Recently I’ve spent time blogging for Flickchart: The Blog. I’ve written two essays on films released by The Criterion Collection in a column called Criterion Commentaries. The first post was on Ingmar Bergman’s The Virgin Spring and the second essay explores Stephen Frears’ The Hit. If you’re interested in finding out when another of my essays has been posted on Flickchart: The Blog, I’d recommend bookmarking this link: http://blog.flickchart.com/index.php/author/no_yorke/.
The 1,867th film added to my Flickchart list is 2010′s Rabbit Hole, directed by John Cameron Mitchell, and starring: Nicole Kidman; Aaron Eckhart; Dianne Wiest; Sandra Oh; Giancarlo Esposito and Miles Teller. An adaptation of David Lindsay-Abaire’s play of the same name, Rabbit Hole follows a couple’s contrasting means of dealing with the grief caused by the untimely death of their young son.
Musings
Often we go to the movies in order to escape the problems of our own lives, which means that sometimes an audience tends to avoid a film because of its serious subject matter. Unfortunately the loss of a child qualifies this film to suffer that same unjust fate. What’s special about Rabbit Hole is that despite its premise, through its observation of human tendencies this film serves up moments of hilarity. Further, by its conclusion it even presents the refreshing possibility that although it’s a long journey, humans are resilient enough to overcome life-shaking obstacles.
Another aspect of this film that I thoroughly appreciate is the juxtaposition of the paths Howie (Aaron Eckhart) and Becca (Nicole Kidman) take after the tragedy; Howie seeks solace in the familiar while Becca finds only pain. Howie finds comfort in leaving the house as it was; in spending hours watching a video of his son that he has on his phone, instead of going to sleep; and in a support group, specifically the company of fellow member Gabby (Sandra Oh).
Becca, on the other hand, has no job to distract herself with. Instead she tries to remove the constant reminders in the house of their child, including the dog that he chased into the street; lashes out at her own mother (Dianne Wiest) when she relates her own loss of a child under less arbitrary circumstances; resents her sister for a pregnancy she feels is undeserved; even assaults a mother in grocery store after the woman exhibits an unappreciative reaction towards her own child. The support group becomes infuriating to Becca when “God’s will” is invoked as justification for a loss of that magnitude, and only when Becca serendipitously crosses paths with the boy responsible for driving the car that struck her child does she begin to find a constructive means of coping.
The entire cast is great, especially as they deal with the grief, keeping it bottled-up for the most part until they can no longer contain it (see clip below). Kidman’s depth of emotion is especially engaging; perhaps not enough credit can be given to how, for this film, her forehead regained movement.
Final Say
After ranking the film on flickchart.com, Rabbit Hole settled in at #122; after Serenity and before How to Train Your Dragon.
Below is the trailer, as well as a clip from when the frustration boils over between Kidman and Eckhart:
Here’s a link to a video of my dog, Gracie, chasing a toy helicopter. The music is “Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want” by She & Him.
Gracie Chasing a Toy Helicopter
The 1,866th film added to my Flickchart list is 1990′s I Love You to Death, directed by Lawrence Kasdan, and starring: Kevin Kline; Tracey Ullman; Joan Plowright; River Phoenix; William Hurt; Keanu Reeves; James Gammon and Victoria Jackson. The film is based on a true story of a woman who repeatedly tries to kill her husband once she realizes he’s a serial cheater.
Musings
Sometimes a film doesn’t succeed, and yet it’s still fun. While the film tends to drag, there’s a strong cast and enough little moments that make I Love You to Death enjoyable. Tracey Ullman’s understated performance as loyal, unsuspecting wife Rosalie Boca serves as a nice contrast to Kevin Kline’s hammy performance as her womanizing husband, Joey.
The casting of Keanu Reeves as a spaced-out druggy isn’t a stretch, but the inclusion of William Hurt as his partner in crime is a surprising touch, and the fact that they take a taxi to the Boca house in order to kill Joey is priceless. So is the moment when Rosalie questions the choice of Hurt and Reeves while Devo (River Phoenix) questions her expectations, and Rosalie’s mother Nadja (Joan Plowright) adds the needed perspective:
Rosalie: They look like drug addicts.
Devo: Well, they are drug addicts.
Rosalie: Oh my God. You hired drug addicts?
Devo: Who’d you expect me to hire? The Red Cross?
Nadja: They seem like very polite boys.
Rosalie: I don’t like having drug addicts in my house.
Nadja: Oh no, Rosalie. Don’t think of them as drug addicts. Think of them as killers.
And the fact that Joey just won’t die may be a one-note joke, but it’s played to perfection. After all, how would you react in the tense situation where the man you’ve repeatedly attempted to kill comes up to you and acts like nothing’s wrong?
Also notable is the teaming of River Phoenix and Keanu Reeves for the first time; a year later they costarred in My Own Private Idaho.
Final Say
After ranking the film on flickchart.com, I Love You to Death settled in at #396; after 28 Days Later and before Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
Below is the trailer:
The 1,865th film added to my Flickchart list is 1972′s The Candidate, directed by Michael Ritchie, and starring: Robert Redford; Peter Boyle and Michael Lerner. The film follows Bill McKay, a Californian lawyer who fights for the little people. The Democratic machine takes notice of his charm and integrity and convinces him to run for Senate, even permitting him to campaign his own way, but as his prospects change, so too does that deal.
Musings
Bill McKay (Robert Redford) has things most politicians would sell their soul for: good looks, charm, and name recognition. McKay also has one vital flaw: vanity. It appears as though political consultant Marvin Lucas (Peter Boyle) has everything planned from the start: talk this diamond-in-the-rough into running in the election by promising him that he can expound his true positions during the campaign; then play into McKay’s pride and get him to start acting more like a politician in order to avoid losing in a humiliating landslide; stay the course until he’s elected. While the film’s a great satire on the political machine – relevant now more than ever as the impact of money and the business of campaigning have never carried more influence – the film fails to suggest any solutions. At the end of the film McKay pulls Lucas aside and asks “What do we do now?” (embedded below in A.O. Scott’s reflection on the film). Neither Lucas, nor the film, ever answer.
By this point McKay has compromised everything he once valued – including his integrity, and even his marriage – and so he’s left with nothing but confusion as to what the future holds. McKay has become everything his father represents – precisely what he rebelled against and didn’t want to become in the beginning – in the sense that he’s now a politician. Even when McKay tries to buck the grooming he’s undergone and goes off-script for his closing remarks during the debate (embedded below), it’s to no avail as his father covers for the political gaffe by vigorously congratulating him on his performance. The photo opportunity also serves to settle any lingering questions surrounding why the former Governor had until then been absent from his son’s campaign.
One last point of note is that Jeremy Larner, who served as a speech writer for Senator Eugene McCarthy during his presidential bid in 1968, worked on this Academy Award-winning screenplay.
Final Say
After ranking the film on flickchart.com, The Candidate settled in at #284; after Get Low and before Stranger Than Paradise.
Embedded below are A.O. Scott’s reflections on the film, which contain some interesting remarks as to how certain politicians embraced the film, and also points out how the film foreshadows the rise of political consultants. Also included is a clip from the debate where McKay gives one last attempt to reacquire his integrity:
The 1,864th film added to my Flickchart list is 2009′s Youth in Revolt, directed by Miguel Arteta, and starring: Michael Cera; Jean Smart; Portia Doubleday; Zach Galifianakis; Steve Buscemi; Fred Willard; Justin Long; Ray Liotta and Adhir Kalyan. The film is based on C.D. Payne’s highly regarded epistolary novel that follows a teenager, Nick Twisp, as he forms a French alter-ego in order to woo his dream girl Sheeni Saunders.
Musings
Michael Cera plays a virgin once again, and yet I found that this uneven comedy had enough dark twists and light moments to retain my interest. Among the film’s flaws are how the grown-ups in this film are one-dimensional, but I suppose that’s an accurate portrayal from the view point of kids, as most adults aren’t understood as complex, but rather as: the selfish parent; the kooky but well-meaning neighbor; the freeloader; the religious freak; the obnoxious authority figure.
Fred Willard plays Mr. Ferguson, the well-meaning but misguided neighbor always willing to support a cause. Mr. Ferguson is one of the few adults portrayed as an ally in the film, but that’s because his character is set-up to always support the underdog. The first time Nick calls on him for help is when he and his Indian friend Vijay have been chased out of the boarding school and are stranded in their underwear. Instead of explaining the situation truthfully, Nick tells Mr. Ferguson that Vijay is an illegal immigrant who needs help. Despite the holes in the story, Mr. Ferguson only has one question:
Mr. Ferguson: Nick, why are you naked too?
Nick Twisp/Francois Dillinger: Solidarity?
In the next scene all three of them are in Mr. Ferguson’s truck, driving home in their underwear. It’s one of the great scenes of the film, and it’s consistent with the tone of the rest of the film. In a later scene, when the heat is really on Nick, Mr. Ferguson again is the only adult to support him, and this time it’s despite hearing the truth – or perhaps because he hears how truly stacked the odds are against Nick.
That’s the beauty of the film: the odds are stacked against Nick the entire time, and it’s a lot of fun watching him evolve and cope with the mistakes he makes along the way. Like Mr. Ferguson, for whatever the reasons, we’re happy to strip down to our underwear and help Nick out of a jam, in a show of solidarity.
Final Say
After ranking the film on flickchart.com, Youth in Revolt settled in at #344; after Double Indemnity and before Ocean’s Eleven.
Here’s the trailer:
The 1,863rd film added to my Flickchart list is 2008′s The Informers, directed by Gregor Jordan, and starring: Kim Basinger; Billy Bob Thornton; Mickey Rourke; Rhys Ifans; Brad Renfro; Chris Isaak; Winona Ryder and Amber Heard. The film follows a cast of bored characters in Los Angeles in the early 1980s as they use casual sex, drugs, and alcohol to deal with their emptiness.
Musings
Based on the collection of shot stories by Bret Easton Ellis, author of American Psycho and Less Than Zero, the film version seems to have gone awry when Ellis and Nicholas Jarecki finished their script and Gregor Jordan was brought in to direct. Most accounts insinuate that when this happened the tone shifted, and instead of emulating Robert Altman’s film Short Cuts, it turned into the sad, annoying excuse of an ensemble film it is. Anthony Quinn writes in The Independent that The Informers falls short of Short Cuts because it’s “missing all the vital ingredients – wit, humanity, charm, nuance and meaning.”
And that’s a shame as it has a strong cast; albeit a cast all seemingly at or near rock bottom (Rourke was about to bounce back with his performance in The Wrestler and this is Renfro’s last performance before his heroin overdose). The film’s only real accomplishment is that despite so much sex and drug use, the film remains as pointless and wearisome as it is.
Maybe there would have been something worth while had Jordan not cut the vampire subplot; then again…
Final Say
After ranking the film on flickchart.com, The Informers settled in at #1861; after Indiana Jones and Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and before Duplex.
Here’s the trailer:
The 1,862nd film added to my Flickchart list is 2009′s Get Low, directed by Aaron Schneider, and starring: Robert Duvall, Bill Murray, Sissy Spacek, Lucas Black and Bill Cobbs. The film is the fictionalized retelling of how a 1930s hermit in Tennessee threw his own funeral party, while he was still alive.
Musings
Unfortunately the speech at the end – the confession – does not provide the audience the same relief and satisfaction it affords Duvall’s character. The film’s premise and set-up are intriguing, yet we figure out early on where this film is going. Despite this, there are two main reasons why you’ll enjoy the journey this movie takes you on: namely Robert Duvall and Bill Murray.
The film allows Duvall, now nearing 80, enough room to create a genuine character with a sincerity not many other actors are capable of bringing to the role. Duvall pulls off the reclusive curmudgeon whose reputation as the backwoods bogeyman precedes him, and there’s fun in watching him revel in his reputation while also balancing the dark secret that haunts him.
Likewise it’s a blast watching Bill Murray deliver his deadpan lines as a Funeral Home operator suffering from hard times: “One thing about Chicago: people knew how to die,” and “I sold 26 of the ugliest cars in the middle of December with the wind blowing so far up my ass I was farting snowflakes into July.”
And that’s not the entire charm of Frank Quinn, as played by Murray. As A.O. Scott writes, “Mr. Murray, impish as ever, keeps the full range of Frank’s motives and feelings tucked up his sleeve. He is greedy, a little shady and basically decent, but the precise balance of these qualities remains in some doubt right up to the end.”
Final Say
After ranking the film on flickchart.com, Get Low settled in at #280; after American Beauty and before Stranger Than Paradise.
Here’s the trailer, followed by video of Bill Murray explaining why he chose to act in the film, and also a clip of Bill Murray being interviewed by David Letterman which, although it has nothing to do with Get Low, is quite amusing:
The 1,861st film added to my Flickchart list is 2011′s Red State, directed by Kevin Smith, and starring: John Goodman; Melissa Leo; Michael Angarano; Nicholas Braun; Stephen Root; Jennifer Schwalbach Smith; Michael Parks; Ralph Garman and Kevin Pollak. Three teenagers answer an ad for kinky sex, but their adventure turns deadly when they encounter fundamentalists with a warped agenda.
Musings
John Goodman summarized the appeal of the film at last night’s Q&A at Radio City Music Hall when he talked about how it’s refreshing to have a director with his own point of view and to not have that watered-down by the studio process.
And for better or worse, that’s what you get: an opinionated, if preachy, Kevin Smith horror film. It’s over-the-top, but the purpose of the film is to portray the views held by the fundamentalists as ridiculous, and Smith does this by making them appear cartoonish.
As a bonus the film’s laced with Smith’s typical brand of humor, highlights including the performance of Kevin Pollak, as well as the ending (which shouldn’t be spoiled).
Final Say
After ranking the film on flickchart.com, Red State settled in at #333; after Le Donk & Scor-zay-zee and before Cinderella Man.
Listen to my take regarding Red State as my voicemail is used by Filmspotting in podcast #339 (about 40 minutes in).
Click here to watch Don Imus interview Kevin Smith regarding the film, and here’s the trailer:
The 1,860th film added to my Flickchart list is 2010′s Holy Rollers, directed by Kevin Asch, and starring: Jesse Eisenberg; Jason Fuchs and Ari Graynor. A young, naive Hasidic Jew forgoes his Rabbinical studies in favor of becoming a drug mule.
Musings
Holy Rollers is like any other drug movie (from The Godfather to Maria Full of Grace), but with peyos instead of tension.
Roger Ebert writes: “Eisenberg is convincing as an essentially nice person who sounds confident but turns into a kid again when things start going wrong. But Kevin Asch, the director, keeps his distance from too many scenes; there’s no particular suspense involved in getting past Customs, for example. The movie relates to its story as Sam relates to women: Look, talk, but don’t get too close.”
Bottom line is that there are other drug films and other movies starring Jesse Eisenberg that are better choices to spend your time on; if you can’t get enough of Jesse Eisenberg, I’d recommend listening to him as a guest on NPR’s Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me!
Final Say
After ranking the film on flickchart.com, Holy Rollers settled in at #1260; after The Raven and before Vince Vaughn’s Wild West Comedy Show.
Here’s the trailer:
