This site is basically dead for a while because Viddler took all of my video clips down and closed my account. So if I can't use some video clips as a visual aid, I probably won't continue blogging - at least not anytime in the near future.
On the bright side, I think I'm going to devote most of my time and energy to the new movie podcast I'm doing with my brother, Movie Night with Jim and Andrew. It's located HERE, and also on iTunes if you search for it.
I think tomorrow I will post the last post on this blog, which will just be a link to the podcast website. It was fun, guys - thanks for reading it, and enjoy the new podcast! We're having a lot of fun with it!
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Tuesday, April 06, 2010
The Fisher King
"I like New York in June. How about you?"
One of my all-time favorite movies. I watched it again recently, and so I've decided to write a little bit about it.
This movie has always had a certain kind of appeal for me. It's that rare sort of film that seems to completely fit my personality, and so it holds a special place in my heart. It's equal parts humor, heartbreak, romance, and personal drama - with terrific flourishes of grand emotion. The fact that it's able to tie all of these qualities together in a highly entertaining package makes it all the more worthwhile - and memorable.
Director Terry Gilliam (Brazil, 12 Monkeys) brings Richard LaGravenese's highly original script to the screen, starring Robin Williams, Jeff Bridges, Mercedes Ruehl (who won an Oscar for her role), and Amanda Plummer.
The story concerns an arrogant talk radio host named Jack Lucas (Bridges). One fateful day on his program, he begins ranting against yuppies, proclaiming them to be"inhuman" and announcing that they "must be stopped". One of his listeners interprets this as a literal call to arms, and takes it upon himself to enter a yuppie bar in Manhattan with a shotgun, where he kills several people, and then himself. Needless to say, Jack is in shock.
Cut to black. As the picture fades back up, it's now three years later. Jack is overcome with grief and guilt, and now drowns his sorrows in alcohol. He's in a relationship with a woman named Anne (Ruehl), a video store owner whose strong-willed personality seems to be the only thing keeping him from falling completely apart. They live together in the apartment above the store, and after getting into an argument one night, Jack leaves and takes a drunken walk through the city.
It's at this point that Jack decides to take his own life. He weighs down his feet with cinder blocks and prepares to jump in the river. However, at just this moment, he's attacked by two street punks who mistake him for a homeless man. They soak him with gasoline and attempt to set him on fire. But out of the shadows appears a savior: a strange little man dressed as a knight, who beats up the punks and saves Jack from certain death. Before he can comprehend the events that have just unfolded in front of him, Jack passes out...
He awakes the next morning in the basement of a building, and we're introduced to Parry (Williams):
It turns out that after his wife's death, Parry fell into a sort of catatonic state for a long period of time. When he finally awoke, he was no longer a college professor whose wife was murdered; he was now a knight on a quest for the Holy Grail.
After discovering who Parry really is, and feeling responsible for his current mental state, Jack goes to find him in an attempt to make amends. He first tries to talk some sense into him, but any mention of his former life or his true identity sends Parry into hysterics. When confronted with his past, he sees hallucinations of a Red Knight who threatens and attacks him. (This is, obviously, a metaphor for his traumatic past which he is unable - and unwilling - to face. BRILLIANT stuff.)
Determined to set things straight with Parry, and unwilling to help him with his delusional quest for the Grail, Jack decides to give him some money, only to find that Parry secretly desires something else:
So now we have our plot device which will carry us through the rest of the picture. In trying to make things right, both with himself and with Parry, Jack now has a goal - to help this broken man find love once again. And that sets the stage for several wonderful, magical scenes, the first of which is set in a train station...
(but first, we must pause a moment and watch a great little monologue by Tom Waits, playing a homeless, disabled veteran.)
Good stuff.
...And now, here's one of the most striking - and frequently discussed (because of its complexity) - sequences in the film. As Parry pursues his dream girl through Grand Central Station, the rush hour foot-traffic suddenly transforms into... well, you'll see.
Beautiful.
So, as the film continues, Jack works to bring Parry and his dream girl closer together, and the two men begin to bond. And one night, in the middle of Central Park, Parry tells Jack the story of The Fisher King:
Two broken men, each in search of their own personal Grail (in this case being genuine, unfaltering, life-affirming love) which will heal their respective (emotional) wounds, but who cannot find it themselves, and only discover it when it is the result of a selfless act of kindness. As the story says: "I only knew that you were thirsty". Truly great writing.
So we now enter the third act of what is basically a four-act story. Jack has succeeded in bringing Parry and the girl together. Her name is Lydia (Amanda Plummer), and her character is exceptionally well-written for being such a small part. She's a shy, mousy, clumsy girl, but she's also strong and has natural defenses. She's initially hesitant of going on a date, but eventually agrees.
And so Parry, Lydia, Jack, and Anne go on a double-date to a Chinese restaurant. The resulting scene is charming, funny, and sweetly romantic - more so than almost any film I can think of:
There's some great little character details in that scene, such as how Parry purposely drops and knocks over items on the table to make the bumbling Lydia feel more comfortable.
We come now to my favorite part of the movie - and the scene that really made me fall in love with this picture. It's a prime example of all aspects of a film working together perfectly: the acting is top-notch, the direction is rock-solid, and the writing is clean, precise, and rhythmic. I'll come right out and say it - I've mentioned this many times over the years and it's still true: this is my favorite movie monologue of all time. Yes, you have Peter Finch's "mad as hell" speech in Network, and Henry Fonda's "I'll be there" monologue in The Grapes of Wrath, but this one, in how it's written and how it's played, is, in my mind, perfection:
It affected me when I first heard it, and it still does, every time. The construction of the monologue is air-tight, the circular nature of it - the repetition of the "coffee" line twice to set it up, and then it pops up again as an ending beat, bringing it full-circle. A lot of it has to do with the way Robin Williams plays it. He's just so innocent, honest, and pure. It will probably always be my favorite role of his. And Amanda Plummer's reaction to the whole thing sells it completely.
The last act of the film begins with tragedy, and since it immediately follows this scene, it's especially heartbreaking. I won't reveal any more of the film. I'll only say that there's triumph and redemption, and it's immensely, immensely satisfying.
If you haven't yet seen this film, you should immediately do so. Your heart will thank you for it. (And your brain will concur).
One of my all-time favorite movies. I watched it again recently, and so I've decided to write a little bit about it.
This movie has always had a certain kind of appeal for me. It's that rare sort of film that seems to completely fit my personality, and so it holds a special place in my heart. It's equal parts humor, heartbreak, romance, and personal drama - with terrific flourishes of grand emotion. The fact that it's able to tie all of these qualities together in a highly entertaining package makes it all the more worthwhile - and memorable.
Director Terry Gilliam (Brazil, 12 Monkeys) brings Richard LaGravenese's highly original script to the screen, starring Robin Williams, Jeff Bridges, Mercedes Ruehl (who won an Oscar for her role), and Amanda Plummer.
The story concerns an arrogant talk radio host named Jack Lucas (Bridges). One fateful day on his program, he begins ranting against yuppies, proclaiming them to be"inhuman" and announcing that they "must be stopped". One of his listeners interprets this as a literal call to arms, and takes it upon himself to enter a yuppie bar in Manhattan with a shotgun, where he kills several people, and then himself. Needless to say, Jack is in shock.
Cut to black. As the picture fades back up, it's now three years later. Jack is overcome with grief and guilt, and now drowns his sorrows in alcohol. He's in a relationship with a woman named Anne (Ruehl), a video store owner whose strong-willed personality seems to be the only thing keeping him from falling completely apart. They live together in the apartment above the store, and after getting into an argument one night, Jack leaves and takes a drunken walk through the city.
It's at this point that Jack decides to take his own life. He weighs down his feet with cinder blocks and prepares to jump in the river. However, at just this moment, he's attacked by two street punks who mistake him for a homeless man. They soak him with gasoline and attempt to set him on fire. But out of the shadows appears a savior: a strange little man dressed as a knight, who beats up the punks and saves Jack from certain death. Before he can comprehend the events that have just unfolded in front of him, Jack passes out...
He awakes the next morning in the basement of a building, and we're introduced to Parry (Williams):
It turns out that after his wife's death, Parry fell into a sort of catatonic state for a long period of time. When he finally awoke, he was no longer a college professor whose wife was murdered; he was now a knight on a quest for the Holy Grail.
After discovering who Parry really is, and feeling responsible for his current mental state, Jack goes to find him in an attempt to make amends. He first tries to talk some sense into him, but any mention of his former life or his true identity sends Parry into hysterics. When confronted with his past, he sees hallucinations of a Red Knight who threatens and attacks him. (This is, obviously, a metaphor for his traumatic past which he is unable - and unwilling - to face. BRILLIANT stuff.)
Determined to set things straight with Parry, and unwilling to help him with his delusional quest for the Grail, Jack decides to give him some money, only to find that Parry secretly desires something else:
So now we have our plot device which will carry us through the rest of the picture. In trying to make things right, both with himself and with Parry, Jack now has a goal - to help this broken man find love once again. And that sets the stage for several wonderful, magical scenes, the first of which is set in a train station...
(but first, we must pause a moment and watch a great little monologue by Tom Waits, playing a homeless, disabled veteran.)
Good stuff.
...And now, here's one of the most striking - and frequently discussed (because of its complexity) - sequences in the film. As Parry pursues his dream girl through Grand Central Station, the rush hour foot-traffic suddenly transforms into... well, you'll see.
Beautiful.
So, as the film continues, Jack works to bring Parry and his dream girl closer together, and the two men begin to bond. And one night, in the middle of Central Park, Parry tells Jack the story of The Fisher King:
Two broken men, each in search of their own personal Grail (in this case being genuine, unfaltering, life-affirming love) which will heal their respective (emotional) wounds, but who cannot find it themselves, and only discover it when it is the result of a selfless act of kindness. As the story says: "I only knew that you were thirsty". Truly great writing.
So we now enter the third act of what is basically a four-act story. Jack has succeeded in bringing Parry and the girl together. Her name is Lydia (Amanda Plummer), and her character is exceptionally well-written for being such a small part. She's a shy, mousy, clumsy girl, but she's also strong and has natural defenses. She's initially hesitant of going on a date, but eventually agrees.
And so Parry, Lydia, Jack, and Anne go on a double-date to a Chinese restaurant. The resulting scene is charming, funny, and sweetly romantic - more so than almost any film I can think of:
There's some great little character details in that scene, such as how Parry purposely drops and knocks over items on the table to make the bumbling Lydia feel more comfortable.
We come now to my favorite part of the movie - and the scene that really made me fall in love with this picture. It's a prime example of all aspects of a film working together perfectly: the acting is top-notch, the direction is rock-solid, and the writing is clean, precise, and rhythmic. I'll come right out and say it - I've mentioned this many times over the years and it's still true: this is my favorite movie monologue of all time. Yes, you have Peter Finch's "mad as hell" speech in Network, and Henry Fonda's "I'll be there" monologue in The Grapes of Wrath, but this one, in how it's written and how it's played, is, in my mind, perfection:
It affected me when I first heard it, and it still does, every time. The construction of the monologue is air-tight, the circular nature of it - the repetition of the "coffee" line twice to set it up, and then it pops up again as an ending beat, bringing it full-circle. A lot of it has to do with the way Robin Williams plays it. He's just so innocent, honest, and pure. It will probably always be my favorite role of his. And Amanda Plummer's reaction to the whole thing sells it completely.
The last act of the film begins with tragedy, and since it immediately follows this scene, it's especially heartbreaking. I won't reveal any more of the film. I'll only say that there's triumph and redemption, and it's immensely, immensely satisfying.
If you haven't yet seen this film, you should immediately do so. Your heart will thank you for it. (And your brain will concur).
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Movies You May Have Missed - #12
World's Greatest Dad (2009)
Note:
That brings me to a little picture called World's Greatest Dad.
Written and directed by Bobcat Goldthwait and starring Robin Williams, it was a critical success and a hit at Sundance, but was nevertheless a financial bomb, grossing only $220,000. Man, people really missed out on a terrific movie...
I really, truly, sincerely LOVED this movie. I think most of that came from the fact that I knew going in just how dark the material was going to get. If you've seen the trailer for the film, you really have no idea what's in store for you. The trailer itself isn't really at fault, however. By trying to hide the movie's central plot device, the advertising is unable to convey the actual tone of the movie, which is much darker (and thematically richer) than you'd expect. I mention this because I'm going to give away that bit of the plot in this review. However, I wouldn't really call it a "spoiler" because it occurs only 30 minutes into the movie, and is the driving force behind everything else that happens after. So, on to the story:
Robin Williams plays Lance Clayton, a high school English teacher and failed writer, who has tried for years to get something published, to no avail. He's divorced, and his teenage son, Kyle, lives with him. Lance, the failed writer, is a failed teacher as well. His poetry course is in danger of being cut because of low enrollment, and he's in a sort of unspoken competition with a young, popular male teacher whose creative writing course is a big hit. If that isn't enough, this rival is slowly moving in on his girlfriend - another teacher at the school - right in front of him. Everything's going badly for Lance... and we haven't even mentioned his son yet.
Kyle attends the same school as his father, and he's a constant embarrassment. He's vulgar, rude, and, well - he's an asshole.
He has only one friend - a shy boy named Andrew - and yet he treats him just as badly as he does everyone else.
This isn't just a simple case of teenage rebellion... this kid is about as vehemently awful as you can get. Credit actor Daryl Sabara with crafting a character so unlikable and memorable that his presence seems to hang over the film long after he's left the picture (we'll explain that later).
So, after Kyle gets into some trouble at school, Lance attempts to bond with his son, which brings about some expectedly negative results.
I'd just like to point out the solid, wonderfully comic tone in the footage you've seen so far. It's funny, to be sure, but it's also well-grounded in a very real place, which will be important for what comes later.
The film could have remained in this territory for the next hour and emerged as a good, engaging comedy. But what Goldthwait does with the material in the next act turns it into something much more: a truly great film.
We now come to the part of the film which changes the course of the picture, and which is not mentioned in the film's advertising: While masturbating, Kyle accidentally kills himself as he attempts Autoerotic Asphyxiation. Lance discovers his dead son, and, in an attempt to cover up the embarrassing truth, he tampers with the scene, making it appear to be a suicide, even going so far as to write a fake suicide note.
Now, there's something interesting here. The way the scene was handled truly surprised me. Goldthwait doesn't play it for laughs, or even shock value. He plays it completely straight. He drops out the sound entirely, the music fades in, and the scene plays out. And the effectiveness of it all made me at first surprised, then grateful (for having this tricky material handled the way it was), and then finally, I was quite simply in the director's hands, completely and entirely. I wanted to go anywhere he wanted to go, and wherever he wanted the story to go. And I was excited to see where that would be.
I'm not saying that it was perfect screenwriting or filmmaking, but the way that the material itself was handled - key word, there - made me entirely invested in the story from that point on. The reason for this? I had just witnessed the birth of a great filmmaker. You heard it from me: Bobcat Goldthwait - good material permitting - is going to go places, as a director.
Take the scene below, for example:
Lance has succeeded, and everyone now believes his son committed suicide. As the teachers and school counselor search for the reasons behind it, one of the students gains access to the "suicide note" and publishes it in the school newspaper. Lance has finally gotten something published. What started out as a way to prevent his son from an embarrassing legacy, it has now snowballed into something much more, as everyone in the school turns this unknown kid into whatever they want - or need - him to be:
Very, very well-done little montage sequence there. It's my favorite scene in the movie, and it really shows you what Bobcat is capable of. Who knew?
Things progress, and as Lance becomes more popular (by way of his son), he is inspired to create an entire fictitious "journal" of Kyle's, in hopes of getting that published as well.
It is indeed published, and becomes very successful - not just throughout the school, but the entire country. It's a bestseller. And Lance now has prospects lined up everywhere. He's given a book deal of his own, and is asked to appear on talk shows (the latter of which is the setting of one of the best scenes in the movie):
(P.S. - The onscreen title of "Father/Hero" given to Lance on the talk show was genius.)
So what happens? Does Lance come clean? Does he give in to his new-found success? I won't give it away, and the outcome isn't really surprising, but I found it immensely satisfying. I will say that the last 5 minutes of the movie were - in my opinion - nearly perfect, and ended the movie on a great note.
If dark comedies aren't your thing... you may actually still enjoy this. Sure, it has a dark side: it's incendiary, satiric, and has no problem with crossing the line. But this film has quite a lot going for it. It goes someplace deeper, and is not satisfied with simply going for the joke. Some of the opening scenes may have shock value, but everything is for a purpose. It's all leading somewhere, and because of Goldthwait's solid direction, you're constantly aware of that fact. I can't wait to see what he'll do next. This picture will easily make it into my Top 10 this year, and maybe even the Top 5.
Terrific movie. Highly recommended.
- Facebook users need to click "View Original Post" at the end to view the videos. (They REALLY need to implement this in their RSS feed soon.)
- And... the videos themselves are: NSFW - strong language
That brings me to a little picture called World's Greatest Dad.
Written and directed by Bobcat Goldthwait and starring Robin Williams, it was a critical success and a hit at Sundance, but was nevertheless a financial bomb, grossing only $220,000. Man, people really missed out on a terrific movie...
I really, truly, sincerely LOVED this movie. I think most of that came from the fact that I knew going in just how dark the material was going to get. If you've seen the trailer for the film, you really have no idea what's in store for you. The trailer itself isn't really at fault, however. By trying to hide the movie's central plot device, the advertising is unable to convey the actual tone of the movie, which is much darker (and thematically richer) than you'd expect. I mention this because I'm going to give away that bit of the plot in this review. However, I wouldn't really call it a "spoiler" because it occurs only 30 minutes into the movie, and is the driving force behind everything else that happens after. So, on to the story:
Robin Williams plays Lance Clayton, a high school English teacher and failed writer, who has tried for years to get something published, to no avail. He's divorced, and his teenage son, Kyle, lives with him. Lance, the failed writer, is a failed teacher as well. His poetry course is in danger of being cut because of low enrollment, and he's in a sort of unspoken competition with a young, popular male teacher whose creative writing course is a big hit. If that isn't enough, this rival is slowly moving in on his girlfriend - another teacher at the school - right in front of him. Everything's going badly for Lance... and we haven't even mentioned his son yet.
Kyle attends the same school as his father, and he's a constant embarrassment. He's vulgar, rude, and, well - he's an asshole.
He has only one friend - a shy boy named Andrew - and yet he treats him just as badly as he does everyone else.
This isn't just a simple case of teenage rebellion... this kid is about as vehemently awful as you can get. Credit actor Daryl Sabara with crafting a character so unlikable and memorable that his presence seems to hang over the film long after he's left the picture (we'll explain that later).
So, after Kyle gets into some trouble at school, Lance attempts to bond with his son, which brings about some expectedly negative results.
I'd just like to point out the solid, wonderfully comic tone in the footage you've seen so far. It's funny, to be sure, but it's also well-grounded in a very real place, which will be important for what comes later.
The film could have remained in this territory for the next hour and emerged as a good, engaging comedy. But what Goldthwait does with the material in the next act turns it into something much more: a truly great film.
We now come to the part of the film which changes the course of the picture, and which is not mentioned in the film's advertising: While masturbating, Kyle accidentally kills himself as he attempts Autoerotic Asphyxiation. Lance discovers his dead son, and, in an attempt to cover up the embarrassing truth, he tampers with the scene, making it appear to be a suicide, even going so far as to write a fake suicide note.
Now, there's something interesting here. The way the scene was handled truly surprised me. Goldthwait doesn't play it for laughs, or even shock value. He plays it completely straight. He drops out the sound entirely, the music fades in, and the scene plays out. And the effectiveness of it all made me at first surprised, then grateful (for having this tricky material handled the way it was), and then finally, I was quite simply in the director's hands, completely and entirely. I wanted to go anywhere he wanted to go, and wherever he wanted the story to go. And I was excited to see where that would be.
I'm not saying that it was perfect screenwriting or filmmaking, but the way that the material itself was handled - key word, there - made me entirely invested in the story from that point on. The reason for this? I had just witnessed the birth of a great filmmaker. You heard it from me: Bobcat Goldthwait - good material permitting - is going to go places, as a director.
Take the scene below, for example:
Lance has succeeded, and everyone now believes his son committed suicide. As the teachers and school counselor search for the reasons behind it, one of the students gains access to the "suicide note" and publishes it in the school newspaper. Lance has finally gotten something published. What started out as a way to prevent his son from an embarrassing legacy, it has now snowballed into something much more, as everyone in the school turns this unknown kid into whatever they want - or need - him to be:
Very, very well-done little montage sequence there. It's my favorite scene in the movie, and it really shows you what Bobcat is capable of. Who knew?
Things progress, and as Lance becomes more popular (by way of his son), he is inspired to create an entire fictitious "journal" of Kyle's, in hopes of getting that published as well.
It is indeed published, and becomes very successful - not just throughout the school, but the entire country. It's a bestseller. And Lance now has prospects lined up everywhere. He's given a book deal of his own, and is asked to appear on talk shows (the latter of which is the setting of one of the best scenes in the movie):
(P.S. - The onscreen title of "Father/Hero" given to Lance on the talk show was genius.)
So what happens? Does Lance come clean? Does he give in to his new-found success? I won't give it away, and the outcome isn't really surprising, but I found it immensely satisfying. I will say that the last 5 minutes of the movie were - in my opinion - nearly perfect, and ended the movie on a great note.
If dark comedies aren't your thing... you may actually still enjoy this. Sure, it has a dark side: it's incendiary, satiric, and has no problem with crossing the line. But this film has quite a lot going for it. It goes someplace deeper, and is not satisfied with simply going for the joke. Some of the opening scenes may have shock value, but everything is for a purpose. It's all leading somewhere, and because of Goldthwait's solid direction, you're constantly aware of that fact. I can't wait to see what he'll do next. This picture will easily make it into my Top 10 this year, and maybe even the Top 5.
Terrific movie. Highly recommended.
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