Toy Story 3

TOY STORY 3 (2010)

Director: Lee Unkrich
Voice Talent: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack

I'm going to preface this review with full disclosure: With a couple of exceptions, I'm not a fan of the Pixar film pantheon, and truthfully, really haven't liked any of the Toy Story films that have been released before Toy Story 3. Other than kind of saying, "Oh yeah, I had one of those toys growing up" a few times during the first film, I couldn't relate to it at all, nor did I enjoy anything about the second film. Having said that, as I've aged and matured, I've prided myself on my objectivity when it comes to movies, so I sat down to Toy Story 3 with an open mind.

Unfortunately, my mind was quickly numbed with boredom, once again, by the further adventures of Buzz Lightyear (Allen), Woody (Hanks), Jessie (Cusack) and the rest of the toys in the toy box. This time, their owner, Andy, is off to college and the toys are wondering what is going to happen to them when he goes, considering he hasn't paid much attention to them in years. Though he intended all of them but Woody to be stored in the attic (what the toys considered a nice retirement) they are instead donated to a day care center where they think they will be played with by happy children, which makes them happy. Unfortunately, as members of the low end of the totem pole, they end up being used and abused by some of the worst behaved children I've ever seen and have to find a method of escape.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with the voice talent in Toy Story 3, as a matter of fact, the number of known actors who lend their voices to the smallest of characters is staggering, and they're all great at what they do. I would imagine this is the last film of the Toy Story franchise, since it hit a natural ending, but I'm kind of cracking myself up at my ridiculous optimism that the franchise won't get more played out. The story was okay too, actually, a lot darker than I expected it to be at some points. And, I got a glimpse of a toy phone that I played the hell out of when I was a kid and hadn't thought about in about 32 years, so that was cool. However, it wasn't the tear-jerker for me that it seemed to be for everyone else, including my boyfriend, who was snorfling at the end (which I always find kind of cute).

It's not that I'm heartless. I was concerned about that at one point in my life, but for at least the last five years I've owned the fact that, just like there are a lot of movies that I think are fantastic and other people dislike, there are going to be a lot of well-reviewed, commercial success that people revere and I just don't like. It's not even animation that I don't like; I have loved every Studio Ghibli film I've ever seen (which is most) and count Persepolis and The Triplets of Belleville as two of the best films, animated or not, I've ever seen as a result of their Oscar nominations. I've just learned to brush off the comments of "Come on, you must be heartless" or "Are you serious? What's the matter with you?" since those are probably easier to digest than calling someone a philistine for not liking The Seventh Seal or a dullard for not appreciating the performance-art genius of Plan 9 From Outer Space. Besides, I'm not impervious to Pixar's charms. I bawled like a baby during Up, really got into The Incredibles and thought Finding Nemo was cuter than Hello Kitty's red bow. I didn't hate Toy Story 3, but it was boring and not my thing, and despite how apologetic this capsule review is starting to sound, I don't apologize for my opinions anymore and certainly don't take anything away from anyone who loved Toy Story 3, which seems to be everyone else on the planet.

2 out of 5 stars

Black Swan

BLACK SWAN (2010)

Director: Darren Aronofsky
Starring: Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Vincent Cassel

Nina Sayers (Portman) is a highly skilled, but reserved ballerina who has never had a principal role in her ballet company. When principal ballerina Beth Macintyre (Winona Ryder) ages out and is forced into retirement, Sayers is chosen by the ballet's director, Thomas Leroy (Cassel) for the dual role of Odette and Odile in The Black Swan. Though Sayers is ecstatic upon winning this coveted and challenging role, her happiness turns to fear and paranoia when she has to contend with Lily, (Kunis) a free-spirited and talented new member of the company who seems after her to take the role away, Leroy's constant doubts of her ability to bring passion to the role, and her mother's (Barbara Hershey) expectations of her.

Darren Aronofsky loves to put his actors through the wringer, and from all of the physicality and pain (both physical and emotional) he draws amazing performances out of actors you didn't know had it in them, or perhaps were past their prime. I never thought that Jared Leto or Jennifer Connelly were anything but pretty faces before seeing Requiem for a Dream (and I can't even express how surprised I was by the depth of Marlon Wayans' performance in that film), and Mickey Rourke had a celebrated comeback with The Wrestler with a performance that was better than anything he did in his heyday. Natalie Portman has always shown a precocious ability to act, especially with her first film, Leon (The Professional), but her career has kind of mirrored her character's progression in Black Swan. She was always competent, even good, but it took being pushed to the brink (she famously suffered injuries during a brutal rehearsal regimen) to get the outstanding performance she gave in Black Swan. Teetering on the verge of fragility and mania throughout most of the film, it was riveting and sometimes exhausting to witness Sayers' ascent/descent.

Black Swan boasts a very strong supporting cast as well, and again, I was surprised by the talent. Mila Kunis, primarily a television actress, brought a sexy and mysterious edge to her character that could have easily been overdone, but there was an ease and naturalness to the portrayal. Barbara Hershey's Erica isn't going to win Mom of the Year anytime soon, and her obsessive and sometimes menacing role made me temporarily forgive her for Beaches. Winona Ryder was both terrifying and tragic as an aging diva, and Vincent Cassel, who I thought was miscast before seeing the film ended up being perfect for the role.

This is not a film for the faint-hearted, and it's not pleasant to watch. Though the world of ballet is beautiful to an audience, when the layers are peeled back, there is a lot of pain, both emotional and physical, that achieve that beauty. When madness and obsession are added into the mix, that makes for a very dark film. My boyfriend and I caught a matinee on Christmas in between family parties during one particularly ghastly moment in the film I turned to him and said, "Merry Christmas honey!" However, there were also at least 150 other people at this screening, so obviously we weren't the only weirdos.

I can't think of a point during the film where my attention waned or I thought the pacing was off. If I had any complaints about the film, it would be some of the more graphic, kind of gross physical moments, but then again, they really worked in the context of the film, so I can't count that as a valid complaint, it's just my old, squeamish stomach. Black Swan was high on my Best of 2010 list during a year when I saw a lot of really good movies, because as a thriller, it really hit all of the right notes - just be prepared to not feel especially uplifted after.

4 out of 5 stars

True Grit (2010)

TRUE GRIT (2010)

Directors: Joel & Ethan Coen
Starring: Jeff Bridges, Hailee Steinfeld, Matt Damon

After the murder of her father, 14 year-old Mattie Ross (Steinfeld) travels to the town where he was killed by thief Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin) to settle his affairs and to settle the score on his death. She attracts the attention of LaBoeuf (Damon), a Texas Ranger who has been on Chaney's trail for another murder, but Ross seeks out the help of Reuben J. "Rooster" Cogburn (Bridges), a U.S. Marshall with the reputation of having "true grit." Cogburn is tough, but is also a drunk, which, among other things, impairs his abilities. Despite this, Ross hires Cogburn to take her into the Indian territory, where they are soon joined by LaBoeuf, on the hunt for Chaney.

True Grit is a simple story of revenge, but, like every one of their other films, the Coen brothers give it a layer of complexity. Unlike the original True Grit, starring John Wayne as Cogburn and Glen Campbell as LaBoeuf, which seemed outdated even when it was released in 1969, the Coen brothers' seems timeless, even epic at times, despite its simplicity. Never ones to shy away from unusual language, dialects or speech patterns (see The Hudsucker Proxy, Fargo or The Ladykillers for just three examples), they made the really wise decision to go with the language of the time - 1880 - which turns out to be at times eloquent, flowery and above all, wholly without contractions. It's noticeable, and a refreshing contrast to movies that don't give a damn about dialect. Just watch Kevin Costner in Robin Hood Prince of Thieves and you'll understand completely.

With few exceptions, the Coen brothers' films are well paced, clever and have their quirky moments, and True Grit is not an exception to what has become their norm. Oddball one-off characters punctuate the film, but don't steal the show from the full-bodied main characters, with perhaps the exception of Lucky Ned Pepper (Barry Pepper), the feared leader of Chaney's gang who ends up being an interesting dichotomy of a murderous, but fair outlaw. Despite the fact that Westerns (followed closely by War films) are nearly my least favorite genre, there wasn't a single moment during the film when I wasn't completely interested and invested in what I was unfolding.

And Roger Deakins, god bless him. In my opinion, the greatest cinematographer in the business, hands down. Though his lush, breathtaking style wasn't there (or appropriate) for the first film I ever saw that he shot, Sid and Nancy, his work has transfixed me for years, and in particular, his many collaborations with the Coen brothers. I still remember walking out of a movie theater in Madison, where I'd just seen Fargo, realizing that, regardless of subject matter or content, I had just seen one of the most beautiful movies I'd ever seen in my life - thanks to Deakins. His photography doesn't disappoint in True Grit, and whether it is scenes peppered with snowfall, vast shots of the wilderness or a closeup of the flushed but determined Maddy Ross, his masterful work is recognizable and something to behold.

Where the hell did Hailee Steinfeld come from? When I did some research on her in preparation for writing this review, there wasn't anything of note, yet she gave what was one of the greatest performances I've seen on screen in the past year, and certainly the best by someone so young since Jodie Foster in Taxi Driver. She was steely, but vulnerable, precocious and intelligent. She was up against two established and accomplished actors, and beat them both out as the most interesting person on the screen. Jeff Bridges was good, but wasn't really anything more than a meaner version of The Dude, but with a really bad mumbling problem. (Truthfully, I had a hard time understanding most of what he said without straining to translate it.) I'm not a fan of Matt Damon on any planet, but I actually enjoyed his supporting role and appreciated his effortless interpretation of a tough guy who's really kind of a buffoon. And though the film wouldn't exist without him, the character of Tom Chaney had very little screen time, but Brolin did a great job being the feared mean guy who is actually really uncool and whiny, but dangerous, nonetheless.

Despite a few missteps, I thought True Grit was nearly flawless. It's certainly not my favorite Coen brother film, but truthfully, the worst Coen brother films tend to be better than anything that passes for mainstream entertainment, so the scale is a little skewed. Though not epic in terms of scope or action, True Grit is full-bodied; kind of like listening to Rachmaninoff - it's not showy or garish but when you do experience it, it's exquisite.

4 out of 5 stars

Zoinks

I woke up with a sour stomach this morning that I can't seem to get rid of, and it's hampering any spark of motivation I may have right now.

This week has been a bizarre one. Like most of the country, we got smacked with some serious precipitation and after the initial hysteria it's basically done nothing more than cause a major slowdown and feeling of malaise. Everything is just so haaaaaard nowwwww..... (whiny voice).

Anyway, the Oscars were announced. I've seen half the movies nominated and probably won't get to see another quarter of them because apparently nominated foreign films are only seen via academy screener copies or in cities larger than Milwaukee. So it's a mad race to see the other quarter that are available. Well, not so much a mad race but a reluctant shuffle. I'm just finding it hard to be a completist this year - I am abjectly opposed to paying money for a film like Harry Potter just to check it off my list, and even though I actually would see Tron, I would only do it if it worked out in a perfect scenario and I didn't have to pay for the 3-D version since my blind eye doesn't allow me to experience that effect anyway. So I guess I'm not seeing Tron.

On top of all of that, I decided that I probably should put an Oscar section up on my web site so therefore, I probably should put some Oscar-related content up. That means reviews and that means ZOINKS! I'm looking at the list of Oscar-nominated films I've seen and therefore should review and I kind of want to drop into a snow bank. So that's why I'm stalling by complaining about my sour stomach and anything else I can think of off the top of my head.

In all seriousness though, I need to get my shit together so I can actually watch some movies without feeling like it's adding to my burden, even if it means working on reviews for nearly an entire day. Ugh. There goes my weekend.

Oh yeah: GO PACK GO! Now I've done my due diligence as a life-long Packer fan. Like every other workplace in Wisconsin (and probably parts of Arizona and Florida) today is "PACKER DAY!" at work. We were encouraged to wear jeans and our Packer gear, but, well I don't really do the group thing. I'm not a renegade, I'm just allergic to forced participation. Especially when I'm in my office and looking at people in their 40's with their hair in pigtails and green and gold hair ribbons who look like a played out Raggedy Ann after she got jumped by a mugger with a fetish for Packer paraphernalia.

So, I'm wearing a brown turtleneck and calling myself a representation of the football used in the game-winning touchdown...with a sour stomach.

A Short Fuse

I refuse to turn this into a bitching blog just because I haven't been able to watch movies lately, but holy crap am I in a crabby mood today!

• Upset stomach
• Annoying co-workers who act like howler monkeys on a daily basis even though this is supposed to be a professional office
• Uninspiring writing projects I'm supposed to be working on
  
• A creepy co-worker across the hall who I'm convinced would turn me into furniture at the drop of a hat
• The unyielding snow that's threatening to kibosh my plans to see finally see True Grit tonight
• It's Monday and I'm just simply tired
• I'm eating a peanut butter sammich for lunch for about the third week in a row

There's more, but I'm going to stop now at the risk of sounding like a complete and total kvetch.

SUCCESS!

I managed to get my head out of my tuchus and get my site up and running again. Hooray!

Now I just need to create some new content... hmm....

See it here: www.thecinemaphile.com

And now, a random picture of Oscar the Grouch that totally epitomizes how I feel right now.

Color Me Confounded

There are a couple of things I don't understand, and I realize that they are all going to make me sound petulant, but I own that.

• How is it that there isn't remotely enough time or motivation for me to the things I want to get done on any given day? I suspect part of it is a generally frenetic day at work where there are a lot of demands put on me from various internal clients, but it really makes me wonder how people with real problems and real lives get it done.

• Why is it that regardless of the fact that we have plenty of food in the kitchen and pantry do I have a mental mindblock when it comes to cooking dinner for Chris and I at night? I think I may have an answer to that one; that I work best on a schedule and we have nothing resembling a schedule because of his erratic work/after work activities, but I still can't get past my stubborness and work around it. (Though I'm still not entirely sure that's my fault.)

• On a day when I finally have a shot at reviving my screwed up web site and doing some much needed updates, why is it that the program keeps "throwing exceptions" and closing everything down? On a good day I'm terrible at all of this, so I don't need crap like this to shake my confidence further.
  

Yowza.

Well, at least my web site is able to be worked on again. Chris clicked a button on the program that I clicked a million times and it worked for him so mazel tov to both of us. Now if I could just actually get in there to do some work on it the world would be just a little brighter.

I guess I'll end this blog post on that night since there's nothing worse than a kvetch with nothing really to say.