EVERYONE IS TRYING TO GET OUT OF "THE TOWN"

Have you noticed everyone’s a director these days…? Actors, producers, screenwriters, film critics… I find that slightly annoying because sometimes it works but quite often it doesn’t. I don’t mean people shouldn’t write and direct like Tarantino or someone, no, what I mean people who have acted – for instance – for years, and who suddenly decide to make a go of directing. And guess who will be playing the title role? Themselves of course! Polanski or Tarantino in side roles of their own movies, Alfred Hitchcock and his obsession about being in the film, OK, I can take that. Not the TITLE role though. It comes across as if they wrote the bloody thing for themselves personally. And that annoys me – most of the time. It was with this particular prejudice I sat down to The Town by (written – collaboratively – and directed and acted in by) Ben Affleck. I was actually getting ready to sit down and tear it apart but I actually have to hand it to the guy. OK, he may not be (and in fact isn’t) my favorite actor in Hollywood, but he CAN direct…
“The Town” is Charlestown, an area in Boston. It is infamous in the U.S.A. because it has single handedly produced the largest number of bank robbers and car thieves in the entire country. The focus of our film is one such gang. Doug MacRay (Ben Affleck) and James Coughlin (Jeremy Renner) are childhood friends. Their current area of expertise is bank robbery though they have been in and out of trouble their whole lives, especially Jim. They work for a big boss, Fergie the florist and lead pretty routine, albeit pretty unlawful lives. Until one bank job, where James insists on taking Claire Keesey, a young pretty bank manager, hostage. They let her go, but then become rather afraid she might be able to identify them when it turns out she actually lives pretty close to where they do. Doug decides to follow her and “finish her off”. Instead however, he falls in love with her. They start a relationship – Claire of course doesn’t know she’s dating one of her captors – and Doug is so deeply affected by the whole thing, he decides to change. He likes his new life and his new persona. The thing is he has to get rid of the old one first…
Now, when you look at the subject matter you can see why I didn’t have much hope… It isn’t the most original story in the world. But there are true gems in there, James for instance. He’s just a side character, true. He is violent, he is a thug. But in his own way he loves Doug as if he was his real brother, and is doggedly loyal to the bitter end, I adored the entire story line never mind the acting. FYI, I am not the only one who is impressed with James – Jeremy Renner has just been nominated for a Golden Globe for this performance. The other thing is, Mr. Affleck has learnt well from all his action movies; the robbery sequences, the chases… Phew, talk about adrenalin! Well planned, full of just the right kind of surprises… And then there’s Doug and Claire’s blossoming relationship it’s just sweet… I mean yes, it is basically the story of a “bad man” finding the “right path” and searching for “love, acceptance and redemption”. Yawn? No. There are A LOT of bad films that are made following those lines but this ain’t one of ‘em. Yes, we have to admit it is not so “deep” but exciting. Gripping, even. Perfect to kick back to on a Friday night – I really wouldn’t miss it if I were you…
By the way I forgot to mention, all you Mad Men fans - check out Mad Men’s Don Draper John Hamm as the F.B.I. agent who is hunting the gang down! Oh, oh and check out Oscar® winner Chris Cooper as Doug’s ne’r do well father.

"ADAPTATION" OF A LIFETIME!

Those of you who have made my humble blog a place of regular visit may have noticed I enjoy writing. I only wish I could find more time to do it in! However, as someone who LOVES movies and loves writing, when I saw Adaptation – a film about writing – I had to see it. Technically, it was the second time I saw it, but the first time was years ago and it doesn’t seem to have made much of an impression on me (I couldn’t remember a thing about it) although God knows why… It’s a truly magnificent film on almost all counts…

Now, this film is based on true events. But please put an emphasis on “based”. Although there no doubt are real events it is based on, the film is by and large fictionalized by its scriptwriter Charlie Kauffman. The film is about – Charlie Kaufman. After gaining critical acclaim with Being John Malkovich, Charlie Kaufman (played here by Nicolas Cage. Funny, didn’t we see more of him in the past? Where is he now?) receives another commission. He is to adapt a book – The Orchid Thief by Susan Orlean (the acting legend Meryl Streep) – to screen. Doesn’t sound like a challenge for a professional scriptwriter, no? Well, yes in this case. Try as he might, Charlie can’t adapt the book; meanwhile, his infuriatingly outgoing and smooth twin brother Donald (also Nicolas Cage) decides to take up screenwriting as well and plunges ahead. Between his personal life that is crumbling at the edges due to Charlie’s timidity and pressure from the producers Charlie, begins to become slightly obsessed with Susan Orlean and the real life character of her book John LaRoche (Chris Cooper who won an Oscar ® for his performance in the film). As he struggles with the script and follows his obsession – with help from his twin brother Donald – he will make many discoveries… A lot of self-discovery but a couple of scandals as well…

Now, between Chris Cooper, Meryl Streep and Nicolas Cage, one isn’t surprised to come across some of the best acting of our times… Spike Jonze is well known as a director anyway, I’m not going to go on and on about him… And with a scriptwriter like Kaufman (Yes you DO know him actually. He wrote stuff like Eternal Sunshine on the Spotless Mind and Being John Malkovich) it is one HELL of a yarn… But it is interesting on another level as well – I mean this is a master talking about his trade. He even brings in one of the great academics in the field of screenwriting – John McKee in for a short spurt. But it’s not bookish in case you’re wondering; it’s HILARIOUS to start with. And then it takes a surprise turn and becomes INCREDIBLY exciting… It provides plenty of laughs, plenty of food for thought… All in all very similar to a good meal executed by the best of the profession for every course… And what about the reality of it? Well, just to start with Charlie Kaufman DOES NOT have a twin brother called Donald. And although the book The Orchid Thief does exist and Kaufman was supposed to adapt it, he couldn’t exactly – the book was too void of structure so he wrote his own frustrations in, and lo and behold “Adaptation” was born – bringing a trail of BAFTAs, Golden Globes, a Silver Bear and a Golden Bear nomination at the Berlin Film Festival for Spkie Jonze and much, much more… You will not be disappointed…