Take a Lesson: That's How You Make a Movie!

The biggest surprise of the year (so far)! I had been hearing good things about The Karate Kid, and I've always liked Taraji P. Henson and Jackie Chan. So this piqued my interest enough that I wanted to see it, but I was still skeptical about a few things. First was the running time; at 2 hours 20 minutes, it's nearly epic-length, something that I don't feel is necessary with family films. Second: Jaden Smith, whose presence at the Oscars a couple of years ago filled me with rage. It seemed that he had inherited his father's charisma, yes, but also the obsession with maintaining that likability no matter what. And that can sometimes be annoying. I wondered, too, if the boy was genuinely talented, or if his famous daddy just insisted that his offspring be a movie star too.

Sure enough, about ten minutes in, I wondered to myself, "Is this kid ever going to change his expression?" To be fair, this was a good question to ask of all the kid actors up to this point, from Blonde Kid Who Disappears After Three Scenes to the love interest. Jaden could do charm, though, as we see in his initial flirtations with classmate Meiying (Wenwen Han), or in his banter with his hot mom (Taraji P. Henson, who proves yet again that she can do no wrong). It seemed my greatest fear was to be realized. This was a processed charmer, courtesy the Will Smith Corporation.

I don't know when it was, exactly, that I suddenly realized the greatness of the film. Was it when Jackie Chan gets the bullies to beat each other up? Was it the field trip to the Forbidden City? Could it have been when Jaden and Meiying flirted in the auditorium as she practiced her violin? I don't know, all I know is that there was a definite moment where I thought, "Actually, this kid's pretty good! Boy's got potential, and seems willing to grow. I get it!" And that soon developed, with the introduction of kung fu lessons with maintenance man Mr. Han (Chan), into a full-on love and admiration for everything about the film and its stars. Smith has to play the role one-dimensionally at the beginning, because his character is merely going through the motions as he tries to navigate this new life in China! And of course he comes alive in his scenes with Meiying, because that's when the character comes alive! Why did I underestimate the scion of the Fresh Prince clan?

So, yeah, the story. Dre and his mother move from Detroit to China after she gets a job transfer. Dre has a hard time fitting in, especially once a school bully, whom I shall from now on refer to as Little Satan (Zhenwei Wang), targets him for a punching bag. Tired of being bullied, Dre enlists the help of Mr. Han to teach him kung fu. He soon learns that kung fu is not about kicking ass, but about "making peace with your enemies". While delivering flying kicks, yes, but the spirituality of the sport is not lost on Dre or the audience. Dre learns respect for his elders, respect for his peers, and respect for his new home as Han trains him to take part in the Kung Fu Tournament that serves as the film's climax. Cool.

So very, very, cool. This is a movie that had the audience applauding, laughing, high-fiving each other across rows, sitting on the edges of their seats, wiping tears from their eyes. The movie just has it all, from capable kid actors (well, except for the "best friend" role that is quickly dropped from the story; worst kid actor ever) to a Dancing Arcade Game scene. Jackie Chan's moving performance as Mr. Han is the best of his Western career (admittedly, I've yet to see his original martial arts films), especially in a touching scene involving his car, June 8, and a message of getting back on your feet.

Those who feared that this would be an East vs. West, USA USA USA film can put those concerns to rest. The Karate Kid is more about an American learning to appreciate a culture different from the one he's used to, learning the language, customs and traditions of his new home. The climactic showdown between Dre and Little Satan is not about East vs. West, but about Good vs. Evil. I won't even tell you whether or not Dre wins. You may think this movie is predictable, but it takes some unexpected turns that make it fairly atypical.

At one point, I turned to my friend and muttered, "David Lean's The Karate Kid." This movie doesn't do things by halves. James Horner's score is his first of note since A Beautiful Mind (Sure, I like Avatar's score, but it mostly sounds like a riff on Titanic's), and it is an epic marvel. Roger Pratt's cinematography is ingenious. Sometimes hand-held, certainly low-key in the home sequences, it naturally gives us that widescreen "whoa" factor when Dre visits the Forbidden City, the Great Wall, the Temple of the Dragon Well. The night scenes are gorgeous, and the "first kiss" scene is beautifully done, superlatively lit, effectively edited by Joel Negron.

My God, and I could follow the action scenes! And it doesn't over-explain things! And there's chemistry and believable/consistent character arcs! The worst part is probably the title, actually, since every character insists on the difference between kung fu and karate. Strange, that. But, hey, whatever: the movie's brilliant! Kudos to director Harald Zwart and his team on creating an epic and sincere, family-friendly, universally delightful cinematic wowser!

Why are you reading this? Take ten dollars out of your wallet and see this movie NOW!

Casting Coup Tuesdays Return!

Casting Coup Tuesdays are finally coming back!

July 6

TV: Cheers

With The A-Team out now (and awesome, at that!), I wonder what other 80s television show could be reimagined into a film?

July 13

Film: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Casting is underway for the American remake. My dream list, based on my seeing the original film (and not having read the book). 

July 20

Literature: Miss Lonelyhearts

A follow-up to my CCT of The Day of the Locust. Based on Nathanael West's other novel, the original film from 1953 was Maureen Stapleton's first film...and her first Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress!

July 27

Theatre: Sunset Boulevard

The musical by Andrew Lloyd Weber, Don Black and Christopher Hampton.

This Team Gets an A!

There are two chief flaws in Joe Carnahan's cinematic remake of the TV series The A-Team.

One is the editing/cinematography of some action sequences. Oftentimes, it wasn't until the last punch was thrown that I would finally figure out who was winning or what was happening. I hope they eventually stop editing action movies like this, because it really pisses me off. Shouldn't I be able to enjoy the action in an action movie? And the murky cinematography of some of these sequences is no help, either. It's strange because this isn't a big problem throughout most of the film, but as soon as the adrenaline starts running, the picture suddenly gets all blurred and bizarre. Weird.

The second is the way they've padded out the running time by going back to some scenes to remind us of information we didn't need reminding of. OK, so Bradley Cooper gives Jessica Biel a phone. He tells her to hold on to the phone. Five minutes later, she's in her office, and the phone rings. She looks at it...and we flash back to the scene where he says, "Hold on to that phone." Really? Did you really think the audience was going to think, "Whoa, whoa, whoa, where'd that phone come from?" Really strange and condescending choice, that.

These two problems stick out because the movie is just SO GOOD. After seeing Splice last night, it was a surprise to see that the more negatively-reviewed action flick -- one that I saw because I just wanted brainless action that "specializes in the ridiculous" -- was the more consistent and together one. The characters were all distinct and consistent! The music serviced the story! There were actual arcs that were believable! Yes, believable character arcs in what very well might as be Macho Posturing: The Movie!

I can never fault a film for being consistent and knowing what it is. Half the problem with the movies this year is that they don't know what they want to be, even the ones I like (The Runaways, Get Him to the Greek, Alice in Wonderland). The A-Team has no such problem. Everything is big and broad, but consistently so, and it within the universe it creates for itself, everyone's behavior makes sense. It's outrageous and audacious, especially with the pro-violence message that, according to Mr. T, is completely at odds with the original series.

What's refreshing is that everyone seems to be having a good time. I don't just mean the actors are having fun picking up a paycheck and and firing weapons; I mean the characters themselves are having fun. The chemistry between the four leads carries the film. Liam Neeson is both a solid action hero and a reassuring father figure. Bradley Cooper is always great with the one-liners, while Rampage Jackson has a great screen presence. Also, he's a big teddy bear. Sharlto Copley, the star of District 9, almost manages to steal the show as crazy Murdock, oddly convincing with his perfect redneck accent and crazy eyes. Yet no one really stands out from the pack, because all of them are very giving co-stars, never upstaging each other, always working as a team.

Jessica Biel is fine, though she's given the leats to work with. This movie doesn't care about women...though considering this, Biel's character never has to be saved, remaining a strong female protagonist and sometimes threat; it's just the romantic subplot with Cooper doesn't always make sense. Patrick Wilson's CIA agent is deliciously wonderful, playing the maybe-he-is-maybe-he-isn't villain as an overgrown fratboy hilariously, though still convincingly a threat. Co-writer Brian Bloom appears as another villain, and the greatest shame of all is that he doesn't get more screen time. The guy's tops.

I totally recommend this movie. The script really doesn't make a lick of sense, and the editing is sometimes awful, but the cast absolutely sells it! A welcome relief after last night's mistake.

Three Quickies

SHUTTER ISLAND
Felt like an old-school psychological thriller. Everyone's in on the joke (though it's a serious joke), and it's a delight to watch the large ensemble play off of each other. The music, non-original, but culled from many sources, is haunting and effective. There are two moments that jar me out of the film, and they are the same moments from the book: the talk with the Warden, and line during the finale. You'll know it, I'm sure, when you hear it. Meanwhile, I'm pretty sure this is one of Leonardo DiCaprio's best performances, and for once, I cannot fault Thelma Schoonmaker. A beautifully atmospheric novel has been slavishly adapted...and it doesn't bug me at all! In fact, I absolutely love it. Michelle Williams, Ben Kingsley and Jackie Earle Haley also impress, and I love the ambiguity of the end.

THE SQUARE
This Australian noir from the Brothers Edgerton is a quiet, unpretentious, impressive little thriller. There's maybe one moment that doesn't work perfectly, and is a bit of a throwaway...or perhaps foreshadowing. But I like it, I really do. The lead performance by David Roberts is great -- you know this guy, and you even kind of root for him despite the awfulness of his decisions. Everyone in the cast works brilliantly and believably, though one does wonder how Roberts' character met the mistress that sets the plot in motion. And what a plot it is! Sometimes, I love going into movies without knowing anything about them other than the title! In this case, it was quite rewarding.

PRINCE OF PERSIA: THE SANDS OF TIME
Great fun. Dismissable, perhaps, but still a good time at the movies. A fine adventure film with the charming Jake Gyllenhaal, the dastardly Ben Kingsley (awesome in this), and the hilarious Alfred Molina. I feel like it's not a great movie, given the amount of eyerolling moments and ludicrous plot, but I would buy the shit out of this movie and show it to my kids and friends and everyone again and again. I will say this, though: is Gemma Arterton ever going to act?

I Hate You, Splice

Splice is a very uneven movie. It starts out promisingly enough, with Adrien Brody and Sarah Polley as kick-ass (or, as most reviews call them, rock star) geneticists who are so awesome, they made the cover of Wired. And as Sarah Polley says, "Losers don't make the cover of Wired." Bam. They're splicing genes together to make new species that will hopefully develop a protein that can be used to do something amazing with livestock, and if they can continue with their research...maybe cure human ailments too! They secretly develop a human/animal hybrid that evolves rapidly, and the movie centers on their raising this thing and the eventual problems that arise. Evil, horrifying problems.

And it's so incredibly stupid. So fucking dumb. The beginning is so great, and the first encounter with the baby creature, eventually known as Dren, is genuinely suspenseful and terrifying. I expected it to be a movie that served as a metaphor for parenting, and it certainly is...albeit a strange, inconsistent, retarded metaphor. Webster tells me that retarded means "slow or limited in intellectual or emotional development or academic progress". Therefore, my word choice is apt, for this view of child-rearing and parental jealousy and Daddy Issues and Mommy Issues, despite being written by a 40-year-old, seems to have ceased its own development during a pot-influenced conversation where every idea seems profound because you're leaning forward importantly and squinting. It is SO DUMB.

Beware, now, for spoilers lie ahead. Some of this was spoiled for me prior to my showing, and the events still took me off guard. Why? Because of the insane leaps in logic and character motivation.

Really, though, the first twenty minutes are pretty neat. I think it was when they named her that I first got worried. She spells the word Nerd using Scrabble tiles. Sarah Polley looks at it from the other side, where it spells Dren, only with the letters all upside-down and backwards and bim-bam-boom it's got a name. After this scene, it slowly starts to get more and more ridiculous. At one point, Dren spells out "tedious" with the Scrabble tiles, and boy is she right. What began as a promising, Cronenberg-esque horror with potential for actual insight becomes a sub-Freudian mess. All character motivations become hazy and illogical, as though the director told his actors to play one emotion at a time.

"No, dammit, we don't need anything like motivation, just be maternal in this scene! Okay, now you're cold-blooded! What do you mean why? It's a comment on how we become our parents! And sometimes, we wanna fuck them! It's deep, man, it's Freud! It's intellectual! Pass the bowl."

Who could like this movie? Who? Certainly not the audience I was with, who right after the Dren naming scene all banded together to mock the film. We almost high-fived each other, with one girl claiming that, were it not for my roommate and I, she would've fallen asleep and wasted her ticket.

Sarah Polley is head-slappingly uneven. Adrien Brody actually seems to be trying, but then it just made me wonder if he thought this script was profound, so then he began to irritate me. Everyone reads their lines like they're lines. Every single person is ACTING, but it never seems intentional. The only person I believed was Simona Maicanescu as the Frenchwoman funding the splicing research. She alone sounded like a real human being, give or take a scene or three with Polley and Brody.

The score was good, at least. It just boggles my mind that this thing has a 75% on Rotten Tomatoes. I can't believe the critics that think this is a smart, well-acted, finally-something-for-adults horror film. Are they so desperate for "adult" horror fare that they'll accept anything that doesn't rely on jump scares? Admirable, yes, but it takes more than that to make a good horror movie.

Perhaps Final Girl, who I love and adore and who you all should read, put it best:

"By the time the horror actually happens, I was deeply ensconced in disappointment...This film wants you to think there's something going on below the pretty surface, but there ain't much beyond some CGI-laden soap opera drama."

Rue McClanahan (1934 - 2010)

Rue McClanahan passed away at 1 a.m. this morning after a stroke. She was 76.

When I read earlier this year about her being hospitalized after "a minor stroke", I prepared myself for this. But the news is still tragic, and as corny as it sounds...it pains me to hear this. It was only recently that I had begun to appreciate her non-Blanche work: Nunsense, Maude, numerous guest spots on television shows, supporting roles in feature films, and -- most notably -- the blind, burnt biology teacher in Starship Troopers. She was a funny woman, a class act, immensely talented. She will be sorely missed.

Consider My Expectations Adjusted

This movie does not show up at all in my 25 Most Anticipated of 2010. I made that list before they put out this trailer, this amazing trailer, this beautiful and mesmerizing trailer. Seriously, I have not been this moved and transfixed by a mere trailer since The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. That's actually pretty appropriate, seeing this movie also appears to be taking one idea from a short story and using it to tell an against-all-odds love story between a well-dressed blond and a dancer.



Pic stars Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Anthony Mackie, Terence Stamp, John Slattery, Daniel Dae Kim and Shohreh Aghdashloo. Written and directed by George Nolfi (Ocean's Twelve, The Bourne Ultimatum).