Brief Thoughts on a Short Film

Short Film: Guillotine Guys

So, I seem pretty wedded to my Netflix queue sometimes.  But every now and then, someone will point me toward something great that’s floating out there in the wider world of film.  Then I get to branch out a little.  And, filmmaker, James Ricardo, did just that favor for me, alerting me to his new short film Guillotine Guys.  You can watch the whole thing here, on Youtube.  The film is short and sweet, and the plot doesn’t go where you think it will.  Really, there’s no excuse not to watch this right away.  Such a simple idea.  Yet, I never seem to come up with any that are half as good, myself.  This is black humor at it’s darkest—plenty of grit and violence.  So, viewers beware!  But there’s definitely humor here.  Maybe I’m a sick person for finding the premise so funny, but I’m pretty sure this short was intended to be pretty goofy.  I’d be pretty interested in hearing what other people think about this one, so definitely share your thoughts!

Updated Fairy Tale

Movie: Ondine

My Rating: 4 stars

By all accounts, this movie should have been too cheesy to bear.  First of all, the plot sounds both laughable and clichéd at the same time: a small-town, down-on-his-luck, single-father fisherman (Colin Farrell) is having a hard time making enough money to pay his bills and take care of his young, disabled daughter.  But, his luck starts to change when, one day he pulls in a beautiful, foreign supermodel (Alicja Bachleda) with the day’s catch.  She’s intoxicatingly beautiful, and her singing seems to fill Farrell’s nets with exotic, and expensive fish—more than enough to care for his family.  Farrell’s little daughter, of course, thinks she’s a selkie: a seal-woman with supernatural powers.  All this just sounds too silly to take seriously.  But, darn it, the stars of this film are just so sexy that they had me mesmerized.  They had me interpreting this film as more of a whimsical, modern fairy-tale, than a sentimental mom-movie.  These two kids steam it up big time—especially when Farrell has to go shopping for new clothes (and underwear) for his secret, mysterious, new lady.  You see, it would raise a few to many meddlesome eyebrows in this small town to let it be generally known that Farrell had a hot, new, anonymous beauty, plucked from the sea, living at his home, so he decides to keep the whole thing secret until he can figure out just what the heck is going on.

So, this movie totally enchanted me.  I had read the synopses and was skeptical.  But then, I had subsequently seen the promo photos, and was intrigued again.  Oh, call me shallow, but the allure of the leading man and lady can really make a difference in a film.  It would be insincere to assert any differently.  Maybe it’s the chemistry between them.  It’s totally real, and the audience can feel it.  (I even heard these two had a baby together in real life).  But, it isn’t only that.  There are enough playful little details to make the whole story a little bit fun too.  I’d recommend it for just about anyone.  It’s an awesome mom movie.  A pretty sure-fire date movie.  Is it designed for the ladies?  Well, yes.  Especially since it ends in marriage.  But, I still think it stands on its own.

Crazy Old Codgers

Movie: The Last Station

My Rating: 2 stars

Snooze-o-rama.  Why I keep getting talked into renting these austere movies about crabby, old, Russian men, I don’t know.  They’re always mind-numbingly dull.  But, I’m pretty sure this won’t be the last time it’ll happen.  (Anton Chekhov’s The Duel, I’m looking at you).  Maybe it was that wily James McAvoy that made me do it.  He’s lured me into watching more than a few films I’d prefer to forget.  Heaven help me when The Conspirator finally makes it to DVD.  Now, this particular film tells the story of the last years of Leo Tolstoy’s life—a time when, like most men, he was becoming more and more cantankerous by the minute.  You see, Tolstoy and his wife were aristocrats, but old Leo decided that he would really be better off, both morally and spiritually, living as a peasant.  This was, of course, a lifestyle that his very elegant and sophisticated wife had decidedly not signed up for, and it was very hard on her.  Especially when Leo worked himself up into a china-smashing mood.  What.  A.  Coot.  I would have let him die alone in a remote Russian village too.

This is really a film for history/literature buffs.  I don’t just mean that you need a basic knowledge of the subject matter before you can enjoy this story (although you do).  We’ve all read our fair share of Russian novels in high school and college.  This one is for all those die-hard Tolstoy groupies out there—people who are interested in consuming anything and everything about their beloved hero.  Because, the movie really doesn’t offer anything that interesting for the casual (or even the seasoned) moviegoer.  The story is really more frustrating than anything.  There’s not much drama.  Not much of a story arc.  Although, Helen Mirren does play the role of a disgusted wife pretty convincingly.  (It’s all in her eye-roll).  I think I’ve made it pretty clear that I did not enjoy this film.  But, neither did the Russophile who made me rent it in the first place.  So, this wasn’t just another case of my finicky taste in movies acting up again.  I think what was really going on here was that director, Michael Hoffman, was gunning for an Oscar, and he needed a stuffy prestige piece under his belt in order to be taken seriously.  Because, we all know that these grand films, featuring opulent period dress, and actors with ambiguously foreign accents always impress the members of The Academy.

Rock'n'Roll!

Movie: New Garage Explosion: In Love With These Times
My Rating: 4 stars

So, I got to attend a sneak-peak this week of this documentary about Detroit's garage rock scene.  The film does branch out into different geographical regions after it explores the genre's roots, but it definitely emphasizes how influential garage rock's Detroit birthplace has been on its whole sound and philosophy.  The event was sponsored by Scion, and they definitely made sure no one forgot the fact.  They played so many commercials and short films beforehand, that I really thought for a good fifteen minutes there, that the film was going to be made up entirely of these mini-featurettes.  (I kinda didn't mind all the sponsored material.  The mini-films were pretty entertaining, and the promoters gave a out a pretty sweet compilation CD).  But, the real material eventually got rolling, and it didn't stop rocking once it did.

I think my favorite part about the film is that it doesn't get all pretentious and exclusive about the purity of the style.  I guess the defining feature of garage rock is that there really are no rules.  It doesn't have to sound perfect or complex, or even that good, for that matter.  To quote from the film, garage rock is just "balls-out rock and roll."  Just get in there and start making music.  Of course, the kids who actually know something about playing their instruments are the ones who make music other people want to hear, and will seek out.  But, I guess the whole movement started so that bored Detroit kids would have something to entertain themselves with.  The quality didn't have to sound perfect if you were just making music for yourself and your friends.  But this kinds of raw, creative energy has a way of becoming bigger than itself, so it's no wonder that the scene exploded the way it did.

The film is dedicated to the recently departed Jay Reatard--the poster boy for garage rock's rebellious vitality.  I guess Jay was just living a little too hard, a little too fast.  But, he kinda knew it was coming.  He practically predicted this outcome in some of the interviews he gave the filmmakers.  But, Jay rocked pretty hard, and this documentary really catches the essence of his work.  His youthful attitude is infections, and his outlook on life really permeates this whole film.  It'll really kill you emotionally, but it's really wonderful to see, all the same.  This is a pretty awesome documentary (even with all the commercial promotion--does anyone else feel like purchasing a youthful, bread-box-shaped car?).  But, you should seriously check out this film when it comes to your city.  Or better yet, check out the concert.

Rehabilitating My Image

Movie: Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress
My Rating: 3 stars

So, I decided it was time to class things up a bit after all the trash I’ve been washing lately.  I figured a good art house flick about the Cultural Revolution in China would probably do the trick.  And this film tells a thoroughly respectable tale about falling in love and fine literature in the reeducation camps.  So, there are lots of sweeping shots of the scenic, Chinese countryside, and plenty of wholesome, young, peasant girls bathing in mountain streams.  Life is simple and honest, but then a pair of bourgeois city boys blow into town and start stirring up trouble with their illicit French novels.

So, the themes in this film aren’t exactly subtle—forbidden love, forbidden knowledge, and the irreversible effects of gaining wisdom.  The action centers around three characters—two young men who have been sent to a remote, mountain village to be reeducated, and the lovely, local seamstress that they are both (secretly) in love with.  These kids are young and restless, and they are willing to risk everything for the sake of enlightenment.  It’s all incredibly romantic.  But, this film also has a fair amount of humor to go along with all these highbrow themes.  Men will be men, no matter where they come from, and these guys’ lofty ideals still doesn’t keep them from trying to sneak a peak of the local girls bathing.  And, since they are two of the very few educated individuals in the village, they are given special duties—privileges, which of course, they immediately abuse.  But these clever lads always manage to come up with a way to conceal their misdeeds from the simple townsfolk. 

They play their bourgeois, European music on their violin, but come up with good, communist sounding names for the songs, like “Mozart tips his hat to Chairman Mao.”  When they tell the villagers stories that they’ve been secretly reading in their forbidden books, they always make sure to mention that it’s a famous “Albanian” or “North Korean” story.  These bits are pretty silly.  But of course, these light moments don’t cover the fact that all these reeducation films always end in some sort of tragedy.  No one is immune from heartbreak for very long.  Although, this film is definitely one of the least heart-rending examples of the genre out there.  You won’t wander your house, depressed for days after watching it—maybe just a bittersweet melancholy.  But, otherwise, this is pretty standard fare.  But, more importantly, there isn’t even a whiff of scandal.  Very therapeutic for one' reputation.

Shame on Me

Movie: Yo-yo Sexy Girl Cop
My Rating: 1 star

Sometimes I feel like such a pervert for watching these Japanese exploitation films.  Not enough to actually stop me from watching them, mind you, but I do feel somewhat redeemed by the fact that I’m a little bit disgusted with myself afterward.  I think it’s mostly morbid curiosity that's drawing me to these B-films because they sure aren’t any good.  The film quality is terrible, the acting is atrocious, and the actresses (scampering around in lingerie, though they may be) aren’t even all that cute (although this film is a little better than most in that regard).  But, there’s something about all the insanity that’s very compelling.  How can I explain the appeal?  It’s like this: these movies are so awful, that if I knew that the directors were purposely trying to be funny, I’d hate them.  But, since it’s pretty clear that the filmmakers are dead earnest in their attempt to make an interesting and erotic film, I can’t look away.  It’d be like learning that your 23-year-old cousin still believes in Santa.  You wouldn’t be able to stop asking him questions about it.  Or, I could just be a huge sicko.  It’s gotta be one or the other.

So, this particular fiasco is about a lovely, juvenile delinquent, Saki.  Though this is just a "sexy" film, Saki is played by played by porn star, Mihiro (there seems to be a theme here).  Saki is in trouble with the law, but rather than send her to juvie, the cops decide to put her to work—community service, if you will.  Instead of putting Saki in an orange jumpsuit and having her pick up trash on the side of the freeway, they give her a school-girl uniform, and send her to be an undercover spy at a high-school where there are rumors of an underage prostitution ring.  If Saki succeeds in exposing the kingpin, the cops will set her free, and drop the pending charges against her junkie mother.  Of course, this is all just a flimsy excuse to get these “high-school” girls in their underwear.  It’s pretty clear that most of the actresses in this film are pushing thirty, but somehow that only adds to the magic of this train wreck.  So, as you may have deduced, this is not a respectable film.  There’s probably no good reason for anyone to ever watch this.  Not even for titillation value, because, frankly, they’re not working with high-quality raw material.  That seems to be the case with most of these low budget, Japanese B-films.  I’ve seen better.  You’ve seen better.  This film only holds any value for people who get some sick enjoyment out of watching aspiring, but painfully untalented, “actresses” flop miserably while attempting to break into the industry.  But, hey, at least they’re not doing  porno.

Thanks Bro

Movie: Hot Tub Time Machine
My Rating: 3 stars

Yet another movie that I had no intention of watching based on the information provided to me by its trailer.  I depend on personal recommendations from my friends and family to ferret out these hidden gems. Not that anyone would ever mistake this particular movie for any kind of "treasure," but it was unexpectedly enjoyable, nonetheless.  So, another shout-out goes to my brother for uncovering this particular source of penis and barf jokes.  Yay!  Oh, they're crude, but it's still fun.  I was wee in the 80s, so I can't claim any kind of nostalgia factor for any of the outrageous fashions or hair metal bands that feature so prominently in this film.  But, I was known for rocking some pretty sweet legwarmers when I was four years old, so do feel like I own a little piece of the 80s.  And, I'm always a sucker for a good time travel story, and all the wacky hijinks that come along with them--the culture shock, the potential for the butterfly effect, the clever anachronisms.  Plus, it's fun to remember how new some of the services and concepts we rely on every day really are--the internet, cell phones, and the like.  But, all the time travel elements in this story are all strictly for fun.  The movie doesn't concern itself with any of the more technical aspects of time travel, like the mechanics of it, or the potential for paradoxes.  It's best not to think about those elements too hard.

Really, this movie isn't your choice if you're looking for science (shocking, I know).  Sure, three old buddies (and one of their nephews) travel back to their heyday in the 80s through a magical hot tub.  But, it makes no claims to seriousness.  These guys have the chance to finally do something about their biggest regrets in life, and maybe get a few things right this time.  Perhaps they'll bring a little maturity to the situation this time around.  Or, maybe these grown men will simply try to reclaim their youths by behaving like children all over again.  At least it provides the opportunity for some unbelievably filthy jokes.  Rob Corddry is your prototypical a-hole--the unstable, alcoholic who no one is really quite sure why they're friends with.  He's always good for some pretty raunchy shenanigans.  And, then there's Craig Robinson, the good-natured, bemused buddy, who's always good for a few, fourth-wall-breaking, "are you serious" reaction shots.  And, then I have no idea what benefit John Cusack provides.  To serve as a depressing counterweight to Rob Corddry's aggressive, cocaine-fueled mania, maybe?  But, even as random as this group of guys seems, they actually work together surprisingly well.  They've got the love/hate dynamic that I've seen in many male relationships down pretty well.  I'd believe they were friends (or had been at some point).

So, this movie is goofy, and it's even pretty gross at times.  That is to say, it's not family fun.  Unless your Nanna and little Timmy like boobs and blow and swear like longshoremen.  Of course, that means it's perfectly fine for the rest of us who go for that sort of thing.

The Cool Kids Made Me Watch It

Movie: Up in the Air
My Rating: 3 stars

So, I liked this movie well enough—even though I didn’t really like any of the characters in it.  I didn’t like George Cloony’s smug, loner, businessman character.  I didn’t like Anna Kendrick’s neurotic over-achiever role.  And, I don’t even think I really liked Vera Farmiga’s sultry, self-assured temptress act (although I can’t be 100% sure about that one—she’s pretty alluring).  But, despite all that, the story they had to tell was pretty interesting.  It’s fun to see all these kids misbehaving for a little while—crashing corporate parties, sleeping around, getting drunk, and generally just being snarky.  I guess not all stories are going to be about good people—or people that you even care about redeeming.  But here they are, becoming better people anyway.  And, there’s something to that.  As usual, it’s George Cloony’s effortless charm that carries this film.  We find ourselves being sucked into his self-absorbed philosophy, even though we know it’s probably wrong, (and evidence of some pretty deep psychological issues.)  There’s just something about that easygoing smile that makes people reluctant to say no to such a man.  And we wonder why society today is in such shambles!  We’re helpless to resist these charismatic types. 

Cloony is a professional employee firer, and a part-time motivational speaker.  He’s got a pretty slick act.  It’s all about avoiding the sort of relationships or responsibilities that complicate peoples’ lives, and he’s been enjoying the sort of minor celebrity that comes with this aloof magnetism.  Although, we all know that in fictional tales, this sort of pride can never go unchecked, and this story is no exception.  Just when he’s on top of the world, a game-changer shows up, right on schedule, to rain on Cloony’s smug, little parade.  It turns out that in a world of teleconferencing technology, George’s unique little talent—his unruffled cool in the face of the blubbering, freshly-fired workforce—isn’t as necessary or irreplaceable as it once was.  As it turns out, giving people the boot over the internet is just as easy.  Clooney’s company never really valued him, but was really just paying him to do their dirty work for them.  But, since I don’t think we’re supposed to like him, it’s pretty satisfying seeing him get his comeuppance.  Or, I did, anyway.  I don’t think this film was quite as good as everyone seemed to think it was.  But, it’s definitely worth its hour and a half run time.

Life of Crime

Movie: Layer Cake
My Rating: 3 stars

Now, here’s a different kind of crime film—one that won’t make you want to end it all when you’re done watching it.  Instead of being one of those gritty, realistic crime stories (like the Pusher series), this movie gives us a more glamorous, exciting version.  It’s a crime world filled with intelligent, beautiful people with awesome fighting skills, and above-average criminal instincts.  You can usually spot these films right away because Tom Hardy always seems to be lurking in the background.  Daniel Craig is a seasoned drug dealer, but he’s looking to get out of the business and settle down to live the quiet life.  But, as these stories typically go, he needs to finish just one last job before his employer will give him his blessing to go.  It’s a simple job, involving rescuing the drug-addicted daughter of some big-shot king pin.  Of course, we all know that these stories are never that simple.  Crime bosses are usually pretty reluctant to let their best assets retire as easily as that—especially since these guys know so much unsavory information about their employers.  It’s such a cliché at this point, that even the simplest (and most fictional) drug dealers know that there’s really only one way to “retire” from a life of crime. 

But, Daniel Craig, the simple soul that he is, seems to think that it’ll work for him this time.  Fortunately, he’s smart enough to realize pretty quickly that he’s being played.  And that’s when things start to heat up.  Even though this film is a littler older (2004), it’s still pretty exciting.  The editing is tight and suspenseful.  The story movies pretty quickly, but it still all makes sense.  And, Daniel Craig is looking good with his tight jeans and brooding scowl.  And there’s actually a fair amount of humor amongst all the drugs and violence, too.  Our heroes are smart and sexy, and their opponents are the British version of hillbillies (it’s velour tracksuits, and pleather mini-skirts everywhere you look).  All the scenes featuring these inept and classless antagonists are pretty hilarious.  As are the love scenes.  Sienna Miller plays the little minx that catches Craig’s eye.  And she puts a lot of effort into being extra alluring for him.  But, all her hard work goes amusingly unrewarded at every turn.  Of course, I get an unnaturally perverse pleasure from all this, because I find Miller to be a rather frivolous woman in real life as well.  All of this boils down to a very enjoyable crime thriller/dramedy.  And it’s got a little something for everyone.  It has fast-thinking tough guys with guns, and Sienna Miller in lingerie for the guys.  And then, there’s Tom Hardy’s gravelly voice, and Daniel Craig’s tight butt in bun-hugging denim for the ladies.  Fun for the whole family.

Strong Follow-Up

Movie: Pusher 2: With Blood on My Hands
My Rating: 3 stars

So, this is a very formidable sequel to the first Pusher film.  Although, where the first film focused on drug dealer, Frank, this installment is all about his buddy, Tonny (played by Mads Mikkelsen).  But, not the young, carefree Tonny we met in number one.  He was a guy who was enjoying all the pleasures that drug money can buy—velour tracksuits, hookers, and fast rides.  No, this is an older, beaten-down Tonny, who has now experienced the violent downside of being in the drug business.  He’s suffering the physical consequences of his little beating from the first film, and since he suffered such massive head injuries, he’s not really the same person anymore.  He’s kind of a loser now—a drifter who can’t hold onto a job because he can’t seem to do anything right anymore.  He’s easily confused and depressed, because he can’t seem to figure out where everything went so wrong.  On top of that, he has a kid now, because he accidentally knocked up one of those cheap floozies that like to hang around guys who flash a lot of cash.  So, with a “family” to provide for now, and only one marketable skill, Tonny is launched back into the world of heroin dealing.  Not really the ideal situation.  But then, this is pretty much par for the course for most Danish films.  It seems like they’re all about how life is such an empty disappointment, so you might as well just stick your head in an oven right now.  I wonder how the Danes all got so depressed?  I thought that country was supposed to be a Scandinavian paradise—a model of clean living and socialism.  But, it looks like all that clean living and brotherhood seems to breed an insatiable desire for brown-sugar heroin.  Yikes!

So, yes, this movie is a definite downer.  But then, most of these gritty drug dramas are.  This is a well-regarded movie trilogy, from a very well-respected director, Nicolas Winding Refn.  And, I’ve enjoyed most of his films that I’ve seen (especially Bronson).   But that’s not saying that this is an enjoyable film to watch.  In fact, it’s pretty draining, because we can see the train-wreck approaching, and we’re helpless to stop it.  But, humans must get something out of watching these emotionally taxing dramas.  We seem to watch plenty of them.  I’d say this is a pretty worthwhile trilogy to start-if you’re well rested and feeling emotionally stable.

Light Romance

Movie: Queen to Play
My Rating: 3 stars

I went and saw this film in the theater this weekend.  It has a limited release in New York and Los Angeles, and since I’m out here visiting the West Coast for a few days, I thought I’d take a peek. And, I was delighted by this sweet, little story.  That’s why I was a little disconcerted by the fact that that no matter how many different ways I’ve tried to describe the movie to other people, I haven’t succeeded in making it sound like anything other than some dry, pretentious, art house film.  But it’s actually quite charming.  This is Kevin Kline’s first all French-language piece.  He’s a stodgy, old, American codger living in Corsica, who teaches an underappreciated French housewife, Helene, (Sandrine Bonnaire) about self-confidence, and how to value herself, through the game of chess. I admit that even I thought this plot sounded like kind of a snooze-fest at first, but I was pleasantly surprised.  Helene and her husband are thoroughly working class.  She’s a maid, and she cleans hotel rooms and wealthy vacationers’ houses for a living.  Both she and her husband work so hard that at the end of the day, all they really feel like doing is collapsing in bed and sleeping for a million years.  Helene seems content with this predictable, if drab existence until she happens upon a bit of romance one day.  While cleaning hotel rooms, she comes across a pair of lovers playing chess on their balcony, and that’s when she starts thinking about a different kind of life for herself. 

Helene tries to teach herself the basic rules and moves of the game they were playing, but she only really starts to make progress once she begins playing with Kline, one of her regular clients. Of course, her ever-increasing distraction, and absence from the house enrages her jealous husband, and baffles her friends, who just can’t understand why she’d be spending so much time at the house of such a creepy old man.  They must be having an affair!  And, it’s not much better when everyone learns the truth.  Why would an uneducated woman want to play such a pompous, confusing game?  This is a simple story, without many twists or suspense, and some critics have suggested that it may be too simple.  But, I think the simplicity just adds to the charm.  We get to bask in the lush Corsican scenery and watch this earnest, little woman blossom into a self-confident person who isn’t afraid to seek a little happiness for herself.  It’s not like she lived a very crazy existence to begin with, and taking up chess wouldn’t be likely to changes things all that much.  This is perfect date material.  It’s light and uplifting, and features beautiful people doing inspirational things.  There isn’t an ounce of challenging material here, but sometimes that’s ok.

We've All Done Things We're Not Proud Of

Movie: The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift
My Rating: 3 stars

So, everyone needs a little mindless entertainment every now and then--just a little palate-cleansing fluff to takes one's mind off everyday worries.  And this film looked like it would suit my requirements perfectly.  Sure, this series of films is almost unbearably cheesy, and the acting is always so painfully bad, but I made up my mind not to be embarrassed by my movie choices anymore.  There's a time and place for just about anything, so I'm fully prepared to own all my selections.  I actually chose this particular film from the series (I haven't seen any of the others) because I have an old friend from grade school who actually does a little semi-professional "drifting" in real life.  (Here's her site.)  So, this title particularly caught my eye.  I don't think that anyone would ever mistake this silly movie for an accurate portrait of the drifting scene.  In fact, I'm pretty sure it's wildly inaccurate.  But, it's still a bit of good fun. 

So, Lucas Black plays a troubled teen, Shaun, who is sent off to live with is estranged father in Tokyo after running afoul of the law at home once again.  Dad enrolls him in the ritzy International School with all the other army brats and gives him a stern warning that if he messes up here, he won't get another chance, and it's Juvie for him!  At first Shaun is blown away by how different and exotic everything is, but (as is typical) once the culture shock wears off, he realizes that he may have more in common with these sophisticated kids than he initially thought.  And, of course, that'd be racing cars.  Although, while he's used to racing souped-up, American, muscle cars, the local kids prefer those tricked out, customized, Japanese cars with sweet paint jobs, and enormous spoilers.  At first he doesn't understand why they like these silly, little things, but after he witnesses (or actually, fails to execute) their preferred style of racing (that'd be the "drifting" we've been hearing so much about), he can see why they'd prefer a smaller, more agile vehicle.

This movie is as formulaic as they come.  Our protagonist is a bit of a troublemaker, but has a heart of gold.  His love interest seems like a shallow beauty at first, but later revels herself to be quite multilayered.  And, his rival is spoiled, and wealthy, and pure evil.  The writing doesn't have a lot to offer, but that's not what people are coming to this film for.  They're coming to see the cars.  (Kinda the way I felt with Marie Antoinette and the costumes).  People want to see all the sweet paint jobs, and the awesome customizations.  They want to see the cars' mindblowing performance, and witness the heartbreaking wrecks.  That, and all the hot chicks in mini-skirts that always seem to be hanging around the racetrack.  Just saying.  These movies are all about simple pleasures--for when you're not in the mood for a challenge.  And this one has no problem delivering.  There's no shame in that.  Just don't make it a habit.

Twisted

Movie: American Psycho
My Rating: 4 stars

So here's an example of a story where both the movie and the book are actually really good.  And reading the book didn't ruin the film for me the way it has in other situations.  I watched it first (ages ago), and then just got around to reading the book recently.  Then I watched the film again right after, mostly because there was much I didn't remember.  And, my opinion about the movie didn't really change that much.  The book is very well written, and intense, and it's actually quite different from the movie.  Most of the same elements are there, but the adaptation takes the story in a slightly different direction.  It's almost like they're two totally different interpretations of the same story.  Of course, film adaptation always leave out many of the details that make a written story great, but honestly, I was kinda glad in this situation.  Just about everyone is familiar with the character, Patrick Bateman.  He's one of literature's most famous serial killers.  But, many people who have only seen the movie don't realize just how graphic and grisly the murder scenes in the book can get.  They are long and drawn out, and Bateman tortures his victims mercilessly, in horrifying, hyper-sexualized ways.  He describes every little thing he does to them (in the first person, of course), and doesn't leave out any details.  He doesn't just want to hurt these people.  He also wants to mortify their flesh.  He wants them to understand the magnitude of mutilation they're undergoing.  It's all pretty horrifying.  And, most readers have a very visceral, physical reaction to these passages.  The film, on the other hand, focuses more on suspense.  Sure, we get a pretty good profile of Patrick's twisted psyche, but the main drama stems from watching new victims fall into his traps.  We hope they'll get away, but know that he'll probably get them in the end.  Because, for as much talk of crime as we hear today, people don't actually believe they'll ever be killed by a deranged psycho--even when there's ample evidence to suggest it.  People feel silly for suspecting people of being that crazy, and that's why Bateman's victims end up hanging around long after they've started to feel uncomfortable.  They think that they must be imagining things, because no one this beautiful and successful could be guilty of anything too wrong.  Maybe a little drugs, or domestic violence.  But, you'd be surprised at how many girls are willing to forgive those things if the money's right.

The star of this film is really Christian Bale.  That guy's gotta be nuts in real life.  He's so intense, and he really loses himself in his roles.  (He was absolutely amazing in The Machinist--although I'm not quite sure how I feel about his Batman, yet).  But, this imbalance really, really works for his acting.  I can only imagine how hard it is to portray a genuinely terrifying, twisted character on screen.  Audiences are very sensitive to being lied to.  But, Christian Bale's intense focus, and obsessive personality make him the perfect man for these mentally unstable characters.  His intensity is what allowed director, Mary Harron, to focus more on the suspense story.  Since Bale's very demeanor in this film is so psychotic (there's really no other word for it), Harron didn't have to waste any time explaining it to us.  His performance is so (disturbingly?) natural, that we can practically feel his mania taking control.  So, I don't think the film really loses much by leaving out most of the gruesome details from the book.  It feels like a complementary biography.  Some stories really warrant examination from several different angles.

Epic Battle

Movie: Versus
My Rating: 3 stars

Well, this is a slightly insane film.  It's another epic fight story directed by Ryuhei Kitamura.  Only this one was filmed slightly earlier, in 2000, so the film quality looks a little old (not to mention the characters' dated costumes).  The story features two rivals who are destined to fight each other to the death, over and over again, throughout all eternity.  But, each time these two guys are reincarnated, the details change ever so slightly.  It could be elements related to the time period they are living in, or their particular living situations.  Or, it could even be large aspects of each man's personality.  So, according to the legend in the story, or just simple logic, no two battles will be the same.  The one detail that remains constant throughout time is that the action always takes place in the Forest of Resurrection, where things just have a hard time staying dead.  Oh, you can eventually stop an opponent, but it takes some pretty aggressive dismemberment--like when dealing with a zombie.  

Of course, this detail provides the stage for all kinds of crazy fight scenes.  Especially since, unlike Kitamura's other film, Aragami, this story features more than just two fighters.  There’s a whole gang of crazy yakuza types, with jazzy martial arts moves, and who are armed to the teeth.  Sure, the age-old rivalry is just between two men, but this story adds a bunch of extra pawns.  Probably just to make for a more impressive body count.  And Kitamura needed someone other than the two main fighters that he could use to demonstrate the resurrection phenomenon.  You know the drill.  A combatant will first fill his opponent's body with bullets.  Then, when that doesn't stop him, he'll use even heavier artillery.  Maybe hack off a limb or two.  The violence will continue to escalate until it ends with our protagonist punching a softball-sized hole right through his enemy's skull.  Or a microwave-sized hole through his torso.  The usual--for this kind of film, at least.  Things get pretty crazy.  It's an interesting idea for a film, because it pretty much tells you right up front that this battle is never going to end.  There's no real resolution because we know that, no matter who wins any particular fight, the face-off is destined to repeat itself forever.  Any victory is temporary, and that leaves viewers with a very unsettling feeling.  It's almost like the concept of hell.  But this is a good, campy film.  If you’re a fan of Kitamura’s other work, like Aragami or Azumi, you won’t want to miss this one.