The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

© 2008 Ray Wong



Loosely based on F. Scott Fitzgerald's short story, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button chronicles the life of Button, who was "born under unusual circumstances."

Benjamin Button (Brad Pitt) is born with a rare disease that causes him to have the body of an octogenarian, complete with arthritis, cataracts, and other geriatric ailments. His father Thomas (Jason Flemyng), an owner of a button business, abandons him. Queenie (Taraji P. Henson), a worker at a charity old folks' home, adopts Benjamin as her own despite that their races. The doctor only gives Benjamin a short time to live anyway.

Little does she know that Benjamin ages backward. As he grows older, he appears younger. By age 7, he learns to walk. He also becomes friends with Daisy, who is about his age. As Benjamin becomes "younger" and stronger, he decides to have some adventures and he starts to work on a tugboat with Captain Mike (Jared Harris). Benjamin gets to experience life for the first time and falls in love with a married woman Elizabeth (Tilda Swinton).

When Benjamin returns to New Orleans years later, Daisy (Cate Blanchett) has grown up and gone to New York in pursuit of a career as a dancer. Fate brings the two back together. As Benjamin grows younger and Daisy gets older, their lives intersect in the middle when they have a few years in which they're both physically and mentally the same age. They fall madly in love. But they both know what is going to happen next, and Benjamin makes a decision that will change the rest of their lives.

Brad Pitt (Burn After Reading) plays one of his most subtle and gentle roles to date. For the first half of the film, he literally disappears in the role with the help of old-age makeup and special effects. Even as his true-age self, Pitt manages to give a nuanced, quiet and earthly performance that is quite unlike his more showy efforts in the past. He has played ugly before (e.g. Twelve Monkeys) but here he's taking it to another level by playing a young boy in an old man's body and an old guy in a young man's body, and he's done a great job.

Cate Blanchett (Elizabeth) has the opposite challenge. She, too, has to play someone from the age of 20 to over 80. Her character comes off as a bit standoffish and cold, but she has some good moments with Pitt. She's always a brilliant actress, and she doesn't disappoint, especially as the older, dying Daisy who is drowning by her own memories. Her portrayal is heartbreaking.

The supporting cast is amazing. Taraji P. Henson (Hustle and Flow) is fantastic as Queenie, Benjamin's adoptive mother. She disappears in the role and gives one of the strongest and sympathetic performances in the film. Tilda Swinton (Burn After Reading) is solid as the reserved woman who captures young (well, to her, he's old) Benjamin's heart. Jared Harris (Lady in the Water) is wonderfully wacky as Captain Mike, Benjamin's mentor and best friend. Jason Flemyng (Stardust) is effective as Benjamin's guilt-ridden father, and Julia Ormond (Surveillance) is excellent as Daisy's bewildered daughter.

Written by Eric Roth (The Good Shepherd) and Robin Swicord (Memoirs of a Geisha), the script is extensive, spanning over 80 years. The story unfolds and develops gradually in a languid, poetic pace. There is a fanciful nature to the story but the script itself is rather ordinary in a sense that it's not "plot-driven." In a way, it's very refreshing to see a story that spans 80 years and is completely about characters and their relationships. Narrated mostly by Benjamin, it's basically a diary or memoir, and it's episodic. There are no grand conflicts or surprising plot twists, but everything is anchored by an emotional core.

There is nothing earth-shattering about the story, or even the characters -- except Benjamin's curious conditions and the effects they have on him and everyone around him. Yet the writers have succeeded in giving us an engrossing biography of sort with great relationships and a philosophical take on mortality, love, and fate.

Director David Fincher (Zodiac) changes gear with Benjamin Button. Best known for this thrillers and grisly crime stories (Se7en, Fight Club), Fincher has given us a surprisingly gentle, slow-paced, and scrumptious feast of the heart. The special effects, especially ones involving Brad Pitt and the character of Benjamin Button, are truly exceptional. The makeup is phenomenal as well. In fact, the production is amazing, sort of a Forrest Gump meets Big Fish. However, Fincher grounds the fantastical elements and keeps the fancy storytelling to a minimum. Instead, he relies on the characters and their relationships to carry the entire film -- the special effects may be what draw people to the theater. But they will come out thinking of something else. At almost 3 hours, the film is long and slow, but it's so engaging and fascinating that I don't really mind. In fact, I can't keep my eyes off the screen.

Benjamin Button is a gorgeous movie with a great heart and true, pure emotions, a cinematic contemplation of mortality and life. It is a curious movie, and I for one am curious how well it will do with today's skeptical and cynical audiences.

Stars: Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Julia Ormond, Taraji P. Henson, Tilda Swinton, Jared Harris, Jason Flemyng
Director: David Fincher
Writers: Eric Roth, Robin Swicord (based on short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald)
Distributor: Paramount
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for brief war violence, sexual content, language and smoking
Running Time: 169 Minutes

Ratings:

Script – 7
Performance – 9
Direction – 8
Cinematography – 9
Music/Sound– 8
Editing – 8
Production – 9

Total – 8.3 out of 10

Seven Pounds

© 2008 Ray Wong



The title of Seven Pounds is as cryptic as the movie's trailers and logline: "Seven numbers. Seven strangers. One secret." But once you realize what the drama is about, you'd understand why the mystery.

Ben Thomas (Will Smith) is an IRS agent and he has in his possession the names of seven strangers. They don't know Ben, and they don't know each other. The only commonality they have, it seems, is that they're all owing IRS taxes because of their medical expenses. Ezra Turner (Woody Harrelson), for example, is a blind customer service rep who is also a part-time pianist. Or Emily Posa (Rosario Dawson), who has a congenial heart disease.

Ben tracks them down and engages with them. For example, he calls Ezra and tries to make him angry, but Esra refuses to return the treatment. He pays an unannounced visit to Steward Goodman, who needs a bone marrow transplant and runs a nursing home. When he realizes Goodman abuses his patients, he tells him the deal is off. All Goodman knows is that his IRS extension is denied.

While trying to find out more about Emily, Ben falls in love with her. He ends up spending more time with her, but he continues to put up a wall between her and himself. Meanwhile, he asks his best friend Dan (Barry Pepper) to follow some specific instructions, and he gives his house to an abused woman named Connie (Eplidia Carrillo). When Ben's brother finds out what's going on, he demands to know what Ben is planning to do.

Will Smith (Hancock) fluctuates between blockbuster action films and dramas such as Pursuit of Happyness. The cryptic marketing of Seven Pounds makes it unclear to us whether it's a thriller or drama. Anyway, Smith is very good and likable as Ben, and he gives the role a quiet, calm, resolute nature that is crucial to the character and story. Smith has also lost a lot of weight for the role, adding to the gravity of the material. He has a great emotional range; one must marvel as how much he's improved as a dramatic actor in the past few years.

Rosario Dawson (Eagle Eye) is effective as Ben's romantic interest. She comes off as a bit passive in the beginning but ends up holding her own alongside Will Smith. She also has very good chemistry with Smith and that makes that part of the plot work without being too sappy. Their interactions seem natural and nuanced enough create certain realism no matter how outrageous the plot begins to unveil.

The supporting cast is generally up to task. Woody Harrelson (No Country for Old Men) plays against type in a small role as a demure, kind blind man. His performance is solid and touching. Michael Ealy (Miracle at St. Anna) is fine in another small role as Ben's bother. Barry Pepper (Flags of Our Fathers) is particularly moving as Ben's best friend.

Written by TV scribe Grant Nieporte (8 Simple Rules), the story is an interesting concept and sentimental exercise that examines our values and mortality. Surely, once we understand what is going on, we begin to question Ben's actions and motives, depending on our own values. By the time we understand what the title means, like it or not, it's going to a hot topic for discussion. Nieporte unfolds the mystery nicely, giving us bits of information until we see the whole picture. 

Still, it feels manipulative at times, especially toward the end. The plot and dialogue are contrived and the basic premise is rather outlandish. Also, I think Nieporte's made a mistake by "jumpstarting" the film with the prologue -- to me, that gives away too much. For audiences who pay attention, the mystery is lost on them because it's pretty obvious at the get-go. I think Nieporte would have made the mystery more riveting and the revelation more surprising if he had played the cards closer to his vest.

Director Gabriele Muccino (The Pursuit of Happyness) teams up with Will Smith again and he's very good with this kind of heartstring-tugging material. The problem is, this script is more manipulative and less naturalistic than that of Happyness. What comes out of this effort is an elaborate attempt at a tearjerker.

But guess what, they've succeeded because human emotions are easily manipulated. On the other hand, I kind of resent that. Not that I mind genuine emotions and shedding a tear or two (which I did), but I resent the fact that Nieporte and Muccino do that with such heavy-handedness, as if they were afraid the audience wouldn't get it. Yes, we get it. In fact, the whole movie, from the first frame to the last, is manufactured precisely to do just that. To me, one of the problems I find with the film is how it goes so shamelessly for the heart by somehow sacrificing the mind. That's not to say the story is idiotic, but it does stretch our suspension of disbelief. We could understand Ben's motive, his emotional state, or even his resolution or altruism. But I, for one, am not convinced by those around him. The seven-pound question I ask is: "If you knew someone who's going to do what Ben is, would you stop him?"

I would.

Stars: Will Smith, Rosario Dawson, Woody Harrelson, Michael Ealy, Barry Pepper, Elpidia Carillo, Robinne Lee, Tim Kelleher, Judyann Elder
Director: Gabriele Muccino
Writer: Grant Nieporte
Distributor: Columbia
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for thematic material, some disturbing content and sensuality
Running Time: 118 Minutes

Ratings:

Script – 6
Performance – 8
Direction – 7
Cinematography – 7
Music/Sound– 7
Editing – 8
Production – 8

Total – 7.1 out of 10

Milk

© 2008 Ray Wong



It took Hollywood exactly 30 years to bring Harvey Milk's story to the silver screen, and Gus Van Sant gives the pioneer in gay politics a dignified tribute.

Harvey Milk (Sean Penn) is a forty-year-old insurance salesman when he meets his lover, Scott Smith (James Franco). Realizing he hasn't "done a thing" in his life especially being an office drone, Milk decides to leave New York City and moves to San Francisco with Scott for a change. They settles in the Castro district and opens a camera store. As self-proclaimed "Mayor of Castro Street," he encourages homosexuals to claim Castro as their home and helps drive gay-unfriendly businesses out.

Milk becomes more active in the political scene as he takes on the discrimination (including police brutality) more seriously and passionately. His friends help him to seek public office. After a few unsuccessful bids, Scott can't take it anymore and breaks up with him. But Milk believes he really can make a difference in the political arena. With the help of Anne Kronenberg (Alison Pill) and a former-hustler-turn-activist Cleve Jones (Emile Hirsch), Milk makes history and becomes the country's first elected openly gay public official.

With that ascension comes death threats and national attention. Ever flamboyant and gregarious, Milk enjoys the spotlight. He tries to work with fellow supervisor Dan White (Josh Brolin) but refuses to play by White's rule. When Anita Bryant and Sate Senator John Briggs (Denis O'Hare) take the fight to California with Proposition 6 (which aims at firing gay teachers and those who support them), Milk works endlessly to try to defeat it. His eventual victory and national spotlight further alienates Dan White, who resigns as supervisor and then tries to get his job back. When White fails to reclaim his job, his next move forever changes history and propels Milk into the realm of legend.

Sean Penn (All the King's Men) is without a doubt one of the best actors of our generation. It's difficult enough to play a real-life, bigger-than-life person, but Penn succeeds in not only physically transforming himself both in terms of looks and mannerism, but also in embodying Milk's spirit and soul. Harvey Milk is so unlike other characters the actor has played before, and he does an outstanding job and utterly disappears into the role.

The supporting cast is stellar and impressive, considering the average age of these actors is under 30. James Franco (Pineapple Express) is affecting as the loving but unambitious lover of Milk. He has the right mix of aloofness, passion and ambivalence to make the role work. Diego Luna (The Terminal) is also very good as Milk's troubled new lover, Jack. Alison Pill (Dan in Real Life) is a bit too soft as Milk's aggressive campaign manager, and Victor Garber (Eli Stone) is mostly in the background as Mayor George Moscone. Denis O'Hare (Quarantine) makes a nice impression as the villain.

The standouts are Josh Brolin (W) as Dan White and Emile Hirsch (Into the Wild) as Cleve Jones. Fresh off his tour-de-force portrayal of G.W. Bush in W, Brolin delivers another knockout performance as someone very different -- the introverted, psychologically troubled man whose drastic action probably did more for the gay cause than Milk himself. And Hirsch truly is a young actor to watch -- his portrayal of the famed activist is nuanced and interesting, and he captures both Jones's naivete and political awakening extremely well.

Written by Dustin Lance Black (Big Love), the script follows a conventional biopic formula, framed by a prophetic narration by Milk himself (a taped "confession" of sort in the event of his assassination). The story focuses on the last 8 years of Milk's life, from his "awakening" to right after his death. At times, it is very episodic and we don't get to see enough of Milk in his personal life. Much of the film focuses on his political life. Yet, his personality and relationships are well portrayed by the outstanding performances of Penn and his costars.

Black's writing is powerful in that he keeps it simple. He also repeats certain key phrases and themes that define Milk's legacy. The only weakness is that by focusing mostly on Milk himself, we don't get to see too much the other side, particularly Dan White. We're left with a vague idea of what Dan White was all about and what led him down that path. Still, I think the characterization of Dan White is a bit sketchy, despite Brolin's effective performance.

Gus Van Sant's (Paranoid Park) direction is strong, crisp, and well-paced. The frame works beautifully. And Van Sant makes a great decision to just let the camera roll and his actors do their thing. The camerawork has a nice period feel to it, and Van Sant makes some interesting decisions to include historical footage, adding to the authenticity of the film. Perhaps it's just a coincident, but the events surrounding Proposition 6 in California eerily reflects what is going on with Proposition 8. It's amazing how much has changed in 30 years, and how much hasn't.

The ending and the coda of the film are particularly poignant, almost poetic. He reminds us that this is not a depressing story about a man's death and the injustice of the world, but about one man's passion and vision of a better world, his conviction and sacrifices, and the hope that he inspired. In that sense, Van Sant succeeds in fading into the background and just let the characters tell their stories.

Milk is not trendsetting or unconventional in any way. It's a solidly made, uplifting biopic about a controversial public figure who made a difference. With its wonderful acting, effective writing, and skillful direction, all the elements of the film simply work together like milk and honey.


Stars: Sean Penn, Emile Hirsch, Josh Brolin, Diego Luna, James Franco, Alison Pill, Victor Garber, Denis O'Hare, Joseph Cross, Stephen Spinella
Director: Gus Van Sant
Writers: Dustin Lance Black
Distributor: Focus
MPAA Rating: R for language, sexual content, nudity, brief violence
Running Time: 128 Minutes

Ratings:

Script – 8
Performance – 9
Direction – 7
Cinematography – 7
Music/Sound– 8
Editing – 8
Production – 8

Total – 8.1 out of 10

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas

© 2008   Ray Wong



Based on John Boyne's gripping novel, writer-director Mark Herman's adaptation of the Holocaust drama is a somber reflection on good, evil, and humanity through the eyes of a young boy.

Bruno (Asa Butterfield) is an imaginative 8-year-old son of the Nazi commander (David Thewlis) and his wife (Vera Farmiga). During the height of the WWII, he and his sister (Amber Beattie) move with their parents to the country outside of Berlin, after his father was promoted. Little does he know his father is now in charge of a concentration camp for the Jews.

Being a naive, innocent boy, Bruno doesn't understand what his father does -- to him, his father is a proud, dedicated soldier who is protecting their country, trying to make it the best place on Earth. His mother, however, knows better, and is promptly upset about what is going on around them. Bruno discovers a "farm" some distance from their new country house, and he meets a strange boy, also 8 years old, who wears pajamas all the time with a number on it. The boy's name is Schumel (Jack Scanlon) and they become fast friend.

Bruno doesn't understand why Schumel is hungry all the time, and why he is on the other side of a fence. In fact, Bruno doesn't understand a lot of things, such as why their Jewish servant, Pavel (David Hayman), stops being a doctor, or why Lieutenant Kotler (Rupert Friend) is so mean to the people wearing pajamas. As he grows attached to his new friend and begins to question the world around him, he realizes there's some secret he can never tell anyone.

As the protagonist, Asa Butterfield (Son of Rambow) has a big responsibility on his shoulders. Wide-eyed and innocent, Butterfield is nicely cast as the naive boy who makes friends with "the enemy." Butterfield is very natural. Jack Scanlon (The Peter Serafinowicz Show) is perfect as Schmuel, the Jewish boy Bruno befriends. His portrayal is hard to watch, and Scanlon delivers a sensible performance with equal mix of sweetness, innocence, and vulnerability.

David Thewlis (Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix) is excellent as the Nazi soldier. It's easy to hate his character, itself an example of the atrocity of the Nazis, but Thewlis gives the role a dimension -- yes, he's a dedicated soldier and loyalist, but he's also a doting father and a loving husband. He reminds us that, despite all the horror and inhumane things he does, his character is still human. Vera Farmiga (The Departed) is also excellent as Bruno's mother. As a wife caught between her husband's duty and her conscience, Farmiga portrays the woman with a sense of vulnerability, warmth and helplessness. There are moments when her character's actions could have made a difference, but she is simply a victim of her time and situation, and Farmiga does it so well that it's heartbreaking.

Rounding out the cast is Amber Beattie (Walking to Nairobi) as Bruno's impressionable sister, who does a good job without being obnoxious. Rupert Friend (Pride & Prejudice) is surprisingly charming as the cold-hearted Lieutenant Kotler. Finally, David Hayman (Flood) is exceptionally sympathetic as Jewish prisoner Pavel.

Mark Herman (Hope Springs) has written a streamlined, simplistic drama with a strong focus from Bruno's point of view. Herman rarely goes off on a tangent or veers far the boy. The audience, armed with their knowledge of history and observation, can get a bit testy with Bruno's naiveté and lack of understanding, especially toward the ending (if only Bruno would simply confide in his sympathetic mother). I think that's the hardest part of adapting a story from a point of view of an young child. Herman succeeds in revealing what we know about the horror of the Holocaust without relying on too much exposition or over-dramatization. At the same time, the illogical and irrational nature of the point of view could challenge our own comfort levels.

At times, the story drags and we wonder where the plot is going. Granted, it's not a complicated story, and much of its heart lies in the friendship between the two boys, and the consequences. Still, sometimes the story and characters can be frustrating, because often than not, they're passive, including Bruno's parents. We Americans are used to dramas where the main characters do something to get out of trouble, or at least try to change the course or the outcome. Here, the storytelling is more true to the European style: there's certain inevitability in the plot movement and character development that don't always culminate to a satisfactory resolution. Don't get me wrong, there is a climax, but it's not something you might imagine.

Dramatically solid, thematically humanistic, and tonally sad and depressive, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas boasts some fine acting, a straight plot, and a heart-wrenching conclusion that may be too intense and disturbing for any boy or girl to fathom.

Stars: Asa Butterfield, David Thewlis, Vera Farmiga, Amber Beattie, Jack Scanlon, Rupert Friend, David Hayman
Director: Mark Herman
Writers: Mark Herman (based on John Boyne's novel)
Distributor: Miramax
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for some mature thematic material involving the Holocaust
Running Time: 94 Minutes

Ratings:

Script – 7
Performance – 8
Direction – 8
Cinematography – 8
Music/Sound– 9
Editing – 8
Production – 8

Total – 8 out of 10

Australia

© 2008   Ray Wong

Director Baz Luhrman, the visionary behind films such as Romeo+Juliet and Moulin Rouge, teams up with his favorite Australian stars to tell a story about their homeland.

Lady Sarah Ashley (Nicole Kidman), an aristocrat from England, is on her way to Northern Australia to find her husband, who owns a cattle ranch. She discovers he has been brutally murdered by King George (David Gulpilil), an Aboriginal "magic man." His grandson, Nullah (Brandon Walters), is a half-white, half-Aborgine who works at the ranch with his mother. Sarah doesn't believe the boy's grandfather killed her husband, and when she realizes King Carney (Bryan Brown) and his help Fletcher (David Wenham) are stealing her cattle and trying to force her to sell the ranch, she realizes she sits on a great piece of property.

She decides to give Carney some competition to break his monopoly of the meat business, especially considering the big contracts with the war-time military. She hires Drover (Hugh Jackman) to help her drive about 2000 heads of cattle to Darwin so she can sell them to the military. On their way, Fletcher sabotages them. They prevail, however. Sarah and Drover become romantically involved.

Sarah wants to keep Nullah as her son, against the town's objection as well as Drover's. After a heated argument about their future, Drover leaves. Nullah is taken away. During that time, the Japanese attack northern Australia and threaten to break up Sarah, Drover and Nullah forever.

Nicole Kidman (The Golden Compass) is in fine form as Lady Ashley. She shows some over-the-top, broad comedic ability at the beginning, but its her dramatic moments that remind us why she is a star. She also has great chemistry with Hugh Jackman (Wolverine), who flaunts his leading man physicality and charisma in every scene. They work particularly beautifully in the first half of the film.

Newcomer Brandon Walters is excellent as Nullah, the boy who is central to the racial struggle in the story. Walters is mischievous, genuine and energetic in his role. As his native grandfather, King George, David Gulpilil (Crocodile Dreaming) spends most of his time chanting or being silent, but he exerts certain authority. Bryan Brown (Cactus) has a relatively small role. He does his best with the two-dimensional "tycoon" role. David Wenham (300) is marvelously evil as Neil Fletcher, who schemes his way to success at the expense of everyone else.

Written by Baz Luhrmann (Moulin Rouge), Stuart Beattie (30 Days of Night), Ronald Harwood (Love in the Time of Cholera) and Richard Flanagan (Moulin Rouge), the story is an aggressive "epic." The arc follows a traditional three-act structure, and it is a very conventional approach. In a way, the whole thing is a big cliche, and the characters are all archetypical. Let's see: the dashing, rough hero; the spoiled but beautiful heroine; the innocent boy who is pure and lovable; the conniving villains; the amiable sidekicks. Even the dialogue is taken from the rule book. There's not much originality here, but the writing works in that context. If you're expecting something warm and fuzzy and familiar, the screenwriters achieve exactly that.

Luhrmann doesn't deny that he wants to make the Australian version of Gone with the Wind. In many ways, that's exactly what he accomplishes: the sweeping landscapes, the vibrant colors, the swelling music, the high drama, and the grand romance. There are no surprises -- the characters are exactly what you expect them to be, and the plot goes exactly where it's supposed to go. But when it works, it works tremendously. The first half of the film, with its broad comedy, action, adventure and brooding romance, is exciting and visually arresting. Luhrmann has a unique visual and storytelling style that is evident throughout the film.

However, it also seems like there are three movies in one, not in visuals but in tone. The first act is comedic and story-bookish. Then the tone becomes more somber and more action-packed during the middle, and the comedy disappears. The last act of the film is over-the-top romantic and melodramatic, to the point of being cheesy and over-produced. At nearly three hours, the film also feels long. It almost seems like the last act is redundant, or a way to make it more epic by introducing the Pacific War. I almost feel like the film should have ended at the end of the second act, and it would have been a much stronger film. As is, the last act feels overdrawn, melodramatic and at times just silly. It doesn't move me the way Luhrmann intends. At least not as much as it does in the second act. Luhrmann seems very inconsistent in terms of the tone and themes (love, war, racial prejudice, adventure, history, etc.) -- it's as if he doesn't quite know exactly which story to tell, so he tells them all.

Don't get me wrong. As conventional and cliched as it is, Australia is exciting, entertaining, fun, visually stunning, and has everything you've come to expect from a Hollywood epic. While it has its share of cheese, the cast and crew have done a fine job creating a romantic adventure that is strong on action. And if you're a fan of Luhrmann's visual style and storytelling, you will adore the film. If you're not his fan, you may end up hating the film.

At the very least, we would all want to visit the Australia outback.


Stars: Hugh Jackman, Nicole Kidman, Bryan Brown, David Wenham, Brandon Walters, David Gulpilil
Director: Baz Luhrmann
Writers: Stuart Beattie, Baz Luhrmann, Ronald Harwood, Richard Flanagan
Distributor: 20th Century Fox
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for some violence, sensuality, and brief strong language
Running Time: 165 Minutes

Ratings:

Script – 7
Performance – 8
Direction – 7
Cinematography – 9
Music/Sound– 8
Editing – 8
Production – 9

Total – 7.8 out of 10

The Mysteries of Pittsburgh

© 2008 Ray Wong

After the wonderfully understated Wonder Boys, I was eagerly anticipating the adaptation of author Michael Chabon's first novel, The Mysteries of Pittsburgh, set in the summer of 1983.

Art Bechstein (Jon Foster) is a college graduate spending his last summer in Pittsburgh before taking a job as a stockbroker. He secretly despises his father's (Nick Nolte) real job as a gangster and would have nothing to do with that part of his life. He works at an independent bookstore and have a sexual relationship with the manager, Phlox (Mena Suvari). At a party, he meets Jane (Sienna Miller), a young musician with a loose-cannon boyfriend, Cleveland (Peter Sarsgaard).

Art is immediately smitten by both Jane and Cleveland, who have a tumultuous, on-and-off-again relationship. He starts to hang out with the couple a lot, and develops a not so secret crush on Jane. His crush on Cleveland, however, is rather under the surface. Cleveland would sometimes disappear for days, and Art eventually finds out Cleveland is involved with the "bad crowd," including Art's gangster uncle. He also discovers that Cleveland likes to have his occasional fun with men as well.

Art is ultimately confused about his feelings. He loves being with Cleveland and Jane, but he also respects the boundaries. Meanwhile, his relationship with Phlox has deteriorated. His father's disapproval also grows as Art spends more and more time having fun instead of studying. Soon, Art finds himself crossing the line and getting involved with Cleveland and Jane more deeply than he expected.

Jon Foster (Stay Alive) is wooden and dull as the protagonist and narrator. Granted, his character is more of an observer than the "hero," but still, in a coming-of-age drama, we expect a little more spark from the main character. Foster carries 80% of the film but he lacks the acting abilities to leave a positive impression or bring the character to life. We seldom understand his true motive and emotions; it seems like most of the time he just goes along with the ride.

The rest of the cast includes more seasoned and well-known actors. Peter Sarsgaard (Rendition) tries to be charismatic as the drifter, the central object of Art's affection. Sarsgaard is a good, likable actor, but he lacks the je ne sais quoi to pull off a larger-than-life character such as Cleveland. Not to mention he shares almost no chemistry with anyone else on screen, including costar Sienna Miller (Stardust) as Jane. She is beautiful, but her portrayal of Jane is also dull and uninspired. Is she supposed to be the woman that both men fall for? Why?

Mena Suvari (Factory Girl) has a better time playing Phlox, not because her character is any deeper than the rest, but because she has some of the wittiest lines that resemble Chabon's original writing. Her performance lightens the otherwise monotonous plot. Nick Nolte (Tropic Thunder) reminds us why he's one of the best actors of his generation. As Art's gangster father, he gives possibly the best, heartfelt performance of the entire film.

Written and directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber (Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story), the script is disjointed and episodic, but that's the only thing that matches Chabon's languid, lyrical novel. Thurber is an odd choice to write and direct such literary material to begin with. Unfortunately, he can't rise from his limitations. In the process, he utterly butchers Chabon's book. First, he eliminates one of the book's most endearing characters, Arthur. He then reduces Phlox to a comic relief. He also forgoes what's made the book so endearing: Art's friendship with the people he meets during that summer. Instead, Thurber focuses on Art, Cleveland and Jane.

That alone wouldn't have ruined the story had Thurber taken care of developing the characters more fully and given them better motivations and depths. Instead, he keeps the episodic nature of the story. What comes out of that is a disjointed screenplay with baffling behaviors that come out of nowhere. For example, one minute Cleveland is the most charming and lovable person and he and Jane hit it off beautifully, and then the next minute he and Jane are at each other's throats and Cleveland turns into a huge jerk. There is no rhyme and reason, and we're left to take Art's attraction to them as gospel. I don't buy it.

Not to mention the characters are dull, and the treatment lacks Chabon's lyrical quality. The Mysteries of Pittsburgh is a character study and a coming of age story. Thurber lacks the ability to give the film a true literary take that is worthy of the original material. Not to mention the main actors lack chemistry. We never really feel the connections between them, let alone being convinced they're in love with one another. That leads to some of the film's most uncomfortable and laughable moments, which should have been poignant, erotic, and complex.

As a rabid fan of Chabon's literary work, I feel especially betrayed and disappointed. The film is set in Pittsburgh, but it hardly shows off the city as the novel did. Even if you're not familiar with the book, you'll understand what I'm talking about when you witness the disjointed, out of character portrayal of these relationships that are central to the story. I really wanted to love the film. So it shouldn't come as a mystery how much I actually dislike it.


Stars: Peter Sarsgaard, Sienna Miller, Mena Suvari, Jon Foster, Nick Nolte, Omid Abtahi
Director: Rawson Marshall Thurber
Writers: Rawson Marshall Thurber (based on Michael Chabon's novel)
Distributor: Arclight Flims
MPAA Rating: R for language, sexual content, violence, and nudity
Running Time: 95 Minutes

Ratings:

Script – 4
Performance – 6
Direction – 5
Cinematography – 7
Music/Sound– 8
Editing – 6
Production – 7

Total – 5.4 out of 10

Quantum of Solace

© 2008 Ray Wong



Picking up where Casino Royale left off, the second Bond film starring Daniel Craig continues to chronicle James Bond's transformation into the Bond we all know so well.


The story begins with Bond (Daniel Craig) in hot pursuit of Mr. White (Jesper Christensen), the man responsible for the death of the woman Bond loves. After capturing and interrogating White, Bond and M (Judi Dench) understand there's a secret organization called Quantum, something even the MI6 does not know, behind all this. A infiltrator tries to kill M, but Bond eventually catches and kills him.

Bond's ruthlessness and disobedience put M in an awkward position. She doesn't know if she can trust Bond either. Meanwhile, Bond follows his leads to Camille (Olga Kurylenko), who leads him to one of the members of Quantum, Dominic Greene (Mathieu Amalric). It turns out Greene is supporting a local tyrant in exchange of a piece of dessert. But there's no oil there; so what is Green after?

When M realizes Bond is out of control, she suspends him. That doesn't stop Bond from going after what he wants -- he asks for help from former agent Mathis (Giancarlo Giannini) and CIA agent Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Wright). It turns out Felix is after Greene as well. Armed with personal vengeance, Bond goes after Greene with or without M's blessing.

Daniel Craig (Defiance) surprised everyone with his gruff, rough, and ruthless portrayal of the world's most famous spy. Here, he continues with that personality but adds a bigger dash of charm, soul and slickness -- we can certainly see the savvy Bond emerging from that gruff exterior. Craig again delivers a tour de force performance, especially considering he performed most of his own stunts. It'll be interesting to see where he takes Bond (he's under contract for one more film).

Judi Dench (Notes on a Scandal) reprises her role as M and acts more motherly toward Craig's Bond. Dench is always great, and the relationship she develops with Craig is what makes the film works on a personal level outside of all stunts, pyrotechnics and high-tech gadgets. Italian star Giancarlo Giannini (Casino Royale) brings class and heart to the production, with a small but important reprisal as Mathis -- Bond's friend and mentor. Jeffrey Wright (W) also reprises his role as Felix and has a few good scenes with Craig.

But what's a James Bond movie without the Bond girls and super villains? As Camille, Olga Kurylenko (Max Payne) is gorgeous, of course, but she can also act. She's a good compliment to Craig, and her role is more substantial to the plot than just a window dressing. Plus, her character doesn't sleep with Bond. Gemma Arterton (RocknRolla), as Strawberry Fields, does sleep with Bond. It's a great role, albeit short and tragic. The weakest link of the entire cast is French actor Mathieu Amalric (Munich) as Greene. The villains in Bond films are usually either weird or larger-than-life. Amalric is simply too plain, uninteresting, and outright wimpy. Greene is definitely one of the weakest villains in any Bond films.

The screenwriting team includes pedigrees such as Paul Haggis (Crash), Neal Purvis (Casino Royale), and Robert Wade (Casino Royale). They don't disappoint. Granted, the plot is a bit convoluted with a lot of different characters and various twists, but no one goes to see Bond for the plot anyway. The writers give us sharp dialogue, great action sequences that take us to exotic locations, and interesting espionage scenarios. What impresses me, however, are the relationships. Haggis and company really turn things up a notch by more fully developing Bond's character and his relationships with others, especially M. His friendship with Mathis is particularly well rendered and carried out; yet, it doesn't reduce Bond into a sentimental puddle -- that is very remarkable.

This is director Marc Forster's (The Kite Runner) first Bond film, and likely his last (he declined to direct the next film). His direction is taut and well executed. The stunt work, in particular, is stunning. There are key sequences -- for example, through the streets of Italy -- that are breathtaking. He's also slick when the action calls for it, such as the sequence at the opera house. Sometimes, however, the action is too tight and confusing -- it's really difficult to discern who is doing what to whom. Obviously, Forster's taking cue from Paul Greengrass and the Bourne series, what with the fast cuts, the super close-ups, and the shaky camera. It's no secret that Jason Bourne is now the number one competitor to the Bond franchise, and one must adapt. Still, there are scenes that remind us the Bourne series, and that's not necessarily a good thing.

Still, this is Bond, and this film has everything: beautiful women, exotic locations, supreme stunt work, great chases, stylized violence, machismo to spare, fashion, sex, and martinis. Combined all that with solid performances from the key players (with the exception of the villain), what more could we ask for? We should take solace knowing that at least in the fantasy world of cinema, James Bond is still alive and kicking ass.


Stars: Daniel Craig, Olga Kurylenko, Mathieu Amalric, Judi Dench, Giancarlo Giannini, Gemma Arterton, Jeffrey Wright, David Harbour, Jesper Chrsitensen
Director: Marc Forster
Writers: Paul Haggis, Neal Purvis, Robert Wade
Distributor: MGM
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, sexual content and brief nudity
Running Time: 106 Minutes

Ratings:

Script – 7
Performance – 8
Direction – 7
Cinematography – 8
Music/Sound– 8
Editing – 8
Production – 9

Total – 8.1 out of 10