Brothers was inspired by the 2004 Danish film of the same name, and stars Tobey Maguire, Natalie Portman and Jake Gyllenhaal. It tells the story of a two brothers in drastically different walks of life. Sam (Maguire) is a rocksteady Marine shoring up for his latest tour in Afghanistan, leaving behind his wife Grace (Portman) and his two daughters. Tommy (Gyllenhaal), is the younger brother who is not in good graces with his family, having been released from prison shortly before Sam deploys. News soon reaches Grace that Sam's helicopter crashed, with Sam being presumed dead. During this time, Tommy becomes closer and closer to Grace as he assists her with taking care of her family. However, Sam was never dead, rather a prisoner of war. He returns home after being rescued, albiet a drastically different man. Sparks fly when Sam becomes dangerously suspicious of Tommy and Grace and their relationship.
Brothers' storytelling plays out like a traditional melodrama. There are plenty of theatrics (especially once Sam returns home) and Tommy's strained relationship with his father is overplayed in the early going. However, the film manages to avoid mediocrity thanks the the excellent performances from Maguire (for which he has garnered a well-deserved Golden Globe nomination), Portman and Gyllenhaal. Each of their performances helps to drive the film to the point of being something a bit more substantial than its excessive dabbling in melodrama might suggest. Especially Maguire's portrayal of Sam post-deployment. Sam's failed attempt to bottle up his feelings is a gradual process (director Jim Sheridan does a bang-up job with the suspenseful build-up) before he eventually snaps after his eldest daughter tells a brutal lie regarding Grace and Tommy.
In the end, Brothers, though disappointingly melodramatic, does end up being a moderately involving, tragic tale of the effects war can have on a soldier and his immediate family (though taken to extreme measures).
Inglourious Basterds is Quentin Tarantino's latest film, and boy is it a good one. It has been advertised as a war film full of action, but in reality, just about all of the action you get is in the trailers and TV spots. The film is actually very talky, with plenty of quirks and other idiosyncrasies that make the film wildly entertaining.
When it comes to the dialogue, the script is excellent. Even during the many lengthy swathes of dialogue, there is something about it all that makes it fascinating. Especially when Standartenführer Hans Landa (Christoph Waltz) is onscreen. Waltz's performance is just so hilarious and ruthless (in a very charming sort of way) that the character completely takes you in -- Landa is just so delightful to watch in action. Another thing about the long stretches of dialogue is how Tarantino manages to make it all very tense with little reveals and subtle tells in body language, gestures and other things. That said, Chapter 1 could not have been a better opening. At first the audience is clueless as to the reason for Landa's visit is there and why Perrier LaPadite (Denis Menochet) is so tense. Then Tarantino shows us what is hiding beneath the floorboards that the suspense increases exponentially. This also happens later during the disastrous rendezvous with Bridget von Hammersmark (Diane Krüger) when a suspicious Nazi refuses to back down.
The conflicting plots in the film also add to the suspense. For one, there is the plot by Shosanna (Mélanie Laurent) to burn down the her cinema in which all the Nazi top brass are attending a premiere conflicts with the Basterds' plot to blow up the very same cinema. This clash leads to a surprising and quite literally explosive ending that doesn't coincide with history. The final scene of the film, however, is classic thanks to Brad Pitt's rendition of Aldo Raines. Tarantino has delivered an entertaining, if unevenly-paced film that is destined to be a cult classic.
Invictus, Clint Eastwood's latest directorial foray, has been touted as a story that has never been told. The question is, did it need to be told? It tells the story of newly-elected South African president Nelson Mandela (Morgan Freeman) and the South African rugby team's 2005 World Cup tournament that brought the entire nation together.
What drives this film are the performances from Freeman and Matt Damon (as rugby team captain Francois Pienaar). Though the overall film itself is not quite as rousing of a sports drama as one might expect, it is their performances that make the film notworthy. Morgan Freeman does an astounding job of portraying the charismatic Mandela. Mandela's passion for his nation and the sport of rugby is so genuine, it is almost as if it were actually Mandela playing himself. Damon's performance is not quite as remarkable, but he captures the reinvigorated spirit of the downtrodden captain who is inspired greatly by his president.
The film also evokes thoughts of the 2000 sports classic Remember the Titans. Invictus is not quite as involving of a film, but the racial and political aspects of a country recovering from years of apartheid does strike a similar chord to what Remember the Titans was able to accomplish so well, just on a much greater scale. However, the final match between New Zealand and South Africa is far more epic and gripping than any of the games played in Remember the Titans. Eastwood films all of the rugby matches in such a manner as to show the audience just how physical the game really is. With crushing sound effects used for tackles, booming sound effects used for kicks, the amplified grunting and groaning, and field-eye-view shots beneath the scrum, the visceral nature of rugby is captured marvelously. It might even compel someone to watch more of the sport in real life. The verdict? Yes, this story did indeed need to be told. It could have done without some of the more corny moments, however.
The Princess and the Frog is Disney's much-welcomed return to traditional animation. Loosely based on the novel The Frog Princess, Disney takes the original story and adds a touch of their magic -- magic that has been missing from Disney animation as of late.
The fact that Tiana this is Disney's first African-American heroine, or the fact that the film is set in New Orleans is not something to be afraid of. Sure, the film is full of stereotypes that befit the time period of the 1920s, but there is nothing offensive about it at all. In fact, all of Africian-American and jazz culture of the period ends up being one of the film's greatest strengths. It being a musical, all of the songs have a jazzy (and sometimes even gospel-esque) flair to them that makes it all feel very fresh and enjoyable. The film is never boring, with endless moments of whimsical fun and witty dialogue that can be enjoyed by audiences of all ages. The film also has a dark edge to it, thanks to the charismatic witch doctor of a villan.
Those watching the film are sure to have feelings of nostalgia while watching this enchanting piece of traditional Disney magic. Not because they have seen this film before, but because it evokes memories of classic Disney fairy tales. Because of this, it is very easy to get swept away by all of the excellent choreography and songwriting that made Disney animation famous in the first place. The writing is also very good, as evidenced by the clever scripting (which all of the actors have a ball performing) and the heartwarming message that love is really all you need. The ending is also a clever piece of work, creating a completely satisfying, traditional happy ending out of something that at first seemed like it was going to end in a rather unsatisfying manner.
Why Disney ever strayed from 2-D animation in the first place is a mystery, but it is wonderful to see them back in top form with the ever-enchanting The Princess and the Frog.
1 comments:
One of these times I'm going to have to go out and rent Inglorious Basterds for mysef (for obvious reasons ;) ). It being a Tarentino movie is what mostly automatically drew me into it in the first place, but even just from the looks of the trailer it really looks like what you would expect out of one of the better kinds of films Tarentino makes. Both Tarentino's direction and writing style is one in which I've really grown an affinity for, and both he does so very masterfully.
Invictus is one I want to see mostly based off of how much I really love a good sports drama, and from the looks of it it really does look like it could be one of the better ones I've seen. And with Princess and the Frog, I think it may end up being one of those movies I'll probably wait until it comes out on DVD to watch. I really am glad to see Disney returning to their old ways of 2D animation, and I am wanting to see it if nothing else just for that old feeling of nostalgia, but at the same time I'm not really in any hurry to see it either, mostly just because of how much it's actual premise just really isn't my kind of thing.
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