Trailerpark: Crazy Heart

Good God above this looks great. Jeff Bridges, one of the best screen actors alive (can't believe Tom Hanks has two Oscars more than him) stars as an ageing country singer trying to rebuild his life. He looks and speaks a bit like Kris Kristoferson, which is probably no accident. Maggie Gyllenhaal shows up as a music journalist, Robert Duval is a bartender and Colin Farrell is in it somewhere too (not sure what capacity it's in though).

Anyway, it looks lovely and low-key with some gorgeous American landscape shots and a gentle story of redemption. The film this trailer most reminds me of is The Wrestler, and that's no bad thing.

Here's the trailer.

2009, the best bits (part 3)

Okay, one more best-bits post. Feel free to answer below if you agree or disagree with any inclusions of omissions...

The opening of Inglourious Basterds
Almost universally considered to be the highlight of the film, this is a testament to how good a writer Tarantino can be. It’s a simple scene – German officer Hans Landa (Christof Waltz) gently, but firmly questions a lowly French farmer about a family of missing Jews. Landa is articulate and polite – elegantly dancing between languages, but gently terrifying. Hitchcock would be proud of the tension-building.



The Parisian chase in GI Joe
Well, if the action scenes are useless in GI Joe, what use is it at all? Unfairly maligned in some circles for being a dumb action movie (what were they expecting, My Dinner with GI Joe? The Passion of the GI Joe?), GI Joe boasts some of the best action scenes of the year. The graceful choreography of cyborg-like soldiers chasing a souped-up van through the streets of Paris is a breath of fresh air after the confusing metal messes that made up most of Transformers 2 and the endless expository dialogue of Harry Potter. Culminating in a convincing toppling of the Eiffel Tower, this scene is the cherry on the decadent cake of the underappreciated blockbuster.

2009, the best scenes (part 2)

And now for more best bits...

The Dance in (500) Days of Summer
Easily one of the more inventive romantic comedy of the year, and possibly of the decade, (500) Days of Summer has many moments of imaginative exuberance. Best of all is the post-coital dance of joy that Joseph Gordon-Levitt performs on the streets of LA. Hall & Oates sound good, his reflection looks like Han Solo, strangers hug and high-5 him, and animated birds fly around him. A beautiful scene from a joyful film.



The stand-off with the camera in The Hurt Locker
The episodic nature of Katherine Bigelow’s Iraq-set thriller means that many of the set pieces could have made it onto this list, but the layering of potential disasters make this particular scene a stand-out. Examining a suspicious car, Sgt James (Jeremy Renner) must also tell his nervous soldiers to remain calm in the face of possibly hostile locals. Throughout this remarkable film, Bigelow maintains a convincing atmosphere of paranoia, but this scene was the standout.



The finale of District 9
Yes, the allegorical set-up of Neil Blomkamp’s debut is engaging, but he seems more comfortable directing the bullet-ridden climax. Starting with the power-up of a robot exo-skeleton, the high-tech weapons have plenty of geeky appeal, while the well-staged set-piece is a satisfying and exciting mix of top-notch computer effects and analogue action. It doesn’t hurt, of course, that the scene's 3 central characters have been well-developed to this point, which lends a nice emotional heft to proceedings.

2009, the best scenes (part 1)

Yes, I know the year isn’t over, but it’s early enough to talk about the best bits. Sometimes moments in movies get forgotten in favour of the big picture, or overlooked entirely. Here’s to some of the parts that make up the sum of their films. I’ll try to avoid spoilers…

The Marriage Montage in Up
What an emotional wallop these few minutes are. People used to say that Pixar made films for kids that grown-ups can enjoy, but now, following Ratatouille, Wall-E and Up, it looks like they’re making films for adults that kids might like. The montage in Up compresses an entire marriage into a brief, dialogue-free montage. I’ve seen over 100 films this year, but this was the only one to make salty, real tears to escape my eyes.


The putting-to-bed scene in Fish Tank
Another silent one. Andrea Arnold’s meaty and poetic coming-of-age drama is (like its lead character) lippy and feisty, but also (like its lead character) surprisingly delicate at times. While teenaged Mia (Kate Jarvis) is pretending to be asleep, her mother’s boyfriend (played by Michael Fassbender) carries her to bed, removes her runners and jeans, and gently covers her with a duvet. In Mia’s world of confrontation it’s a rare moment of affection. This collection of point-of-view shots is gorgeously shot, intense but also tender. The surrounding silence amplifies the gentle exhales and inhales.


Bones injects Kirk in Star Trek
And now for something completely different. JJ Abrahm's shimmering Star Trek reboot was thrilling and Chris Pine’s star-making turn as Kirk was assured and dynamic, but I found this early comic set piece to be both very funny and a lovely character moment. Kirk, has just been injected with a strange concoction by Dr. 'Bones' McCoy (Karl Urban) so that Bones can sneak him onto a ship as a patient. But when Kirk sees an emergency that nobody else does, he must dash to his superior officer and overcome such slapstick obstacles as swollen hands, a swollen tongue and over-eager inoculation. It’s a humorous, zippy character moment and a respite from the special effects and explosions.

Me and Orson Welles review

The trouble with coming-of-age movies is that it’s hard for them to break beyond formula. You know the drill: teenager has life-changing experience (usually over a set time, such as a summer or a semester for example) in which he or she experiences romance, adventure and a little unfairness, all of which will gently push them into the exciting world of grown-ups.

It’s been a strong year at the movies if you like that sort of thing, and I do. An Education (though overrated) and Adventureland (underrated!) were both good, and now we have the most imaginative of the unofficial triptych; Richard Linklater’s playful Me and Orson Welles.

Teen icon Zac Efron (High School Musical, ask your niece) stars as Richard, a New York high school student with aspirations to the theatre, dahling. Fate comes crashing into his life one afternoon when he’s passing by a new theatre, The Mercury, and meets a rising young actor and director by the name of Orson Welles.



Savvy enough to lie about his ukulele-playing prowess, young Richard is promptly cast in a small role in Welles’s forthcoming play. In the run-up to the chaotic production’s opening night, the young thesp learns about acting, theatre, and of course, life.

While this is a fun premise, the portrayal of a larger-than-life figure like Orson is a tricky one. If the performance is too small, it won’t feel like Welles, if it’s too big, it might veer into caricature. Christian McKay, who looks just like Orson, gets it right. A whirlwind of ideas, talent, ego, anger and charisma, McKay’s Welles is believable as a pied piper to actors and investors. At this time the 22-year-old was a radio star and, as he did later in life, Welles ploughed much of his wages into his real passion. In this case, it was his theatre troupe and his now legendary, modern-dress version of Julius Caesar.

Efron as Richard is appropriately wide-eyed and charming. His musical background appears in small glimpses and he moves with the showy flourish of a dancer and actor – a sidestep here, a juggle there…It’s easy to see why Welles would want him around. Though it might be premature to adorn Ephron with comparisons to other former pin-ups Depp or DiCaprio, he has potential and Me and Orson Welles is a step in the right direction. He’s wise to get involved with a director like Richard Linklater at this stage of his career.

You don’t have to know much about Welles and his friends to enjoy this film, but it helps enormously. It’s fun to see a young Joseph Cotton chasing tail, and to see Welles at the cusp of legend, when his future was blindingly bright and his name was synonymous with promise, fame and true greatness. Now, while he’s still considered a genius, he’s almost become as well-known for his adversities and stillborn projects as he is for his completed work.

Me and Orson Welles is an optimistic film, though. Even though it takes place in 1937 when (as one character puts it) “the whole world seems to be falling apart” and it doesn’t shy away from the occasional cruelty of showbiz, it’s about the power of art, the romance of theatre and the promise of at least one burgeoning career.

Taking Woodstock review

Just before I walked into the press screening of Taking Woodstock I expressed minor pessimism to a colleague. It’s not that I don’t like Ang Lee. In fact, he’s one of my favourite directors. He’s versatile, cinematic and he tells his stories with volumes of heart and respect for his characters.

So why the bad vibes, man? Well, the trailer was only okay and featured one of my least favourite cinematic clichés – square grown-ups accidentally getting stoned. Also, Lee is at his best when he’s painting portraits of tortured souls, whether it’s a superhero, a Wyoming ranch worker or an Asian spy. Taking Woodstock, on the other hand, seems to be Lee trying his hand at a lighter subject matter and (dare I say it) even a little comedy. Also, the reviews were decidedly lukewarm in Cannes, as was the box office reception States-side.

I needn’t have worried; despite its flaws, Taking Woodstock is overall a rather lovely film. I’d like my father, a 67-year-old man who has neither bought a CD nor attended a pop or rock concert in his life, to see it because it nicely captures the positive spirit of such an affair.

The fairly thin plot concerns the Teichbergs, a Jewish family who run a failing resort in Upstate New York. In genuine danger of losing the property to the bank, the family’s only son Elliot (Demetri Martin) hopes to stage a music and arts event. The permit he accumulates becomes a golden ticket, as a huge nearby festival urgently needs a new venue after hippy-hating locals drive them out. With the help of a savvy local cattle farmer (Eugene Levy), he helps facilitate the most famous rock fest in history.

What follows is history unfolding. Before their very eyes, the family witness trickles, and then rivers and eventually a tsunami of hippies descending into their rural neighbourhood.

Even though collective recollection of the time is hazy, it’s a lot of fun watching historical decisions being made accidentally. For example, the permit for the concert only gets approved because one member of the local chamber of commerce wants the meeting to move on.

Like many of the events’ attendants, Taking Woodstock moves at its own pace. It’s a little languid, but the atmosphere and setting are lovingly recreated. In fact, including many documentaries, few films I’ve seen capture the vibe of a festival like this film does. Lee and his regular writer James Schamus are clearly on the hippies’ side. Even though the events’ organisers and attendants face hostility the filmmakers do make time to include a peace-loving cop and hippy-friendly farmer.

The performances, from the endearingly understated Demetri Martin to the more hysterical Imelda Stauntan as his mother, land just on the right side of broad. Even Lieve Schreiber hits the right notes as a cross-dressing former soldier. There are a few laughs, but the main appeal lies in the atmosphere and story. It’s a fascinating, (mostly) true tale of how life-changing moments can literally roll up onto your front lawn, if you’re ready for it. And it’s a nice journey of discovery fable for its lead protagonists. Ang Lee’s favourite themes of family, repression and duty are present in Taking Woodstock, but this time, he’s mellowed out. Recommended.

And the Oscar hosting gig goes to...

As you may have heard, it turns out that the Oscars will be hosted by two people this year. One has found his funny bone in recent years, the other may have lost it. I am of course talking about Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin. It's a really nice idea: Martin was good both times he hosted, and Baldwin has hosted Saturday Night Live 7 times. In fact, according to some sources, Baldwin and Christopher Walken are the only two actors with an open invite to host that show whenever they want.

A little thought about Baldwin: While it's nice to see him in the limelight and enjoying his abundant comic talents both in It's Complicated (which he will star in with Meryl Streep and Steve Martin) and and on TV's 30 Rock, I worry that it may alter his career forever. Remember, at one stage he was a movie star and credible dramatic actor, but will this new comedic lease of life handicap his work as a dramatic actor?

Yes, he never quite broke through to the A-list like, say Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks or Will Smith, but he's a better actor than any of them. Check out this 7 minute (nsfw) scene for proof. I genuinely believe it could have won him an Oscar, which would have made it the briefest Oscar-winning performance of all time. Will he ever get a role like this again?