03/03/10: JENNIFER’S BODY (Karyn Kusama, 2009) 
I had watched – and felt less than enthusiastic about – the previous efforts by this film’s director and screenwriter (both of whom are females): the dismal CGI-infested superhero dud AEON FLUX (2005; while attending that NYFA program in December 2005, I missed out on an opportunity to meet the director during a "Q&A" session following a screening...something I now regret!) and the insightful but overrated indie comedy JUNO (2007) respectively. This being a horror film of sorts I still wanted to have a look, and the fact that it starred the luscious Megan Fox and Amanda Seyfried certainly could not have hurt its chances! The high-school setting draws obvious parallels with both CARRIE (1976) and GINGER SNAPS (2000) and the dialogue is predictably hip; equally expected was the over-reliance on contemporary songs on the soundtrack and, though there is quite a bit of violence, the end result is not particularly scary. Incidentally, the fact that Fox’s character transpires to have been ‘possessed’ by a demon (the details of how this came to be is actually withheld till the last act!), the film-makers could not resist incorporating such trademark EXORCIST-type gimmicks as copious vomiting and levitation! Mind you, JENNIFER’S BODY is fairly entertaining and the two leads are both remarkably effective: since I had never watched Seyfried in anything, she emerges as a genuine revelation; on the other hand, I was obviously familiar with Fox’s work from the two TRANSFORMERS pictures. Their lesbian sequence – which also links this, then, with the above-average “Masters Of Horror” episode SICK GIRL (2006) – proves genuinely titillating and easily the highlight of the film. Besides, it also makes use of a few clever attempts at cross-cutting: for instance, Seyfried losing her virginity at the same time that Fox is feasting on yet another victim. Again, the ending not only brings to mind that of ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST (1975) but even features an uncredited but welcome cameo appearance by Lance Henriksen as a night-time traveler picking up the hitch-hiking Seyfried.
03/07/10: THE HURT LOCKER (Kathryn Bigelow, 2008)
Presciently, I caught up with this on the same day as it emerged victorious at the Oscars. I had watched a few films about America’s latest conflicts – BLACK HAWK DOWN (2001), JARHEAD (2005) and REDACTED (2007) – but, in spite of the little-known cast (apart from nice cameos by Ralph Fiennes and Guy Pearce), it is easily the best of the lot. Incidentally, I was familiar with only a few of Bigelow’s previous efforts but I plan to make amends throughout this week: it is ironic, however, that for a woman to win an Oscar it took her making a man’s kind of film! Anyway, echoing the feeling of some others here, I approached this with some trepidation believing it had nothing new to offer; to be sure, the idea of a reckless boffin was not really original (in fact, it has been a good 60 years since The Archers dealt with this very subject within a WWII context in THE SMALL BACK ROOM!) but, for a modern film, I admit it is well above average – while I am at it, I also intend to catch up with several titles of recent vintage I missed out on for whatever reason. I still need to check out AVATAR (2009), by the way – it is also scheduled for this week, hopefully along with James Cameron’s Extended Version of THE ABYSS (1988) – but I was glad that the subtle, if all-important, work performed by the sound department on THE HURT LOCKER was recognized at the expense of the more bombastic[sic] aural experience that AVATAR is bound to be. To get back to the film under review, Jeremy Renner’s showy role notwithstanding, it was also atypical – thus highly commendable – for the leading actor from a war film to elicit this kind of attention…but, then, Christoph Waltz from INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS (2009) had it even better since he did win the Supporting award! The film’s episodic nature results in many a tense situation (not least because the bomb-disposal unit’s delicate job is forever being observed by the obviously disapproving and vaguely menacing locals) but also a few smaller moments (including Renner’s relationship with a native boy) – all of which, however, are vital to the characterization (smoothing over some of its more predictable aspects) which, as already intimated, is what has singled this one out for praise (hence, the Best Original Screenplay Oscar win was just as deserving as the technical side of production). Finally, I found it highly refreshing that THE HURT LOCKER refrains from really taking sides in the conflict or become a blatantly anti-war film; on the contrary, it acknowledges the adrenalin rush that hardened war veterans get addicted to over time and are willing to sacrifice their lives (and sanity) to attain!
03/07/10: WATCHMEN [Theatrical Version] (Zack Snyder, 2009)
A friend of mine had been so disappointed by this one that he wrote so as to spare me from wasting the cost of a cinema ticket and three hours of my life! Having finally caught up with it myself, I could not disagree with him more – not just that but, due to the film’s essentially muddled plotline (despite an overgenerous running-time of 162 minutes), I even went so far as to acquire the mammoth 215-minute “Ultimate Cut” of the film immediately afterwards! To me, this is easily one of the better among the recent flood of comic-strip-inspired blockbusters – with, unsurprisingly, perhaps the one to have the biggest heart. Given Heath Ledger’s somewhat overhyped performance as The Joker in THE DARK KNIGHT (2008), Jackie Earle Haley’s turn as Rorschach here (with his classic faceless, yet sentient, mask and mouthing the film’s one outstanding line to a bunch of angry jailbirds i.e. “You don’t seem to understand: I’m not locked in here with you – you’re locked in here with me!”) proved no less memorable or genre-defining. Incidentally, before the project was announced, I had no prior knowledge of the source material (let alone its quasi-legendary status) – so there were no preconceptions about the rigorousness (or not) of the adaptation involved on my part (the result features both uncompromising violence and surprising, albeit vaguely laughable, sex scenes). By the way, having watched all three of Snyder’s films (again, this is clearly superior to the others), I would like to see him tackle an original subject next – since DAWN OF THE DEAD (2004) was obviously a remake (of a horror title held in very high regard by many, though not myself!) and 300 (2007) was both that (of the 1962 Rudolph Mate` spectacular) and, like WATCHMEN itself, a cinematic rendition of a graphic novel. What I really liked about this one is its blending of outright fantasy (apart from the typical sci-fi elements of a scientist rendered superhuman in a freak lab accident, there is the gleeful re-write of history – where, among other things, America has not only emerged victorious in the infamous Vietnam conflict but Richard Nixon is still ‘serving’ as U.S. President in 1985!) with an oppressive noir mood (in which the volatile, cynical Rorschach operates – traded in the climax for an equally forbidding icy wasteland). Also notable is its expert use of music (bafflingly criticized by some) highlighting giants in the field such as Bob Dylan, Simon & Garfunkel, The Jimi Hendrix Experience and Leonard Cohen and the intricate but admirably fluid editing wherein, at various points, an incident recalls some past event of particular import. Though, at first, I felt this was going to be undercast, most of the actors involved (many of them new faces to me) acquitted themselves well enough under the circumstances – including Malin Akerman as the sensuous Silk Spectre II and Matthew Goode as the deceptively anodyne Adrian Veidt aka Ozymandias (who seem to have received the lion’s share of the flak in this regard). That said, another aspect which was not properly defined here for the uninformed is the individual quality of each ‘superhero’ (for instance, the Jeffrey Dean Morgan character known as “The Comedian” is quite the antithesis to what is expected of one, even if only Billy Crudup’s Dr. Manhattan – nobly bearing the potential hilarity of his naked blue appearance[!] – is really prodigious in the normal sense). A dense, dazzling and surprisingly satisfactory effort, then, but one that actually leaves the viewer asking for more…which is why I took the, for me, incongruous plunge of getting hold of an even longer version.
03/08/10: THE 82ND ANNUAL ACADEMY AWARDS (TV) (Hamish Hamilton, 2010)
This year’s Oscar show was not exactly inspired (with rather sparse input from hosts Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin) but quite tolerable altogether. As such there was little novelty (surprisingly, the individual presentation of the nominated songs was dropped but, then, there was still the usual ostentatious dance number which tried to ‘illustrate’ the nominated scores – the one for THE HURT LOCKER was particularly idiotic!), and the embarrassing display of reverence for the acting candidates (though this time it was restricted to the leading roles) from last year was reprised. Though appropriately featuring the accompaniment of The Beatles’ track “In My Life” (beautifully played on guitar and sung by James Taylor), the “In Memoriam” section was not as moving as that of previous shows (due to the fact that, thankfully, no true cinema giant passed away during 2009); the individual tribute to John Hughes – by several of the (grown-up) actors he had honed – was an unexpected but pleasant surprise…as was the presence among the audience of Lauren Bacall and especially Roger Corman (recipients of an Honorary Oscar in a smaller-scale ceremony held back in November). The apologetic ode to Horror movies really came out of nowhere and, despite the obvious inclusion of clips from beloved classics and popular modern fare, mostly stuck out like a sore thumb! Again, none of the ‘Thank You’ speeches were particularly stirring – though Jeff Bridges dedicated his victory to his late parents, Mo’Nique acknowledged Hattie McDaniel (who had set a precedent with the first black win back in 1940), and costume designer Sandy Powell saluted those of her field typically involved in projects boasting contemporary settings (which she readily admitted were seldom recognized by the Academy). With respect to the results, apart from the AVATAR fiasco, the only real unforeseen victories were those of the Best Adapted Screenplay (won by PRECIOUS, complete with pretentious and baffling subtitle, rather than UP IN THE AIR) and Best Foreign-Language Film (Austrian Michael Haneke’s highly-touted THE WHITE RIBBON missing out in favor of the Argentinian entry THE SECRET IN THEIR EYES). Typically, the night culminated with the Best Actor, Actress, Direction and Picture statuettes – all of which saw the winners venting their elation uninterrupted; though it was a given that Kathryn Bigelow would triumph (and receive a well-deserved standing ovation into the bargain) over her ex-husband James Cameron, thus awarding a woman director the first Oscar after 82 years, this became even more obvious when Barbra Streisand turned up to present that particular category. In the end, while hardly memorable, the show emerged (as ever) to be worth a watch for hardened movie-buffs.
03/09/10: CRIME DOES NOT PAY NO. 1: BURIED LOOT (George B. Seitz, 1935)
A handful of ‘episodes’ from this ground-breaking series used to turn up on the U.K. branch of TNT, but they seem to have been dropped from the schedule over here ever since the Cable channel became TCM – which is a pity. As intimated by the complete title of the short, this was the very first entry and it certainly set the template for the rest as it is still considered among the best of them; while it does not involve a subsequently famous director like some the others, its lead Robert Taylor would achieve feature-film stardom that same year (ironically while loaned out to another studio!). The premise of this one is actually quite improbable but the Police authority that introduces the film assures us it is based on fact: Taylor has embezzled funds from the bank where he is employed and, after burying the loot, confesses the crime to his superior and that he has already spent it all. He is given five years in prison fully intending to do the entire term but, while there, his cell-mate instills doubt in him that everything can happen within that space of time and convinces the young man to break out (disguised as a priest and his companion!). After going their separate ways, Taylor goes to quite an extreme to ensure his anonymity and be free to reap the rewards of his robbery – burning his face with acid! The irony is that, as soon as he digs up the booty, he runs into his ex-‘pal’ and is forced to share a cab with him…which lands our unwise hero at his old work-place, and it is revealed that all who aided in his flight from jail were undercover cops, since his former boss had never believed Taylor’s spendthrift tale! As I said, despite being a mere two-reeler, this features a compelling plotline (with the star in atypical bad-guy mode) and also contains most of the essential qualities of the gangster film then still prevalent (not to mention the unexpected dash of horror in the disfigurement episode).
03/09/10: IMPORTANT NEWS (Edwin Lawrence, 1936)
Like BURIED LOOT (1935), this was an MGM effort; however, its homespun qualities rather than the former’s hard-hitting approach were closer to the studio’s convention-bound maxim! Stil, as with that film, it features a durable and much-loved star who would bloom soon after (James Stewart, who actually only has a supporting role here as an editor’s gawky assistant). This involves a small-town paper’s activities and how they do not allow an out-of-the-ordinary event (such as the gunning-down locally of a notorious criminal) to disrupt their established way of life; since an oncoming frost is likely to bring havoc upon the community’s all-important crops or taking out an advert by a valuable sponsor in favor of the gangland scoop could affect the income of any one enterprise, it is these mundane ‘news flashes’ that make it to the paper’s front page! Ironically, the townsfolk begin to ridicule the editor for his lack of foresight – but a reporter from the big city takes his side and congratulates him on his integrity! The film – its director’s sole credit in that capacity – is hardly inspired, then, but the inherent modesty at work (it is a one-reeler, after all) makes the whole easy enough to take.
03/09/10: PENNY WISDOM (David Miller, 1937)
This Oscar-winning “Pete Smith Specialty” short is basically an exercise in gastronomical short-hand, where a society matron – who is helpless in the kitchen – has her proficient but long-suffering cook quit on her right on the night of an important business dinner at home! Since the husband is obviously aware of her ineptitude, he prepares for the worst – but, actually, a professional steps in to save the day by preparing simple but still attractive and palatable dishes. The film is unassuming but reasonably amusing (especially in dealing with the woman’s accident-prone nature, to which even the family dog falls victim!), engaging (one might say educational for anyone with a deep-seated culinary interest!) and quite pleasant-looking (being shot in early Technicolor).
03/09/10: SONS OF LIBERTY (Michael Curtiz, 1939)
Another Oscar-winning Technicolor short, a product this time of Warner Bros. rather than MGM; featuring the involvement of possibly their top director and such first-rate actors as Claude Rains and Gale Sondergaard, it is handled in the studio’s recognizable style. The plot is a recreation of a historical incident from America’s infancy, with various immigrants (led by a Jew, Haym Salomon) uniting into the titular ‘resistance’ group – that was also mentioned in D. W. Griffith’s AMERICA (1924) – against the occupying British forces. With WWII looming, this clearly made for a stirring patriotic call to the masses: however, even when taken on its own merits, the film proves interesting (especially for the unenlightened) and entertaining.
