Sarah Silverman / Liam Lynch
2005
Why did I have to pay $10 for this? "Jesus is Magic" is simply a filmed stand-up routine with a few skits thrown in. Nothing new. Silverman is a funny comic and all, but there's absolutely no reason this shouldn't have been an HBO special or have gone straight to video. Marshall McLuhan is doing summersaults in his grave right now.
Review by Brett A. Scieszka
Monday, November 14, 2005
The Squid and the Whale
Noah Baumbach
2005
"The Squid and the Whale" is an incredibly touching and sincere film directed with the poise required of such a bald-faced take on a painfully relevant topic. The story centers around the aftermath of a divorce between two upper-middle class intellectuals in mid 80's Park Slope Brooklyn, and the following effect on their sons lives.
The script is strong with well rounded, believable characters brought to the screen by extraordinary performances. Jeff Daniels revels in his role as the ultra-pushy, over-intellectual has-been who's got only a son and a few of his college students for fans. This portrayal is a nice response to the old Woody Allen model of the professor/student affair. Allen's glamorization of this relationship is a far cry from Baumbach's pair of desperate blowhard and self absorbed brat. Personally, I find Baumbach's version to be more honest.
Laura Linney's matriarch adds the hardest hitting (and realistic) element to the film as a generally un-funny woman who's un-repentant about her current divorce and her past infidelities. While humorless, she is never pigeonholed as an individual worthy of either disapproval or pity. This is in contrast to father Bernard's comically aggressive, pompous attitude used to mask his angst and malaise. While we never get a feminist vocalization from Linney her uncompromising attitude and courageous actions make her most worthy of post-film thought.
The biggest letdown of the film is easily Robert Yeoman's lazy cinematography. An accomplished script with accomplished performances deserves much better than a tired, shaky-hand-held motif, no matter how trendy. Yeoman is an accomplished cinematographer and should have the artistic sense to film this un-melodramatic take on a heartrending premise with the same respect and sincerity that he lensed "The Royal Tenenbaums" in.
A lot of ink has been spilled about the large amount of onscreen sexuality in the film. The discovery of sex, emerging from the children and recently rediscovered by the divorcees is generally entertaining but adds little to the heart of the story. I'm sure that memories of this sort were big in Baumbach's noggin while writing this semi-autobiographical picture, but this particular example is a time when art doesn't necessarily need to imitate life. You know you've got something rare when the sexual intrigue of a film is not nearly as exciting as the familial dealings.
Review by Brett A. Scieszka
2005
"The Squid and the Whale" is an incredibly touching and sincere film directed with the poise required of such a bald-faced take on a painfully relevant topic. The story centers around the aftermath of a divorce between two upper-middle class intellectuals in mid 80's Park Slope Brooklyn, and the following effect on their sons lives.
The script is strong with well rounded, believable characters brought to the screen by extraordinary performances. Jeff Daniels revels in his role as the ultra-pushy, over-intellectual has-been who's got only a son and a few of his college students for fans. This portrayal is a nice response to the old Woody Allen model of the professor/student affair. Allen's glamorization of this relationship is a far cry from Baumbach's pair of desperate blowhard and self absorbed brat. Personally, I find Baumbach's version to be more honest.
Laura Linney's matriarch adds the hardest hitting (and realistic) element to the film as a generally un-funny woman who's un-repentant about her current divorce and her past infidelities. While humorless, she is never pigeonholed as an individual worthy of either disapproval or pity. This is in contrast to father Bernard's comically aggressive, pompous attitude used to mask his angst and malaise. While we never get a feminist vocalization from Linney her uncompromising attitude and courageous actions make her most worthy of post-film thought.
The biggest letdown of the film is easily Robert Yeoman's lazy cinematography. An accomplished script with accomplished performances deserves much better than a tired, shaky-hand-held motif, no matter how trendy. Yeoman is an accomplished cinematographer and should have the artistic sense to film this un-melodramatic take on a heartrending premise with the same respect and sincerity that he lensed "The Royal Tenenbaums" in.
A lot of ink has been spilled about the large amount of onscreen sexuality in the film. The discovery of sex, emerging from the children and recently rediscovered by the divorcees is generally entertaining but adds little to the heart of the story. I'm sure that memories of this sort were big in Baumbach's noggin while writing this semi-autobiographical picture, but this particular example is a time when art doesn't necessarily need to imitate life. You know you've got something rare when the sexual intrigue of a film is not nearly as exciting as the familial dealings.
Review by Brett A. Scieszka
Corpse Bride
Tim Burton
2005
While the aesthetics and mood of Tim Burton's latest foray into stop motion animation strongly suggests the classic "Nightmare Before Christmas," it is disappointing to find that "Corpse Bride" is easily forgettable. Not to say that the film isn't entertaining and enjoyable, its just more on the light side of entertainment.
This one's based on a destitute old-money family that arranges a marriage for their daughter with the son of some nouveau riche fish mongers. The would be groom, Victor, is a bit of a putz when it comes to the responsibility of marrying a perfect stranger and fails miserably at the wedding rehearsal. Seeking solitude in the woods Victor manages to accidentally wed the corpse of a young woman who in life was crossed and killed on her wedding day. This misunderstanding leads to a sticky situation for Victor, his would-be above-ground bride Victoria, and both sets of parents (not to mention the unnamed corpse bride herself).
The animations and textures are top notch, but the story seems a little underdeveloped and the film's ending is a genuinely obnoxious head-scratcher. Both sets of parents are brilliantly voice acted and deserve much more screen time than they're given. Its a shame there isn't some kind of coda with Victor, Victoria, and the economically mismatched elders.
Of course another disappointment is the incredibly simple stylistic choice of making the world of the living extremely dreary in contrast to the vibrant "lively" world of the dead. Burton's taste, while often macabre is usually made with a vibrant-fun spirit to begin with, making the garish colors and carnival atmosphere of the underworld seem a bit redundant.
Review by Brett A. Scieszka
2005
While the aesthetics and mood of Tim Burton's latest foray into stop motion animation strongly suggests the classic "Nightmare Before Christmas," it is disappointing to find that "Corpse Bride" is easily forgettable. Not to say that the film isn't entertaining and enjoyable, its just more on the light side of entertainment.
This one's based on a destitute old-money family that arranges a marriage for their daughter with the son of some nouveau riche fish mongers. The would be groom, Victor, is a bit of a putz when it comes to the responsibility of marrying a perfect stranger and fails miserably at the wedding rehearsal. Seeking solitude in the woods Victor manages to accidentally wed the corpse of a young woman who in life was crossed and killed on her wedding day. This misunderstanding leads to a sticky situation for Victor, his would-be above-ground bride Victoria, and both sets of parents (not to mention the unnamed corpse bride herself).
The animations and textures are top notch, but the story seems a little underdeveloped and the film's ending is a genuinely obnoxious head-scratcher. Both sets of parents are brilliantly voice acted and deserve much more screen time than they're given. Its a shame there isn't some kind of coda with Victor, Victoria, and the economically mismatched elders.
Of course another disappointment is the incredibly simple stylistic choice of making the world of the living extremely dreary in contrast to the vibrant "lively" world of the dead. Burton's taste, while often macabre is usually made with a vibrant-fun spirit to begin with, making the garish colors and carnival atmosphere of the underworld seem a bit redundant.
Review by Brett A. Scieszka
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)