chasburch Reviews

The Matrix Resurrections (I) (2021)

What is real? Why should we care?

[3/10 · 30 December 2021]

First of all, credit where credit is due: The Watchowskis always put money you can see on the screen. It is the proverbial technical tour de force. The movie looks great. Comparisons have been made to Christopher Nolan, but I also find a lot of the Wachowski's take on Cloud Atlas as well.

At some point, where realities start to be constantly portrayed as a dream within a dream, you stop caring for the characters. When the joys and hardships of a lifetime of experiences can be explained away as being part of a program, why should we care? The movie itself seems to echo this feeling, mocking the fact that in order to resurrect the franchise, it had to destroy the veracity of the original Matrix. They bring to this project a hipper-than-thou self-awareness that is supposed to inoculate you from the cynicism of the effort.

It doesn't work. Being a Wachowski project, it is polished and displayed well. But the story itself needed a major re-think before any of this beautiful failure made it to the screen.

Atomic Blonde (2017)

A script 3 re-writes away from being comprehensible

[4/10 · 26 November 2018]

You can hear the pitch for this movie: Spies fighting it out against the backdrop of Berlin in the last days of the cold war as the wall comes down. The irony of the struggle, while the symbol of the division between east and west is destroyed, is ripe with possibilities. In the case of Atomic Blonde, too many possibilities. This movie doesn't know what it wants to be. It is a kitchen sink of a spy movie, that can't decide whether it's John LaCarre or an MTV video. The best thing about the movie are the fight scenes, which are simultaneously outrageously improbable and thuddingly realistic, bordering on fetishistic. The scenes are choreographed so that the fighters are given impossibly convenient amounts of time to recover from seemingly fight stopping injuries time after time. But as bad as the rest of the movie is, give Charlize Theron credit for putting some serious work into her action sequences. If you like 99 luftballons, Charlize Theron, action sequences and don't care about plot, give it a whirl. Otherwise this is a movie that takes itself far too seriously when it does not need to be taken seriously at all.

Snowpiercer (2013)

Operatic, overblown, and totally marvelous.

[8/10 · 14 November 2018]

Suspension of disbelief. Accept the premise, and the train becomes a living, breathing metaphor for the future of humanity, from the cattle car at the back to the shiny engine at the front. Okay, there are more than a few holes in the story. This Train has been going for 18 years, and no one has heard of birth control? Tilda Swinton could have easily played Margaret Sanger, but that's another movie. Each car in the train is its own cinematic tableau, with visual delights and horrors, and a plot twists that reminded me of Kurt Vonnegut's Cat's Cradle. Accept the experience of this movie on its own terms, and it becomes a mesmerizing journey.

Blade Runner 2049 (2017)

Pretty, but slow, self-important and a pseudo-profound but implausible plot

[6/10 · 31 January 2018]

Maybe I'll give it another shot, but I found it incredibly slow to unfold. like you knew how every scene was going to resolve before it did. Beautiful sets, as has been mentioned, but totally lacking in all of the detail that made the first movie such a compelling environment. Ridley Scott got his start making commercials, and he always had a gift for packing a lot of visual information in a shot. That is really lacking. The script felt like it needed another re-write, and the editing was too self-reverential.

The Post (2017)

Streep is great, but poor script mars story's effectiveness

[7/10 · 19 January 2018]

There are 2 central story lines: First, the political and financial risks involved in publishing documents prohibited by the government. Second, the difficulties that Catherine Graham, the paper's owner, faces as a woman and a neophyte to the running of the newspaper.

Where the script fails is the absence of backstory exposition about the suicide of Catherine Graham's husband.

Phil Graham was a larger-than-life character, one of those people that the gods have decided to bless unfairly with a brilliant mind, dashing good looks, and a charismatic personality. He was blessed by the gods, but whom the gods destroy they first make mad. Phil Graham was a manic depressive who committed suicide.

This was a soul-crushing episode, both for the Post but far more for Catherine. This needed some early backstory exposition. There was an attempt in a scene with her daughter, but it really doesn't do very much.

Despite our President's estimation, Ms. Streep is not overrated. Tom Hanks is good, but I ultimately think he was miscast. He's a little too Jimmy Stewart to play Bradlee, who could order a meal in flawless French and proceed to use language that would make a sailor blush. Jason Robards in All the President's Men was a lot closer to the man.

Good movie, but not great

Jupiter Ascending (2015)

I wish they'd put as much thought into plot development as visual effects

[6/10 · 13 February 2015]

As the Matrix trilogy progressed, it became evident that the Wachowskis were uneven at best at complicated plot exposition. Long boring monologues (sometimes dressed up as dialog) served to advance the plot at the expense of pacing which slowed to a crawl.

In Jupiter Ascending, the good news is there are many fewer languorously paced plot advancing monologues. The bad news is the Wachowskis are no better at plot exposition. And there is a lot of exposing to do.

The viewer is force-fed a Matrix-like alternate Universe history humanity's purpose. And in setting up what could have been a multi-movie story, the movie needed better plot exposition.

The usual Wachowski eye candy is there, and as a visual experience you can find contentment. But the shame is that it could have been so much better.

Moonrise Kingdom (2012)

Wes Andererson, warts and all

[7/10 · 16 June 2012]

**Tiny Spoiler** Early in the film a scoutmaster (Edward Norton) at a boy scout summer camp notices that one of his charges is not at breakfast. He inspects the camper's tent, which is empty, and notices a map on the wall. Pulling the map down, he reveals a large round hole cut in the side of the tent which was used as an escape route. That the camper could have easily unzipped the tent and walked out misses the point: this was an ESCAPE from a prison of sorts. The visual metaphor is more important than reality.

That pretty much sums up the sensibility of a Wes Anderson film: s gentle absurd aesthetic that is a possible meeting of Holden Caufield, Richard Brauntigan and Stanley Kubrick.

Some directors try to break out of the 2-dimensional boundaries of film, Wes Anderson plays there. His wide lenses and flat tracking shots are like turning the pages of a lushly illustrated children's book. Like Kubrick, his actors are characters more than real human beings.

I like Wes Anderson's movies, but his highly stylized structures can sometimes constrict, rather than expand, his expressiveness. Moonrise Kingdom is a beautiful, gentle fable that could have been better than it was. I just wish the director would trust his characters to breathe on their own.

In Time (2011)

In the future, everyone will live in a Beer Commercial

[6/10 · 10 March 2012]

In the future the world will be composed of a demographic that is critical to the enjoyment of 18-34 year old movie goers. Just like beer commercials, there is no one over 25 years old to gum up the works. Everyone's mom is a milf. Science has figured out how to make people immortal, but has evidently forgotten how to make a car manufactured after 1985. Most of the world looks like either Century City or the Los Angeles river basin.

Just like today there is the 99%, who live literally day-to-day, and the 1% whose luxury is predicated on inequality. Hopefully the movie viewers (the 99%) will not notice that the actors, the writers and the studio are trying to get into the 1% by make the others pay for the privilege of watching this dreck.

Ah, it's not THAT bad. I just get sick of future dystopias where the writers stopped after pitching the concept and didn't bother creating a world (or characters for that matter) that have any nuance. Think of all of the visual detail in a movie like Blade Runner. That is what this movie lacks.

The Adventures of Tintin (2011)

Well-crafted homage

[8/10 · 5 March 2012]

Picasso said 'Good artists borrow, great artists steal." There's a lot of borrowing in this film. When, the opening credits rolled on Tin Tin, I inwardly groaned. John William's score and the title sequence were a rip-off of 'Catch Me If You Can'. Spielberg's own rip-off of 1960's title sequences.

Spielberg (and Williams) repeat themselves in this movie, but there is enough that is new and fresh to save the day. If you remind yourself that this movie is intended for an audience that may not have seen all the clichés that are used, it is quite a good movie.

First and foremost, the animation is stunning. It manages to cut a line between comic book and realism that is fresh without feeling contrived. Your mind's eye comfortably settles into this world. The effects are subtle and effective. The back of a hand morphs into a desert dune. A desert dune morphs into an ocean wave, all beautifully done.

The story incorporates 3 Tin Tin books in rather seamless fashion. The core relationship, that between Tin Tin and Captain Haddock (both beautifully voiced by Jamie Bell and Andy Serkis) rings true.

John William's score, while cutting no new ground, serves this adventure as well as the score in Indiana Jones. In fact, there is not a lot to separate them.

But if you forgive these gents from repeating themselves and look at the film with new eyes, it's really a very fine and entertaining work. Seen it before? Yes. Seen it done better? Not really.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)

Solid and well-crafted Whodunnit Suspense Thriller

[8/10 · 11 February 2012]

When you make a remake of a movie version of a well-loved book series, you're going to upset some people. Normally I wouldn't be interested in seeing something so far removed from the original, but the reviews were so good that I decided to give it a shot, and I was not disappointed. This is a very solid movie.

It is difficult to take a book with the complicated relationships of Girl With The Dragon Tattoo and turn it into a comprehensible movie script, but I think this film succeeds. Is it 100% faithful? No, many details have been left out. Does it need to be? If you feel a movie's first objective is to be a 100% accurate reproduction of the source material then this movie is a failure.

If, however, you feel that a movie should stand and fall on its own merits and should be its own experience then I think this movie succeeds. Daniel Craig's persona lacks a bit of warmth which I think his role needs to engender Lizbeth's trust, but that is my biggest complaint.

Having seen the movie, you will not have read the book. But you will have seen an intelligent, well-crafted re-imagining of the original.

Rango (2011)

If you like movies, you'll love Rango

[16 July 2011]

Don't be fooled by the PG rating, or the fact that this is an animated movie. This is a film for adults. Picasso supposedly said "good artists borrow, great artists steal", (he may have stolen the line from someone else) and this movie makes unashamedly wholesale thefts from a number of movies and books. Start with the writings of Carlos Castaneda, flavor with a heavy dose of Clint Eastwood spaghetti westerns, blend in a rather strong resemblance to the plot from Chinatown, season to taste with Star Wars, Blazing Saddles, Bugs Life, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Indiana Jones and High Noon. The next time I see it I'll try to make a list of all of the other references. If the movie was boring you would at least be entertained by trying to guess where it all came from.

Despite the movie's rather complicated family tree, it all hangs together very well. If I were pitching to a studio, I'd say it was "Carlos Castaneda versus Noah Cross".

And oh, by the way, the voice acting and animation are as good as I've seen. I just finished watching a rental copy on DVD and I can't wait to buy it on Blu Ray.

Literate and funny, this is a movie that aims much higher than the typical summer animated fare. HIGHLY recommended.

Tron: Legacy (2010)

Incomprehensible

[3/10 · 28 December 2010]

I saw the original Tron back in '82 and appreciated the groundbreaking computer graphics art, if less than enthralled by the plot. This sequel has less to offer: in trying to stay true to the vision of the original, the animators have been stymied to trying to augment the original 80's technology rather than invent something fresh. They do a credible job, but given the amount of progress that has occurred in CGI it is disappointing.

This wouldn't matter so much if the plot held up its end of the bargain, but there are so many technological and logical impossibilities that I found myself shaking my head after about 40 minutes. Someone sitting behind me gave up and started snoring about halfway through. Very disappointed.

The Hurt Locker (2008)

Exceptional Movie about the experience of war

[8/10 · 30 July 2009]

This is the best movie I have seen this year, and one of the best war movies I have ever seen. Kathryn Bigalow has presents a tightly constructed unrelenting look at the pressure and perverse thrill of living with death as a constant companion.

Oddly enough, the experience of this movie for me was very much like 'Das Boat', the German WWII movie that made the viewer feel the sweaty claustrophobia of being under attack on a submarine.

The movie follows an American bomb squad in Iraq as they investigate and attempt to diffuse bombs and IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices) in the field. A new squad leader poses some problems for the group, but this review is concerned about the plot.

This movie does two things as good or better than any war movie I've seen. One, it gets you into the mind-space of going to work each day in an environment where a single misunderstood detail can end your life.

The second great accomplishment of this movie is that it shows how impossible it is to live in this environment and not be changed by it. Some experience the flip side of fear as the adrenaline rush of being alive. But for some that adrenaline clouds their judgment, and makes make them seek that which they fear the most.

An unforgettable film, highly recommended.

Rachel Getting Married (2008)

Different and delicious

[8/10 · 11 March 2009]

I was surprised how much I liked this film. Start with Ann Hathaway, who breathes brittle and fragile life into Kym, a woman in recovery who is given a weekend out of rehab to come home for her sister's wedding. Jonathan Demme shoots the whole movie hand-held, which gives it a voyeuristic feel. There is no soundtrack: the music comes from the wedding rehearsal and participants. If you are looking for a movie with neat plot resolutions tied up with ribbons, they are not here, but that (for me) is one of the strengths of this movie. In seeing Kym's relationships with her sister, father, and (most importantly) mother (in a wonderful performance from Deborah Winger) unfold, we are given more and more clues to why she is the way she is. Jonathan Demme doesn't connect the dots, but he lets you do so if you wish. A movie I will see again.

The Brave One (2007)

Isolation, Alienation and Unanswered Questions

[6/10 · 28 February 2008]

Yes, the film is both similar and different to "Death Wish". This film has more estrogen and less testosterone. Jodie Foster does a great job in portraying a woman whose emotional core has been irreparably damaged by a sadistic after-dark attack in Central Park that kills her fiancé and leaves her in a coma for 3 weeks. Scenes of the attack are inter cut with scenes of her making love with her boyfriend, contrasting the tender and the violent, but also giving us a hint of the common carnality.

The film is very careful to portray her vigilante response as the product of weakness, fear, and loss and not in any way an emotional strength. It may be a valid response to her trauma, but the film makes you very aware that she is a hollow shell of her former self.

Where I have a beef with the script is that it shows a woman who is utterly lacking in ANY support network. Where are her friends? Her family? The only people we see are the neighbor in her apartment building and her boss at work. Foster's character shows a tremendous compassion for an abused hooker towards the end of the movie, but this compassionate self has let a life in total emotional isolation, except for her dead fiancé. I think she would wanted to isolated after the attack, but I also think that someone as sensitive and compassionate as the woman she portrayed in the movie would have had friends who would have attempted to help her through this crisis.

I'm being critical of the movie, or more accurately, the script. The film is well acted and well directed. I would really give it a 6.5. Foster is a very talented actress, working in a film that nearly makes it, save for some unresolved character development.

Waitress (2007)

Actors cannot overcome cardboard characterizations

[4/10 · 15 December 2007]

I'm fairly surprised at the relatively hight ratings of this movie. I came away feeling cheated, primarily because the script created such cardboard characters.

Jenna is a waitress with a genius for pie recipes in a Southern town that should have been named Misogynyville. All the waitresses in the diner where Jenna works commiserate in a support network of lowered expectations concerning the male sex. Every man is either goofy, grumpy or just plain obnoxious, as in the case of Jenna's husband, Earl. Just how bright and charming Jenna happened to marry a Neanderthal like Earl is never fully explained, except for a reference to the fact that he "changed" after he married her. This would imply that Earl was clever enough to hide his true nature during courtship, which I truly doubt.

Jenna becomes pregnant after an ill-advised bout of drunken lovemaking with Earl, which sidetracks her plans of becoming independent. She finds that her doctor has semi-retired, and a new, attractive (albeit nervous) doctor is taking over her practice. He is a nice man, therefore from out of town. Wonder what happens next? Anyway the plot twists which are not predictable are baffling, as characters exhibit behavior that serves the plot but not their persona. The principle actors give nice performances, and there is a decent bit from Andy Griffith at the town's gruff but lovable old man, but not enough to save a script that needed some re-writes.

Children of Men (2006)

Dystopia as an action flick (Some small spoilers)

[7/10 · 29 December 2006]

What is it about England and dystopia that makes such a great match? From 1984 to "V" to "Children of Men", this sceptered isle, isolated and gloomy, makes a great place for a society to turn bad.

The movie begins in the year 2027, with teary-eyed citizens watching the televised news of the death of the world's youngest citizen, who happens to be 18 years old. Women have become infertile, for reasons not fully understood. Britain has become a totalitarian, nationalist state, intent on deporting all "foreigners".

Sounds like an interesting premise, except this isn't the way history works. If there have been no new children for nearly 20 years (and there is a poignant reminder with a scene that takes place in an abandoned elementary school) what would cause the urge to get rid of citizens? There would be no overcrowding, land becomes less valuable and labor becomes more valuable as the population decreases. As the median age increases, entry-level jobs would become harder to fill, which would prompt the need for more, not less, immigrants. (See the history of Europe after that Black Plague).

Other than not buying the premise of the story (a rather large caveat) I loved this movie. The story follows Theo (Clive Owen), a disillusioned bureaucrat, anesthetizing the hopelessness of his life with liquor. He runs into an old flame and revolutionary activist Julian (Julian Moore), who asks him for a political favor, and he finds himself drawn in to a circle of revolutionaries who just might be harboring the last best hope for mankind.

All of the principle cast members turn in fine performances, but the credit really belongs to director Alfonso Cuaron, who is starting to assemble a pretty eclectic and diverse body of work. Great locations, production design and action sequences that integrate well into the plot, I thoroughly enjoyed this movie in spite of rather shaky premise of this political dystopia.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

A great movie starts with a great script

[8/10 · 25 April 2004]

Charlie Kaufmann is the brightest light in American screenwriting today, period. 'Eternal Sunshine' is not only a great script, it is brilliantly realized. Not only in Michel Gondry's direction, but Valdís Óskarsdóttir's creative editing give Kaufman's ideas a wonderfully non-linear canvas on which to roam.

The best way to see this movie is to know as little about it as possible. Suffice to say that it is an examination of the cost of loving and losing. Is love worth the pain? The hoariest question in romantic comedies, right? Except the answer to that question lies at the end of an astonishingly original landscape of inventions that allow the viewer to look at an old question in new ways.

Jim Carey and Kate Winslett are star-crossed opposites: Carey plays the introvert and Winslett the extrovert. It works well. Hopefully Carey will learn that taking all of that energy and compressing it inside a repressed introvert can make a much more interesting and adult character.

I can't imagine this film not winning best original screenplay.