Babel

Alright, so this was going to be a blog about "Pan's Labyrinth", "Smokin' Aces" and "Babel", but as I was writing the first two reviews, my computer got accidently shut down and so I'm not going to start over again. I will say that "Pan" has nothing to do with Peter Pan, and although it was visually interesting, I can't reccomend it. "Aces", well if you liked the preview, you'll like the movie, if you didn't like the preview the movie has nothing for you.

Now on to Babel: It's been out for a while, and I must admit I only went to see it because of the Academy Award nomination. Alejandro Gonzalez Innaritu (the director) also made "21 Grams", which I really liked. From the previews for "Babel", the style of storytelling looked exactly like "21 Grams", that's not bad, it's just one of those things that once you've seen it done well, you don't need to see it again. Also the Brad Pitt/Cate Blanchett combination, it just didn't seem appealing to me, so when the movie first came out I didn't go. I was wrong on both counts. First off, the stroytelling style was not the same as "21 Grams". There was some overlap (backwards and forwards) in the multiple storylines, but there wasn't an elaborate effort to tie the stories together. Actually, the fact that all the stories were connected was completely unnecessary. I thought about it later, that there could have been the same four, strories without any connection, and the movie would have been exactly the same. Perhaps the interconnection was a little distracting, but I understand why Alejandro did it; audiences want one big movie. He made four little movies, and had to make them work together with more than just the same message. Some people might not get the message, so need the traditional interconnection. Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett only were in one quarter of the movie. They worked really well together, I think especially Cate Blanchett. For the limited time and movement that she was allowed, I completely understood her character and point of view. Nate and I were talking about this movie just fifteen minutes before I saw it. He had observed that Brad Pitt reminded him of Pop. His greying beard, his face, and his movements and body language. Although I like Brad Pitt, he usually has very similar performances from one movie to the next, which has led me to question his acting ability. Nate was right, and I must admit that Pitt is a great actor. I think it was an understated approach, very thoughtful and somewhat laid-back. That combined with his eyes especially, but his beard too that would make me agree with Nate. I was reminded of a younger Pop in Tom Hanks perfomance in "Saving Private Ryan" and now we get the current Pop in "Babel" Do you think Pop will get any royalty checks?

Letters From Iwo Jima

When I saw "Flags of Our Fathers" last October, I had praise for Clint Eastwood's exploration into personal principles versus duty to your country. I was dissapointed with the lack of direction when it came to battle sequences and the unfolding of the plot. There were too many characters and too much Saving Private Ryan, when the focus should have been on the three main characters. I'm not sure if Eastwood filmed both of these movies at the same time, or what his editing process was, but "Letters From Iwo Jima" is a completely different, and better movie. The thread that is meant to tie the movie together is letters that are being written and sent from Iwo Jima. These are primarily letters written by Japanese soldiers and sailors as they await the impending attack by U.S. forces. This is more than just a gimmick, the letters allow us to know what these men are thinking. Considering that controlling emotions and placing honor and county above all else is predominant in their culture, reading their personal letters seems to be the only way to know how they truly feel. Now, the whole letter aspect would have made for a good movie, what makes this movie great is that Eastwood focuses on one man to personify the Japanese soldier. Ken Watanabe is the new General in charge of the forces on Iwo Jima. He has been to America and has American friends. He has a wife and children who he loves, living in Japan. He has a great tactical mind, and has a gift for leading men in battle. He cares deeply for the men he is responsible for, and does not make decisions without putting them first. He loves his country, and desires to protect and honor it. You can probably see that if all these things are true of one man, there are bound to be some struggles in a battle like the one for Iwo Jima. This is not an anti-war film, nor is it an anti-Amrican film. The conclusions drawn about the Japanese soldiers do not translate to the present day terrorists in the Middle East. This is a film designed to make us think about who we are, and who the man on the other side is. From a Christian perspective I feel that this is something we should all think about. Did God make (fill in the blank)? Obviously durring World War II, the Japanese attacked our country. Germans invaded our allies countries. Then Communists tried to spread their influence, and even more recently our country has been attacked again. Should we just passively take all attacks, and try just to understand the enemy? I don't believe so, but to dehumanize, or to make blanket judgements, or to put our trust in a government that... well you get my point. Go see "Letters From Iwo Jima".

Open Season and Perfume

The first movie I saw in 2007 was "Open Season". Jess and I took the kids to the Dollar Theater ($1.50 Theater) on New Years Day. It was entertaining, yet as is the case with most comedies (animated and otherwise) it wasn't as funny as the trailers promised.

I didn't take the kids to see "Perfume", I don't think they would really have liked it anyway. This is a movie about style. So much is it about style that character and story are on the side, and motivation and purpose are non-existant. We follow a boy from birth through his mid-twenties as he realizes his gift of extraordinary smell, and follows his nose to a disturbing conclusion. Now here I'm going to comment on the theater I went to. It's called Kimball's Twin Peak Theater and it is located downtown in Colorado Springs. If you want to see a film with an audience who is there to appreciate film, and if you want a beer while you watch, this is the only theater in Colorado Springs where you can. Of course it would be sweet to see "Pulp Fiction" at this theater, so as to enjoy a glass of beer while Travolta talks about enjoying a glass of beer at a theater, but sadly I never have had that chance. I did get to enjoy a beer while watching "Kill Bill" which I guess is close enough. Back to "Perfume", the reason I brought up the beer is that I had a beer, actually a Laughing Lab Scottish Ale while I watched the film. This film is about capturing scent, a visual representation of smells on the big sceen. To sit back and enjoy a good beer, slowly over the course of the film, I think actually made me appreciate the film more. Of course from what I understand there are other specific films that benefit from mind altering substances, that is not quite what I'm refering to. Instead of shoveling popcorn into your face, or eating two movie sized boxes of candy, maybe it would be better to find what compliments the film and enjoy them both. I know for myself movies like "Saving Private Ryan" and The Passion of the Christ" are foodless/beverageless films. Animated films at the $1.50 Theater are no holds barred events. Watching "The Big Lebowski" is a good time to break out the heavy cream, vodka and Kahlua. "Lord of the Rings" it's rabbit stew and boiled potatoes. And of course you can probably guess what goes well with a viewing of "Silence of the Lambs".