Belle (2014)

"You are..You are...YOU ARE....illegitimate!" -Lady Elizabeth Murray

As period dramas go, I find that the story's success will be inversely related to the amount of time spent hammering out 'the would be obvious" and explaining that there is dramatic tension.  Thus, excellent period dramas explain very little and simply take their surroundings as fact. Poor period dramas spend vast amounts of time explaining relations, the issues of power, and the intricacies of then current politics/social issues over and over.  I also content that the relationship between exposition and success is even more divergent for a British period drama.  Propriety would insist that exposition is tacky.

With this in mind, I consider Belle to be on the poorer end of the period drama spectrum.  Its plot and script are written with extensive elements of heavy handed exposition.  Additionally, I found the word choice and syntax of the script to be jagged and below English high society elegance.  However, there were some positives to Belle.  1. The actors were professional and performed remarkably given script limitations.  2. The costumes and sets were superb.  I wish the script had taken the time to be written with the same care and attention to detail that went into hat selection.

I have two additional notes on the film.  Why is it titled Belle?  The main character is referred to throughout the film as Dido, which is her first name.  I'm only curious as to if the marketing department felt that a film titled "Dido" might not perform as well as one with a more elegant and fairy-tale-esque name?  Additionally, as a note for Mr. Tom Felton, AKA Draco Malfoy, I appreciate that you can play spite and malice as well as any actor, but please be careful as you are in danger of becoming typecast.  I would like to see you take on more diverse roles.

On a scale of The House of Commons to The House of Lords, I give Belle 3.2 out of 5 stars.          


  

Million Dollar Arm (2014)

"Everything is on schedule with only moderate delays." (Million Dollar Arm -Indian Business Manager)
"Oh yeah...The Flamingo." (Alan Arkin -as an old crusty baseball scout ie Obi-Wan Kenobi.)

Million Dollar Arm is an acceptable continuation of Disney's "based on real life events" sports movies. I liked Remember the Titans and The Rookie more than Million Dollar Arm, but they all have their moments. If you are in need of a film to cheer you up in a predictable way, Million Dollar Arm is a great choice. You might even learn a thing or two about India.

I am not original in deducing that Disney movies are blandly similar and reuse time worn tropes to great effect. Here are two sample short movie plots I have created in the same genre.

1.  A loving man long ago cast aside his dreams of a professional ping-pong championship for family.  Now, at the age of 90, can he resurrect his career and attain personal fulfillment with the help of his friends, family, and extended community?

2.  A young, down on his luck, self-obsessed lawyer thinks that defending a ragtag youth Ultimate Frisbee teams' field against an encroaching golf course will resurrect his career.  Can Ultimate soften his cold heart and teach him the value of community?

On a scale of 1 million rupees to 1 million dollars, I give Million Dollar Arm 3.1 out of 5 stars.              

  

Lincoln (2012)

"Nothing ever made the British shit like the sight of George Washington" (Abraham Lincoln -quoting Ethan Allen)

"You're telling one of those stories aren't you.  I won't have it. NO! No no." (Edwin M. Stanton)

The movie Lincoln was an interesting piece of history. It was well acted, well directed, and clearly relevant to our culture today.  However as a film, I found it to be underwhelming.  The movie failed to capture my interest in that I never reasonably doubted the success of our hero. In order for it to have had impact, Lincoln would have required a great deal more manufactured stressors.  One might also be tempted to see Lincoln as a bio-pic/platform-pic for the prodigious talent of Daniel Day-Lewis.  I appreciate that interpretation, but for that to ring true Lincoln would have to take on a more broad stoke approach to the life of Abraham Lincoln and not just the back story to the passage of the 13th amendment.

I would like to pause a moment and consider that Tommy Lee Jones is possibly an underrated actor.  I know that might be strange to comprehend, but the concept is growing on me.  His performance as Thaddeus Stevens was remarkable.

On a non-film specific note, I learned something interesting from watching Lincoln. On close inspection, I noticed that there is an less often remarked but nontheless talented generation of character actors that need to be appreciated for their abilities to fill in roles with flourish and yet never take on the mantle of leading a movie or show.  My thought is that when the producers of Lincoln were in pre-production the call went out for white actors of merit and gravitas from 40 to 80 who were capable enough to hold their own scenes, but not necessarily good enough to upstage anyone.  Seriously, Lincoln required at the least 35 character actors that could not be schlubs and had to be able to passably look the part of a U.S. Senator, Congressmen, or General in 1965.

Enter our true heroes of Lincoln:

David Staithairn (Most recently on this blog in Godzilla) http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000657/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cl_t3

Hal Holbrook http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001358/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cl_t6

Jackie Earle Haley http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0355097/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cl_t9

Bruce McGill (The incomporable D-Day from Animal House) http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0569226/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cl_t10

Jared Harris (Mad Men and Fringe) http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0364813/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cl_t13

John Hawkes http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0370035/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cl_t8   

Tim Blake Nelson ( O' Brother where art thou) http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0625789/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cl_t11

Boris McGiver http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0569409/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cl_t20

and the youngster of the group

Lee Pace (King Thranduil himself) http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0569409/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cl_t20

Oh and I think of James Spader as a leading man...but he makes an amazing lobbyist in Lincoln

On a scale of a law to an amendment, I give Lincoln 3.6 stars out of 5/ 

X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)

"At a time when we couldn't have been further apart." (Professor X)
"Patience isn't my strong suit." (Logan -The Wolverine)

At some point, I may get bored with watching Superhero movies.  I haven't yet but, someday.

In this latest installment of the X-men franchise the producers and writers have a crafted a reasonably seamless bridge movie uniting and old cast with a new cast.  In an age where old and profitable ideas never die; they just get rebooted.  X-men: Days of Future Past stands as a testament to the idea that franchises don't need rebooting, just good writing and continuity.

On the practical matter of that the original casts from 2000 and 2002 are now 12 years older (Ian and Patrick can't do this forever.), it is a sign of good planning that actor transitions can be handled grace.

However, X-Men: Days of Future Past has convinced me of one thing.  Bryan Singer is a reasonable director.  He has the chops to make X-Men movies.  Unfortunately, I just don't like his creations in comparison to the non-X-Men side of Marvel.  They are slower, less poignant, create less energy, and don't take full advantage of the mythology and backdrop of superhero lore.  They are just less.  They aren't bad,  (Well, X-Men III is bad.) I just find them wanting.

Pros of X:Men Days of Future Past
1: Hugh Jackman: Always Cool
2: Bishop, Kitty Pride, Blink, Colossus, Ice Man, Rogue, and the Sentinels
3: Costumes:  They nailed 1970s pretty well.

Cons
1: Quicksilver: Too much and unnecessary for this movie
2: Bolivar Trask:  Inspired casting of Peter Dinklage, less than inspired use of Peter Dinklage
3: Richard Nixon:  Use of the president was lame and almost silly.

On a scale of Oscar Winner Halle Berry to Cat Woman Halle Berry, I give X-Men: Days of Future Past 3.1 out of 5 stars.

oh a scale of Patick Stewart 1988 to Patrick Stewart 2014 would be redundant.  He looks the same.    

Divergent (2014)

"What book did you regurgitate that from?" -former Candor to former Erudite

I'm prejudiced.  I find "teen rebellion in post apocalypse setting" novels and movies to be pure schlock from start to finish.  They are derivative drivel that generally pass itself off as high literature to those who believe that their teenage experiences must be and are unique to their time and their generation. *Teenage experiences are generally similar, especially in their need for rebellion and expressive control against their surroundings.

That said:  I am also an well practiced idiot and freely admit to the pliability of my positions.

To the point, Divergent was a passable, if not acceptable, movie and it probably is a decent set of books.  ( I was shocked!)

In my mind, a melding of Avatar: The Last Airbender and Battle Royal would be bad. (There are 4 elemental groups; Earth, Air, Fire, and Water; each with their own rules cultural points that in balance create harmony in the world. There are 5  factions in Divergent each with its own rules that are meant to create balance in the city/world.  Additionally, those individuals that have elements of all 5 factions are rare, special like the Avatar.)  I imagined the movie going in as a tortured drama of teen vs. The System with Kate Winslet playing THE MAN.  Fortunately, Divergent is actually more about one teen's struggle vs. self and coping with/embracing inner differences....oh and tattoos.  It isn't a new concept or plot...but it was executed with grace and deftness.

I was suitably impressed with the acting chops of Shailene Woodley.  In the hands of a less capable actress Divergent would have fallen into a teenage emo abyss.  Way to Go!

On a scale of Harmony to Temperance, I give Divergent 3.1 out of 5 stars.         

Godzilla (2014)

:Let them fight!" -Ken Watanabe as the credible scientist

I really thought that this version of American Godzilla was going to make the same mistakes as its 1998 predecessor: cater to American sensibilities, use a ton of CGI, arrogantly forecast a sequel, and add unrelated cultural cliches for product placement. However, I am proud to state that this incarnation of Godzilla is true to the storied (Japanese) past of the Godzilla franchise and that's a good thing.

I heard some malcontents tell me that Godzilla (2014) was a waste of the talents of both Bryan Cranston and Ken Watanabe.  I guess they are right.  But, I counter with there has never been a Godzilla or giant monster movie in the history of cinema that is actually a launching platform for Oscar.  Honestly, not a single Godzilla movie has been the genesis of an acting career.  At best, passable actors have a great time filming explosions and monsters.  At worst, forgettable stars like what's her face and who's its are forgotten in comparison to the big monster.  The directors chose to use names you would recognize to get butts in seats.  That they were underused is a fact of movie making and a pillar of the Godzilla franchise. On the whole, I liked the way both Bryan and Ken were used.  Bryan K got to do his very best Jeff Goldbloom impersonation, and Ken got to take on the classic Godzilla role of forgettable scientist who adds credibility and specific plot information.

Finally, I want to give my hats off to the director of Godzilla (2014).  His commitment to showcasing size perspective and first person camera angles was spot on to ensure viewer interest.

On a scale of those tiny women who sing the joys of Mothra to Space Godzilla, I give Godzilla (2014) 3.6 out of 5 stars.

Pompeii (2014)

"Are those abs real?...no they couldn't be....wait they are!" (Me)

I will try to keep this short. Pompeii is abysmal and two steps short of an atrocity to film.  Kit Harrington's noble efforts to market this stinkbomb as palatable are just that: noble but futile.  The highlight of Pompeii is, in fact, Kit's ridiculous 8 pack and the magic of how he manages to always be glistening with sexy oil sweat.

The best wise crack of the group watching was clearly: "Hey, I've been doing it wrong all these years.  The way to woo a woman is to mercy break the neck of her horse with your hands.  Got it."

On a small high note, I will give the director and writers credit for attempting to return to a bygone era of disaster films. I appreciate films that are true tragedies. It's unfortunate that the Pompeii team failed so miserably.  I also had no idea what all the eagle imagery was about.  (Foreshadowing of war?)    

On a scale of British actors playing classical roman roles to American actors playing classical roman roles, I give Pompeii 1.7 out of 5 stars.