Movies with Abe

Tuesday’s Top Trailer: Date Night

2010-03-09T12:00:00.001-05:00

Welcome to a new weekly feature here at Movies with Abe, Tuesday's Top Trailer. One of my favorite parts about going to see movies is the series of trailers that airs beforehand and, more often than not, the trailer is far better than the actual film. Each week, I'll be sharing a trailer I've recently seen. Please chime in with comments on what you think of the trailer and how you think the movie is going to be.

Date Night – Opening April 9, 2010

There’s enough reason to be excited for this movie before even seeing a trailer: it brings together the two people who really brought back NBC’s Must-See TV Thursday night. Steve Carrell is the undisputed star of “The Office,” and I’ve always considered Tina Fey to be the true lead of “30 Rock.” Before Alec Baldwin had two Emmys and three Golden Globes spouting “Best Actor in a Leading Role,” I had always considered him a supporting actor. More importantly, though, Fey works behind-the-scenes as a writer of the show. Unfortunately, Fey didn’t pen this film (her last and only film screenwriting credit was “Mean Girls”), but she should have a grand chance to show off the acting comedy chops she has demonstrated time and again on the four seasons of her hit TV show. Carrell should have no problem either, and he also proved his action-comedy abilities as the strongest part of “Get Smart,” but the question is: which one is the straight man? Fey usually plays that part, but it’s hard to decide which one of them is more of an oddball. But on to the movie! I was very surprised when I saw the trailer after hearing about this movie that it wasn’t a straight comedy a la “Knocked Up.” Instead, it’s an action comedy flick that, while still certainly emphasizing the latter, features killers and dangers aplently. In a sense that’s a relief because its something wildly original that doesn’t just depend, or worse, fall back on, the likeability and popularity of its two stars. They both do look like they’re having a blast though, playing low-key, fairly bland spouses who gradually let their inner crazy out as they’re on the run from hitmen who think they’re a different couple. The fact that the real couple is played by Mila Kunis and James Franco, as revealed ever-so-briefly in the trailer, is great considering their successful work in recent Judd Apatow troupe films, “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” and “Pineapple Express,” respectively. Simply put, even if the script isn’t sharp, the thespian talent involved should make it more than compelling, and I’ll definitely be thrilled to see it. Are you looking forward to it?

Movie with Abe: Toe to Toe

2010-03-08T18:00:00.000-05:00

Toe to Toe
Directed by Emily Abt
Released February 26, 2010

After the same core story is told over and over in assorted variations and iterations, it begins to lose some of its impact. A revealing look at two teenagers with nothing in common who come together as a result of an unexpected share passion can only reveal so much before the trail has already been adequately covered. Treading the same ground with only slighted altered versions of the same archetype doesn’t automatically make the new take interesting or worthwhile. Those that imitate but don’t go above and beyond what came before risk fading into oblivion in the realm of the hundreds of film released each year.

“Toe to Toe” is the tale of two girls from different sides of the track who are united by their talent for playing lacrosse. Jesse is a rich white girl who has essentially been raised by her nanny due to her traveling workaholic mother’s busy schedule. Tosha is a black girl who comes from a bad neighborhood but has the drive to succeed so that she can get a scholarship to Princeton and leave the memories of her destitute world behind. They are brought together by lacrosse, but like last year’s “The Blind Side,” this is a sports movie that fails to adequately play up the love for the sport itself and therefore remains painfully ordinary.

It’s not a terribly original story, but that doesn’t mean it can’t still resonate and have some meaning, even if it’s diminished considerably. These are two characters who, despite fitting very broadly and loosely defined caricatures that hardly make them unique, are living their own individual lives. The intersection of their stories creates an interesting dynamic that, above all, showcases the strong performances of young actresses Louisa Krause and Sonequa Martin, both of who have a limited professional resume and deliver admirably. They should not be penalized if the characters written for them are not as three-dimensional as their portrayals.

There’s little more to say about “Toe to Toe” than to emphasize the fact that this is a familiar story which could have been more meaningful and effective if it had made use of more creative filmic and storytelling devices. There’s nothing to distinguish this particular tale and these specific characters from any such personages in a similar film. It isn’t a bad film, but it’s certainly not a terribly good one either. Expect more from these young and talented actresses in the future, but don’t spend too much time on this movie.

C+

Oscar Winner Reactions

2010-03-08T12:00:00.000-05:00

Well, the annual awards season has officially come to a close. After the Oscars aired last night, we now have four first-time acting winners, the first woman ever to win best director, an underdog that defeated a film that earned over thirty times as much money at the box office for the top prize, and a few surprises along the way. None of the surprises are too exciting, since “Precious” did not deserve to beat “Up in the Air” for Best Adapted Screenplay and I, like pretty much every person who isn’t an Oscar voter who voted in the Best Foreign Film category, haven’t seen “The Secret in their Eyes,” which doesn’t open in U.S. theatres until April 16, so I can’t say whether or not it deserves it. I’m happy to report that the two most deserving short films (live action and animated) did in fact win, with the amazing “Logorama” defeating the equally entertaining but not quite as creative Wallace & Gromit entry “A Matter of Loaf and Death” and the incomparable “The New Tenants” winning the other award.

Predictions-wise, I did alright but not excellently. I missed seven categories in total – both screenplays, sound, makeup, foreign language film, documentary short, and animated short. For those keeping track, 17/24 (71%) is one more category up from last year, when I predicted 16/24, and five up from two years ago, when I got 12/24. More importantly, I got the top six categories right this time around, which wasn’t necessarily an easy feat considering many didn’t have faith in “The Hurt Locker.” Anyway, it’s been a fun season.

Ceremony-wise, I don’t have much to say because there wasn’t anything too exciting about it. Neil Patrick Harris’ appearance was fun, but Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin didn’t really have a chance to do too much funny stuff. Ben Stiller’s Avatar appearance was entertaining, and the mix of presenters worked pretty well. Some at my Oscar-watching party took issue with having Barbra Streisand present Best Director and endorse two candidates before handing out the award, not unjustly. I prefer a subtler choice which honors all directors, like when Francis Ford Coppola, George Lucas, and Steven Spielberg presented because everyone thought that Martin Scorsese was going to win and it still would have been meaningful if someone else had taken home the trophy. Streisand is also a strange choice because she is not one of the other three women who was nominated for Best Director, despite having helmed a Best Picture nominee.

What were your favorite moments from the Oscars and what did you think of the winners? Post a comment and below and share your thoughts!

Your Guide to the Oscars

2010-03-07T09:00:00.002-05:00

Oscar-Nominated Documentaries: Burma VJ & The Cove

2010-03-06T18:00:00.003-05:00

Burma VJ: Reporting from a Closed Country
Directed by Anders Ostergaard
Released May 20, 2009

The Cove
Directed by Louie Psihoyos
Released July 31, 2009

Two of the films nominated for this weekend’s Oscar for Best Documentary are no longer in theatres. While “The Cove” has been out on DVD since December, “Burma VJ,” which enjoyed an extremely brief theatrical run last May, won’t be available on DVD until around June. Luckily, the IFC Center in New York City brought the latter film back for one night as part of the Stranger than Fiction series last week. These two films actually have quite a bit in common, and it’s very interesting to look at these two posited beside each other.

With any hard-hitting documentary, exposing the facts requires a certain determination on the part of the researchers and often forces them to put their lives in serious danger. In the case of “Burma VJ,” the Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB) faces life imprisonment by the military government and the destruction of all of the video material its members have worked to assemble. In “The Cove,” former Flipper trainer Richard O’Barry and his team of dolphin rescuers also risk the daily possibility of being apprehended and held without anyone back home to come and save them. The stories of people being beaten and shot versus dolphins being murdered might not exactly carry the same weight, but through these two films, each presents an extraordinarily compelling tale.

In both “The Cove” and “Burma VJ,” a brave few try to expose some truth about which the rest of the world seems hopelessly unaware. In the effort to save the dolphins, the small crew seeks to film as much as they can so that they can use it to inspire others back in the United States and other countries to take part in the cause. In Burma, however, the most significant part of the work done by the DVB is the transmission of the footage taken to the rest of the world and even back into the closed country of Burma. Spreading information is paramount, and if a small number of people can inspire hundreds, thousands, or millions, then maybe the world can be changed one step at a time.

The two films take different tones in spotlighting their respective injustices. “Burma VJ” is an ultra-serious instance of true groundbreaking reporting from a closed country, as the subtitle suggests, and it operates under the premise that everyone is watching and therefore it’s simply unbelievable that nothing is changing. “The Cove” starts with the opening line “we tried to do this legally” while operating as a thriller of sorts, but there’s a fair amount of humor in the film, including O’Barry deliberately lying to police in interviews and answering the question “how many times have you been arrested” with “this year?” O’Barry also utters a distinctly trademark line that no other person in thee world could call their own: “if there’s a dolphin in trouble anywhere in the world, my phone rings.” The DVB similarly attempts to prevent any government misconduct in the country of Burma. These watchdogs are doing incredible work, and these films do their stories justice.

Burma VJ: B+
The Cove: B+

Movie with Abe: The Secret of Kells

2010-03-06T12:00:00.002-05:00

The Secret of Kells
Directed by Tomm Moore & Nora Twomey
Released March 5, 2010

This year’s surprise nominee for Best Animated Feature is finally here, and it’s quite an interesting experience. It’s one of the most astonishing uses of traditional two-dimensional animation to tell a story about the writing of the Book of Kells amid an impending invasion of Kells by the murderous Vikings. There’s something inherently fascinating and intoxicating about the film, but there seems to be something missing in the impact and overall effectiveness of the film in seeming like a finished project and a complete story.

In a sense, “The Secret of Kells” is like a film adaptation of a children’s book. While it tells a dark history often wrought with gruesome violence (though it isn’t rated by the MPAA, it would likely earn a PG-13), the way it presents it is through the eyes of the impressionable young Brendan, the nephew of the Abbot who has never left the confines of the abbey. Brendan’s curiosity always gets the best of him, and the arrival of the legendary Brother Aidan of Iona, illustrator of the Book of Kells, propels him into a whirlwind adventure that pits him both against the wrath of his overprotective uncle and much more gravely dangerous forces in his path.

Brendan’s real journey begins when he runs deep into a mysterious forest which he has been forbidden to enter by his uncle. The way he so quickly becomes simultaneously lost and awed by his fantastical surroundings is reminiscent of “Pan’s Labyrinth,” where magic often aids the main character and things are never quite as they seem. The energy with which the excitable young protagonist runs headfirst into danger and the dominance of fascination over fear by what he finds is also similar in a wonderful way. The presence of Brendan’s fairy friend Aisling is probably the most amazing part of the film, and a haunting song that she sings to help spirit Brendan to safety is simply mesmerizing.

The two-dimensional animation is particularly impressive considering the current predominance of computer animation today. The active workings of Brendan’s imagination are spectacularly illustrated and represented by the startling and incredible designs that play out on screen. Aesthetically and technically speaking, it’s a marvelous achievement that serves as a strong argument for the continued use of hand-drawn animation, and its resemblance to a children’s story book only helps make it all the more compelling. As a narrative film, however, it falls somewhat short because its 75-minute runtime doesn’t allow it the time to fully develop, and more crucially, finish telling, its intriguing tale.

B

Movie with Abe: Alice in Wonderland

2010-03-05T18:00:00.002-05:00

Alice in Wonderland
Directed by Tim Burton
Released March 5, 2010

Everyone knows the story of Alice in Wonderland. Even if the details are a bit foggy, the general gist of the fairy tale and the main players in the story should be known to most moviegoers. There are so many different versions out there, beginning with the original book by Lewis Caroll in 1865 and even as recently envisioned as this past fall with a SyFy miniseries. After countless variations on the same tale, why not be late for this very important date? Fortunately, the wild imagination of one Tim Burton and a slew of smartly cast actors make this Wonderland worth visiting.

As usual, Alice’s trip to Wonderland begins after she finds herself hopelessly out of place in her own life. In this version, she continually insists that the world she has stumbled into is all a dream, and that she will survive whatever may cross her path because none of it is real. Familiar faces such as the White Rabbit and the Mad Hatter pop up and continue to tell her that she must fulfill her destiny, and it’s truly enjoyable and fun to identity those characters and know all along that Alice isn’t in fact dreaming and must eventually face the reality of this different world.

Through its reinterpretation by Burton, Wonderland is a colorful place with dazzling scenery and astonishing representations of token concepts such as the Red Queen and her kingdom. It’s an entirely magical world brimming with wonder, and even if Alice isn’t ready to accept it as truly existing, audiences can watch with amazement at the stunning visuals and visualization of this classic locale. Nothing is spared in the creation of this universe, and the three-dimensional animation helps to maximize the majesty of this place and instill a sense of enchantment in everything that occurs within its bounds.

Mia Wasikowska, who broke out as a temperamental gymnast patient on HBO’s “In Treatment,” is a wonderful Alice who is more than able to hold her own against the likes of Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter. She is strong and hard-headed, but not overly so thanks to a carefully demonstrated compassionate and caring side. Helena Bonham Carter is hilarious as the bigheaded Red Queen, and the way she cries out “off with her head” is absolutely terrific. Supporting performances by Crispin Glover, Alan Rickman, and countless others create a wondrous ensemble that truly personifies and defines this particular Wonderland.

This new Alice isn’t entirely fresh, but there is a certain delight that comes with seeing the familiar done in a clever new way. The mix of performances, effects, energetic music, and directorial vision creates a wild and working mix. Lines like “I imagine six impossible things before breakfast” and “all the best people are” to ease the minds of those categorized as crazy are uttered magnificently, and though the execution of the story presumes some prior knowledge of this story on the part of the moviegoer, it’s still a great rendition full of life.

B+

Oscar Winner Predictions: Best Picture

2010-03-05T12:00:00.001-05:00

The competition: Avatar, The Blind Side, District 9, An Education, The Hurt Locker, Inglourious Basterds, Precious, A Serious Man, Up, Up in the Air

Previous winners: Slumdog Millionaire, No Country for Old Men, The Departed, Crash, Million Dollar Baby
Who should win: Inglourious Basterds
Who will win: We’re now at the final stretch. For a while, it seemed like “Avatar” was a juggernaut and “The Hurt Locker” might be able to squeeze by with a surprising underdog win. Now the situation is reversed, and “The Hurt Locker” is the healthy frontrunner. Interestingly enough, a recent AwardsDaily.com poll puts “Avatar” in the #3 slot, with “Inglourious Basterds” edging it out at #2. What that signals to me is that “Avatar” doesn’t have nearly as good a chance as many think, and therefore the chance of “Inglourious Basterds,” or even “Up in the Air” or “Precious,” upsetting isn’t strong. The recent controversy about a producer sending angry e-mails to sway voters probably won’t factor in too much, and I still contend that “The Hurt Locker” is the most universally likeable film that I don’t see having many detractors. The reality is that any of those five films could win. The Hurt Locker is my pick, but don’t be surprised to hear “Avatar” announced as the year’s Best Picture.

Movie with Abe: Harlan: In The Shadow of Jew Suss

2010-03-04T18:00:00.000-05:00

Harlan: In the Shadow of Jew Suss
Directed by Felix Moeller
Released March 3, 2010

How much is a director responsible for how others interpret his material? That question is even more resounding when a filmmaker’s was touted by the Nazi Minister of Propaganda, Joseph Goebbels, as an excellent example of how to demonstrate to the German people that they should hate Jews. This portrait of famed German director Veit Harlan, who in 1940 made the notorious film “Jew Suss” and then saw the rest of his career derailed by the association of him with that project, is a fascinating and sweeping analysis of how one man’s seeming refusal to accept or even acknowledge complicity shaped the rest of his career.

Films are often controversial, and that doesn’t necessarily mean there aren’t people who adore them in spite of that. Last year, some decried “Inglourious Basterds” because of the vision of vengeful, murderous Jews that could be misinterpreted as true history by some unknowing audiences. Others praised those very elements, and some on both sides championed the positive aspects of the filmmaking regardless of content. Many believe that it is possible to make a great film even if it paints a grotesque picture of true events. D.W. Griffith’s lengthy 1915 film “Birth of a Nation” is considered a classic and an example of excellent moviemaking, yet it portrays African-American characters in a racist and despicable manner. The lines are hardly black and white when it comes to acceptability of content and quality of film.

“Harlan: In the Shadow of Jew Suss” makes extensive use of the diverse descendants of Veit Harlan still alive today (three of his granddaughters are pictured above). Their opinions on their father, uncle, and grandfather are remarkably different, and putting them all together to see how one man lives on in the minds of his offspring is extraordinarily telling. Some defend him as their relative, and others blame him for his material and attack him for not taking responsibility for what he produced. It’s a brilliant decision to give them all a voice since Harlan, who died in 1964, can’t speak for himself. Extensive research doesn’t even seem to reveal everything, and therefore it’s up to the living members of his family to try and piece together his motivations from what they know of history and what they knew of him.

This is a highly contemplative documentary that doesn’t try to take sides and create soapbox positions for its interviewees or the subject of its inquisition. The Harlan family members visit an exhibit about “Jew Suss” to educate themselves about the facts and events surrounding the creation of the film, and the audience follows them as they learn more and consider the implications of what they now know. It’s a starkly serious film that tries to get at the root of a question that can’t quite be answered because the man who could provide some explanation is no longer alive. It’s nonetheless exhaustive in its research and completely interesting in its selection of discussion topics and interview subjects. Harlan’s work may be indeed be controversial, but this retrospective look at his most notorious achievement is not, and it’s extraordinarily well-made.

B+

Oscar Winner Predictions: Best Director

2010-03-04T12:00:00.000-05:00

The competition: James Cameron (Avatar), Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker), Quentin Tarantino (Inglourious Basterds), Lee Daniels (Precious), Jason Reitman (Up in the Air)

Previous winners: Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire), Joel and Ethan Coen (No Country for Old Men), Martin Scorsese (The Departed), Ang Lee (Brokeback Mountain), Clint Eastwood (Million Dollar Baby)
My winner: Tom Ford (A Single Man)
Who should win: Tarantino, Cameron, or Bigelow
Who will win: At this point, the race seems narrowed down between Golden Globe champ Cameron and DGA winner Bigelow. The other three don’t stand much of a shot because they don’t have the force to upset and they’ll fare well enough elsewhere (the acting and writing categories). Cameron won here last time he was nominated, for “Titanic” in 1997, but that was well ahead in the derby, and his current film just isn’t. While Cameron could theoretically win here and in the Best Picture category, Bigelow has everything going for her now. She would be the first woman to ever win, which isn’t the only reason she’ll win but certainly serves as a plus. Cameron has already been rewarded, and there a whole lot more people who have a problem with “Avatar” than do with “The Hurt Locker.” Prepare for history to be made, as Bigelow wins this.

Wednesday Oscar Retrospective: The Forgotten Five of 2005

2010-03-03T18:00:00.001-05:00

Welcome to a new weekly feature here at Movies with Abe, Wednesday Oscar Retrospective. The Forgotten Five is the first in a series of projects looking back at the past eight years of the Oscars, dating back to the first ceremony I watched and closely followed.

Each year, a number of films are left off of Oscar’s Best Picture list. This year, even with ten nominees, films still didn’t make the cut. What I’m interested in looking at is the Forgotten Five – five films that probably came closest to getting nominated for Best Picture and ended up without a single nomination.

Each week, I’ll be working backwards one week. The rules are that the film cannot have earned any Oscar nominations at all. These are the movies that came so close and had buzz but just couldn’t ultimately cut it. If you disagree with my choices or think I missed one, please leave a note in the comments. This is designed to be a fun look back at some of the movies that may have been great (or not) and just missed the mark.

The Forgotten Five of 2005:

The 40-Year-Old Virgin was the first feature film from Judd Apatow, who had earned acclaim for his two short-lived TV series, “Freaks and Geeks” and “Undeclared.” Apatow’s creation of a more lasting work that couldn’t be cancelled prematurely could have called for Oscar attention, but voters didn’t take the film too seriously and he had to settle for a WGA nomination

Happy Endings was a multi-thread story about how a bunch of people came together and interacted in some way that affected all of their lives. Voters preferred a similarly star-studded film with an ensemble cast, but it seems they weren’t in the mood to chuckle or watch people receive happy endings, opting instead for the ultra-serious eventual Best Picture winner “Crash.”

Jarhead was a topical war movie that served as the third feature film from director Sam Mendes, who won an Oscar the first time around for “American Beauty.” The strong leading performance from Jake Gyllenhaal could have been his breakthrough, if only he hadn’t starred in another movie that Oscar voters were obsessed with that same year: “Brokeback Mountain.”

The Producers was the film adaptation of the hit Broadway musical that itself was originally a popular film. Mel Brooks won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay in 1968 for penning the original film, and preserving most of the Broadway show’s cast made it seem like it might actually be a hit. It did well at the Golden Globes with four nominations and then fizzled, tanking before Oscar time.

Rent brought to the screen the 1996 Tony-winning musical beloved by devoted audiences, and even managed to keep most of the original cast intact. Something about the stage play didn’t quite translate and the film didn’t present anything new, but many in love with it still championed the quality of the film. Its failure to earn any Golden Globe attention probably didn’t help much.

Get started on 2004 and come back next Wednesday for a look at the Forgotten Five of that year!

Oscar Winner Predictions: Best Live Action Short

2010-03-03T12:00:00.000-05:00

The nominees:
The Door (C)
Nothing quite happens in this harrowing and sad depiction of Chernobyl.
Instead of Abracadabra (B+)
A magician consistently flops in front of his parents in this outrageously funny film.
Kavi (C)
Poverty and child labor are depicted in India in this movie that boasts no particularly impressive facets of filmmaking.
Miracle Fish (B-)
A slow but entertaining short is offset by an unexpected and disturbing ending.
The New Tenants (B+)
Lengthy conversation, violence, and zaniness are present aplenty in this wickedly bizarre and entertaining farce.

Previous winners: Toyland, The Mozart of Pickpockets, West Bank Story, Six Shooter, Wasp
Who should win: Either “The New Tenants” or “Instead of Abracadabra”
Who will win: It’s possible that it could be one of the serious films like “The Door” or “Kavi,” but the audience response to The New Tenants at an Oscar shorts screening makes it seem like it’s the one to beat.

Images are from Oscar.com

Tuesday’s Top Trailer: Greenberg

2010-03-02T18:00:00.000-05:00

Welcome to a new weekly feature here at Movies with Abe, Tuesday's Top Trailer. One of my favorite parts about going to see movies is the series of trailers that airs beforehand and, more often than not, the trailer is far better than the actual film. Each week, I'll be sharing a trailer I've recently seen. Please chime in with comments on what you think of the trailer and how you think the movie is going to be.

Greenberg – Opening March 26, 2010

This week’s top trailer is the newest film from Noah Baumbach, writer and director of the excellent “Squid and the Whale.” While I didn’t love Baumbach’s follow-up effort “Margot at the Wedding,” Baumbach did work on the script for “Fantastic Mr. Fox,” which turned out to be pretty great. His latest project looks to be reincorporating some of the dark comedic elements that “Margot” was missing which made “Squid” so great. Ben Stiller looks to be at his serious best, and he’s joined by a strong cast that includes Greta Gerwig (“House of the Devil”), Rhys Ifans (“Notting Hill,” “Pirate Radio”), and Jennifer Jason Leigh (“Fast Times at Ridgemont High,” “Margot at the Wedding). I’ve been hearing about this film for a while now, and the trailer makes me feel good about it now that it’s only a couple of weeks down the road. My favorite moment is definitely when an embarrassed Greenberg (Stiller) asks the doctor whether he can catch the disease with which his dog has become infected. The idea of being “happy doing nothing” and everyone telling him that it’s brave for him to be doing that at his age and stage in life is appealing as the central storyline for a film, and positing different actresses as the multiple women in his life should make for good sounding boards and conversations for Greenberg. Rhys Ifans as the best friend also seems like a particularly fun fit. Everyone seems plenty subdued in this film, but that’s probably not a bad thing. As long as the balance of comedy and drama is right, and it looks like it’s probably heavy on the deadpan former, than this film should be a delightful success. What do you think?

Oscar Winner Predictions: Best Animated Short

2010-03-02T12:00:00.000-05:00

The nominees:
French Roast (B+)
A man loses his wallet and needs find a way to pay for his coffee in a French café in this delightful and clever film.
Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty (B+)
The shortest of the five finds a wacky grandmother terrifying her offspring with a humorously warped version of the classic story.
The Lady and the Reaper (B+)
Death and a doctor battle for the soul of an old woman in this visually creative tango of a film.
Logorama (A-)
Craziness erupts in a world of logos in this hilarious and innovative tale of omnipresent brands.
A Matter of Loaf and Death (A-)
Wallace and Gromit may be the latest targets of a murderous killer of bakers in this entertaining film.

Previous winners: Le Maison en Petits Cubes, Peter and the Wolf, The Danish Poet, The Moon and the Sun: An Imagined Conversation, Ryan
Who should win: I loved “Logorama,” but “A Matter of Loaf and Death” was great too
Who will win: While “Logorama” was enormously clever, Wallace and Gromit have competed in this race three times before, and the only time they lost was when their creator Nick Park helmed another film nominated in the same category that year. This year, they’ll earn their fourth trophy in this category for A Matter of Loaf and Death.

Images are from Oscar.com

Movie with Abe: The Yellow Handkerchief

2010-03-01T18:00:00.000-05:00

The Yellow Handkerchief
Directed by Udayan Prasad
Released February 26, 2010

Discussing his 2008 film “The Lucky Ones,” director Neil Burger said that “the danger of a road movie is that it becomes this rambling, meandering thing.” That’s the best way of putting it when describing “The Yellow Handkerchief,” the new film whose lead actors are forty years apart in age and that can’t seem to reconcile that disconnect or wrap itself around whatever concepts and themes it’s trying to convey. People on the road with nothing to gain and nothing to lose can be interesting, but if they’re headed nowhere and taking their time about it, the journey is not worth chronicling.

When people travel together, they have the opportunity to get to know a lot about one another. When the three individuals are complete strangers, the stakes are upped considerably, and the floodgates can be opened for a wealth of surprising information to be revealed. Throw together an ex-convict who just got out of jail after serving six years, a teenage girl with an absentee father and a strong desire to escape the boredom of her life, and a talkative Native American boy with the money and intent to go wherever the road takes him, and it’s possible to have the makings of a great film. That’s not the case here.

The movie is about three characters, but only one actually gets the appropriate back story to really explain his motivations for what he does and to give him any added layers of depth. There are several fleeting moments where a little bit of unhelpful information about the history of Martine and Gordy, the two teenagers, is revealed, but the film focuses far more on the more mysterious member of the trio, newly free man Brett. His history, as seen through flashbacks and eventually narrated to the two curious youngsters, takes predictable twists and turns before arriving at a letdown of a reveal that takes much too long to come undone and is certainly not worth the wait.

The performances by the cast members in “The Yellow Handkerchief” are not exemplary. Oscar winner William Hurt seems like he’s refusing to act, putting on a gruff expression and handlebar mustache and purporting that to be the essence of his character, with no additional personality needed. By contrast, costar Kristen Stewart of “Twilight” infamy doesn’t posses the ability to act, so pairing them up as loners out on the road, one desperate for compassion and the other for solitude, isn’t exactly a bright idea. The only impressive performance in the film comes from British actor Eddie Redmayne, but it doesn’t help that his character is the most ceaselessly obnoxious in the film. Sympathy is only remotely possible with one of the characters, and even then it’s tough because he’s so damn irritating. If a movie about people doesn’t encourage or even allow viewers to identify with any of the characters, then what’s the point?

C-

Oscar Winner Predictions: Best Documentary Short

2010-03-01T12:00:00.000-05:00

The competition: China’s Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province, The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner, The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant, Music by Prudence, Rabbit à la Berlin

Previous winners: Smile Pinki, Freeheld, The Blood of Yingzhou District, A Note of Triumph: The Golden Age of Norman Corwin, Mighty Times: The Children’s March
Who will win: I was only able to watch the short film about an earthquake in China, and so I’ll just have to guess based on the one-line summaries provided at Oscar.com. I think that The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant sounds like the one to win, but it could easily be “China’s Unnatural Disaster” or one of the others.

Images are from Oscar.com

Movie with Abe: Cop Out

2010-02-28T18:00:00.000-05:00

Cop Out
Directed by Kevin Smith
Released February 26, 2010

This is not the film it could have been, by any stretch of the imagination. Action-comedies featuring cops have succeeded sometimes in the past, with “Bad Boys” and “Rush Hour” standing out as good enough to earn an equally entertaining and funny sequel each. The combination of onetime action hero Bruce Willis and TV funnyman Tracy Morgan in a movie that was originally supposed to be titled “A Couple of Dicks” could have made for comedy gold, but so much went wrong. The movie contains maybe four to five laughs and little to no action, but that quick dismissal of the film as poor doesn’t give it the beating it deserves.

The actors are a major part of the problem. Bruce Willis, who hasn’t exactly made a good movie in the past few years, has completely lost the subtlety of his famous “Die Hard” character John McClane. Now he’s prone to slowly moving his eyes to indicate frustration and bouts of shouting to let all the annoyance boiling within him loose. It’s no surprise that he’d act this way when paired with Tracy Morgan, who is typically out of control and unhinged, playing no one other than himself. When Morgan actually tries to act in one scene, it’s a painful experience.

Shockingly, Willis and Morgan are not the oddest couple in the movie. That dishonor goes to Kevin Pollak (“The Usual Suspects”) and Adam Brody (“The O.C.”) as a rival team of detectives. The actors, besides being 22 years apart in age, should really be doing better things. Even the villain here is terrible. Guillermo Diaz, who played drug dealer Guillermo on the TV show “Weeds” (and not Sucre on “Prison Break,” as one hopelessly confused audience member proudly shouted out when he appeared on screen) has proven that he can play a bad guy. Yet here he dumbs it all down as if he was instructed to match the dismal and unfunny quality of the script.

Though it didn’t have to be excellent, the plot is hopelessly inane and so predictably stupid. The end credits offer a stunning reminder that this is Kevin Smith’s work, an association which will undoubtedly serve as a black mark on his resume going forward. There’s no reason this film had to be this bad, and the pairing of Willis and Morgan alone should have been mildly amusing. This is one of those cases where the bits in the trailer aren’t just the only funny parts in the movie, but they’re not even funny in the movie. Perhaps Smith should have hired an editor other than himself, because the trailer spliced together the same material in an infinitely funnier manner. That comparison holds true for the entire film, and watching the trailer over and over forty-three times to mimic the runtime of the movie is likely to be a more enjoyable experience.

F

Oscar Winner Predictions: Best Documentary

2010-02-28T12:00:00.001-05:00

The competition: Burma VJ, The Cove, Food Inc, The Most Dangerous Man in America, Which Way Home

Previous winners: Man on Wire, Taxi to the Dark Side, An Inconvenient Truth, March of the Penguins, Born into Brothels
Who should win: “The Cove,” but they’re all great
Who will win: Last year there was a distinctive frontrunner in this category, and I think it’s safe to say that this year it’s going to be all about the dolphins. I didn’t get a chance to see “Which Way Home,” which tells the story of Mexican children trying to reach their parents in the United States. “Burma VJ” is a compelling expose on reporting from a closed country (the film’s subtitle) and both “The Most Dangerous Man in America” and “Food, Inc.” are entertaining and informative riffs on two important national crises with far too little attention on them. And then there’s The Cove, where the former Flipper trainer heads into Japan to shed some light on the plight of the dolphins. It’s appealing and hits all the right notes to take home this award. (Please note: a review of “The Cove” and “Burma VJ” will be posted before the Oscar ceremony takes place)

Movie with Abe: The Art of the Steal

2010-02-27T18:00:00.002-05:00

The Art of the Steal
Directed by Don Argott
Released February 26, 2010

A documentary about a subject like art has the potential to be particularly interesting because it’s a field that tends to attract enthusiasts. It’s a tamer topic than something like politics, disease, or war, but the same sense of attachment and devotion still exists from the people who love it. The less sensitive nature of the material allows for an infusion of even more passion and fervor on the part of the filmmakers without the same need to be cutting-edge and incendiary to stand out from the rest. The wonder of what’s here is that it’s a timely expose that serves as a tribute to the desires of people long forgotten by many and completely unknown to the majority of the population.

“The Art of the Steal” is a chronicle of the history of the Barnes Foundation, an art collection based in Lower Merion, Pennsylvania. The film starts all the way back at the beginning with a profile of Albert C. Barnes and his vision for what his art should be and what should become of it. The film never loses sight of what Barnes wanted, and continues to posit his view in contrast to the actions taken by those who sought to go against his wishes and transform the nature, purpose, and location of his collection. To the same degree that the collection has lost the mark of its founder, it regains and becomes inseparable from it in this revealing documentary.

“The Art of the Steal” has a clever title that indicates both bemusement but at the same time a distinctly sad attitude about the state of things. It’s one of those films where the tone of the research and findings suggests that it’s impossible to believe that this is actually going on, yet it is. In that sense, it occasionally appears humorous, but that’s because there needs to be some way for those who have a deeply vested interest in the preservation of Barnes’ vision to cope with the reality of the situation. The position taken by the filmmakers is that the fact that this is going on right under the American people’s noses is an unbelievable tragedy, and they have the evidence and the interviews to prove it. “The Art of the Steal” isn’t just about documenting an event, but instead about documenting the process of a series of events throughout the past eighty-five years, and how the bad guys got away with it. While it may certainly present a tragedy, the film is a roaring, informative and entertaining success.

B+

Oscar Winner Predictions: Best Animated Feature

2010-02-27T12:00:00.002-05:00

The competition: Coraline, Fantastic Mr. Fox, The Princess and the Frog, The Secret of Kells, Up

Previous winners: Wall-E, Ratatouille, Happy Feet, Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, The Incredibles
My winner: 9
Who should win: Up
Who will win: This one is locked up, but let’s go through the contenders just to be thorough. There isn’t any chance of either “Coraline” or “The Princess and the Frog” winning because neither has enough buzz. Surprising inclusion “The Secret of Kells” (review coming in the next week) should consider its nomination its win since, despite being an intriguing underdog, it can’t compete with the must popular and beloved animated film of the year. While many were impressed with Wes Anderson’s stop-motion effort, it really isn’t going to defeat the heartwarming and lovely Up.

Movie with Abe: A Prophet

2010-02-26T18:00:00.002-05:00

A Prophet
Directed by Jacques Audiard
Released February 26, 2010

One of this year’s Oscar nominees for Best Foreign Film is a frank portrait of a young man who grows into adulthood while in prison. It’s unflinching in its depiction of the horrors and the violence of prison life, and in that commitment to telling its story without whitewashing or softening the blows its characters experience, it permits the audience to adapt along with the protagonist. “A Prophet” is a brutal and honest film that digs deep into the heart and soul of one 19-year-old whose conviction for a relatively minor crime immerses him in a far more violent and treacherous world where he must rely on only himself to survive.

“A Prophet” is particularly intriguing because of the identity of its protagonist. Malik El Djebana is a man with connections to different worlds. Malik is an Arab, but his first assignment in prison comes from Corsican capo Cesar Luciani, a do-or-die mission where Malik must murder a man in cold blood and then receive protection from the Corsicans or face death at the hands of the Corsicans because of his knowledge of their plot. Mailk can never fully be accepted by the Corsicans, however, because he is an Arab, so he must become their servant of sorts. Early on in the film, the intense nature of Malik’s situation is already present, and it’s fascinating to see the wheels spinning in this young man’s head. It’s impossible to believe that Malik can only be nineteen give the extreme encounters he experiences and the tough decisions he must face in prison.

“A Prophet” is a profile of one man who comes to prison not knowing anything about himself and ultimately amasses a vast network of contacts and friends through sheer dutifulness. What becomes of young Malik is extraordinary and impressive, and it’s amazing how subtle the transformation from lost, solitary loner to respected, connected veteran is. The movie doesn’t allow for any fantasy escapes from the harsh reality of Malik’s life. Two and a half hours is a long time to spend in prison, but the audience is right there with Malik. “A Prophet” doesn’t let the audience out of the experience for one second, creating a fascinating and irresistibly moving narrative.

A major part of what makes “A Prophet” so compelling is the lead performance by breakout star Tahar Rahim as Malik. It’s a remarkably subdued and simultaneously vivid portrayal, and permits the audience the opportunity to experience everything Malik goes through with the same seeming detachment and initial unresponsiveness as he exhibits. The ensemble players are also terrific, especially Niels Arestrup as Luciani, and their gritty performances contribute to the film’s effective realism. The film travels a dark and dreary path, but following it along to its surprising and satisfying conclusion is a truly rewarding effort.

B+

Oscar Winner Predictions: Best Foreign Film

2010-02-26T12:00:00.002-05:00

The competition: Ajami (Israel), The Milk of Sorrow (Peru), The Secret of Her Eyes (Argentina), A Prophet (France), The White Ribbon (Germany)

Previous winners: Departures (Japan), The Counterfeiters (Austria), The Lives of Others (Germany), Tsotsi (South Africa), The Sea Inside (Spain)
Who should win: “The White Ribbon” or “A Prophet,” but I haven’t seen two of the others
Who will win: It seems like we have a far-ahead frontrunner in the form of “The White Ribbon,” but it’s difficult to be certain. Last year, when two films, “The Class” and “Waltz with Bashir,” were ahead in the derby, a third, “Departures,” emerged from out of nowhere to take home the trophy. I had initially thought that “A Prophet” might be a formidable rival, but that doesn’t appear to be the case. “Ajami” is the third consecutive film from Israel nominated in this category, but it’s the weakest of the three and shouldn’t be able to win. I haven’t seen the other two, but it’s unlikely that they’ll be able to beat the films that have already been released, even though anyone who votes on this category has to see all five. Buzz is really strong for The White Ribbon, and it’s a great way to honor an eccentric director, Michael Haneke, for his far more mainstream work.

Double Movie with Abe: Shutter Island & The Ghost Writer

2010-02-25T18:00:00.001-05:00

Shutter Island: Directed by Martin Scorsese
Ghost Writer: Directed by Roman Polanski
Released February 19, 2010

Two films from two respected directors who have been steadily making feature films for almost fifty years and have each arguably produced their best work, and finally won an elusive Oscar, in the past decade (“The Departed” and “The Pianist,” respectively). Both have been buzzed about for reasons other than their content, be it a release date pushed back five months or the arrest of the filmmaker during production. These two films have more in common than being startlingly noteworthy February releases, and tackling them together helps to reveal more about each of them.

“Shutter Island” and “The Ghost Writer” fall safely under the category heading of conspiracy thriller. One man begins to believe that he has become embroiled in a dangerous web of lies and deception, and can hardly trust anyone but himself before the truth devours him whole and he finds his life in peril. In Scorsese’s film, Leonardo DiCaprio is U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels, who travels with his partner Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo) to an island institution for the criminally insane to investigate the apparent escape of one of the facility’s patients. In Polanski’s film, Ewan McGregor is the writer selected to pen the memoirs of former British Prime Minister Adam Lang (Pierce Brosnan) who, in the course of his research, comes to suspect that his predecessor may have been murdered. In both cases, talking to anyone about his beliefs may be deadly for the lead character, and therefore, it’s him and the audience versus everyone else.

The similarities don’t stop with a recap of the plot. Both films take place on islands off of Massachusetts, and in neither film is it the star who delivers the best performance. What’s pleasantly surprising in both movies is that they do feature stellar performances from old men who haven’t given up trying and still know how to put effort into their roles – Ben Kingsley and Max von Sydow as psychiatrists on Shutter Island and 94-year-old Eli Wallach and Tom Wilkinson as potential witnesses in the disappearance of the ghost’s forerunner. Additionally, the two films showcase masterful supporting performances from the likes of Shutter Island staff and inmates Ted Levine, John Carroll Lynch, Emily Mortimer, Patricia Clarkson, and Jackie Early Haley, and Adam Lang’s wife Olivia Williams and lawyer Timothy Hutton.

Both “Shutter Island” and “The Ghost Writer” are adapted from novels, by Dennis Lehane (“Gone Baby Gone,” “Mystic River”) and Robert Harris, respectively. The questionable twists that come near the end of both movies are in part related to their origins as books, but more important than the script of each is the treatment of the story by the director. This is hardly familiar territory for gangster moviemaker Scorsese, who has made period pieces before, like “Gangs of New York,” but never quite ventured into this kind of psychological thriller involving elements common to the horror film. It’s an exercise which serves to produce startling and scary moments throughout the film, but what works best is the transformation of a simple conversation in daylight into a chilling and disturbing scene. It’s the notion of being on edge even when there’s nothing to be scared of at that particular moment. Booming, ominous music thunders in even before the ferry first reaches the island, indicating that this is a place of doom, gloom, and death. It’s effective to a point, but the incorporation of supernatural elements explained away as hallucinations by the protagonist weaken the film considerably, and its web of deception is difficult to crack and to be convinced by once it has been spun completely.

Polanski, by contrast, has made movies like “Chinatown” where a man cracks a case wide open and has to deal with the implications of his discoveries. “The Ghost Writer” employs a charging score to heighten its drama and follows its protagonist through an extraordinarily reasonable and believable investigation which doesn’t employ the supernatural at all and instead stays grounded and fully fascinating for the whole of its runtime. Both films clock in at over two hours, making them a tad longer than most audiences might like. They’re both worthwhile in their own ways, but Polanski definitely outdoes Scorsese by keeping his film enthralling and captivating the whole way through, producing a more coherent narrative and a superior finished product, all the more impressive since the one film was finished from a prison cell while the other purposely delayed its release.

Shutter Island: B
The Ghost Writer: B+

Oscar Winner Predictions: Best Visual Effects

2010-02-25T12:00:00.001-05:00

The competition: Avatar, District 9, Star Trek

Previous winners: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, The Golden Compass, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, King Kong, Spider-Man 2
Who should win: Avatar
Who will win: While it’s true that “The Golden Compass” did pull off a shocking upset over “Transformers” two years ago, there is no way that Avatar is losing. This is the most secure category that has ever existed in the history of the Oscars.

Wednesday Oscar Retrospective: The Forgotten Five of 2006

2010-02-24T18:00:00.001-05:00

Welcome to a new weekly feature here at Movies with Abe, Wednesday Oscar Retrospective. The Forgotten Five is the first in a series of projects looking back at the past eight years of the Oscars, dating back to the first ceremony I watched and closely followed.

Each year, a number of films are left off of Oscar’s Best Picture list. This year, even with ten nominees, films still didn’t make the cut. What I’m interested in looking at is the Forgotten Five – five films that probably came closest to getting nominated for Best Picture and ended up without a single nomination.

Each week, I’ll be working backwards one week. The rules are that the film cannot have earned any Oscar nominations at all. These are the movies that came so close and had buzz but just couldn’t ultimately cut it. If you disagree with my choices or think I missed one, please leave a note in the comments. This is designed to be a fun look back at some of the movies that may have been great (or not) and just missed the mark.

The Forgotten Five of 2006:

Bobby brought together so many stars in just one film, and it involved a historical figure with no actor playing him just like in a Best Picture nominee from the previous year, “Good Night, and Good Luck.” It earned a Golden Globe nomination for Best Motion Picture – Drama, but ultimately it just wasn’t serious enough to contend at the Oscars, and fell behind a number of other more well-received films.

The Fountain probably brought director Darren Aronofsky closer than ever before to scoring an Oscar nomination for his time-spanning scenery-heavy epic, a far more mainstream and fantastical film than his previous two features, “Pi” and “Requiem for a Dream.” It turned just as many off as it did on, and Aronofksy had to settle for helping another actor to an Oscar nod two years later, Mickey Rourke in “The Wrestler.”

For Your Consideration would be the Christopher Guest movie to get in given its subject matter, satirizing Oscar season, but it failed to pick up any momentum prior to the Oscars save for its supporting actress Catherine O’Hara. It may have hit just a little too close to home for voters, and its failure to earn any Golden Globe nods or other nominations along the way probably didn’t help.

The Painted Veil had a lot going for it at the beginning, with two fantastic Oscar-nominated stars headlining a film that was named as one of the top ten films of the year by the National Board of Review. It wasn’t a flop but it just didn’t catch fire. Maybe the fact that it was a movie about love in the time of cholera had people mistakenly confusing it with the film that actually had that title?

Thank You For Smoking could well have been a nominee, given the future success of director Jason Reitman, whose successive two features, “Juno” and “Up in the Air,” both scored Best Picture nominations. With “Little Miss Sunshine” and “Borat” in the running, this just wasn’t the year for this politically astute comedy. Voters didn’t even give it a nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay.

Get started on 2005 and come back next Wednesday for a look at the Forgotten Five of that year!