Where the Lost Generation is Hiding

Pictured: Adrien Brody steals his scene as Salvador Dali


Paris in the 1920s. The subject of universal fantasy, whether you’re the intellectual who feels he has been born in the wrong era or the student ogling at the idea that these mythic figures of art and literature were in fact real people, let alone close chums. This fantasy is captured to dazzling perfection in Woody Allen’s latest Euro-city-centric film, Midnight in Paris.

Screenwriter Gil (Owen Wilson) is suffering a crisis of conscience on two levels: one being that he longs to revisit his dream of being a novelist, but fears his novel isn’t any good, the other being that he’s beginning to discover he might not truly be head over heals for his shrill fiancée, Inez (Rachel McAdams). The couple are visiting her parents in Paris, where Gil once dreamed of living the ex-pat lifestyle in the vein of his idols (Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Stein, the whole gang). In an effort to get the creative juices flowing, so to speak, Gil becomes fond of late night strolls through the inexplicably enchanting city. The trick? Each night at the stroke of 12, a buggy arrives promptly, filled with partying flappers (or TS Eliot and Hemingway) to transport him back into the 1920s, where he fits right in rubbing shoulders with the literary and artistic giants of the era.

Perhaps the best decision Mr. Allen makes regarding his whimsical storyline is that he at no points attempts to explain it. Naturally Gil is in disbelief at first, and wonders offhandedly if he is suffering some kind of neurological disorder, or as Inez puts it when he attempts to confide in her his secret for a second time, “Your brain tumor is acting up.” However, it doesn’t take much time for him to just go with it. It takes the audience even less.

What Mr. Allen seems to understand the most, and is in my opinion the primary reason the film is as successful as it is (both structurally and at the box office) is that people quite simply enjoy picturing Paris as this kind of fairytale world of culture and ideas, as well as their perception of those who gave it this reputation.

For example, the Fitzgeralds play a major role as Gil’s initial guides into the nightlife of 1920s Paris. Now, we know plenty about the complicated relationship between Scott, Zelda, and Hemingway, and where the film could have taken the opportunity to delve below this surface, it rather affirms it, giving a light-hearted touch to our clichéd knowledge that Zelda was crazy and Hemingway hated her. Case and point, Gil and his companion Adriana (an exquisite-as-always Marion Cotillard) happen upon Zelda (Allison Pill) preparing to leap into the Seine and end her own life. To diffuse the situation, Gil offers a valium. Also worth note, the scene in which Gil attempts to explain time travel to a table of surrealists including Dali and Bunuel...naturally they think it makes perfect sense.

Mr. Allen’s choice to promote the caricatures of these figures rather than portray them as the destitute, suicidal alcoholics so many of them were (somehow Hemingway is one of the funniest characters in the film?) is the key to helping Gil (and the audience, for that matter) not only fulfill his fantasy, but realize that life can go on without it. Ultimately, life’s worth is not measured by time or nostalgia, but by places and above all, people.

Cannes 2011: Lars, Lars, Lars.

I've pretty much abandoned this blog entirely, but I feel particularly compelled at the moment to discuss the recent Cannes Film Festival and the events surrounding one of my favorite filmmakers, both for his work and his insanity as a human being: Mr. Lars Von Trier. A little background on dear Lars and the Cannes Film Festival. Two years ago, his film Antichrist received an Anti-Award from the Cannes Ecumenical Jury, declaring it the most misogynistic film ever made. Yet somehow, Charlotte Gainsbourg still ended up winning the Palme d'Or for Best Actress.

Since then, Von Trier has retreated quietly into the shadows to make his new film, Melancholia, which also just saw its premiere at Cannes. In true Von Trier fashion, he elected himself official shock-jock of the festival and in a garbled rant that, while completely tasteless, was misinterpreted as a blatant confession of antisemitism and sympathy for the National Socialist party. Von Trier prides himself on being a provocateur. Not to mention, he threw his heroine under the bus in the same press conference, announcing to the audience that Kirsten Dunst struggled with deep depression shortly before signing on for this film and he was able to manipulate that for his purposes. A class act, always.

That aside, Melancholia (which also stars Von Trier vets Aleksander Skarsgaard and Charlotte Gainsbourg) was very well-received and earned Dunst the Best Actress award. Von Trier apologized for his comments but, after two years of essentially deciding he was the most pig-headed filmmaker on earth, the Cannes Film Festival has finally put itself out of its own misery and banned him from ever returning. And while I do understand this decision to an extent, I also have to ask: Cannes, have you ever met Lars Von Trier? He is notorious for his complete inability to interact with other human beings in any kind of normal social convention. He has blatantly confessed to the world that he hates women. I mean, The man was cracking jokes about directing a porno starring Dunst and Gainsbourg for heaven's sake...while they were both sitting next to him. Well...at least now we can just watch his movies in peace without having to hear the nonsense that comes out of his mouth. Still...



I'm going to miss you, buddy.

"You could be brilliant, but you're a coward."

Pictured: Natalie Portman in "Black Swan"

What is the price of perfection? Can it be achieved through destruction, not just in spite of it? And ultimately, is it worth it? These are just a few of the questions audiences are left with at the end of Darren Aronofsky’s “Black Swan,” a cerebral hellscape of a young ballerina’s descent into madness. Although perhaps the most confounding question I and others were left with was quite simply, “What did I just watch?” I mean this not in a negative sense, but in the sense that it was so visceral yet alienating that I truly was unable to liken it to any film-going experience I have had in recent memory, if ever.

The story tells of Nina (Natalie Portman), a precocious ballerina devoted to the technique and skill of her craft, but not necessarily the art of it. However, she must confront her perfectionist attitude head-on when she is cast as the Swan Queen in her company’s upcoming production of Swan Lake, which will call upon her to play the naïve White Swan as well as the dark, seductive Black Swan. As the parallels between the ballet and the narrative race toward the climax, we see that perfection, for Nina, will cost no less than her very sanity, if not her soul. Add to this the threat of ambitious newcomer Lily (Mila Kunis) and the suffocating presence of her overbearing mother (Barbara Hershey), and it is no wonder Nina finds herself unraveling so quickly.

The performances are relentless and unforgiving. Portman throws herself from scene to scene, daring you to call her dainty. Indeed, she herself must play two roles: the aggressor and the victim in one woman, a challenge she meets with ferocity and poise. Kunis offers rich contrast as the effortlessly sensual Lily, embodying the care-free spirit Nina both resents and longs for more than anything.

However, the brilliance of the film lies in its first-person storytelling. You blur the lines of reality and fantasy as Nina does, your skin crawls as hers does. It is as internal a journey for the audience member as it is for its leading lady, which makes for an extremely uncomfortable viewing experience, but one I consider truly unique. Even the sequences that take place during the dancing itself are shot on a single-person handy-cam, placing you directly into the fray and frenzy of it, which seems to be a crucial element in articulating Aronofsky’s ultimate goal: to show ballet for the blood sport it can be, and the lengths to which some artists will go not to achieve perfection, but to discover what it truly is.

Trailer for 'Last Night' released

Contrary to what my posting record lately may have you believe, I am in fact alive and still watching movies, just not new ones. I honestly have not sat in a movie theater in months. Blame it on location. I'm either nowhere near a quality theater or if I am, it's infested with bed bugs. ANYway, as you may have guessed from the subject, the trailer for the long-awaited film "Last Night" has at last been released. It's had a bit of a rocky upstart over the last few years due to Miramax going under, a shift that left many projects indefinitely shelved, including this one. Luckily it has found a distributor and is slated for a release early next year. I have read the script, and I am extremely excited for it. It's somewhat similar to "Closer" but with sympathetic characters.

Note: there are better quality versions on YouTube, but this was the only one that allowed embedding.




In other Keira Knightley news, they have also released a trailer for 'London Boulevard' which you can view here and a handful of new stills from 'A Dangerous Method' which you can view here

Emmy post-mortem (ish)

Pictured: the cast of 'Modern Family'



I suppose I should say up front that I did not watch the Emmys. Not because I didn't care about them but because I had other obligations in my real life to attend to (real life always ruins everything, doesn't it?) but of course I caught up on the winners and losers (or should I say LOST-ers!) but anyhow, here are my thoughts, because obviously my opinion is the most important.

I cry foul on the victory of Kyra Sedgwick for Best Drama Actress. She has been nominated 5 times and never won, and all of a sudden this year she wins? After literally just continuing to do the same thing? Here's what I think happened: the vote got so split up amongst the other actresses (probably most between Glenn Close and Julianna Marguiles) that somehow she ended up with majority. It happens. Case and point: Chicago winning Best Picture while being nominated alongside Gangs of New York, Two Towers, The Hours, and The Pianist.

I think a similar fate befell the Best Supporting Actor: Drama category. With both Michael Emerson and Terry O'Quinn in there, along with John Slattery, there's a lot of love for those guys so it was probably hard to determine one as the clear winner. So it ended up being Aaron Paul of Breaking Bad, who I'm sure is amazing, but strikes me as an odd choice considering this was their last chance to honor LOST.

Mad Men won for the third year in a row which was actually a bit surprising to me. While I don't really watch any of the other shows that were nominated (aside from Lost, which I'm glad didn't win since other than the finale and Ab Aeterno season 6 was a complete mess), season 3 of MM just didn't cut it for me as much as seasons 1 and 2. I found the pacing inconsistent and lacking focus. That said, the last three episodes of that season are absolutely amazing. Some of the best of the series.

I'm glad Jon Hamm didn't win Best Actor. Frankly, this season I'm realizing the limits to his performance. I don't know if he's always been like this and I've just ignored it or if suddenly this season he's just more tense, but his physicality is just very awkward and stiff for some reason. Everything feels more strained and not in a good way. I'm fearing he may have peaked at the crying scene in season 3.

And finally, MODERN FAMILY. Yes. A thousand times yes. So happy Glee didn't get it, they need to find their footing more solidly before they can start winning these awards, and I really hope they do. But this year was all about Modern Family. That show is beyond glorious. But in all honesty, here's hoping next year Parks and Recreation will be given a well-deserved nomination.

Where's Maury Povitch when you need him?

Pictured: Thomas Robinson and Jason Bateman


Let’s face it, nobody really was expecting this movie to reinvent the wheel. Now I know what you’re going to say: “Kate, didn’t you just make a post in which you claimed that ‘The Switch’ would be the first of a new wave of intelligently-written romantic comedies?” Yes, my possibly lone reader, I did indeed. And while I don’t necessarily take back what I said in that post, I do acknowledge that I was putting a few too many eggs in one basket (pun completely intended).

“The Switch” based on the short story "The Baster" by Jeffrey Eugenedes, is charming, incredibly sweet, and has more than a few genuine laughs (most of which brought to us by Juliette Lewis). The problem is that it takes itself a bit too seriously. With a plot device as "you can't make this stuff up" as they come, the comedy needs to come from the mere fact of the situation. If you're going to have characters say the words "sperm" and "semen" in the first third, not to mention sperm confetti in the invitations to an insemination party, you need to commit to that level of bluntness (which offers plenty of opportunities for laughs). By the second half everyone is using euphemisms like "ingredient" as if they were sitting in a 6th grade health class.

While the sentimentality does get a little thick in several scenes, the performances manage to keep it away from the bottomless pit of kitchiness to which most films of its ilk are doomed. Jason Bateman in particular makes leading man Wally relatable but not completely helpless, as is often the case with underdog heroes such as these. Bateman is one of the few actors who can take the concept of playing a "nerdy type" and not run away with it into horrible caricature. Jennifer Aniston is on auto-pilot, having been playing some variation of Rachel Greene since the late 90s. But I'm not complaining. While she will probably never rise beyond films like these (and it's certainly not the worst place to be) she has an undeniable likability that may even help me forget the fact that she was in "Bounty Hunters."

"The Switch" is light, feel-good, and displays at least some respect for its audience, which is more than most rom-coms today can boast. So many late August movies get lost in the transition between mindless summer fodder and the early fall Oscar season, and while such a fate is likely to befall this film, I admire its efforts and encourage everyone to at least look out for it on DVD.

Movie News!: "Black Swan" trailer, "Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" casting, and more!

The trailer for Darren Aronofsky's latest film, "Black Swan," has debuted on Apple Trailers. The story is of Nina (Natalie Portman), a young New York City ballet dancer, whose status is threatened by the arrival of Lily (Mila Kunis). As the two compete with each other for the spotlight in Swan Lake and their director's affections, Nina taps into an inner darkness that she cannot contain as it strives to overcome her.

View the trailer here!



In other news, actress Rooney Mara has officially been selected for the highly coveted role of Lisbeth Salander in the American adaptation of the popular Stieg Larsson novel "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" and its sequels "The Girl Who Played With Fire" and "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest." Speculation has gone on for months over which Hollywood ingenue would nab the role. Many were predicting Kristen Stewart or Carey Mulligan, but ever since the director announced he wanted a relatively unknown actress, all bets have been off. Mara has most recently been seen in the remake of "Nightmare on Elm Street" and will soon be starring in "The Social Network" along with fellow up-and-comer Andrew Garfield.



Ian McEwan's 2007 bestseller "On Chesil Beach" is headed for the big screen in what I can only call a collaboration the likes of which I could usually only fantasize about. McEwan has written the screenplay himself (which is good because I don't know how this novel can be adapted without an NC-17 rating, anyone who's read it knows what I'm talkin' bout). He has long said in interviews that his dream team for the film version is Sam Mendes at the helm with Carey Mulligan as its lead. And Ian McEwan is a man who gets what he wants, this case being no exception.

The novel is about a young married couple on their wedding night facing their fears and insecurities as they move ever closer to what will be their first sexual encounter. Carey Mulligan will portray the young bride, Florence, and is in fact learning how to play the violin in preparation for the role (which is that of a gifted concert violinist). Her husband, Edward, has yet to be cast. Filming will most likely begin in late fall.

I suppose that's all for now. I really just wanted an excuse to post that "Black Swan" trailer. (Does that not look crazy?)