Wish I Was Here **

In his follow up to Garden State, Zach Braff has crafted a disappointing family drama.  He's the married father of two.  He's an out of work actor.  His estranged father is dying.  He's in full mid-life crisis mode ( in today's economy, you thankful to even have one). Seriously, by watching current Hollywood films you'd believe the middle class is still thriving. Kate Hudson's the supportive wife.  There's indie rock music (yes Zach, we know you have awesome taste in music).  Braff's scenes with his children have a phony sitcom feel.  Mandy Patinkin plays the grandfather.  He says awful things to his children about their life choices, but they love him anyway. There's a spiritual element to the film that feels painfully contrived.  Braff raised over 3 million on the website Kickstarter to make the film. Unfortunately the end result feels like yet another slick product from Hollywood. Think I'll go watch Kramer vs. Kramer again.

Deliver Us From Evil **

As a summer horror film, Deliver From Evil will barely make the grade despite a predictable script and some hokey acting. A sincere, brooding performances from Eric Bana as a skeptical police detective somewhat compensates for a predictable plot line. (based on a true story!)

The movie opens with a brief prologue set in Iraq where a group of soldiers stumble upon a haunted place and discover evil spirits.  Then we meet "Sarchie", a dedicated, but cynical cop. Joel McHale plays the doomed wisecracking partner. They investigate a series of crimes with connections to a group of soldiers who served in Iraq.  They consult the charismatic Father Mendoza (Edgar Ramirez) who quickly makes a believer of Sarchie.

At several points, we get drawn out sequences of guys sneaking around in basements and narrow, cobwebbed hallways that culminate with the inevitable jump scare. These chases never seem to lead anywhere, except to . . . yet another chase. And of course we get climatic exorcism scene that's mostly whiz bang special effects.  Have we reached the point where filmed exorcisms have lost their shock value?  Nothing's ever come close to the intensity of William Friedkin's gut wrenching theatrics in The Exorcist.

In saying that, Deliver Us From Evil isn't a complete bomb.  There were some thoughtful scenes between Sarchie and Father Mendoz.  On location shooting in New York gave the film the right urban feel.  Too many films today dilute their power with bloated action sequences at the expense of characterization.  Horror works best when you can engage with the characters. Then we actually care about them.

Life Itself ****

Like many who came of age in the 80s and 90s, I watched Siskel and Ebert at the Movies every week as they discussed, joked, and sometimes sparred over the newest movies.  Life Itself, directed by Steve James, explores all facets of Ebert's life from his beginnings as a Chicago journalist to becoming a world famous critic.  

A star student at the University of Illinois and editor of the student newspaper, Ebert began writing about movies for the Chicago Sun Times in the mid 1960s.  His passion for literature and political justice always found its way into his criticism.  In 1967, the release of Bonnie and Clyde and The Graduate brought a new youthful vitality to American film. Ebert championed the new American cinema with unabashed enthusiasm.    

In 1976, he began work on a TV show with rival critic Gene Siskel of the Chicago Tribune.  Their rivalry and friendship serves as a guiding light throughout the documentary. Apparently, the city of Chicago barely had enough room to contain their egos (for five years they refused to speak to each other).  In time, a friendship evolved as each realized they made a great team.  By the 1980s, they were pop culture icons making frequent rounds on the talk show circuit.  They were parodied on The Simpsons and Saturday Night Live.  When Siskel died of brain cancer in 1999, Ebert continued the TV show with a series of guest hosts and eventually settled on Chicago critic Richard Roper as a permanent replacement.

Life Itself does allude to controversies surrounding the show; namely, the accusation they dumbed down film criticism with their breezy TV segments.  But any old guard critic will concede they popularized film for a mass audience.  Some shows were devoted to current trends in cinema; others championed directors like Spike Lee, Steven Spielberg, and Errol Morris.  The VHS revolution of the 1980s allowed consumers access to more movies than ever before so Siskel and Ebert arrived at just the right time.

Footage of Ebert's health struggles are difficult to watch at times.  We see him feeling frustrated and depressed.  He lost the ability speak and use his mouth during his final years, but stayed busy by writing and communicating through blogging and social media. His wife Chaz stuck by him every minute.  He kept his sense of humor and enthusiasm for movies until the very end.

We also hear reminisces from Chicago friends and famous filmmakers.  Martin Scorsese movingly recalls a moment when Ebert's friendship helped him through a difficult time.  

The portrait we get is of a true humanist who lived by the values and ideas espoused in his writings.  Nevertheless the film's hardly a work of hagiography, as we learn of Ebert's arrogance and desperate need for attention.

German director Werner Herzog rightly called Ebert a "soldier of cinema"; one who believed in the magic of film to enrich our lives.  Mr. Ebert's reviews shaped the way I watch movies and provided an invaluable educational resource for a kid crazy about movies.  Life Itself is a poignant and fitting tribute to its subject.

Jodorowsky's Dune *** 1/2 (2013)

Film history is full of potentially great films that never got off the ground.  Stanley Kubrick fans can only imagine the bleak majesty of his historical epic on Napoleon.  Orson Welles had to abandon several ambitious projects, most famously an adaptation of Don Quixote. Jodorowsky's Dune, an imaginative documentary directed by Frank Pavitch, details Alejandro Jodorowsky's valiant attempt to bring Frank Herbert's novel Dune to the big screen.

I read Dune a few years ago on the recommendation of a friend.  While it's not for everyone, the novel ingeniously incorporated spiritual, historical, ecological ideas into an exciting science fiction story.  Ever since it's publication in 1965, many directors have expressed interest in an adaptation.

By the mid 1970s, Jodorowsky, a Mexican director known for making surrealistic films like El Topo, obtained the rights to adapt Dune.  The pre-production process spanned months as he assembled a group of "warriors" to bring his vision to life.  Imagine a movie with a cast featuring Orson Welles, Salvador Dali, Mick Jagger, and a Pink Floyd soundtrack. Jodorowsky, deeply enamored with the religious themes in Dune, wanted no less than to change the consciousness of young people.  In his words, "an LSD trip, without the LSD."

The documentary consists mostly of interviews with Jodorowsky and those associated with Dune.  Now 84, Jodorowsky enthusiastically recalls every detail of the project. He's a magnetic screen presence. In preparation for the shoot, he and his artists composed a 1000 page sketchbook to guide them during filming. Only two copies exist. Like a lost play from Shakespeare, it sits waiting to be discovered.  

Unfortunately, the studio cut funding at the last minute.  Why? Money! What else? Unlike a writer or a painter, the filmmaker must take great risks and convince others to join them in their quest.  And you need to persuade rich people to invest large sums of money into your dream!  In a way, I cannot blame the execs.  The special effects alone presented challenges no one had ever attempted.  Jodorowsky's ego had inflated to the point of madness: he agreed to pay Dali $100,000 for every minute he worked on the set, then promised the gargantuan Welles he would hire the best chef in France to cook his meals, forced his son to spend hours learning martial arts to prepare for his role, while insisting the film run over three hours.  

In the ensuing years, Jodorowsky fell into obscurity.  In 1977, Star Wars revolutionized science fiction and struck a chord with young people in a way Jodorowsky envisioned for his Dune.  Many of the visual concepts developed for Dune appeared in Alien, Blade Runner, and The Terminator. Now in 2014, he believes his long dormant project will work as animated film. Hopefully, the documentary will allow the project to finally get the green light.

Jodorowsky's an inspiring figure.  He displays no bitterness about what many would consider a catastrophic failure.  Like Leonardo Da Vinci, his ideas were way ahead of his time. Jodorowsky's Dune is much more than a footnote to Sci-Fi movie history; it has an inspiring message about the importance of having grand ambitions. Failure means nothing if you put your heart and soul into something.

Raiders of the Lost Ark - 40 Years Ago

Recently I had the chance to watch Raiders of the Lost Ark on the big screen for the first time. Conceived by George Lucas and Steven Spielberg as a sort of American James Bond "without the hardware", Raiders ruled the box office in 1981.  Around the time he wrote Star Wars, Lucas imagined tales about a heroic archaeologist on the trail of religious artifacts in the tradition of the old Saturday afternoon cliffhangers.  Film critics often see Raiders as a sign of the changing zeitgeist as Reagan's conservative ethos swept the country, but there's also an undercurrent of cynicism.

There's a narrative drive to Raiders we rarely see in 21st century cinema.  Each sequence moves seamlessly into the other with an almost mystical pacing. Staying within the James Bond tradition, the movie opens with a spellbinding action sequence. In the Amazon jungle our hero contends with untrustworthy natives, booby traps, eerie music, giant spiders, and a monstrous boulder. Despite all the obstacles, Indy manages to escape with the idol only to be foiled by the smug French archaeologist Belloq (Paul Freeman). Although our hero fails in his quest, we admire his quiet determination.  

The exposition scenes generate a creepy foreboding of mystery and danger.  A Professor of Archaeology , Indy appears bored and distracted in the classroom.  Federal agents inform Indy the Nazis may have found the lost Ark of the Covenant in Egypt, an object believed to have supernatural power.  The scene's dialogue heavy, but has the right amount of suspense and foreshadowing to prepare us for the adventure ahead.

Before heading to Egypt Indy lands at a dive in the Himalayas to track down Marion Ravenwood; an old girlfriend and daughter of his former mentor to retrieve a "medallion" with important clues about the ark's resting place. Marion's (Karen Allen) a strong heroine who can hold her own in a fight. 

Indy and Marion arrive in Cairo and enlists his friend Sallah (John Rhys Davies) to help him find the ark.  Soon enough, Indy and Marion find trouble awaiting them.  At one point Indy coldly guns down an Arab swordsman.  Although the script called for an extended sword duel, Ford, down with the flu, suggested he just shoot the guy. The moment always gets a laugh.  Funny when you're 10, but  . . .

So we have an American in a foreign country trying to steal a religious artifact?  Granted he's there to stop the Nazis,but he has no qualms about killing those who help the Nazis. After a decade in which America has waged conflicts in two Muslim countries, the scene displays an alarming disdain for another culture.  But it's also further proof Indy was a much darker character in his original incarnation.

Spielberg's greatest strength lies in creating a sense of awe. John Williams composed another brilliant score to accompany the CGI free action sequences.  The special effects laden conclusion ends the movie on a soaring note - walking the line between absurdity and terror. As the evil phantoms melt faces and pour fire on the Nazis we get a sense of the Old Testament justice Hitler and followers deserved (pre Inglorious Bastards).

In the epilogue, Indy and Brody are debriefed by the Federal agents, as the fate of the ark remains uncertain.  It will not go in a museum and Indy will not get the glory.  In the end, it appears Indy put his life on the line for nothing, except making sure the Nazis never got it.  In the last scene, we see the ark being stored into a large warehouse with all its secrets intact.  Our hero gets the girl, but fails to beat the system.  I like the ending's uneasy beat.

While I enjoy the two sequels Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (excluding the awful Crystal Skull), Raiders captures Lucas and Spielberg at the peak of their creative powers.  As I watched the credits roll down the screen, I thought this is how it's done!

“This post is part of the SPIELBERG BLOGATHON hosted by Outspoken & Freckled, It Rains… You Get Wet, and Once Upon A Screen taking place August 23-24. Please visit these host blogs for a full list of participating blogs.”

My Top Five Films on Abraham Lincoln

In observance of Abraham Lincoln's 205th birthday I've compiled a list of my favorite films about our 16th president.  Film biographies in themselves are dubious for their historical accuracy, but they are an irresistible genre of American film for all their foibles.

5) Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter (2012) - In an age dominated by superhero films - why not turn the heroic president into a vampire slayer?  The totally absurd premise makes the movie work with insane scenes like Abraham and Mary Todd fighting off vampires on a speeding steam engine.  This is not the movie for history buffs who flip out over historical inaccuracies, but I enjoyed it.  Readers of Lincoln biographies will notice a surprising amount of accuracy about Lincoln's life - minus fighting off the undead!

4) Young Mr. Lincoln (1939)- John Ford effectively blended history and myth into a film about Lincoln's early days in Springfield.  Many of these scenes of frontier America were taken directly from Carl Sandburg's elegiac, six-volume biography.  Henry Fonda is perfectly cast in this piece of Americana.  The climatic courtroom scene has Lincoln pulling off some moves to make Perry Mason proud.

3) Abe Lincoln in Illinois (1940)- Raymond Massey plays Lincoln as the sad eyed prophet of the prairie.  Based on a hit Broadway play by Robert Sherwood, the film follows Lincoln's rise from Springfield lawyer to candidate for President.  Some highlights include the debates with Stephen Douglas and his farewell speech before leaving Springfield.  

2) The Civil War (1990)- Ken Burn's groundbreaking PBS series cast Lincoln as the era's conscience and upholder of the idea of America.  Sam Waterston's narration captures the power of Lincoln's rhetoric and all the tragic loss and dashed hopes of the Civil War. Many of Lincoln's most important moments as President such as the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation, the Gettysburg Address, and his assassination are evoked in ways motion pictures fall way short. 

1) Lincoln (2012)- Steven Spielberg's long awaited biography of Lincoln did it's best to strive for authenticity.  The film follows Lincoln in the final months of his life as struggled to pass the 13th amendment which abolished slavery.  Daniel Day Lewis set a new standard for accuracy when portraying a historical figure.  There's no hero worship here as Spielberg depicted Lincoln as a pragmatist who realized the limits of his idealism - and did the best he could under those conditions. 

Inside Llewyn Davis ***1/2 (out of 4)

With Inside Llewyn Davis the Coen Brothers have revisited themes not unfamiliar to their canon.  Among these are cruelty, fate, and the mystery of existence.  Set in February 1961 in the folk scene milieu of Greenwich Village, the film follows its protagonist musician Llewyn Davis as his world appears to collapse around him.  Students of the Coen Brothers will see clear parallels to their previous films Barton Fink, Fargo, O Brother Where Art Thou, and especially A Serious Man.  

The film opens at the legendary Gaslight Poetry Club with Davis performing a spellbinding version of "Farewell" with the ominous lyrics opening each verse "Hang me... Oh hang me." We learn Llewyn's barely making it.  He's homeless and must crash where ever he can, but his argumentative personality alienates him from family and friends.  In addition, he constantly must borrow money after his singing partner jumped off the George Washington Bridge. Despite his character flaws he has good friend in Jim (Justin Timberlake), a square folk singer with a knack for writing quirky topical songs.  In one of the funniest scenes Jim invites Llewyn to play session guitar on a nutty space age satire "Please Mr. Kennedy."  When an opportunity comes about for Llewyn in Chicago the film deters into a bleak Quixotic journey.

Before going to see it, I expected a sort of ironic take on the folk scene of the early 1960s. And to a certain extent that's what I got, but I'm sure there's a better film waiting to be made about Greenwich Village in the 1960s.  The same type of story would work for any period in post-war America associated with a genre of music whether it be rock, bebop, punk etc . . . But there's always been a halo around the folk movement as a time when youth and idealism connected with the mass culture.  The folk narrative usually invokes adjectives like "naive" and "pure" when describing the artists. And that era gave way to a more cynical time and so on . . . and so on.  The Coen Brothers are playing with that narrative by making a gritty film about an unforgiving place where everyone had their selfish motives.  Beneath all the sincerity of the folkies seemed a bland emptiness.  Llewyn at several points expresses a antipathy towards the audience of folk as middle class bores.

Instead we don't necessarily get a revealing expose on early 1960s (although many will interpret it that way) but a character study in the guise of a fable.  How much cruelty can one person take?  Llewyn is regularly beat up, condescended to, verbally abused, and demeaned in his interactions with people.  The indifferent, cruel world he faces is best epitomized by Roland Turner played by John Goodman who the Coens amusingly like to cast as an embodiment of evil in the world (the exception being Walter from The Big Lebowski).  Roland's a jazz musician who torments Llewyn on their trip to Chicago, with insults like "in jazz we play all 12 notes."

Accompanying Llewyn through much of his journey is a cat named Ulysses.  I'm guessing the name choice is not a coincidence.  Is Llewyn their version of Joyce's Leopold Bloom?  I'd argue there are

Coen's Version of Leopold Bloom?

some notable resemblances.  Or at least a distant relative?  Like Joyce's protagonist, Llewyn is haunted by forces beyond his control and faces the world with a quiet fatalism.  Bloom was a kindly humanist, while Llewyn can only use music to reveal the decency within himself.  When studying Ulysses I was always reminded that it was just one day.  And Inside Llewyn Davis takes place over a week.

Where does Bob Dylan fit into all this?  I would argue the film has everything and nothing to do with him. One wonders if the Coens simply thought, "wouldn't it be cool to make a movie set in Greenwich Village in 1961."  After all that Freewheelin Bob Dylan cover was pretty cool!  Dylan, a rock and roller in High School back in Hibbing, Minnesota discovered folk and wrote like his hero Woody Guthrie.  But the rock and roll attitude never left him. He came to despise the entire phenomenon of "topical" songwriting, as he infamously dismissed the erstwhile folker Phil Ochs from his circle, with the put down "you're nothing but a journalist."  One can imagine Llewyn saying the same thing to his peers.  Dylan once wrote "there's no success like failure/And that failure's no success at all."  How does an artist define success?  Making millions on an album?  Applause from an audience after a performance?  Acknowledgement from peers?  Can one attain greatness without the recognition of peers?  

While Inside Llewyn Daivs is not the best Coen Brothers film, it is very much worth seeing. They create a world other filmmakers simply cannot duplicate.  And much like the release of a new Dylan album - you might not always find genius, but always something worthwhile and thought provoking.