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Brokeback Mountain

BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN, the ‘gay cowboy’ movie directed by Academy Award winner Ang Lee has pulled out in front recently as not only a nominee for Best Picture, but as also the favorite to win, thanks to several critics circle/group award wins. Although I personally am a huge fan of Lee’s work and the main actors Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal, I went into the theater on a packed Friday night in Chicago expecting something all together different from all parts.

Set in Wyoming, the film tells the story of two young men, Ennis and Jack, both whom need a job working as guards of a flock of sheep on Brokeback Mountain. The both have separate posts, but eat some meals together at the base camp. Eventually, the men become fond of each others company in the lonely landscape. And from their obvious bond, they are then taken apart from the ending of their positions. In the future, both men end up having children, loving wives, and their own set careers of sorts. But their relationships still lack the passion and essence that both men felt for each other up on Brokeback. Ennis deals with the separation by moving forward in his place, but Jack soon yearns for his former love, and invites himself into Ennis’ life again by playing his fishing buddy. Michelle Williams’ Alma eventually suspects her husband and his friend when their fishing supplies don’t seem to be used. Their suspicious trips cause a ripple in Ennis’ life, which sets them apart once again for some time. From his life in Texas with his wife Lureen, tacky in appearance and diction as played by Anne Hathaway (the one weak link in the film), Jack seeks out the feeling of Ennis’ love outside of his marriage. Both men experience downfall in their lives, playing up their sad eyes with conviction and embodying true loss of their short moment together.

Both leading men are fantastic in their roles. Their chemistry is believable and absolutely engrossing. While Ledger's Ennis is quiet and broody, Gyllenhaal's Jack is a live wire in public, who is allowed to be his true self while in Ennis' presence. By the close of the film, Ang Lee’s direction is not about giving the audience a direct approach - it’s about the emotions expressed, no matter how silent they can be. The men themselves barely discuss their first attraction but it may be the silence and beauty of Brokeback Mountain itself a place which stands for their feelings. As sad and devastating the films’ ending is, it doesn’t throw itself at you and stays with the pacing and feel. Some elements of this film reminds me of a classic western, but one that doesn’t rely on action, per say, but the look and sights that the audience experiences. Brokeback Mountain has a natural, subtle complex, and is a gorgeous film which stays with you, long after you’ve left the environment.

Posted by madamczyk at 06:54 PM | Comments (0)

Memoirs of a Geisha

Ooo it's another awards season !!!
Gay cowboys! Political thrills ! and one big Gorilla !
Get ready for the controversy, hair pulling, and award snatching as the fever has just begun in Hollywood. So far Brokeback Mountain has pulled out of the gate as a likely Best Picture nominee. Not so far behind is Good Night and Good Luck, as well as Walk the Line, and possibly even King Kong. Fresh out of the gate is Memoirs of a Geisha, a film surrounded by angry purists whom have shunned the film for it's language being in English, and the use of Non-Japanese actors in most of the major roles. 'Chicago' Director Rob Mashall has had this literary marvel handed to him by Producer Steven Spielberg... so is 'Memoirs' up to par with the other great films of the year ? Or does it trip over itself ?

I have never read Arthur Golden's novel by the same name, but after this film I wish I had. The film version, I believe (from my own observations), lacks the real material enthusiasm which I find so often with filmic adaptations. The direction is lacking style and care to the setting - it's more apt to the general plot. And although I do like most of the main actors, their characters really were nothing more than standard. Li Gong's Hatsumomo is cruel to Ziyi Zhang's Sayuri, but gosh... their chemistry is comparable to any bully fleshed out in a teen drama. Although Gong's role is not as throughout as Zhang's, she is at least more memorable in her cliched characters shell. Ziyi Zhang's Sayuri is innocent and gorgeous, but that's about it. Zhang lacks the real depth and importance that another actress could have easily filled. But at the same time, this is pretty much true for ALL the characters in the film. Never before has a movie felt so completely drained and useless. The visuals and score make up for the lack of satisfaction, but geez... that's pathetic for a major motion picture of this sort !

I guess the person to definitely blame for this is the director Marshall. His flat direction makes Geisha seem absolutely uninteresting at times, and it often drowns in its own developments. At a staggering 145 minutes, Geisha actually didn't feel as long as I expected, but when the final film frame came up, I almost shouted "THAT'S IT ?!". Really. What has become of movies these days if a movie like this can have no soul ? I'm not surprised at the general concencious in Hollywood that this was a likely Oscar contender, blah blah blah. You'd absolutely expect better from those involved. Memoirs of a Geisha is about as deep as a Koi pool.

Posted by madamczyk at 12:16 PM | Comments (2)

Sarah Silverman : Jesus Is Magic

When it comes to watching a film/concert movie like 'Jesus is Magic', you have to ask yourself ::

is this material
a) funny
b) unfunny
or
c) misunderstood ?

I think the correct answer is a), but in the case of this movie, Sarah Silverman's problem isn't how funny her material is ... it's the delivery.

New Hampshire's own Sarah Silverman has had some controversy follow her in the past because of her word choices when she appears on late night tv, but often she can be a funny individual and comedian, in my opinion, so going into her first starring motion picture, I expected to find myself really enjoying the 72 minute runtime to the fullest extent. But this was not the case.

'Jesus is Magic' starts off by playing itself as a film of self discovery... Sarah tells her friends she's doing a show which has sold out, but when in fact she hasn't. So then she gets herself to, through song, find inspiration, and thus, her routine makes the stage. Sarah then delves into sex, AIDS, nazis, etc, in a way which is not funny 'ha ha' but funny 'ha ha I can't believe she just said that' - but is it worth laughing at ? No. Somehow her jokes go so incredibly flat, the slightly crowded theater I was in was silent, only to be filed with the laughs of the live audience from the films own taping.

Besides the stand up rountine, there are some musical songs, which I found on a level comparable to South Park, but still worthy of a giggle at the lyrical content. There are also in-between skits, which are equally 'mature', but really are nothing but a filler. I believe that the biggest problem with 'Jesus is Magic' is that it has no meaning. It's just a bunch of things thrown together, trying to act as one, but the sliding of Silverman's jokes with slightly raunchy songs is pathetic, despite being sometimes funny. The movie lacks effort, realization, and, an essential element, hilarity. Unfortunately, my absolute favorite part in the film came AFTER the credits had rolled - Sarah's understudy got on stage and said some of the same lines she had earlier in the film - to which the audience in the movie DID NOT laugh, but I sitting in my chair did.

Someone like Silverman could greatly benefit from a full-length stand up film, without the sketch work, just as someone like Margaret Cho has mastered. I do like Sarah Silverman, and look forward to her work in the future, but I suggest not seeing this film on the big screen - for the $9.25 I paid for it, I felt like asking for my money back - but it's not the theaters fault. I chose to see it, and now have to deal with my choice. If you personally think you'd want to see 'Jesus is Magic', I suggest renting the DVD, which I imagine should have a few extras which could be funnier than the entire film.

Posted by madamczyk at 02:36 PM | Comments (0)