Thoughts On Capra

Well I hoped you enjoyed my month devoted to Frank Capra, even though I didn't go quite in depth with him as I wanted to due to the month's busy holiday schedule.

On a personal note, Frank Capra was probably the first director I became interested in at a young age. I became a fan of "It's a Wonderful Life" early on, and that film opened the door to his other classics like "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington", "Mr. Deeds Goes to Town", "It Happened One Night", "Meet John Doe" and countless others. My appreciation for this great director still grows to this very day. This month I've been able to view his "Lady for a Day" for the first time ever, and I'm hoping for releases of his earlier work such as "The Bitter Tea of General Yen", and "Miracle Woman" both starring his favorite actress Barbara Stanwyck some time soon.

What I was hoping to get across this month was Frank Capra was a much more complex director than he was often given credit for. He is the man who pretty much turned the feel good movie into an art form, but he also understood that in order for you to feel good, you first had to feel bad, which is why his heroes go through much hardship before they are redeemed. It's very rare for a Capra type film to work these days, you might hear a movie described as Capraesque which usually defines it as a sentimental fable with a hopeful message, but it's very hard for those to actually come off as sincere. I would say the closest modern film to really capture the essence of Capraesque would be Spielberg's "The Terminal", but that film seemed to pass people by.

Here's hoping Capra films do have some place in the world today, and also a younger generation will experience them as I did while growing up. I would always say for people who are interested in classic movies, Frank Capra would be the guy to start. Thanks for reading, Happy New Year, and stay tuned for a new director to be revealed in January.

Meet John Doe: Radical Sentimentality

Frank Capra is the kind of director who I think is often misunderstood. His films are sometimes misrepresented as too sweet, and sentimental with no real hard edge to it. One reviewer described his films as "Film Blanc" the opposite to film noir, which pretty much is defined as no darkness and only light, anyone who thinks Frank Capra didn't have a dark side obviously has never really looked at his films. While I think it's true Frank Capra had an optimistic point of view to the world, it can be argued he was very cynical about it as well.

Capra's under appreciated "Meet John Doe" may very well be his most cynical film he ever made, as well as his most political. For anyone who might be confused about Capra's ideals, "Meet John Doe" makes them bluntly clear.

One thing you could say about Capra is the man was not subtle about the point he wanted to get across. The opening shot of "Meet John Doe" shows a man demolishing a "Free Press" sign outside a newspaper building. We find out this certain newspaper has been bought by a big oil tycoon named D.B. Norton (Edward Arnold). The first thing we see happen in the building is the sight of employees getting sacked rather coldly. One such person is columnist Ann Mitchell (Barbara Stanwyck) who won't take her getting fired lying down. She decides to write a phony letter to the editor that will cause a media sensation. The letter is from an anonymous John Doe who writes that he is so fed up with the state of the society and how people are treated that as a form of protest he will commit suicide by jumping off a government building on Christmas Eve.

As Ann predicted, the letter causes an uproar with people becoming obsessed with who the mysterious John Doe really is. After Ann confesses to her boss that the letter was a fake, she convinces him that they can string along the story longer to get a bigger circulation, all they have to do is find someone to pose as John Doe. Enter the perfect man for the job, an ex-baseball player named John Willoughby (Gary Cooper) who is down on his luck looking for money to get an operation on his arm so he could play ball again. In the beginning it's a win win situation for all involved, Ann gets to keep her job, John gets his arm fixed, and the paper gets its circulation.

Things start to get complicated when John is asked to make a radio speech which completely turns the tables on the whole ball game. After the inspiring speech, John becomes a folk hero to millions. Soon "John Doe Clubs" start sprouting around the country based on the ideas and principles John stands for. It isn't soon after this frenzy, that D.B. Norton decides to use the John Doe movement for his own political gain.

What gets me about this movie, and what makes it topical for its time and for today is how radical a message Capra seems to be saying. The whole message in the John Doe movement can be interpreted as people rising up against political parties and corporate organizations and taking control of their own happiness. Capra adds doses of the golden rule such as "love thy neighbor" and "The Meek shall inherit the Earth" I think to make his message seem a little less harsh, but if you look at what he's really saying, it's a very anti-government stance. There are other targets Capra goes after such as the media and how they seem to be only interested more in a story that sells papers and less about the facts, and then there is the most damning scene when John Doe is revealed as a fraud and the hypocrisy shown by the John Doe club members. What started out as an idealistic pursuit becomes its own victim of mob mentality.

Like most of Capra's great works, there must be darkness before there can be light, and the film is concluded somewhat controversially in that fashion. John in a way goes through his own Crucifixion only to be reborn again in the people's minds. It is said Capra never could figure out how to end the film, and to some it doesn't seem to work, but for me I think it does, since it leaves on an optimistic note, which is the only way Capra could end a film, and also states clearly probably better than any of his other films what exactly his beliefs are. Perhaps the message is hard to swallow in this day and age, but at least Capra doesn't make it easy to come to this conclusion. Everyone in this film from the heroes and villains are asked to believe in something, and Capra makes them all very human in that respect. Perhaps we don't have to believe that a John Doe movement is possible, but what makes this film work is Capra wanting us to believe it could.

SEE SWEENEY TODD AND YOU WILL DIE!!! Seriously he kills people with his razor blades.

I was not sure what to expect when I went into "Sweeney Todd", I knew it was a musical, and I knew it was bloody, but I have never seen the Broadway show before and knew nothing of the story only it had something to do with a barber who kills people, and a woman who takes the bodies and makes meat pies out of them. Sounded like the usual Tim Burton darkly comic romp we're all used to, only this time it's put to music, but what I got was something else entirely...put to music.

I've always been impressed with the visual style of a Tim Burton film, I don't think there is one that I dislike, they are all imaginative eye candy, but what makes "Sweeney Todd" different from the others, is the utter dark undertones. This is Tim Burton all grown up no longer making fairy tales about men with scissors for hands, or funny ghosts who haunt your house, this is perhaps his most challenging and complex film.

For those who don't know the story, Sweeney Todd is a barber who was wrongly imprisoned by an evil judge who was in love with his wife. Sweeney's real name is Benjamin Barker, who takes his alias at the beginning of the film as we see him return to London after escaping from prison. He comes home to find out his wife has taken poison, and his daughter is now a prisoner of the very judge who sentenced him to jail.

Sweeney seeks out his old barber shop which is nestled above a meat pie shop run by Mrs. Lovett, who is known for having the worst meat pies in London. It's Lovett who tells him the fates of his wife and daughter, and the two form an alliance and Sweeney makes plans for his revenge on the judge and the other people responsible for his imprisonment.

The surprising this for me in this film was how an idea about making meat pies out of dead bodies does not become such a campy film, I was shocked at how macabre it plays out. It was a bit unsettling, like I said I knew nothing of the actual story but I felt Tim Burton was pulling the wool from under our eyes. The music by Steven Sondheim also helps the film's ambitions, the songs can turn from funny, and darkly clever, to melancholy, and lovely.

Burton seems to bask in the music as he creates some great visuals particularly when Mrs. Lovett is singing "By the Sea" where she imagines her and Sweeney getting married and living their life by the sea. There is also a great duet sung by Sweeney and the Judge, and it's a great scene where Sweeney has the unaware judge right where he wants him, and Burton uses this time to have some fun with the audience.

The cast turn out very impressive performances, no more so than Burton's constant leading man Johnny Depp as Sweeney. Depp is the type of actor who always challenges himself, and as Sweeney, he achieves a very uncompromising anti-hero who is consumed by his own vengeance, which becomes his undoing and his greatest tragedy. Helena Bonham Carter seems to be having fun as Mrs. Lovett, she is very much the most spirited which I guess isn't saying much in this grim tale.

The gore and blood in the film is highly stylized which may turn some people off, but if you're game, it greatly adds to the film.

The ending is probably the most darkest deeply felt one in the who Burton canon and that's saying a lot. I felt this was a great achievement for all involved but Burton in particular, this is a stepping stone in the director's career.

4 stars out of 4

Laugh Hard

"Walk Hard" is just a silly movie, it is one of the silliest movies I've ever seen. Not once does it ask us to take it seriously, from the moment we see John C. Reilly play fictional singer Dewey Cox at 14, the tone of the movie is pretty well set up for us. "Walk Hard" is a nice send up of the musical biopic which has become a sort of sub-genre in that past years with "Walk the Line" and "Ray". The film follows Dewey Cox from his humble beginnings on the family farm where he accidentally chops his brother in half in a machete fight. His father will forever haunt him with the words "The wrong kid died".

As Dewey gets older, he goes through the usual rock star streamline, at 15 he quits school to marry his 12 year old girlfriend, he makes a hit record that sends him on the road, he gets addicted to every kind of drug there is (courtesy of his drummer played by Tim Meadows), and has a bunch of illegitimate children. The best part of the movie was when we see Dewey in the sixties where he makes protest songs about midgets, (a la Bob Dylan), becomes a schizophrenic recluse who's trying to make a musical masterpiece (Brian Wilson), and in the movie's single most hilarious scene goes to India and meets the Beatles.

So what are my thoughts about "Walk Hard"? After giving us films like "Superbad", and "Knocked Up" which are both funny, but have deeper messages about adolescence, and relationships, it seems Judd Apatow just wants to be silly with this film. There is no hidden message in this movie, it is here for ridiculous purposes. Whether it's the running gag of Tim Meadows not offering Dewey drugs only to get him hooked, or the hilarious facial expressions Paul Rudd does as John Lennon, this film is having fun all the time.

I laughed till I cried in some parts, but there were also some jokes that didn't work, the fact that they are trying every trick in the book to make us laugh is very endearing. It's a reminder that sometimes all a comedy wants to do is make us laugh.

3 stars out of 4

It's a Wonderful Life: Merry Christmas

I was going to sit here and write about "It's a Wonderful Life", maybe explain its significance in the great Capra canon, review its legacy from its humble beginnings as a modest success to the pop culture status it has achieved through numerous television showings which has turned it into the most beloved Christmas movie of all time. But instead, something happened last night to inspire to take a different angle.

Everyone who knows me knows that the worst kept secret I have is "It's a Wonderful Life" is my absolute favorite movie. I watch it many times during the Christmas season, I love the story, I love Jimmy Stewart's performance, I also love Henry Travers as Clarence the greatest Angel ever depicted on film, I love the great character actor Thomas Mitchell as George's absent minded Uncle Billy, and I think Donna Reed's Mary made probably the pitch perfect honeymoon for George he could ever ask for.

But last night was a special treat for me. My dad and I were alone at home since we already had Christmas on Saturday with family. I bought him a chess set for Christmas and asked if he wanted to have a game. So we did, but he also knew that "It's a Wonderful Life" was playing on television, so he suggested we play in the living room so we could watch the movie at the same time. It was nice having that moment with my dad, I wasn't paying attention much to the movie, I would look up at times when my favorite scenes were on. One poignant moment for me in the movie has always been when George and his father are having a heart to heart talk at the dinner table. It's the kind of conversation I suppose many sons have with their father at some point in their lives, and it seemed all the more poignant watching this scene with my dad knowing full well this could've been us a few years ago.

I never mentioned this before but part of the reason this film is special to me is how much of my dad is in George Bailey. I don't think he has ever contemplated suicide, but I've seen him with a lot of frustrations with his job knowing it's probably not what he had planned for himself when he was younger. He's told me he always wanted to be a train engineer, even when my brother and I were kids, he always bought us a train set for Christmas, but he would end up playing with it more than we did. He's got a train set of his own now along with train whistle and engineer hat, he's like a big kid around it, and it's nice to see how happy a simple thing like that makes him, it's like me after I watched a really, really good movie.

I've watched "It's a Wonderful Life" many times before, but I love it more when I get to watch it with someone else, particularly when it's with someone like my dad while playing chess. It was a nice quiet Christmas Eve, and I think it gave me something the holidays are suppose to give: Peace.

Jeremy's Top Three Worst films of 2007

Tis the Season for Lists. That's right I think the thing movie lovers love more than movies themselves are lists of movies. And of course this is the time of year all critics dish out their best and worst films of the year. Since I still haven't seen a lot of the great movies that have come out in limited release like "I'm Not There", or "There Will Be Blood" or "Atonement" yadayadayada, you have to wait awhile to see my top ten best of list. However I will state right now that if you haven't seen "Once" yet or "No Country for Old Men" go see them this second. But for now you people just have to settle for my worst of list of 2007. I'm glad I don't go out of my way to see bad movies, but every now and then when I go I get bitterly disappointed. Here were three reasons why staying home would've been the better option.

1. Feast of Love: I am putting this at the top of my list because unlike the other movies that will follow, this film had real potential to be a good movie. All the right elements were there, a good cast, a good writer/director, good source material, but it all fell flat and became a big let down. Each person involved with this movie deserves better, and so do we.

2. I Know Pronounce you Chuck and Larry: Adam Sandler continues his winning/losing streak. Losing in the sense that he hasn't made a good movie since "Punch Drunk Love", winning in the sense that people pay huge amounts of cash to see him do his thing in theatres. I'm sorry to say I was one of those people, but I went in protest.

3. Shrek the Third: In a year that gave us "The Simpsons Movie" which was a clever cinematic adaption of an animated sitcom, "Shrek the Third" does the opposite and gives us a sitcom disguised as a clever animated movie. All the fairy tale pop culture references ran their course in the first two films, and there isn't much energy left in this tired tale of the once jolly green ogre, a big disappointment.

Dishonorable mention should go to "The Kingdom" which even though had some merits didn't really do anything new or spectacular in what was more or less a police procedural with too much shaky camera work disguised as a political thriller exploiting rather than educating.

Jeremy's Top Christmas movies and Specials

Tis the season! Sorry I've been away for awhile, I've been neglecting my beloved blog and you beloved blog readers, but like many of you, I've been getting ready for the Christmas season, which means shopping, hanging up trees, what not, and despite my best efforts I do have to work for a living. I've also been neglecting my month of Frank Capra which I will no doubt make up in the days to come. But now I just wanted to reflect upon this time of season and make a list!!! That's right lists are fun and in the spirit of the holidays I am counting down my favorite Christmas movies and specials. Some films don't take place in Christmas but I don't think it matters as long as it's a feel good movie that shows the best of what Christmas is about. Ready? Let's go.

Films

It's a Wonderful Life: Directed by Frank Capra and starring Jimmy Stewart, this is hands down my favorite movie of all time. That's right in case you were wondering what my favorite movie was this is it. I'll be writing about this film more in the days leading up to Christmas as part of my month of Capra. The film has been described as the ultimate feel good movie, but like Capra does so often before the feel goodness, there has to come a lot of darkness, and that's what many people tend to forget about this film since it is so beloved. The first 2 thirds have many happy moments but it's mostly showing a man's struggle through life as he has to come to terms with broken dreams, and responsibilities he never wanted. It takes an angel to show him how good his life really is by showing him what a wreck the world would be if he wasn't in it. Makes you think don't it?

A Christmas Carol (Alistair Sim version) I love everything by Charles Dickens and his books have inspired a lot of great films, but with this version of his most loved story, I really feel they got the spirit of Dickens' world right. Alistair Sim is and will always the be the greatest Scrooge, I think it's one of the great performances, he can be mean, funny, touching, and warm. Like "It's a Wonderful Life", this story is full of great joy but also much darkness, it's a ghost story above all, and can even get a little scary. The scene where we see Jacob Marley in chains walking among the other lost souls was always a bit unsettling for me as a kid.

The Terminal: This doesn't take place at Christmas time, but there's snow in it, and it's about helping others and good will toward men. For some reason many critics didn't like this film when it was first released, but I think it's one of Steven Spielberg's sweetest films, and one of Tom Hanks' best performances. The story is of a man who must stay in an airport terminal after his country is suddenly under a coup. He makes friends with the workers at the terminal and strikes up a romance with stewardess Catherine Zeta-Jones. Spielberg found a way of bringing a completely un cynical Capraesque fairy tale in a post 9/11 world, and I think that's nice. See this one if you haven't yet.

Meet John Doe: Capra's fable about a homeless man used as a media tool for political gain is as relevant today as it was then. Gary Cooper stars as a former baseball player used to pose as a desperate man who threatens to kill himself on Christmas eve for all the ill wills of society. He soon becomes a hero for millions, and it's not too soon until he starts believing in the cause, but powerful men are brought in to crush it. Barbara Stanwyck is a stand out as usual, but it's Capra's sincere plight of the everyman and love thy neighbour sensibility that makes this a worthy Christmas film.

The Shop Around the Corner: One of the most delightful romantic comedies ever made about two people who work at the same store but can't stand each other, only to discover that they are secret pen pals. Jimmy Stewart and Margaret Sullivan made four films together, but this seems to be the one most people remember. This takes place at Christmas so that's why I'm counting it as one. This was remade with Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan as "You've Got Mail", but I'll take this Ernst Lubitcsh film over that Starbucks commercial any day.

Mr. Deeds Goes to Town: That's right another Capra film. This one doesn't take place at Christmas, but the whole idea of a man who inherits 20 million dollars only to give it away to people who really need it is really an inspirational message everyone should be reminded of at the holidays. This is one of my personal favorite films, with Gary Cooper once again as the lead and Jean Arthur as his love interest, it's just one of those films that aren't made anymore. By the way skip the appalling Adam Sandler remake at all costs.

Once: This is newly added to my list. No again this is not a Christmas movie, but if there is one movie I would want to share with my family and friends during the holidays it would be this one. I again will declare that I think "Once" is and will later be declared as one of the greatest love stories ever made, it'll put a song in your heart and make make your heart jump. And lets not forget the wonderful gift given from the guy to the girl at the end of the film. Damn right this is a Christmas movie.

Holiday Inn: The Bing Crosby Fred Astaire musical about two guys who pretty much are competing for the same girl. So the plot is pretty much non-existent, but it's a great place to see Bing crooning "White Christmas" for the first time on screen, and Fred doing a great dance number on the fourth of July. You can just skip the embarrassingly racist scene with Bing singing in black face.

Christmas Specials

The Simpsons: Marge Be Not Proud: This is not the famous first ever Simpsons episode where Homer dresses up as Santa and takes Bart to a dog track, this was in the seventh season and is one of my favorite Christmas episodes of any show ever. This is where Bart is caught shop lifting which makes Marge see him in a different light. I'm not afraid to say this is one of my favorite Simpson episodes, it's great to see a Bart/Marge episode, and shows that even though "The Simpsons" are known for their biting satire and cynicism, they can also be sentimental when they want to be.

A Charlie Brown Christmas: This is a brave Christmas special simply because Charles Schultz was not afraid to spout out the religious aspect of Christmas through Linus' speech at the end. Whether you believe in it or not, it's something most Christmas specials avoid in this day and age, but the touching moment comes when Charlie Brown and friends gather around a dying Christmas tree and decorate it. In the era of Christmas commericalism which has dominated the season before this special first aired I think this moment is the reason this show has lasted.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas: I love Boris Karloff as the narrator/Grinch, and I love everything Chuck Jones does. I just love it when this is on. It's funny, witty, and heartwarming all in 22 minutes. I even got to be a "Who" once in a Christmas pageant, so that's another reason to love it.

That's it happy holidays!!!