this month I know it's gonna be good.

Some movies I've seen lately

I haven't really had a lot of time writing reviews for every single movie I've seen, so here's a brief description of films I've seen recently.

Body of Lies: After doing a month long tribute of Alfred Hitchcock, I really appreciated what a good thriller is. "Body of Lies" is a failure in almost every way, it lingers too long on plot description which makes everything seem implausible and overcomplicated, the actors are slumming around not seeming to know what to do. This seems to be new low for director Ridley Scott and this may be his worst film. (although I have not seen "Legend"). 1 and a half star out of 4.

Amal: A Canadian film that takes place in India involves a friendly rickshaw driver who only thinks of other people. One day he has a grumpy old man as a passenger, and Amal takes him as a grain of salt and is nothing but kind of him. Well guess what the grumpy old man turns out to be a millionaire who dies and leaves all of his estate to Amal. the problem is trying to track down the rickshaw driver before the millionaire's greedy offspring aquire his fortune. The story may seem contrived in parts, but the acting by a relatively unknown cast is top notch and the it becomes a heartwarming fable of the importance of money to one man. 3.5 stars out of four

Lakeview Terrace: An underrated thriller featuring one of Samuel L. Jackson's best performances as a homicidal cop who goes ballistic when an interracial couple moves next door to him. The film was criticised for being too tame however I disagree. The film is rated PG-13 although the subject matter should have pushed it to an R rating. The film uses the suspense genre to examine the more complex story of racism on both sides. I don't understand why this film was criticised as much as it was. 3.5 stars out of 4

Passchendaele: This film has been getting a lot of big press in Canada for being the most expensive Canadian film ever made. It cost 20 million dollars and you can very much see the money on screen however in many ways it shows the wrong direction Canadian film is going. The story is about a very famous battle led by Canadian soldiers in the first world war, however the film spends too much time on a cliched love story with the most wooden dialogue since "Attack of the Clones". The battle scenes themselves are the only impressive thing in this film, however it doesn't pull off what it set out to do, and that is be a loving tribute to Canadian solidiers who died. Writer/director/co-producer/star Paul Gross who is sort of Canada's answer to Tom Hanks must deserve most of the blame since this is his baby. I intend to discuss this film in more detail and Canadian films in general in an upcoming blog. 2 stars out of 4