The Town, The Social Network and True Grit

I think that "The Town" was successful in delivering everything I expected from it. This may seem odd, but really, what it left out may have been one of it's strengths. Affleck (as director) wisely avoided many paths that this material could have followed. For example, instead of dwelling on plot twists, Affleck focuses on how his characters react to surprises. As a director he understands that why people do things is far more interesting than what they do. He allows a natural, emotional response to occur, which is refreshing for this kind of movie. I think that the ending was the weakest aspect of the film. There is a tendency to wrap things up cleanly (a happy ending), which is understandable, but for it to work in this kind of a story it has to be executed perfectly. Here it just seemed forced. Not to be too repetitive in my view on movies, but once again, sitting through this movie, I was reminded of a similar film that was far superior. "Heat" set the bar so high in this genre that it almost seems pointless to compete against it. For example, there has not yet been a firefight depicted on screen that even comes close to the one in "Heat". The conversation between De Niro and Pacino in the coffee shop makes all other conversations between cops and robbers seem like Mr. McFeely and Mr. Rogers talking on the front porch on a Thursday afternoon.

"The Social Network" reminded me of an epidode of the old television show "Max Headroom" All publicity is good publicity. No matter how sharply users of Facebook get ridiculed, it's still cool. It's like the people who advocate for privacy rights against Facebook. It's like getting angry at the barber for removing your hair... Don't get me wrong, I think Facebook is a wonderful invention, and the film certainly portrays Mark Zuckerberg as a genius. Yet I think that the average Americans are notorious for recognizing what is great for the wrong reasons. Point in case; Obama and "Avatar". Obama would be a great replacement for Oprah (not Bush). "Avatar" was a great movie (not film). Facebook is a great social network, it is not a replacement for friendship.
David Fincher was the perfect director to make this movie. It takes a special kind of ironic sense of humor to make a film that both glorifies and condemns at the same time. Think about it, in "Fight Club", Tyler Durden speaks of the evils of materialism, all while being the epitome of cool. In "The Social Network" Fincher addresses the meaning of friendship. The guy who invents the website that has defined friendship for this generation doesn't know what friendship is. It's interesting how a shadow of a thing is so often the replacement for something real in our society.

I've mentioned to some of you before the remake of "True Grit" by the Coen brothers. A couple trailers are now available to view, and it's looking pretty good. In the first trailer there is some clear John Wayne imagery, and the second trailer features a fitting song (albeit overused of late). I sense some depth in this remake that didn't quite make it into the original. I'm going to have to say that this looks like the most promising upcoming movie. Until next time, goodnight.

The American

It is important that you, the reader of this review know that the movie I saw just before "The American" was "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo". This is vital information because in many ways these movies are very similar. Both are dripping with European moodiness. What I mean is possibly 30% of each movie is devoted to long pauses, 25% of each movie is focused on sullen faces, 17% is shadows, with another 21% pure darkness. That leaves approximately 7% for story, action, dialogue and the titles (opening and closing). Perhaps I am being unfair. Even though I was aware of its style, it didn't distract me during "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo". And in all honesty "The American" was a good movie, and I liked certain aspects. The problem is that it was too much, too close together.

George Clooney plays an assassin who is confronted with the idea that he has lost his soul. What makes this a dilemma for him is the discovery that he wants a soul. Of course regaining a soul is not quite as easy as losing it (at least according to standard cinema conventions). The plot is standard, simple and merely a vehicle for a performance by Clooney. What sets this film apart are his conversations with a local priest. These brief exchanges lead to Clooney's character making decisions at key moments, that will forever change the course of his life. I liked the cause and effect nature of what was said and done. So often in movies, one seems to be a slave to the other (dialogue and action). "The American" did something else I really appreciate, it developed a character without seeming heavy-handed. Clooney's American has a love/hate relationship with life. This is symbolized in his mechanical expertise. It is clear that he is gifted and even finds peace in working with his hands, yet he uses this ability to do that which he is trying to avoid. For this reason, even with its thick European feel, I found the film to be very intriguing.

Machete

I have witnessed the progression of special effects, as we have moved from film techniques such as scale models) into the digital age (computer generated imagery). Early in the development of CGI I was willing to forgive filmmakers for taking risks. "The Abyss" for example really did something that sparked my imagination. Along with effects came new techniques (such as Bullet-time in "The Matrix"). The first time seeing a new technique, regardless of context it seems pretty amazing. "The Abyss" came out 21 years ago, and by now CGI has become commonplace, and I personally expect these effects to be perfect by now. That being said I have a few exceptions to this expectation, and Robert Rodriguez defines the first: No matter how many movies Rodriguez has made, he has maintained a very home-made feel to his movies. What worked in "El Mariachi" (and more so in "Desperado") has carried through all his films, which now includes "Machete". Action is cartoonish (graphic and violent, but nevertheless cartoonish). Dialogue is direct, efficient and funny. The acting, storylines and music all match the feel that Rodriguez has established, which produces a grown-up Coyote and Roadrunner cartoon. I am sometimes surprised that I like this kind of movie, when I think about it as separate parts, or try to explain it later, I realize that it really was a shallow, visceral movie experience. Yet Rodriguez is so energetic in his delivery that this mess of a movie somehow works for me. I think of it this way; if they had a 24 hour a day Coyote and Roadrunner channel, that would get old real quick, but small, inventive doses can be extremely entertaining. The reason Rodriguez is an exception to my special effect rule is that in writing, directing, shooting and editing the films all himself, his movies truly leave the impression that you're somehow tapped into his imagination. The shotgun basts that take off a limb and send the recipient hurtling back into a wall, aren't meant to be real, rather a fantastic representation. I know that Rodriguez (like Tarantino) has a great deal of appreciation for exploitation films of the 60s and 70s. Even though "Machete" is a tribute to those movies, I think that I can enjoy Rodriguez's vision without sharing his opinion on what defines a great film.

I think that I should take time to mention once again that movies like "Machete" aren't for everyone. Maybe they aren't for anyone.