The Fall (2006)

Tarsem Singh's The Fall, one of my favorite films. Just gorgeous.

3 Wong Kar Wei classics now on Blu-ray

These gorgeous shots are the work/collaboration of cinematographer Christopher Doyle and director Wong Kar Wei, and three of their best films are now available on blu-ray:

Happy Together

Fallen Angels

Chungking Express

John Hughes RIP

John Hughes' films helped define my generation. I remember seeing Sixteen Candles, Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink, Ferris Beuler and Some Kind of Wonderful during my formative high school years, they are forever etched in my mind. Even his later films like Planes, Trains & Automobiles and She's Having a Baby still resonate. It's too bad he became sort of reclusive in his final years. His films aren't considered "high art" but they are exceptionally re-watchable. And isn't that the best compliment of all?

Marvelous Meryl at 60

In honor of the greatest living actress turning 60, I'd like to resubmit my favorite Meryl Streep roles. Who knows, the next one, as Julia Child, in the upcoming Julia and Julia, (opening Aug 7th) might be my new favorite.

1981 in The French Lieutenant’s Woman. Streep was gorgeous in the dual role of Sarah/Anna. and starred opposite an equally gorgeous Jeremy Irons. I still like to picture her in that brown hooded cape walking along the pounding surf. No other film has captured Streep’s physical beauty quite as well in my opinion. This was her 3rd Oscar nomination, and first as best actress.

1982 in Sophie’s Choice. The first time I saw Streep onscreen, and I was mesmerized. I like Roger Ebert’s description of her performance "there is hardly an emotion that she doesn’t touch in this movie, and yet we’re never aware of her straining". She dominated the acting awards that year like Philip Seymour Hoffman did in 2005. Her 4th nomination, first win as best actress.

1985 in Out of Africa as Karen Blixen. One of my all-time favorite films- that music, cinematography and wonderful chemistry between Streep and Redford. I saw it twice in the theater when I was 14! Her last narration dialogue while she is planning to leave her African farm still gets to me every time. It also started the trend towards Safari clothing…hello Ralph Lauren! Her 6th nomination.

2002 in Adaptation as Susan Orlean. The movie lost me in the last quarter, but Streep was having a blast playing novelist Orlean. Who can forget her transformation and hilarious scene when getting high on orchid dust. That’s the power of her involvement in any movie, she makes it even more watchable. Her 13th nomination.

2006 in The Devil Wears Prada. She nails the icy queen of Runway magazine. Never raising her voice, and saying much more with her deadly silences, she can rip you to shreds without a moment’s hesitation. My favorite line? Her last, "…….Go!" Her 14th nomination. She has 15 nominations and 2 wins.

Still Walking or Aruitemo Aruitemo *****

I think I'm partial to certain Asian films about family life (the masters are Ang Lee and Yasujiro Ozu) because I see so much that is familiar in my own family dynamics. The passive aggressive tactics and the importance of what is NOT said over what is actually verbalized. So watching the new film Still Walking from Japanese director Hirokazu Koreeda at the 2009 SFIFF felt like "going home" in a way.

The story is quite simple. There is a small family reunion of two siblings with their respective families, visiting their elderly parents. We don't know there has been a death in the family until the early mid part of the film, and it takes some time and attention to fully realize all the different family connections. It feels really natural and unforced. The father is a retired clinic doctor who is still overly invested in his past career. The mother "who has never worked a day in her life" but is more than the dutiful caretaker that she projects. The son is reluctantly returning home with a new wife that was widowed with a young son. The daughter is happily married and a mother of two rather spoiled brats. The film basically follows the family gathering over the course of 32 hours. Nothing earth shattering happens, but at the end of the day, you get the sense that each character had a major shift in their life.

The style of direction and story seems most similar to Ozu, especially the static shots and family structure of the storyline. However, I was also reminded of Demme's Rachel Getting Married, in which you immerse yourself in another family reunion. However, in that film the communication is far more direct and confrontational, befitting an American family. They would make interesting companion pieces in a study of cultural differences. The actors are all very believable, especially the handsome Hiroshi Abe who plays the son Ryota and the fabulously named Kirin Kiki who plays the mother. I look forward to checking out the films of Mr. Koreeda, I've only seen Nobody Knows.

Sugar *****

One of the things I love about films is it's inherent ability to transport you to another world. Sometimes it can be a fantasy world like Lord of the Rings or The Fall, but sometimes it's only a few hundred miles away in Iowa or NYC. Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck's new film Sugar did just that: it transported me to 3 places, seeing through the eyes of a young optimistic baseball player Miguel Santos aka "Sugar" (played by soulful newcomer Algenis Pérez Soto ). Not being much of a sports fan, I wasn't as excited about seeing the follow-up to one of my favorite films "Half Nelson" as I should be. Well, I won't underestimate the talents of Boden and Fleck again. They prove again that simple but humane story telling can illuminate any background, whether it be minor league baseball or inner city schools.

Like Half Nelson, which veered off the typical inspiring teacher in an inner city school plot, this is not just another young sports star biography. We get to see the world of young baseball hopefuls in the Dominican Republic, being "groomed" for the US Major Leagues as young horses are raised for the Kentucky Derby. Sugar is one of the better players, but it's not until he learns to master the hook-curve ball, that he gets picked to join the elite few at Spring training in AZ. The directors capture the quiet moments so well here, like when the players get drunk saying goodbye to a fellow peer, who may have been kicked out due to steroids?(foreshadowing). Or the empathic waitress in the AZ diner that gives Sugar a plate of eggs because he doesn't know what "scrambled" or "over easy" means. Or the last phone call to mom, where the banter rings so true to so many of my own calls home. I was never sure where this film was going with Sugar, but I found each step surprisingly logical. The supporting actors are all strong and convincing, but none stand out especially. It's a true ensemble piece.

In the end, Sugar isn't so much about a baseball player's rise and fall. It's about the new immigrant's experience: the departure from home and family, the adjustment to a new world and culture, and the modulation of one's expectations and dreams to reality. It's not as pretty as you would imagine, but there's enough generosity and kindness that it gives you hope.

Favorite Films 2008

I hesitate to do this list as I've not seen all the late 2008 entries (like Wrestler, Reservation Road), but I think I've seen enough. Overall, I would have to say 2008 was a good year, and most of the expected Oscar hopefuls have turned out to be good to great. While my favorite directors didn't have anything out in 2008, I became fans of new performers and directors.

Favorite Films:

5) Man On Wire - This documentary about Phillipe Petit, the charismatic self taught tight rope walker who traversed the twin towers in 1974, wonderfully blends archival footage, interviews and dramatization.

4) Tell No One - The best thriller this year came from France.

3) Milk - Sean Penn, James Franco, Josh Brolin and director Gus Van Sant finally bring Harvey Milk to the big screen, and do him justice. But please, see the documentary as well.

2) The Fall - Tarsem Singh's film was 4 years in the making, and it's beauty is breathtaking. I just wish I caught in on the big screen.

1) Rachel Getting Married - Jonathan Demme and a brilliant ensemble cast bring Jenny Lumet's script to life. This decade's "Ordinary People".

Slumdog Millionaire and Doubt

I caught two more Oscar hopefuls recently, Danny Boyle's highly acclaimed Slumdog Millionaire and John Patrick Shanley's highly acclaimed stage play turned Oscar bait Doubt.

I went in to Slumdog with high expectations, after hearing the buzz from Sundance and seeing it listed on many critic's top 10. It's basically a modern day fairy tale of young love set apart by the slums of Mumbai (how timely), "How to become a Millionaire" , Bollywood and a touch of torture porn (how else could you explain the first 10 minutes??) I definitely appreciated Boyle's direction and the scenery (many beautifully framed shots), but I didn't leave with the "OMG" sense of watching a great film. Perhaps it was the unoriginal storyline and rather uncharismatic (adult) actors? The kids are entirely winning and cuter than heck. It's still a likely Best Picture nominee, combining the indie roots and feel good ending of past nominee, Little Miss Sunshine.

Doubt has Oscar written all over it, with Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman and a Tony award winning script from writer/director JP Shanley. I wasn't familiar with the play and read plenty of criticism that said it didn't translate well to screen. Well, I disagree. It flowed well, and I guess I wasn't hindered by impressions from the stage production. Plus, watching Meryl and PSH chew their considerable dialogue is more than worth the price of admission. Amy Adams proves once again why she is leaping ahead of the pack of young actresses, one of the few that can do both comedy and drama (hello Anne Hathaway!) Viola Davis gives a shattering performance in one big scene that may be enough to get a nomination.

Milk at the Castro Theatre

**** I caught the preview showing of Gus Van Sant's Milk last night, as it seemed only fitting to watch this important biopic of the self proclaimed "Mayor of Castro Street", at the iconic Castro Theatre. The 7pm showing was sold out, but there were plenty of 10pm tickets left. Steven, Clem and I thought we weren't going to be able to sit together after seeing the line at 9:30 snake around to the parking lot behind the theatre, but the theatre is HUGE. The last movie that I saw there was Almodovar's "Law of Desire" when the projector broke....probably why I haven't been back recently. But I was reminded of what a great fim watching experience the Castro can be, with it's grand organ player, responsive audience and lush setting.

The movie was very well reviewed, but my expectations were tempered by the director Van Sant, who can be hit-or-miss for me. I really liked Drugstore Cowboy but I couldn't get into his last film "Paranoid Park" , though it has quite a following. Overall, I am pleased with the film, delivering a cogent and timely account of Harvey Milk's rise and tragic murder. Sean Penn should get an Oscar nomination for his honest portrayal, especially appealing to the Academy's fascination with actors portraying real people. And bonus points if they are gay and murdered. I also liked James Franco, Emile Hirsch and Josh Brolin in their supporting roles. Brolin had a really good year (best thing in "W" by far), though I suspect he will take on more likable characters next year?

My main reservation was that I wish there was more of an emotional punch to the film. Just the early film reel of Diane Feinstein giving her famous announcement about the murders brought a lump to my throat. The ending candlelight vigil should have brought the house to tears and sobs (as it definitely did in the superior documentary "Times of Harvey Milk"), but it seemed rather tacked on and detached. It's no Brokeback, but it couldn't be more timely after the painful loss of Prop 8. And, as Harvey alway said, you gotta have hope.

Rachel Getting Married

***** Jonathan Demme’s Rachel Getting Married is the finest film I’ve seen this year. Anne Hathaway, in a clear break out performance, plays Kym, a chronic drug addict leaving rehab to attend her sister’s wedding. Hathaway bears little resemblance to the beauty queens she has portrayed in other films, and captures the inner conflict in her character with touching honesty. There are times you will hate her jealousy, pettiness and selfishness. An ugly toast scene at the family rehearsal dinner stands out. The film slowly unravels the pain in this family that, though many years have passed since the trauma, is still just under the surface. Demme is somehow able to maneuver this family emotional meltdown into a truly joyous wedding. All the actors are impressive, especially Rosemarie DeWitt as the sister Rachel and Bill Irwin as their father. Debra Winger has a more minor role, but makes a definite impression when she is onscreen. She seems to be channeling Mary Tyler Moore from another great family drama, Ordinary People. Prediction: Oscar noms for acting, screenplay and direction. This will be a great year for actresses!!