Back to... Blogging

I'm back (not that I've been missed)... I am trying to get back inot the swing of things even if it kills me...

Yeah, it's been a lot like this... If only I could actually catch it.. ;) Anyway,  I have been busy with film, just haven't had time to formally review and report here. I realize my reviews are by now irrelevant to most of you. But in the end I guess I'm really just selfish and do this mainly for me anyway. 

Anyway, here's a preview of the movies I'll be reviewing and posting about. 

• The Cabin in the Woods 
• The Avengers
• The Five-Year Engagement
• Dark Shadows    

Not to kill any suspense, but so far, I've been pretty displeased with the summer slate. Maybe that can change?

I'll also be writing a tribute to my favorite lady in comedy who bowed out from SNL recently; the incomparable Kristen Wigg.

 

The Hunger Games (Review)

BRIEFLY: Though The Hunger Games is well-acted and decently paced, there is simply not enough character development to justify the film which is itself reaching for a sort of young adult gravitas. We come to find in the end that, much like the reality television of today, the characters are disposable with motivations that conveniently yield to the plot rather than reflect the person. Further the dodgy camera work that schizophrenically pulls in and out of focus further undermines any sense of storytelling that director Gary Ross is reaching for. As a non-fan of the series(I haven’t read the books), the film did nothing to excite me for a sequel, but I’m sure that matters little as hardcore fans will certainly flock to the multiplex for this installment and several yet to come.

DETAILED REVIEW: It’s no surprise that The Hunger Games has been adapted for the screen. With Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, and Twilight carving out their own blockbuster film franchises it was only a matter of time until someone picked up the dystopian novel. The source material has all the makings of an epic: romance, action, death, sacrifice, and did I mention death? The Hunger Games is brimming death, but in the end, as each demise stacks up one after the other, the impact of such violence is lost and dismissed. Maybe this is a societal issue rather than a story issue, but if our society can care whether Snooki is pregnant or not, we should (the key word here being should) hold the capacity to care for death (albeit fictitious) of characters on screen. Couple that with the fact that the deaths are happening to teenagers and in some cases mere children, and I found myself reasoning that the film lacks the story elements necessary to help an audience connect and engage, but more importantly resonate with any character in the film.

Undoubtedly, you’ve heard the plot of The Hunger Games probably in passing, either from your mother, the cleaning lady Consuela, or your teenage niece. My niece in fact summarized it best, “It’s like in the future and there’s like these 12 districts who send two teenagers into a fight for the death, but only one makes it out.” Indeed, that’s about all you really need to know. Additionally, you probably should know that there is a romance (actually several romances), a few familial issues, and a global government hell-bent on utter control—sounds a lot like the Clinton administration doesn’t it?

In the midst of the story there is our main protagonist, Katniss and her fellow “tribute” from her barren home, District 12. The two have a history, but it’s unclear exactly what that history is until about two hours into the movie. The lack of characterization here really makes their relationship lack any resonance—romantically or otherwise.  

The lone exception to sloppy characterization however, is Katniss played by Academy Award nominee Jennifer Lawrence. As the protagonist, Lawrence plays a powerful, independent, and cunning female. Indeed, the biggest achievement the film provides is its very positive representation of females. Katniss is strong without succumbing to clichés yet also maintains a tender and emotional core that feels authentic rather than pigeon-holed into the so called norms of femininity.

On the other hand Peeta (Josh Hutcherson), slumps around with hunched shoulders and a chip on his shoulder that is more annoying than appealing. I found myself wondering why Katniss would ever wanna make babies with him? I think that for some reason we are supposed to connect with Peeta maybe even sympathize with him, however we can’t because we truly never care about him between he is either pouting or smirking with angst. He is jealous of the far stronger Katniss, something we see in his mannerisms, yet we get bludgeoned with dialogue that restates the character’s non-verbal thesis: “Katniss is better than me.”  

Though the characterization is shoddy, the acting is actually very sound. Lawrence is perfectly cast as Katniss. Lenny Kravitz is spot on as the fashion designer turned motivator, Cinna. Woody Harrelson is similarly great as the has-been hunger games trainer Haymitch. Even Stanley Tucci plays an effective role as the announcer/talk show host with Stephen Colbert’s candor and a Nicki Minaj hairstyle. If there’s one reason to see The Hunger Games, it is indeed the acting.

The biggest complaint is the camera work which is dodgy at best. At times it’s almost like watching one of those “found footage” films like Blair Witch or Cloverfield. But here, it’s far worse as the camera, for reasons unknown to this critic, moves in and out of focus faster than a Tebow Jets jersey at a Manhattan Footlocker. It’s an unnecessary move that proves futile in doing anything other than make it really hard for the audience to understand what’s going on.

Though it sounds like I really disliked The Hunger Games, I must admit that I was overall entertained. It’s a far better effort than Twilight, which it is somehow drawing comparisons to. I did find it at times very exciting, but those were only brief. The social commentary here screams the 21^st century where we love reality television and have catapulted mere “nobody’s” into society’s “somebody’s” overnight—look no further than Teen Mom on MTV for further evidence! The film is most certainly trying to tap into that vein and for the most part it succeeds and does for once resonate, at least on the social commentary level.

In the end, the film concludes with a dues ex machina that removes any tension the film was attempting to build. It’s far too convenient (regardless of what happened in the books). I found myself going, “Okay, so what? What was all the hype about?” That’s most certainly never a reaction a Hollywood studio attempting to build a franchise would hope for. Though as previously mentioned, it matters little because the fans have spoken with their wallets and ticket sales are sky high (though still not quite to Dark Knight levels—just sayin). I’ll probably see the sequel, yet I can’t say I want to. Though if anything, seeing Lawrence command the film the way she did may be all the reason I need. I do love that lady.

 GRADE: B-

From the Archives... Oscar picking the wrong film--AGAIN!

The Artist won Best Picture... yawn. Will we even remember the movie come 10 years from now? Probably not. I mean we might remember it as the "black-and-white silent film," but it's impact on the film industry at this point is moot at best.

This isn't the first time Oscar got it wrong--Citizen Kane anyone? Just a year ago Oscar got it wrong picking The King's Speech over the far better, more culturally relevant The Social Network. Though it's prbably a little bold to say, The Social Network might prove as revolutionary to our time as Kane was in the 1940's. In each respective case though, Oscar chose the "safe" route.

To further my disdain for Oscar's latest selections, I've turned my focus to the father of dramatic theory--Aristotle. It was he who brought up the idea of mimesis--a way by which good drama is evaluated as it mimics or replicates a representation of reality. Shakespeare took it a step further in Hamlet telling us that good thetre should "hold a mirror" up to the audience and reveal reality. In deed, we like movies because we find ourselves in them. In light of my mulling of Oscar stupidity coupled with the theory of the mirror holding itself to society, I found my review of The Social Network. It seems to echo my words and reinforce the theory of mimesis.

Take that Oscar!

The Social Network Succeeds with Snapshot of a Generation

By: Matt Howard

SUU University Journal

November 2010

A movie about Facebook sounds about as exciting as Katherine Heigl in another romantic comedy.

Yet The Social Network, a film about the founding of online-fixture Facebook, is simply incredible.
Directed by David Fincher of Fight Club, Seven and Benjamin Button fame, The Social Network is without doubt one of the best films of the year. The film is a deft mixture of Greek tragedy, courtroom thriller, college comedy and coming of age tale. Each respective genre is intricately and respectively woven into the plot’s moral fabric.

Based on the true story of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerburg, the film explores the consequences of success in our day and age. The very idea of Facebook actually started as a plot for revenge after Zuckerburg was spurned by a lover. He aired his disgust for the girl who turned him down the only way our generation knows how to — by blogging. From there, he took his revenge to new heights and spawned FaceMash, a site which users could vote on Harvard students’ overall attractiveness. In a little over an hour, the site had received a staggering 22,000 hits.

Being the genius that he is, Mark Zuckerburg realized the idea for FaceMash could be added upon and thus Facebook was born.

All the while, Zuckerburg is played by a hauntingly distant Jesse Eisenberg, whose lightning quick wit is mixed with an innocent yet roguish blank glare. He is the complete embodiment of a cunning wolf in sheep’s clothing.

Along the way, Zuckerburg makes and breaks friendships. His best friend and business partner, Eduardo Savarin, played by Andrew Garfield, is his only real friend and yet Zuckerburg throws it all away in order to protect his precious website.

Justin Timberlake plays Napster­­­­­ — founder — turned — Zuckerburg — friend Sean Parker, who does his fair share of bragging and backstabbing to get to the top. His cockiness exudes the one-upmanship of this generation.

The story follows a disjointed time line. Edits switch from present courtroom depositions to past events that lead to the said depositions. It’s abrupt and hard to follow in the beginning, but really adds to the fluidity of the pacing and character development.
In the end, Zuckerburg, like so many of us, is left alienated — relegated to his digital Facebook friends. He is successful, but without true human connection and interactions we are left asking just how successful he really has become.

As far as the social commentary overtones — they are apparent in every frame. For the college generation, which this film is definitely speaking to, it’s as if we are staring into a mirror, finding the ugly visage of instant gratification, fame, fortune and individualism. The Social Network is very much a cautionary tale for this digital age of social interaction and self-induced online obsessive compulsive disorder.
In fact, as I write this review I must admit that I’m logged into Facebook.

The Social Network is so masterful, that some are labeling it the “Citizen Kane of our time.” My response to that can only be answered by borrowing the words from college football analyst Lee Corso, whose popular phrase is, “Not so fast!” Truly, The Social Network is something to marvel at but it doesn’t reach Citizen Kane levels — at least not yet.

Instead the film needs some time to marinate in our minds before we get too ahead of ourselves. For now it’ll have to settle as “The Breakfast Club of our time,” as a film which offers a succinct snapshot of a generation. So move over Molly Ringwald, there’s a new nerd at the table.

At the end of my viewing of the film, a friend posed the question whether Facebook was a fad? I kind of paused and thought about it only to reason that a company with 500 million users, valued at $25 billion dollars, in nearly every corner of the planet except maybe Antarctica, should be relevant for a long time. Undoubtedly someone told Bill Gates his “personal computers,” were fads and look how that ended.
Whether we like it or not, Facebook, like Katherine Heigl romantic comedies, are here to stay.



  

Miss Lohan is BAAAAACK!

Y'all know I have a love for Miss Mess--Lindsay Lohan. Well, she was on SNL last week and did great (though I was holding out hope for either a Mean Girls reunion or a Parent Trap 2 skit). Nonetheless it was good seeing her back in the limelight. How long will it last? Honestly, I have no idea, but I hope it lasts... She was my generations Emma Stone or Molly Ringwald.

Check out the video... Lindsay+Real Housewives + Disney + Kristen Wiig = MAGIC

Last Minute Oscar Predictions...

Okay... Captain Procrastinator strikes again. I had this elaborately detailed commentary on the Oscars all mapped out, but school and my current enslavement at the OG has been so "cray cray" that I had no choice but to put off the blog. Regardless, I am ready to throw out my predictions etc. So without further adieu...

 

Best Supporting Actress...

Will Win: Octavia Spencer, The Help

Should Win (Matty's pick): Jessica Chastain, The Help

Don't get me wrong, Octavia Spencer was incredible in The Help, but I felt at times that she was more a caricature than a character. Believe me there's a difference. She stole the comedic show, but I felt like Chastain's comedic moments were less "over-the-top" and more grounded in "white-trash" reality. Also, Chastain's moments more fully humanized the story's theme that "you is smart. you is kind. you is important." On the outside she had it all, but inside she was entirely conflicted and I think that made The Help a much better film. Even still, I would not be surprised or upset if Melissa McCarthay of Bridesmaids ran away with Oscar Gold here. She does seem to have the "Marisa-Tomei-in-My-Cousin-Vinnie" factor on her side.  

Best Supporting Actor...

Will Win: Christopher Plummer, Beginners

Should Win (Matty's pick): Max Von Sydow, Extrememly Loud &Incredibly Close

I loved Plummer as the 70 year old who finally comes out of the closet. His role is a unique one that defintely goes against his past filmography, however I didn't exactly find his acting that incredible. His "son" in the film Ewan McGregor was far better in my opinion. Von Sydow should win this. His "silent" acting was full of subtle nuances that simply spoke louder than words. Plus I loved, Extremely Loud and thought the acting all around was "Oscar-worthy."

Best Actress...

Will Win: Viola Davis, The Help

Should Win (Matty's pick): Viola Davis, The Help

Hands down the performance of the year and so far this very new decade is Viola's turn as Aibileen in The Help. It would be criminal to NOT see her win. If there was one person I wouldn't mind see winning here, It would have to be Rooney Mara in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. She took some serious risks that both worked out and made for a memorable turn as the truly twisted Salander.

Best Actor...

Will Win: Jean Dujardin, The Artist

Should Win (Matty's pick): TIE. George Clooney, The Descendants. Brad Pitt, Moneyball.

Okay, I've seen The Artist. It was really pretty good. I laughed and thought overall Dujardin did a great job making a silent film star come to life. Nonetheless, I did feel like the film in general was/is pretty gimicky. If the film wasn't almost entirely silent, I'd say Dujardin nor the film itself would be looked at for any real Oscar love. Both Clooney and Pitt deserve this. Honestly, I'd be completely happy with a full blown tie between the two of them. Clooney turned in his best performance in his illustrious career and Pitt was no different. Honestly how have neither of these guys won Oscars for acting? I mean didn't Clooney play Bruce Wayne in Batman & Robin? Joking...

Best Director...

Will Win: Michel Hazanavicus, The Artist

Should Win (Matty's pick): Martin Scorsese, Hugo 

Again, The Artist will win, but I found nothing about the direction worth a nomination. It's gimcky as I said before. Scorses resurrected 3D. Yes, he actually made it relevant for thatres today. It also doesn't hurt that his film serves as a paean to the history of cinema as well.

Best Picture...

Will Win: The Artist

Should Win (Matty's pick): The Descendants

Though Oscar will undoubtedly pick The Artist, I'm still holding out hope for The Descendants. I have no problem whatsoever with honestly any of the other nominees winning. The Help was probably the most talked about film of the year, while Hugo was the most beautiful. Extrememly Loud & Incredibly Close is easily the biggest longshot, but I really enjoyed the film (I've seen it 3 times--oops!). Moneyball wouldn't be a bad choice, nor would Tree of Life. I'm just personally not sold on The Artist, but unfortunately Hollywood is.

Well there you have it... the Oscars start in literally an hour, so we'll have to wait and see how right and how wrong I am. One thing's for sure, I'm really excited. Time for a Bridesmaids awkward dance?



Yup, I just did this right now... I have no shame! Happy Oscar everyone (All 8 of you)... ;)

Where Have I Been?

I'ts been WEEEEEEKKKKKKSSSSS since I last posted. I promise I haven't quit on all 8 of you; nor have I been lazy. Actually life has been super busy. Between now and the last time I posted there's been lots of stuff goin down... I think in this case, words are less effective than pictures and animated .gifs... so I'll tell you where I've been and what I've been doing through the visual medium...

There's definitely been some fist pumpin while watchin J-Shore on Jerzday...

 

I've also been in the club... fist pumpin... Jerz-style



(I'm dead center, sportin mad facial scruff, a grey/blur striped v-neck, just to the left of

my Ginger Princess aka Kramer)

School has been crazy too, Utah Valley University just decided to have everything due the last couple weeks.



(Honestly, don't let the mountains or pond fool you--this place is a prison.)

My niece, Bailey, is on Juab High School's Drill Team and they competed for State and Region recently... so of course I was there supportin her...

1st at Region...

5th at State...



It goes without saying... she learned all her best dance moves from me...



I've been workin my guts out at The OG...

(That's me (future Academy Award winner) with my very good friend
(future Grammy winner) Keena Casper.
I'm her biggest fan... ask her ;)

A word to anyone who goes out to eat.. If you can't afford to tip... you can't afford to eat out. PERIOD! Servers are paid $2.13 an hour. That hourly pay takes care of our taxes. If you think it's appropriate to tip $3.00 on a $70.00 ticket in which a server has to bring salad and soup several times, while also filling drinks, refilling breadsticks, and assuring your leftovers are boxed to take home, then you're dead wrong--like Ron Paul and his craziness. No worries. There's a place for people who tip terribly... It's called Hell. ;)

Oops, sorry for the rant.. but that's been frustrating.

My Fam has had a lil drama here and there... but nothin that we haven't faced before... There's no photographic evidence but I think we are slowly moving on and up...

(Yeah, I wish this would solve it all, but we'd eat the cake, get fat, and cry more)

I haven't posted most of all, because I haven't seen any movies. I've seen The Grey and that's it over the past 3 weeks. A review on that is coming--PROMISE! Also the Academy Awards are coming this Sunday and my predictions will be posted later this week.

Anyway, please don't worry. I'm back. It's just been a dry spell... Love ya'll.  

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (Review)

BRIEFLY: Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close is a deftly crafted post-modern film that both effectively reflects and evokes the post-9/11 paranoia of America, while simultaneously being a simple story of a family told in the most unconventional Hollywood way. Most importantly Extremely Loud does little to answer all the questions of our world turned upside down on what the main character Oskar Schell refers to as the Worst Day—September 11, 2001. Instead of coming off pompous and preachy it feels passionate—a love note to the American sentiment both in fear and faith of the days that have proceeded since 9/11. Bullock, Hanks, and Davis all are on par, but it’s the silent performance of Max Von Sydow and newcomer Thomas Horn who steal the show. Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close is probably my favorite film of 2011 and had I seen it last year, it would have been my number one choice. Fortunately, The Academy did see it and tabbed it for a Best Picture nomination.

DETAILED REVIEW: Anyone who knows me knows I do read a lot of books (I’m an English major after all). I’m definitely into the more post-modern and contemporary literature than most other English majors. I prefer the voice of the time and the moment rather than the voice of decades or centuries gone by (This probably explains my affinity for Stephen King instead of Milton or Chaucer). I honestly don’t even remember where I heard about Jonathan Safran Foer’s Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, but suffice it to say I’m very glad and fortunate to have done so, because it is not just a stellar book, but probably my favorite book I’ve ever read—yes EVER. It sweeps you off your feet and you can’t put it down. A drug addict would call it ecstasy. A fat person would call it a Big Mac. An anorexic would call it Ex-lax. I however say it’s simply brilliant (like fry sauce and chicken strips—maybe I’m the fat person?).

So with that in place, let’s just say I was very excited to see the book on the big screen. I’ll admit though, I was weary. I mean off the top of your head, name a film adaptation that was deemed better than the book? (And please no mention of Twilight!). Yes, film adaptations are rarely deemed better than the source material. Ask any Potter muggle and even they’ll agree (though I do think Hermoine is far hotter on screen than on the page). Film adaptations seem to “leave out” things for the literary fans. I was expecting that this same thing could happen with Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, and it certainly did, but the result was not one of dissatisfaction, but quite the opposite. In the end I found the film to be as enjoyable and satisfying as the book—something I certainly wasn’t expecting.

The plot centers on Oskar Schell (Thomas Horn) whose father (Tom Hanks) died in the World Trade Center on 9/11. Left with nothing more than his father’s empty closet, Oskar seeks to find meaning after his father’s untimely death. He finds a key which he determines must open something his father wanted him to find. Oskar, despite his worried yet seemingly negligent mother (Sandra Bullock), gallivants around the New York to find whether the key actually is a postmortem message from his father. Along the way Oskar meets Abbey Black (Viola Davis), The Renter (Max Von Sydow), and others none of which know anything about the key or Oskar’s father.

Remarkably, the film manages not to slump into some sort of travelogue for New York City. I wondered if we’d see Oskar looking around Times Square or searching for answers at the Statue of Liberty, but fortunately the New York presented on screen is a mysterious one—the real one.  Credit director Stephen Daldry for finding the right tone for a city as iconic as New York and yet making it feel almost foreign and new.

Daldry is no stranger to Oscar fair either with his films like The Hours, The Reader, and Billy Elliot. He has a knack for finding a story that can be both touching and heartbreaking, but most of all entertaining. Extremely Loud is no different having garnered nominations now for Best Picture and Best Supporting Actor with Sydow’s work.

What’s most interesting about the film is how Daldry captures the feeling, the genuine sentiment of the dark days that preceded 9/11. We were all in deed a little nervous and wondered if things would be even darker in the days that were yet to come. Would there ever be a “normal?” Daldry projects these feelings in Oskar (who in the book has Asperger’s syndrome, though the film doesn’t clearly define him that way). Oskar wants so badly to understand his father’s death, but to an audience who grew up in such perilous times we find ourselves, in moments of pure catharsis, thinking the exact same things he does (like being suspicious of public transportation). Though Daldry dabbles with the “why,” he wisely sidesteps the answers simply with “It’s not going to make sense, because it’s not supposed to” (that’s a line delivered from a teary eyed Sandra Bullock who subsequently made me teary—Kleenex please?!).

Though I won’t reveal any of the third act of Extremely Loud I will say that is an extremely (no pun intended) satisfying climax coupled with an effective denouement. Oskar finds, something we all know but rarely say, that he isn’t the only one suffering and more importantly he is not alone. Though he can’t completely resolve the death of his father, he has finally developed the courage to move on. Much like the American public (for better or worse) that’s what we’ve done—moved on. Though the plot of the film revolves around Oskar and his family, the story aims higher, becoming a sort of allegory to Americanism in the wake of 9/11—and in my opinion it does it beautifully.

I’m truly surprised that the film has been so divisive among critics (It’s currently at 46% on rottentomatoes.com). Maybe this is more a reflection of the current political landscape, one divided both on war and the economy, than representative of the film itself? Regardless, the other 54% are wrong. It’s a movie that not only “moves” you but inspires you. I know it made me break out my laptop and pound out a few pages on my screenplay. Though one thing is for sure, anyone (myself included) will be extremely hard-pressed and have to be incredibly talented to match the revelatory scope, both in word and image, of this movie. Don’t miss it. It’s the Best Picture of 2011.

GRADE: A