Letters From Iwo Jima

Stunning, stunning, stunning. Clint Eastwood's vision of the Japanese side of the Battle of Iwo Jima is stunning and haunting. The quiet exposition of who these soldiers are, how they feel about what is happening to them and then what does happen is astonishing. The screenplay was written by a first time screen writer named Iris Yamashita with guidance from Paul Haggis. The two make a powerful combination. I have found Haggis' prior films tedious but he has found a nice damper in this writing partner. The result is a beautiful character study in the worst conditions. The cinematographer Tom Stern has described the film as "a noble journey to oblivion". His palette for the film is gray. The only color is found during past flashbacks and at present moments of destruction via fire and blood. Ken Watanabe, Kazunari Ninomiya, and Tsuyoshi Ihara give stand out performances among an amazing cast. This war film has some of the truest moments of horror that I ever seen in film without being exploitive. Eastwood is an exceptional master of the art of film.
Memorable moment: Kuribayashi tells Saigo he is an incredible soldier.

Elephant

The school shooter is for me the most terrifying perpetrator of a crime. The fear of this is almost primal as any fear for the safety of children should be. Elephant dramatizes elements of the Columbine shooting in a very quiet paced way. It introduces us to a number of victims as they go through the routine of their day and it introduces us to the shooters as they prepare for their spree. It's the pacing that is key. The film is told in a very similar style to another Gus Van Sant film called Gerry. In Elephant characters walk and walk and walk and we follow them from behind. It is quiet and deliberate and a reflection of living in real time. It also leaves us at a disadvantage unable to read the emotions on their faces. The story-time shifts as the characters cross paths and we are allowed to catch up of what one set has been doing as we have been getting to know another set. The violence is harsh but the apathy displayed by the shooters before they hit the school is harsher. One of the shooters is particularly intelligent and well cultured in music and literature. This is the type of student one would like to assume is filled with a natural empathy and yet he is cold, cold blooded. This film has an amazing visual texture and balances oddly between enjoyable and terrifying.
Memorable moment: The three "Heathers" arguing about what number constitutes enough time together.

Troy

I have to admit that while I was watching this film, I thought this was the Oliver Stone ancient-times epic film. It wasn't until the end credits rolled that I realized my mistake! This is the Wolfgang Petersen ancient-times epic. Had I known this ahead of time I may not have watched it.... having been left unsatisfied by his last few films. But this one makes up for my past disappointment. This is not a masterpiece but it has some very interesting in moments and works well as a soap opera with helmets and swords. It has a great performance by the wonderful Brian Cox as the consolidator Agamemnon. Sean Bean, Eric Bana, Peter O'Toole, Rose Byrne, Orlando Bloom and Brendan Gleeson are all great. Oh yea and Brad Pitt is beautiful. It's odd watching him try to hold his own with all these major leaguers but he stays cute as he pouts and puckers. The vistas and battle scenes work very well especially the fight sequence between Bana and Pitt. It's worth watching in slo-mo. I also enjoyed the back and forth various dialogues about issues of war, the role of soldiers and the justification of killing to consolidate power etc. It was semi-sophmoric but refreshing considering we are in a war and no seems to have these discussions except in the movies.
Memorable moment: Hector and Achilles battle to the death.

This Is England

I wanted to see this film the moment I saw these two images. I had no idea what it was about but these shots said so much I needed to know the story behind it. And boy am I glad I traveled to NYC to see it. It still has not made it's way to my tiny town. In this film Shane Meadows tells the story of a boy named Shaun who has no friends but has plenty of gruff spunk. Imagine Ray Winstone as a child and you get Thomas Turgoose who plays the lead. Shaun's Dad has died in the Falklands War, he's feeling lonely and lost and he becomes friends with some Skinheads (the music loving kind). Joining this crew brings friends and dare I saw happiness back to his life. But it is short lived as a former member who is a truly racist Skinhead returns from jail and makes a power play for the heart of the group and especially for the easily influenced Shaun. One of the most frightening moments in this film is the portrayal of how racist politicians traveled to places like pub back rooms to bring out the worst in people in order to gain their votes. This is a powerful film which among many highlights has brought us the unforgettable character of young Shaun.

Favorite Moment: Shaun's first meeting with the Braces & Laces crew.

The Bourne Ultimatum

This is a great adult action film. It is smart and engaging and actually has actors and actresses older than 40 who are not window dressing. David Straithairn, Joan Allen, Albert Finney, and Scott Glenn along with yungins Matt Damon and Julia Stiles are all terrific. The action and story had me on the edge of my seat the whole time. Paul Greengrass is an amazing storyteller. He takes us to the real cities Bourne goes to and shoots them in a way rarely seen in today's commercial films. They are not backdrops they are fully imagined characters in their own right. I felt like I had gotten a taste of what it would be like to be in all of them. I also found it amusing that after traveling the globe, we learn that the evil character who started the sequence leading to Bourne's run was from the uber-non-internationale barely a city Utica, NY. Go figure.

Memorable moment: The opening "chase" sequence in Waterloo Station. Wow!

Sunshine

Danny Boyle has quietly moved his way up my favorite director list. I love all his films....Shallow Grave, Trainspotting, A Life Less Ordinary, The Beach, 28 Days Later, Millions and his latest film Sunshine. I love all of them. What do I love? His visual style, his musical choices, his casting choices and his script choices. Sunshine is visually stunning. The cast is terrific. I initially was disappointed in the story. I think it was more the slow pace, than Alex Garland's script. But I have been haunted by this film since I saw it at the beginning of August so I have no argument against it. I realized later why the film resonated so much with me. At the end credits he plays a song by the band I Am Kloot. In an interview Danny Boyle explained that he had been listening to their Gods & Monsters album throughout the making of the film. The film is infused with the atmosphere of this album. Since 1995 I've taken this album on every road and plane trip to entertain and enthrall me. How awesome to have two of my favorite entertainments fused together.

Favorite moment: The audacity of a shot of Cappa touching the sun.

The Simpsons Movie

Funny, heartwarming, well-made and beautiful to watch but honestly I had no belly laughs. And yes I know it is unfair to judge such a fine, well rounded work on belly laughs... but even while re-watching Team America to test my home theatre I had me some belly laughs. Oh well.

Favorite moment: Spider Pig

Transformers

Far more entertaining than I ever imagined it would be.

Favorite moment: The desert fight sequence.

Spiderman 3

Far less entertaining than I ever imagined it would be.

Favorite moment: Becoming Sandman.

Where Have I Been?

No this is not a film title. Just a few words to explain why I have not posted anything since March. As much as I love film, over the past six months I have been so involved in my work that I have had no time to see films in the theatre or on DVD. But the dry spell is over. In late August I got back to my pilgrimage and now I have time to reflect on what I have seen.

Favorite moment of seeing no films: Realizing how much I missed the celluloid!