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.

THERE IS ONE IN ALL OF US - COME "WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE"

We all read this one right? I don’t think it’s that old as a book – my Mom doesn’t remember it - but I most definitely had a copy and I LOVED it… I was intrigued when I heard it was being adapted to film as well – the book is only about 15 – 20 pages long if I remember correctly! However with Oscar® nominated director Spike Jonze at the helm (director of “Adaptation” and the rather surreal classic “Being John Malkovich”) I was excited aswell. Then I saw the trailer and was desperate to watch it. Then I finally got my grubby paws on the film. I’m in love with it. I’ll go as far as saying I shed a little itty-bitty tear at the end…

Meet Max. He’s I would say around 10, he lives with his mother and older sister. He’s a bit of a loner and tends to throw tantrums and “act up” from time to time. He also has a very active imagination to make up for the loneliness… One day he runs away from home (his mother has a new boyfriend and his father is not around – I seem to have assumed the father was dead but there are no real indications in that direction) . Well, he runs and runs and runs, jumps into a little boat and crosses oceans and arrives at a mysterious island. This island is inhabited by monsters – big huge monsters with fur and horns and tails… They usually eat people but they don’t eat Max, in fact they end up making him their king… Max is a good king for a while and makes his subjects very happy. He becomes particularly close to one of the monsters – Carol (Carol’s a boy by the way – don’t question it, so was “Winne” the Pooh) the others are nice too though… However as we all know with that with great power comes responsibility and soon Max’s kingdom starts to unravel…

This categorically the MOST touching film I have ever watched – almost anyway… It is a children’s book it’s adapted from of course but I have a hard time classifying it as “fit for the whole family” – I mean you CAN show this to the little ones but a lot of subtleties of the film will be lost on the younger audiences… There is Judith and Ira – a monster couple, Alexander who no one ever listens to and who is the smallest, then Carol who tends to break things when he’s upset and who is pining for his “special friend” K.W (a girl in case you’re getting confused). In case my explanation was ambiguous this is very obviously a land of Max’s imagining – and the little details (I’ll leave you to discover them yourself) are endearing. The way Max and Carol learn to cope with life, the way they both “grow up”… And the cast doing the voiceovers is ASTOUNDING : James Gandolfini is Carol (I racked my brains as to who the very familiar voice was all through the film and had to check imdb), Lauren Ambrose (from Six Feet Under) is K.W. , Forest Whitaker is Ira and Oscar® winning actor Chris Cooper is another one of the monsters I didn’t mention (Douglas for those who watch – by the way don’t you ADORE their names). This is the story of a very imaginative little boy (The talented Max Records – who is 12 in the movie apparently – I got the age right!) thrashing out life and the whole “growing up” thing. Highly recommended to anyone with an imagination…

HEAR MY STORY "BEFORE NIGHT FALLS"

Ha ha, ok I’ve had far too much escapism and not enough true stories lately. And they (true stories) were supposed to be a tradition of this blog as well! Now, I have just realized – to my dismay – that the year 2000 was actually 10 years ago. It’s an incredibly scary thought and also the year this film was made. It seems to have made quite a lot of noise in its’ day, its lead actor Javier Bardem was showered with awards and nominations from many prestigious festivals and societies (respectively a win from the Venice film festival and nominations both for an Oscar® and a Golden Globe). Its later Oscar® nominated director (for The Diving Bell and the Butterfly) Julian Schnabel truly established himself. And it was noticed in “political cinema” circles as well; for the story of the film is the true life and times of Cuban poet Reinaldo Arrenas – and a stinging criticism of the Cuban political system.
Reinaldo Arrenas was born to a very poor family in Cuba. Although in his early youth he feels close to Fidel and the revolutionaries, he very quickly falls foul with the system for he turns out to be a passionate writer and poet – and a homosexual. And the more he grows into his own skin, the less the regime likes him… Years spent in hiding, persecution and a terrible stint in prison are the events that mark the rest of his life. All this, however, doesn’t stop him publishing his work abroad – work that has been smuggled out illegally. Needless to say, this also is frowned upon by the regime. Arrenas is 37 when finally, in 1980, he is “allowed to leave” (this, of course, is during the Mariel boatlift; click here for more information on that one) He is thus extradited to the USA where he spends 10 more years before dying of AIDS in 1990, aged only 47. During the remaining 10 years of his life, he never ceases to speak out against the regime in Cuba, although his delicate state of health and depression keep him from writing a lot. In a suicide note that was meant for publication, he encourages the Cuban people to keep fighting against the regime to be free. “I” he finishes “already am.”
Well, what can I say… Before Night Falls (inspired by Arrenas’ biography of the same name incidentally. Check this out for more on his life and the Amazon links for some of his works – I’m most definitely going after them!) hum, I’ve lost my chain of thought, I’ll begin again; ok, Before Night Falls (I was about to say) is what I could almost call a time-capsule. The director, the actors, the story it all works in such perfect harmony that you find yourself in Cuba of the revolution. Real live images of the day, Castro’s speeches, Che Guevara in the background all construct a beautiful picture of Arenas’ Cuba. And of course the picture we see is not always beautiful. The poetry, the atmosphere, Javier Bardem himself… We are swept along for the two-hour ride and reach the end shaken and changed. I am in the bizarre position of feeling as if I have watched a good film and read a good book at the same time… And I will definitely be looking for more of Arrenas’ work. I will now do something slightly irregular and leave you with a quote from the movie. Now, I have not been able to confirm whether this was actually written by Arrenas or not, but it suits the mood of the film so well… And some of the descriptions of writing feel so close to my heart I simply had to share it with you all… And hey, maybe it’ll give you that extra push to go out and find the movie!

“Walking along streets that collapse from crumbling sewers. Past buildings that you jump to avoid because they will fall on you. Past grim faces that size you up and sentence you. Past closed shops, closed markets, closed cinemas, closed parks, closed cafes. Sometimes showing dusty signs, justifications: "CLOSED FOR RENOVATION," "CLOSED FOR REPAIRS." What kind of repairs? When will these so-called renovations be finished? When at last will they begin? Closed... closed... closed... everything closed. I arrive, open the countless padlocks and run up the temporary stairs. There she is, waiting for me. I pull off the cover, and stare at her dusty, cold shape I clean off the dust and caress her. With my hand, delicately, I wipe clean her back, her base and her sides. In front of her, I feel desperate and happy. I run my fingers over her keyboard and suddenly it all starts up. With a tinkling sound the music begins, little by little, then faster; now full speed. Walls, trees, streets, cathedrals, faces and beaches. Cells, mini- cells, huge cells. Starry nights, bare feet, pines, clouds. Hundreds, thousands, millions of parrots. A stool, a climbing plant, they all answer my call, all come to me. The walls recede, the roof vanishes, and you float quite naturally. You float uprooted, dragged off, lifted high. Transported, immortalized, saved. Thanks to that subtle, continuous rhythm, that music, that incessant tap-tap.”