Primer - Unsettling & Exciting

I had heard of this film years ago, about the same time this was birthed into the world and praised at Sundance. The only reason I had never pressed PLAY on Primer's Netflix page, was because the cover of this film always seemed a little too daunting and challenging to me. I knew I was going to watch this sometime, but "not now" or "I can't think about time travel tonight" would always prevent me from actually sitting down and experiencing this film - way too often.

Let me just say that this is something you should Not do, and that I've been foolish in doing so.

Primer surprised the Sundance crowd back 2004, and was the brainchild of a Shane Carruth - a first time director, first time actor, first time screenwriter, first time producer, composer, editor - henceforth, the list continues. Needless to say, this film is an incredibly admirable achievement, nevermind for a debut filmmaker. What is it about? One of my favourite subjects of human science and philosophy - Time Travel.

It might be because this is an independent film, with little resources and funding, that this movie differs so enormously from other films within the same genre - such as Back to The Future, or Donnie Darko. Or maybe it's because Shane Carruth is a former engineer with a degree in mathematics, that this film is so meticulous in its details and feels so close to actual possibility. Don't get me wrong, I've only just seen this film ONCE, and I DO NOT understand all of it.

However, as Quentin Tarantino once said - "It's okay to be confused, as an audience. However, you must make them feel they're in good hands. If they feel like they can't trust the filmmaker to keep on following the plot or feel like they're too confused to try and keep watching - they'll tune out" - or something like that. I completely butchered it, but that's not the point.

The point is, this movie is about 80 minutes long, and the last half hour really ramps things up, as it should - and you understand enough. You know just enough to basically understand what is going on, even if the permutations of this ever growing set of realities caused by the irresponsible usage of the time machine becomes ever so confusing. And it does.

Anyway. For a first time director/screenwriter, this film is gold.

Compared to 99% of all other films out there? Same thing.

Apparently, Shane Carruth is working on his follow up, currently titled "A Topiary", which is also within the confines of the Science-Fiction genre. And needless to say, I can not wait for what this guy does next.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

EDIT: After Tweeting about this film right after I saw it, praising it, one of the leads sent me a Tweet. Can't believe all these movie people are actually contacting ME. Satisfaction Royal.

EDIT: When asked whether or not he'll be part of Shane Carruth's next project, another Sci-Fi based film currently titled "A Topiary", he responded once again.

The Brothers Grimm Bloom

For those who have never seen BRICK, stop reading, leave your computer, and find it. Watch it.

Rian Johnson is one of those people that had to wait about ten years after graduating from college, to finally create his first feature film. It was a very organic fusion of a Neo-Noirish Detective tone, mixed up with the setting and elements of a High-School. Throughout Brick, it is obvious that Rian Johnson is one hell of a writer, not to mention his direction - some of his shots are simply creative and fresh. There are sound cues and visuals that one would rarely expect of a first time director, and the on-screen talent just perpetuates our awareness of it all.

But enough about Brick.

A filmmaker's second film seems to be the true test. We expect that person to do not just as well - but better. Tarantino seemed to have aced this test with his debut follow up, Pulp Fiction. David Fincher, Se7en. Christopher Nolan, Memento.

After a good two years of hearing about Johnson's follow up, I ultimately attained a copy. It was finally time to sit down, turn everything off, and watch his new film. Before I delve any deeper, let me just express some of my general thoughts. The story revolves around two brothers, whom have been conning people their entire lives. This is all they have. Because of a shitty upbringing, the way they seem to improve their lives is by lying to themselves - by creating beautiful stories they can live through, all the while hurting those they use to do so. Stephen, the carefree older brother, loves this. He wants nothing more from life, while his younger brother, Bloom, becomes more and more depressed at this "written life" they have.

Stephen, on the other hand, is all about writing his own life. He seems to have dismissed his real self for the perfection of characters in old Melville novels, replacing his own identity with the creations of dead Russian poets - writing the perfect con to live in. The conflict, basically, is whether or not he can let go of that perfection, to let his little brother live a life he deems worthy of living. But ENOUGH, I seem to be drifting into spoilerish territory here, so I'll stop.

Anything Rian Johnson seems to make, encompasses a palette of creative easter-eggs. That is to say that any shot is specifically framed (and if it isn't, then it certainly feels like it), the colours of any new scene actually means something, and the story - whilst it isn't necessarily anything new - feels like a fresh take on con-man movies, and the result is a true, classic tale. So classic that it feels like something that was made thirty years ago, by some sort of mad genius of Kubrickian proportions (even though Johnson's style is far removed from that, his intelligence certainly matches it).

There is so much symbolism in this film. There is a scene in which Stephen and Bloom meet for the first time in a long while. Stephen, for whom everything seems to work out all the time, is upbeat and energetic. Bloom looks like shit, sad - as if he bears all the pain in the world, constantly. How is this expressed, in one simple scene? Bloom reaches for the sugar, tries to pour some into his coffee - he tries twice, nothing comes out, and he gives up, with such an existentialist look in his face, downtrodden. Stephen also likes his coffee sweetened, so he grabs it, and whilst replying to something, simply pours it into his cup - with no problems whatsoever.

If it seems like I'm making a big deal about a small scene like that - just know that this is the simplest example of intelligent filmmaking this film contains. There is more. So much more.

Brothers Bloom is everything we love about and need from film - it makes us laugh, it gives us hope, it makes us cry, we attempt to be a step ahead of the characters, and it carries along the excitement of an old adventure with it.

Oh. And the music. The Fucking, Music. Rian's brother, Nathan Johnson, created BRICK's soundtrack in his kitchen, with Ace Hardware supplies - and it was epic. A more jazzier, funkier, more upbeat score is what we get with BLOOM, and it totally fits.

So did Rian Johnson 1up himself the second time around? He certainly did. And while I may have a special place in my heart for Brick, I do admit to myself that Brothers Bloom is a better crafted film - with a palpable Heart and Soul.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

EDIT: After finishing this review, I saw that I got a new tweet. From Director of Brick, and Brothers Bloom - Rian Johnson. This is too surreal for me. Posting a screenshot, so time does not forget this:

P.S. - Yes, I do love him. Because of things like this.

And because he makes films I Love and want to Make.

500 Days of Summer

This is a film I have been looking forward to with joyful excitement for a long time. Well, since the trailer came out. The thought was that This was going to be the film I Needed to see, I Must experience this film as soon as possible. It only propelled even further up the the list of important movies to go see with the additional awesomeness of having Joseph Gordon Levitt be the lead in it. And of course, the oh so cute Zooey Deschanel as the titular character and incredibly appealing love interest seemed like a very satiating cherry on top.

Needless to say, I fucking Loved this film. The reasons are plentiful, some of them so incredibly minute that some would argue aren't really vital to the film, but I disagree. As comes with the territory of coming-of-age films, relationship stories, whatever - a large percentage of viewers will feel like it was created just for them. So many moments in this film attract the urge to stand up and shout, "That's spot on! That is so fucking me!" But instead, you just crack a huge smile and wallow in this perfectly crafted comedy-drama-romance-musicvideo film, satisfied and full of love.

Joseph Gordon Levitt will surprise a lot of people. I've seen him on Frasier when he was just a young child actor. He was in 10 Things I Hate About You and did a good job, though the focus of attention was of course on Heath Ledger. Rip. Eventually, Rian Johnson's Brick was birthed into the world of cinema, and it was obvious that Joseph Gordon Levitt was somebody to pay attention to (as was Rian Johnson, of course). MOVING ON.

The moments I referred to as speaking to you in a such a personal way are definitely script based, and the script is certainly amazing. The dialogue is funny and feels sort of fresh, even though this romantic comedy ground has been treaded to death already - which is a big accomplishment, I suppose. I mean, Garden State has a place in my heart as well, but I would pick this over Garden State any day of the week. Due to the direction and music, I guess.

Marc Webb directed this. I believe this is his first film. Which is almost unfair, but is instead very inspiring. Moments such as the 'Expectations Vs. Reality' ring so true and are execute so very well, that I just chuckled to myself while watching this, because it made me so happy to realize that creativity in movies like this is not dead. The Musical Scene is Fucking Amazing, largely due to the fact that once its over, there is no heavy handed transition back into the 'normality' of the film. It just flows right back into it with ease, and doesnt feel like a gimmick or ridiculous element - probably because the musical scene deals directly with the story, and the main character's point of view, which the entire movie is based around, by the way. We see everything through Levitt's eyes, which is another fresh way to tell a story like this. Toward the end, when he reflects upon the relationship he was in, he slowly, and We slowly, begin to realize that it Wasn't all Summer's fault, and it Wasn't all ideal or unfair. These things are hard to bear for him, and that is good to see, because it rings true once again. And the best thing about it all, is that the movie isnt simply about a relationship. It is Levitt's fairy tale version his imagination had been creating, making moments like the musical scene completely warranted, and genuine.

I could keep typing away here, but instead I'll just mention some of my favourite moments:

Levitt is drunk, at a Karaoke bar. All of a sudden it cuts to him singing The Pixies' Here comes Your Man. This is one of my favourite (Pixies) song. This is one of those moments where I smiled and laughed and loved.

The Vagiant film. Brilliant.

The Smiths. The Fucking Smiths. Thank you, 500 Days of Summer, for having me revisit them at a more suitable phase of my life. I've been fanatically listening to their discography for weeks now. Louder Than Bombs is fucking great.

The Penis Game!

Once the film was over, I didn't want to leave my auditorium. Seriously, I did not want it be over, I wanted to watch it again or something.

I can tell I've drifted away from a somewhat decent review here, so let me just recommend this a thousand times. Go see this film. It is great. It is amazing. It is, dare I say it, Perfect. I just hope you are as emotional and desperate and fanatical for stories slash sensibilities as this movie encompasses as I am. And no, Im not Emo.

PS: Dont let yourself get to excited or hyped up for this film. Dont think about it. Just go on a day when you are calm and feel alright, and dont expect too much. Although, then again, I was very excited for this, and it did Not disappoint. I just hope everyone else has a somewhat similar experience with this to me, because I want people to LOVE this. Okay. Sorry. Finished. There.

Apocalyptically Shitty & Little Salvation

The build up to Terminator Salvation was like a master ninja in its effectiveness. It was the perfect pace of excitement, sloping upwards with every new poster or image, and exactly-what-we-want-to-hear McG quotes being posted online every other week.

It looked good. There was talk of Jonathan Nolan having some sort of creative control over the script, even news of a substantial rewrite by him. Christian Bale, the glouriously talented and emotionally infectious actor that he is, is well known for usually picking roles that have some sort of emotional purpose and Life to them. All throughout pre and main production, McG was saying all the right things. All the bits and pieces of information that were available were being filtered through some mediating layer in my brain that fit right into the general vibe I was hoping for, out of a new 2009 Terminator film at least. And with Christian Bale, no less. And I, Marco the Fool, had already put all my chips into The Goodness of this movie. I felt some sort of tiny amount of hope and chance that it could actually take advantage of this awesome scenario of a movie. Terminators. The future war. The machines are constantly evolving, exponentially updating themselves. The resistance, an amateur militia of survivors, is fighting to preserve Humanity, consequences be damned. John Connor was told by his mother that he would lead the resistance and win the war. Everything about it just shouted 'EPIC' into my brain...

And then for some reason the finished product was ridiculous way too often. The machines capture Kyle Reese, and they use him, to capture John Connor. WHY. Kill Kyle Reese, John Connor would never be born.

The older Terminator model (Marcus Wright's) is more realistic and 'normal' than the newer model (Arnold's). Doesn't make sense. Why the step back, technologically? This army is machine like. It is composed of technology, which grows EXPONENTIALLY. Even if there isn't a constant threat and danger looming in the background of the movie, it should at least Feel like it. The previous three films all had that vibe. We are escaping, and something more powerful and efficient than us, is Coming After Us. This breeds an immediate sense of terror and suspense. The first film was more horror like, exploring that concept of terror and a smarter enemy first. The sequel, evolved this idea, and fused a little more action into the mix. The third film, well, it kind of sucked. But if maintained a tone of excitement. Terminator Salvation doesn't even take advantage of this post-apocalyptic setting. Why not Steal from Children of Men or even something as irrelevant as The Hurt Locker. Well, maybe that IS a stretch, but right now I can't think of another example.

Christian Bale, one of my favourite actors of his time, does nothing in this film. I don't even remember him well in it. Why? Because he was not in the moment, it seemed. There was no life or intensity in him, even when he was screaming at me on a huge movie theatre screen. It was just so empty and quiet, this film. Maybe I'm just a fool for the old Terminator movies, but this movie was just a punch in the heart.

BUT. Yes, McG, films action well. That was something we all knew, so my main point is that I'm pissed off he didn't deliver on the rest of this Film. It needs characters we care about, come on, make the story simpler if you can't handle it well, what the fuck.

That being said, there were some pretty satisfying shots of expensive cgi backgrounds that looked good. Not as real and gritty as Children of Men or something, but there were a lot of good shots and visuals.

Anton Yelchin was cool. Sam Worthington is someone I liked immediately. I hated Die Hard four, but imagine if they ever made a Die Hard with Sam Worthington as John McLane. I could see it. Maybe I'm crazy. Im a little drunk, SORRY.

Tim, I cant write a good response to your rant, but I liked it, and wanted to write some shit too, but I just realized this is better done face to face, and yelling.

OK, fuck this movie AGREED.

Fuck This Film

The bastards of Hollywood have done it again. After Indiana Jones, Die Hard and Star Wars another franchise has been run into the ground (I don't count Terminator 3). McG really proves that he is a worthless director who should go back to making Charlie's Angels AND change his fucking name.
I mean I tried...I tried hard, I really did but after days of lying to myself and fooling myself that this had actually been an OK film, my mind had had enough and I had to give in. This is not the film that I had waited for, this is not the future that Sarah Connor had warned us about...although someone should have warned us about the garbage that we had to endure.
But why was it so horrendous? Was it the poorly written script riddled with plot holes, was it the lack of character development or was it Christian Bale's Batman voice?
It was all of the above and more. From silly one liners to a confusing story line which screws up the Terminator world, which had been so wonderfully set up during T1 and T2.
There are so many things horribly wrong with this film that I wont even bother listing them.
The main problem with the film (apart from letting McG direct it) is that it tries to bring together two story lines in one, we get very little character development (especially from Bale) and therefore don't develope an emotional relation to any of the characters.
There is no epic battle, John Connor comes across as a "subway crazy" who may or may not have throat cancer and the film just has too many ridiculous scenes which destroy any chance of taking this piece of shit seriously.
The Terminator franbchise ended with T2 and sadly it remains dead, even the Dark Knight couldn't revive it. They should have just released the trailer as the feature film.
No wonder Bale flipped out.

Marco say something about this please

Congratulations SIR Christopher Lee

Just a quick congratulation to the newly Knighted Sir Christopher Lee. A brilliant decision by the queen. Christopher Lee has been around for ages and has been my favorite bond villian for some time now. Most people will probably know Sir Christopher as Saruman and/or Count Doku (although we should all forget those movies) and of course as the one and only Dracula (yes he defeats Bela Lugosi in my books). Thruought his career Lee has played a huge part in the horror genre especially due to his frequent work in Hammer films (which I urge everyone to see).
Congratulations to Scaramanga, the one man that could have defeated Bond.

Southland Tales

It's not good...really. It tries hard, too hard and ends up being a jumble of ideas. Skip it...really.