Review: The Fisher King (1991, Dir. Terry Gilliam)

Robin Williams and Jeff Bridges star in Terry Gilliam's metropolitan fantasy about delusion and redemption.

 

The Fisher King–Robin Williams may be typecast as a crazy, animated comedian, but some of his films really show him off as a crazy, animated actor. One such film is Terry Gilliam’s madly wonderful comedy The Fisher King, in which Williams plays a mentally impaired homeless man who’s suddenly aided by Jeff Bridges’ ex-shock jock. After being fired from his high-paying and famous job as a controversial radio host for inadvertently causing a violent outburst from an insane fan, Jack (Bridges) feels somewhat responsible to help out Williams’ character due to his connection to the incident. What starts out as a simple favor in playing into Williams’ delusion about retrieving a “golden grail” and escaping the “red knight” (the fantastical chases throughout Central Park and the streets of downtown New York City capitalize on Gilliam’s terrific and imaginative control of imagery) turns into a poignant quest for love and meaning; Bridges helps Perry (Williams) win the affections of a lonely, mercilessly shy office worker (an amusing Amanda Plummer), while enabling him to see the value in his relationship with his boss/girlfriend (an Academy Award-winning performance by Mercedes Rhuel, effective and hilarious). A strong, moving friendship becomes the core basis for Gilliam’s film, which is beautifully wrapped up in sharp dialogue and sweeping storytelling, while also making outstanding use of meticulous art direction and low-angled cinematography to exemplify the dream-like, claustrophobic, unreal essence that works as the recognizable foundation for each of his films. Williams is outstanding, balancing sentimentality with subdued comedic chops and unexpected poignancy, and Bridges is also brilliant as the redemptive man working alongside this charming lunatic. The two share remarkable chemistry, and are also terrific with their female counterparts–Plummer is clumsily funny and endearing, while Rhuel is both laugh-out-loud hysterical and heartwarmingly understandable. Gilliam has found a strong story about love and redemption in Richard LaGraveneuse’s solid script and entangled it in his signature passion for legends, myths, and epic tales. This is mostly successful, for it gives the simplistic story a wonderful cinematic treatment that is big, broad, and adventurous, but also takes a bit away from the thematic strength–for instance, the film is at least ten minutes long and plays upon Williams’ delusion a bit too much. The character of Perry, thus, doesn’t come off as completely comprehensible, but still is very interesting. If Williams had toned down the fantasy, the viewer would find more compassion and depth in Williams’ portrayal, even though his performance is strong. Nevertheless, The Fisher King is still an exceptionally funny and moving comedy about a friendship between two people who understand each other on an extremely unusual and slightly crazy level. B+

Here’s the trailer:

Review: The Thin Red Line (1998, Dir. Terrence Malick)

Sean Penn leads a large ensemble in Terrence Malick's third film in twenty-five years.

The Thin Red Line–In anticipation for Terrence Malick’s newest film (which just screened at Cannes to mostly positive reviews), The Tree of Life, I’m starting to revisit the elusive but masterful director’s small body of work. I’ve had Badlands, Days of Heaven and The New World under my belt (all of which I really appreciate, even though I only love the second), but I had yet to see The Thin Red Line. Probably his best-made film, the story of a group of soldiers taking over a small island in the Guadalcanal in 1942 from the Japanese is a tremendously unique war film in that avoids all tropes and cliches of the genre to deliver something inherently emotional and philosophical–something requested from but rare in cinema.

Sean Penn, James Caviezal, Nick Nolte, and Elias Koteas lead the large cast of characters in Malick’s film which doesn’t concentrate on one narrative, but seamlessly follows the fluidity of themes intertwining throughout which ultimately form a mosaic of feeling surrounding war, mankind, and spirituality by touching upon each individual. For instance, Penn’s cynical, burdened soldier is a perfect contrast to Caviezal’s calm. His character has been AWOL several times and finds peace and harmony among the local natives, finding the best in mankind that Penn cannot see–all he sees is a purpose and pragmatism for war, something of a duty he feels called to. This interesting dynamic is set up and pulsates throughout in an underlying fashion as Malick moves us from one character set to another (think Altman, but with less comedy and more questions of “why”?). Nolte’s Lieutenant has been passed over several times for a promotion, and his leading of the squadron might prove to be his last worthy opportunity–his performance is incredible, embodying a haunting selfishness and earnestness that lacks care and awareness, becoming a human monster before his comrades’ (and the audience’s) eyes. The main objective for the soldiers–to take over a hill from a Japanese-controlled bunker–drives him to insanity as he orders Koteas’ Captain to literally run up and attack in a free-for-all, sacrifice mission. To which the heartfelt Koteas responds no because his moral compass simply prevents him, Nolte demotes him because he’s “not tough-fibered enough”.

These are just a few of the many notions Malick explores and puts into beautiful filmic language in The Thin Red Line regarding internal struggle and war violence. The gorgeous cinematography compliments the film’s complex thematic exploration, with outstanding wide-shots of the grassy hill terrain and colorful tropics–an interesting juxtaposition of beauty and warfare. The scenes shot at twilight are superb and mystifying. The sound design and editing is rapturous and alarming, giving us both a break from thinking to engage in this realistic violence but also realize the mental and physical torture that’s the foundation of some of the philosophical concepts Malick is deconstructing. Overall, the film is a tank of ideas that are effortlessly woven into the aesthetics and content (complementing each other) by the venerable director, creating an epic commentary on life in the army and among all kinds of nature. Reminiscent of Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried with its heart-breaking anecdotes and shocks of realism, The Thin Red Line stands as a gorgeous, sad, haunting, and genre-defying film with its numerous flow of themes and concepts. It’s a tough one to pin down, but when it’s this beautiful and moving, that’s the highest compliment one could pay to Malick’s direction. A

Here’s the terrific trailer: 

Review: Scream 4 (2011, Dir. Wes Craven)

Ghostface is back, and is *not* a fan of Cougartown.

Scream 4–Wes Craven made arguably his most original film, Scream, as a self-parodying horror flick that still scared audiences and spawned multiple fun sequels. Ten years after the first installment, Craven returns to Woodsboro High and its notorious masked killer in the fourth film of the series. Neve Campbell, David Arquette, and Courtney Cox return in their respective roles as the victim, cop, and reporter who match wits with the iconic murderer, who’s unmasked (nearly every time) as someone surprisingly close and familiar. This time, Campbell’s Sydney is on a book tour and once she hits her hometown, so does Ghostface’s new killing spree. Teaming up with her niece (a strong turn from Emma Roberts) and her friends, along with Arquette and Cox, Sydney navigates a new technological age that only facilitates and reverses the tropes and expectations of the horror genre. Most of the film’s energy comes from the fact that it’s a long-delayed reboot of a sequel–it not only preserves the self-reflexive and spoofy spirit of its origin, but embodies a certain nostalgia for the series and its respective genre overall. Craven keeps the tone simultaneously shocking and tongue-and-cheek, with incredible surprises in store and hilarious references that manage to solidify the anthology as a unique horror-comedy experiment. The problems lie in the pacing, where exciting sequences are spaced apart by dramatic moments that carry little depth and ring false. This is, after all, a Scream movie–fun is to be had and poked, for there is no room for attempts at deep characterizations and connections (a subplot involving Sydney and a former fellow cast-mate seems underdeveloped, while scenes involving Sydney’s niece and her friends deviate from parody and verge on just inauthentic or banal). Still, Scream 4 buzzes from its place in an anthology that still maintains its comedically self-reflexive yet over-the-top terrifying tone throughout–I just wish it was pushed together a little more, cutting the inconsequential subplots and heightening the jolting scares that still redefine the horror genre. B

Here’s the trailer:

Review: A Fish Called Wanda (1988, Dir. Charles Chricton)

Kevin Klines performance (here, with Michael Palin) as the insane, zealous, and ultimately stupid Otto won him an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.

A Fish Called Wanda–I’ve always been a huge John Cleese fan. Monty Python and The Flying Circus amused me, but their spin-off films (Life of Brian, especially) absolutely kill and Fawlty Towers is one of my favorite shows of all time. A Fish Called Wanda has always spiked my curiosity and interest but I’ve never had time to watch it until now (a lazy Sunday, on Netflix), and was not disappointed. Jamie Lee Curtis and Kevin Kline star as two thieves and lovers who try to double-cross their partner on a diamond heist, only to land him in jail and have the loot mysteriously relocated. Curtis’s Wanda tries to get close to the crook’s lawyer (Cleese), thinking he might know the diamonds’ whereabouts while Kline’s character’s jealousy spirals out of control. Going beyond that would be ruining such a hilarious farce filled with zany turns, outrageous characters, terrific gags–it’s just a great, great comedy. There’s really no other way to put it. John Cleese not only turns in a hysterical and warm performance, but drafts an excellently and comically complex script about the unachievable tasks that draw in the romantic and the stupid in all of us. One could see this as a clear inspiration for many of today’s crime comedies, notably those of the Coen Brothers. Curtis and Palin are funny and sweet in their respective roles, with the latter as a bumbling accomplice with a speech impediment and absurd love for animals, while Kline hinges in every edge of insanity there is. He bolsters, sweats, and screams his way through scenes, deftly portraying the dimmest of high hopes. One scene in particular involving him and Palin’s fish might qualify itself as one of the best hard-to-watch-but-still-downright-hilarious sequences ever put on film. A wonderful marriage between British comedy and the caper genre, A Fish Called Wanda is a smart, saccharine, witty achievement of Cleese’s–I’m now an even bigger fan. A-

Here’s a the trailer:

My 50 Favorite Films: 25-1 (con’td)

25. Happiness (1998, Dir. Todd Solondz)

Todd Solondz controversial, dark, and hilarious look at the many shapes and forms of happiness and questions surrounding their attainability.

24. Election (1999, Dir. Alexander Payne)

Reese Witherspoon shines as one of the best female roles on screen in Alexander Paynes risque high-school and political satire.

23. Junebug (2005, Dir. Phil Morrison)

Amy Adams gives a multileveled and astonishing performance in this wonderful indie about a rigidly comfortable family coming to terms with their unique latest addition.

22. Out of Sight (1998, Dir. Steven Soderbergh)

Slick, smart, and sexy, Soderberghs best film is a wonderful showcase for two charismatic actors as well as a wildly unpredictable love story, complete with crime and deceit.

21. History of The World, Part I (1981, Dir. Mel Brooks)

Distasteful, over-the-top, and, most of all, hilarious, Mel Brooks send up of historys most prolific events is in itself a comedic masterpiece worthy of film history. Ill never stop laughing.

20. Chicago (2002, Dir. Rob Marshall)

What a movie musical should be: energetic, romantic, moving, and constantly bedazzling. Rob Marshalls adaptation exceeds those expectations with wonderful numbers, performances, and cinematography.

19. 8 1/2 (1963, Dir. Federico Fellini)

A dream-like film about filmmaking that exposes the magic and love of the craft. Brisk and imaginative, Fellinis film is like none other.

18. The Birdcage (1996, Dir. Mike Nichols)

Hilarious and heart-rendering, Mike Nichols remake boasts terrific performances from Robin Williams and Nathan Lane and an unmatchable wit.

17. The 40-Year Old Virgin (2005, Dir. Judd Apatow)

Never has there been such a terrific bond between raunch and heart; Apatows debut is one of the funniest comedies in years.

16. All About Eve (1950, Dir. Joseph L. Mankiewicz)

Catty, bitchy, and deceptive, the women of Mankiewiczs showbiz melodrama are mesmerizingly both authentic and disillusioned.

15. The Last Days of Disco (1998, Dir. Whit Stillman)

Whit Stillmans masterpiece--it brilliantly depicts the yuppie generation with hilarious observations and insights in addition to harrowing and discomforting truths about change and abandonment.

14. The Pink Panther (1963, Dir. Blake Edwards)

The sex-romp and camp-noir that started it all, Clouseaus story is as exciting as it is gut-busting. Peter Sellers is a comic genius.

13. Far From Heaven (2002, Dir. Todd Haynes)

One of the most provocative and heart-breaking cinematic experiments. Todd Haynes ode to 50s melodramas is a love story wrapped around notions of guilt, identity, tolerance, and truth. Julianne Moores finest performance and one of the best screenplays of recent memory.

12. Hannah and Her Sisters (1986, Dir. Woody Allen)

Woody Allens terrific Checkhovian story of three sisters and their intertwining lives and loves. Original, evocative, and surprising to this day.

11. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007, Dir. Julian Schnabel)

An inspiring and uplifting tale of an incapacitated body that knows no limits of the mind and imagination, told will a visual flair by painter Schnabel without an ounce of sentimentality. Brilliant, original filmmaking.

10. Mulholland Dr. (2001, Dir. David Lynch)

David Lynchs haunting tale of desire, jealousy, and suffering in Hollyweird. Naomi Watts performance is the stuff of an audiences dream--surprising at every turn but ultimately empathetic, much like the film itself.

9. Dogville (2004, Dir. Lars Von Trier)

An astoundingly original and maddening work from a self-proclaimed auteur, Von Triers Brechtian drama hints at the underlying evil of every society and the chances of redemption that are often ignored or passed over. Negative it may be, but its nothing but profound.

8. Days of Heaven (1978, Dir. Terrence Malick)

The most aesthetically beautiful story ever filmed is also one that poetically conveys the human spirit and will to survive no matter the cost or risk, culminating in dangerous, poignant, shocking, and emotional results. Malicks best film...yet.

7. Fargo (1996, Dir. Coen Brothers)

Dark? Yes. Painfully funny? Yes. Moving? Oh yes. Only the Coen brothers could play with the crime genre enough to make an arresting, hysterical, and empowering saga about one woman fighting for justice amidst stupidity and violence.

6. Vertigo (1960, Dir. Alfred Hitchcock)

Endlessly engrossing, thrilling, and romantic, Hitchcocks masterpiece is one for the ages. A mystery that gets better each time its watched and solved.

5. A Mighty Wind (2003, Dir. Christopher Guest)

Not only am I an unabashed Guest fan, but this is the funniest film Ive ever seen and one that performs such a difficult balance between mockery and heart--its a satire, but done with sympathy, love, and humor from the every-day. Absolutely brilliant.

4. Manhattan (1979, Dir. Woody Allen)

An enchanting story of urbanites seeking their outlet to satisfaction and happiness. Poignant, smart, and witty, Allens tale of twisted lovers is both uplifting and saddening--while never condescending to its wonderfully-crafted characters led by Allen and Diane Keaton in perfect performances.

3. Finding Nemo (2003, Dir. Andrew Stanton)

Yes, it catches my heart, cracks me up, and excites me each and every time I watch it. These characters, while animated and aquatic, are more real than thousands others onscreen. Its a beautiful story about family and a father-son bond, technologically gorgeous, and just gut-bustingly hilarious. Ill stand by it any day.

2. Broadcast News (1987, Dir. James L. Brooks)

A story about working people, romance, and national news that accumulates all these themes into a perfectly profound package. Holly Hunter is nothing short of amazing, and Brooks script is evocative, terrific, and ingeniously written. This is what romantic comedies should be like--fresh, funny, and genuinely romantic.

1. Magnolia (1999, Dir. Paul Thomas Anderson)

My favorite film. It achieves its beauty by being overwrought, excessive, ballsy, courageous, and unapologetic. Its sequences are artistic, its characters are understandable and complex, and its narrative flows and fluctuates at the power of each shocking moment that causes a cinematic ripple effect. An epic story of regret and redemption, P.T. Andersons ensemble piece is just everything I love about movies.

Well, there you have it. My 50 favorite films. What do you guys think? Agree? Disagree? 

My 50 Favorite Films: 50-26 (or: a Dedicated Act of Film Scholarship, and Procrastination)

Over the past few months, my classes have reminded me of all the great films Hollywood and independent studios have offered audiences and I decided to slowly make my *own* list of which 50 films resonate with me. They may not all be the most perfectly constructed and meticulously crafted pieces of cinema, but hey, they’re my favorites–whether they’re funny, sappy, insightful, or just plain entertaining, these are my fifty (50) favorite movies…done through pictures! Yay!

Disclaimer One: I am 20 years old. I have not seen every movie on the face of the planet, so keep in mind that some of the most “revered works” won’t make it on my list because I might not have seen them (or have, and just don’t really care so much about them).

Disclaimer Two: Guilty pleasures are not included on this list. If they were, Love, Actually, Romy and Michelle’s High School Reunion, and Top Gun would be up there. No, really.

Ok, here goes:

50. Eyes Wide Shut (1999, Dir. Stanley Kubrick)

Stanley Kubricks masterpiece (yes, Ive seen them all) with its bold and mysterious sexual undertones.

49. The Last Picture Show (1971, Dir. Peter Bogdanovich)

One of the most complex female characters on screen, Cybil Shephards Jacy is just one of the characters in Bogdanovichs ode to a decaying American spirit.

48. Friends With Money (2006, Dir. Nicole Holofcener)

Jennifer Aniston gives her best performance alongside Catherine Keener in this amazingly perceptive study of female bonds and their intricacies.

47. Sideways (2004, Dir. Alexander Payne)

Paul Giamatti charms in Alexander Paynes ingenious and provocative romantic comedy.

46. Clue (1985, Dir. Jonathan Lynn)

Who knew a board-game adaptation would turn into a loaded gun full of wonderful dark wit and chaos?

45. To Die For (1995, Dir. Gus Van Sant)

Nicole Kidmans hilarious, layered performance drives this subversive comedy about the growing 90s obsession media and fame.

44. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004, Dir. Michel Gondry)

Michel Gondrys crowning achievement in bridging a mental mind-game with an enduring love story.

43. Living Out Loud (1998, Dir. Richard LaGravenese)

Danny DeVitos best performance is boosted by wonderful chemistry with Holly Hunter in this smart, romantic New York fable.

42. Jackie Brown (1997, Dir. Quentin Tarantino)

Pam Grier stars in Tarantinos electric, challenging, and hypnotic adaptation.

41. The Graduate (1967, Dir. Mike Nichols)

Mrs. Robinson, the ultimate suburban femme fatale (well, how many are there...?)

40. Wall-E (2008, Dir. Andrew Stanton)

One of the most original and emotive characters on screen in twenty years, and each beep and bop tugs the heart (REALLY GUYS).

39. The Ice Storm (1997, Dir. Ang Lee)

An outstanding portrait of a broken family set against a tumultuous political and cultural background.

38. Harold & Maude (1970, Dir. Hal Ashby)

Ruth Gordon, Bud Cort, Hal Ashby, Cat Stevens music...how could you not?

37. Dancer in the Dark (2000, Dir. Lars Von Trier)

Bjork stars in Von Triers disturbing, unshielded look into the fragility of optimism and hope.

36. Inglourious Basterds (2009, Dir. Quentin Tarantino)

Whats wrong with rewriting a little history, complete with a killer soundtrack, outstanding performances, and an enduring cinematic pulse? When in Tarantinos hands, nothing.

35. Hot Fuzz (2007, Dir. Edgar Wright)

Frost, Pegg, Wright--a truly hilarious British action-comedy that entertains and kills with each laugh.

34. Terms of Endearment (1983, Dir. James L. Brooks)

James L. Brooks melodrama avoids maudlin while still packing an emotional punch thats prevalent with each viewing. Shirley MacLaine and Jack Nicholson are beyond terrific.

33. Black Swan (2010, Dir. Darren Aronofsky)

Though it was released just last year, Aronofskys best film continues to haunt with its searing performances, imagery, and concept.

32. Another Year (2010, Dir. Mike Leigh)

The term "slice-of-life" doesnt even describe Leighs fantastic, moving portrait of lives filled and empty of happiness.

31. Waiting For Guffman (1996, Dir. Christopher Guest)

Just one of Christopher Guests hilarious mockumentaries, this one in particular skewers community theater with compassion and character.

30. I’ve Loved You So Long (2008, Dir. Phillipe Claudel)

Kristen Scott Thomas tour-de-force empowers this beautiful character study.

29. Little Miss Sunshine (2006, Dirs. Jonathan Dayton & Valerie Faris)

Dysfunctional families dont get more fascinating, deep, funny, and heartfelt than this.

28. Raging Bull (1980, Dir. Martin Scorsese)

Heartbreaking and authentic, this poetic biopic of boxer Jake LaMotta is stunning.

27. Pulp Fiction (1994, Dir. Quentin Tarantino)

A film as well as a cultural phenomenon, Tarantinos masterwork is a fresh genre experimentation full of vibrant performances and terrific music.

26. Being There (1979, Dir. Hal Ashby)

Peter Sellers performance is a revelation: not only hilarious, but fully of subtle emotional depth. A wonderful piece of 70s social commentary.

Stay tuned for the rest 25!!