Vase (2010)

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The noise off the music

December 30, 2010The Sound of Music (1965) ****1/2Directed by Robert WiseMy tweet:The Sound of Music (1965)- How do you solve a problem like a sugar sweet screenplay? Fantastic direction and amazing music. ****1/2 of 5Other thoughts:You may not know this by reading my blog, but I'm actually quite the movie musical aficionado. If you scroll through the films for which I've written reviews, you won't find too many classic musicals like Oliver!, My Fair Lady, The Music Man, West Side Story, Cabaret, Grease, The Pajama Game, Oklahoma, South Pacific, Carousel, The King and I and Annie among others. Yet, I'm well versed in all of them, and, as a matter of fact, if you were to play any song from any of the abo! ve mentioned musicals, I'd probably know every single word without any assistance at all. I was gifted with a good singing voice, so as a child who thrived on the acceptance and praise of others, I fell in love with everything Broadway, auditioning for every musical in my high school as well as the surrounding community theaters in my area. I started this blog in 2008, and I've only written reviews for the films I've watched since then. Therefore, the films I was obsessed with as a child are not to be found anywhere on the site.The Sound of Music is one of the seminal films of my early life. Not only did I watch it over and over probably starting around the age of 9 or 10, but I owned the soundtrack on CD. I auditioned for it when I was 16, which made me too old to be one of the Von Trapp children, and a bit too young to play Rolfe, the whistle-blowing Nazi-in-training. Alas, it's been at least ten years, if not more, since I've seen the film, and it's amazing to me how muc! h I didn't remember as clearly as I thought I would.The side p! lots wit h the Baroness and the Nazis didn't register to me that strongly as a kid. The Baroness, played by three time Oscar nominee Eleanor Parker, is quite the rancid villain, taking advantage of the admittedly hokey naivety of Maria, the postulant nun assigned to be the governess of the seven children of Austrian Captain Von Trapp. In my vague recollection, before this revisit, I sort of remember that Maria and the Captain fall in love and that some other lady was disappointed about it. It's interesting what you recall from your childhood as an adult.The political subplot concerning the Nazi takeover of Austria didn't really register to me in any specific way back then either. I remember that they had to escape from the Nazis and that Rolfe blew the whistle, but I wasn't clear as to why the Nazis were chasing the Von Trapps in the first place. Now, of course, it's very easy to understand that the Captain is an Austrian nationalist who reviled the Nazis, and, upon being ordered to ! serve in the Third Reich, he decides to take his family and cross the border into neutral Switzerland rather than support Hitler's cause.Ultimately, though, it's not the love triangle or the escape from the Nazis that draws people into what was once the most financially successful film of all time. It's the singing and the dancing, of course. Rogers and Hammerstein composed what I believe is their best score when they wrote The Sound of Music for Broadway audiences in 1959. Granted, songs like Do-Re-Mi, So Long Farewell and My Favorite Things can become grating, especially when they've been sung to death as they have ever since 1959, but they're as timeless as the most classic children's songs like Twinkle, Twinkle and Mary Had a Little Lamb. The simple ballad Edelweiss is one of the purest tunes in Broadway history, as is the title song The Sound of Music. Even the lesser numbers like How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?, I Have Confidence, Sixteen Going on Seventeen and! Something Good are so charming that the viewer can't help but! be lift ed into a world of innocence and idealism.Yet, the moment that really affected me the most with this viewing was Peggy Wood's arresting performance of Climb Every Mountain. Granted, Wood's singing was dubbed, but it was dubbed beautifully. Even with some of the most iconic sequences in all cinema within this picture, I think it's the exchange between Wood's Mother Superior and Julie Andrews' Maria that is the emotional and narrative high point of the entire film. So much of the first act with the nuns and the children almost begs to be resisted because of its sugary, almost cloying, sweetness, but when Maria returns to the abbey once she realizes that Von Trapp is in love with her and has a sit down spiritual direction session with the Mother Superior, it's almost as if Ernest Lehman's script matures completely in one single sequence.Clearly, Maria is going through a deep existential and religious crisis, and the Mother Superior gives her advice that's totally believable and! quite profound. She emphasizes that there's holiness in the love between a man and a woman. Maria leaving the convent is not a sign that she's turning her back on a vocation to God. At one point, she says that loving Captain Von Trapp does not mean that she loves God any less. In a world where religious men and women are often painted with such cynical strokes, it's refreshing to see one who is charitable and wise, embodying the sort of person that would please God. When Mother Superior starts singing Climb Every Mountain, there's a richness to her character that's cultivated perfectly, despite a limited amount of screen time. On its own, Climb Every Mountain might come off like a musical inspirational poster with a kitten in a basket sleeping next to a ball of yarn, but because of the preceding conversation, it grounds itself in truth and ends up one of the great stirring moments in all film.Unfortunately, though, despite my eternal undying affection for The Sound of Musi! c, I don't think it's among the very best movie musicals ever ! made. Th ere are too many ways in which it could have been an even better film. First of all, the actors who play the children are pretty terrible all around. I have little patience for unbearably bad acting even by children on screen. We've seen over and over and over again the fact that some children are capable of giving performances that are good enough to be nominated for Oscars. Watch Tatum O'Neill in Paper Moon or Hayley Joel Osment in The Sixth Sense or Justin Henry in Kramer vs. Kramer or Henry Gibson in E.T. or Jack Wild in Oliver! or Anna Paquin in The Piano. I could literally go on and on. It's simply not acceptable to cast child roles solely based on the way children look. Most of the kids that were cast had literally no film acting experience before The Sound of Music. I don't blame the kids, by the way. I blame Robert Wise for allowing mediocrity to infect such a meticulously crafted film.Christopher Plummer, God love him, has said over and over again how much he despi! ses The Sound of Music, often referring to it as The Sound of Mucus or S & M. He was miserable during the filming, finding the whole thing tedious and corny. Sadly, his contempt shows through quite clearly in his unbelievably stiff performance as Captain Von Trapp. He's so uptight that, when he goes through a transformation upon first hearing his children sing, it looks more like he's just gone through an exorcism. His light demeanor is in such stark contrast to the nastiness we've seen previously. The second half of the film belongs primarily to the Captain as he forges a plan to escape before he's commissioned to join the Third Reich. He never once has the fire that you'd imagine a man in his situation would have in any aspect of his performance. Further, his chemistry with Andrews is almost non-existent.Both of these problems, ironically, highlight the astounding greatness of Julie Andrews as Maria. Considering that, for most of the movie, she's asked to act opposite! these dreadful child actors or the icy Christopher Plummer, i! t's wond rous how she's so good in every moment. A lesser actress might have either been brought down by those around her or disconnected with everyone else as if she were in a one woman show. Andrews is so charming to watch when she's with the children, and despite the lack of reciprocity, she glows in her moments with Plummer. Trained in opera and on the Broadway stage, Andrews makes the most of every moment on screen. She's playing to the back of the auditorium, but she does so in a way that's cinematic. The grand scope with which Wise directs demands performances that match. Andrews is not only up for the task, but she gives The Sound of Music its lifeblood. By the time the film was released to the public, Mary Poppins had been a huge hit, giving Andrews her Oscar. It's pretty incredible to think she was cast as Maria before Mary Poppins was even released in theaters. They hired a relative unknown, which is a gamble that paid dividends for sure.Despite his myopic ability with chi! ldren, Robert Wise's direction provides The Sound of Music with its grandiosity and its richness. I'm sure it's difficult to adapt a stage musical to the big screen, to shift one's paradigm from the confines of a stage to the endless potential of sound stages and real life locations. The aerial shots of the mountains at the beginning and end are astonishingly beautiful, and it's fascinating how similar the opening of The Sound of Music is to Wise's true musical masterpiece West Side Story. Even the way Wise shoots the Von Trapp mansion, the waltzing at the party, the children frolicking through Salzberg, the abbey, the Austrian concert and the wedding sequence transforms material originally meant to be limited to the size of a stage into such bombastic visual grandeur. Yet, there's a sophistication to every scene that gives a hokey screenplay heft and acclaim.The Sound of Music won me over when I was a kid, and it won me over as a thirty year old just as well. Sure, we're w! ading knee deep in some pretty thick syrup here, but the overa! ll effec t is one hundred percent palatable. As a matter of fact, I'd even go so far as to say that Wise and Andrews provide generation after generation with quite a feast; however, after this main course, I doubt you'll want to even think about dessert.
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Into of undermines limps - one off letters

Hi everyone! Sorry this is a bit late (yeah I know- understatement), my cat just died (she had FIV, basically the cat version of AIDS, which she was apparently born with.) and I completely didn't feel up to posting. I promise there will be minimum moping in this post :PRecieved for Review:You Wish by Mandy Hubbard (TBR August 5th, 2010 from Razorbill Publishing) (finished already)The Secrets of April, May and June by Robin Benway (TBR August 3rd, 2010 from Razorbill Publishing)Thanks so much to Razorbill Publishing for giving me complementary copies of these two great books for review!Library:From 2 different libraries... I know it seems like a lot, but I returned all the other books I had out, soooo.... it evens out, right? *cough*Kitchen Princess Vol. 1 (Manga)The Heart is Not A Size by Beth KephartMe, the Missing and the Dead by Jenny Valentine (one of my favorite authors)Margherita Dolce Vita by Stefano Benni (I'm in love with this imprint, Europa Editions!)Solanin by Asano Inio (Manga I've been trying to get FOREVER)The Nature of Jade by Deb Caletti (I really haven't liked Caletti's work at all, but I'm giving her another chance)The Moving Toyshop by Edmund CrispinA Good Day for Love Letters- George Asakura (not sure how I feel about the art)Gentleman Prefer Blondes- Anita LoosCooking With Fernet Branca- James Patterson-HamiltonGourmet Rhapsody- Muriel BarberyThe Queen of the Tambourine- Jane GardamKimmie66- Aaron Alexovich (I wish this imprint hadn't closed, Minx w! as so great!)Emily the Strange: The Lost Days-Rob Reger (I hav! e no ide a what this is, it just looked cool. Is it a series?)The Ghosts of Ashbury High- Jaclyn Moriarty (YAY! I love this series!)The Evolution Man, or How I Ate My Father- Roy Lewis (Weird, I know :P)Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close- Jonathan Foer The Line- Teri Hall (I never got to finish it)Sorry- Gail JonesGimme A Call- Sarah MylnowskiWonderland- Tommy Kovac and Sonny Leiw (Pretty.... *gape*)JPod- Douglas Coupland (love it even more than I thought I would, considering I'm not a fan of the pessimistic, vaguely pretentious Generation X stuff)*deep breath* Even more than I thought I'd checked out.Bought:All but 2 of these (the one on top and the one on the bottom) are from a used book store.! I got them for only 50 cents each down in Mississippi! *dance* Oh, and I got the Great Gatsby too, but I forgot to dig it out from under my bed (books are everywhere under there in my room, as I just got a new bookshelf and have yet to stock it). It's scary under there.Dr. Slump Vol. 1 by Akira Toriyama (my favorite manga ever! The art is so simple but genius. Toriyama is great.)The Taker- J. M. Steele A Farewell to Arms- Ernest HemingwayGreat Short Works of Mark TwainThe Picture of Dorian Gray and Other Writings- Oscar WildePygmalion and 3 Other Plays- George Bernard Shaw Pygmalion and My Fair Lady (in too horrible condition to show: my dog got a hold of it! Luckily I had finished it on the trip back from Texas :P)The Great Gatsby- F. Scott Fitzgerald (I like it much more than I expected to.)***********888Finally done with the list! I got a lot of great books this week, and didn't even spend that much money. A lot of these I've been trying to track down, and finally did, ! which is awesome :) Mostly mangas that weren't at B&N or e! ither of my libraries. So, what was in you mailbox this week?
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The three following days (2010)

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Billy Mitchell thinks butt `the king OF Kong

Many of you probably have seen the 2007 documentary The King of Kong (and if you haven’t, Netflix it now!). The movie follows the battle between Steve Wiebe and noted Donkey Kong/vintage video game champion Billy Mitchell, over the world record for Donkey Kong. Since the release of the film, it has been fun tracking the back and fourth battle between Wiebe and Mitchell for the world record (Steve Wiebe recently reclaimed the Donkey Kong World Record from Billy Mitchell).

Billy Mitchell makes a great villain, but everyone knows that there have been accusations of selective editing and what not. Moviefone has caught up with Billy Mitchell to talk about the lessons he learned from taking part in The King of Kong. Watch the video interview now embedded after the jump.

• Nintendo Pays Tribute to ‘The King of Kong’ Star Billy Mitchell in New Donkey Kong Game
• Billy Mitchell Regains Donkey Kong and Donkey Kong Jr World Records
• VOTD: K2: The King, The Kong, and the Ugly
• Did Steve Wiebe Reclaim His Title as The King Of Kong?
• Steve Wiebe Reclaims Donkey Kong Title From Billy Mitchell
• Steve Wiebe Recaptures Donkey Kong (Jr) World Record

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Judicious requirement off good, which I committed myself

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Pictures with high resolution `off Steven Spielberg and off Peter Jackson the adventures off Tintin

We’re still waiting to see a trailer for The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn, which is the ground-breaking team-up between directors Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson. We’ve seen a few images, and now there are high-res versions of three of them. So you can see all the minute detail that is going into the mo-capped 3D film.

These images were originally in Empire, and they show Tintin (Jamie Bell) and Captain Haddock (Andy Serkis) in a stunning desert shot, then Tintin and Barnaby (Joe Starr) encountering one another in a very noirish shot, and finally the twins Thompson and Thompson (Simon Pegg and Nick Frost) with Silk (Toby Jones) in the foreground.

Click each of the images to enlarge.

[SpoilerTV]

• New Images From Steven Spielberg’s ‘Tintin’
• Spielberg’s Tintin Will Get Released Internationally First; December 2011 in The US
• Confirmed: Simon Pegg and Nick Frost for Spielberg/Jackson’s Tintin
• Thomas Sangster Cast as TinTin in Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson’s Tintin?
• First Glimpses Revealed of Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson’s ‘Tintin’
• Steven Spielberg Talks About the Tech and the Look of Tintin

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Day 1 blog A Tuna off the film conclusion off 2010 of PUR-pos off year

December 29, 2010Davenport, IA WOC 1420's film critic and twitter buddy of mine Sean Patrick Kernan invited me, along with two other film bloggers Julian Stark and Candice Frederick, to participate in a Blog-a-Thon discussion of the films of 2010. This will be a three or four day long discussion. Our first day's discussion centered around overall impressions or trends in 2010. One of my goals for days two, three and possibly four is to respond more to Julian, Sean and Candice so that discussion and debate will start to flow.Key:Sean Patrick Kernan's writing will be in maroon. Visit Sean's blog here.Julian Stark's writing will be in green. Visit Julian's blog here.Candice Frederick's writing will be in blue. Visit Candice's blog here! .My writing will be in orange.Sean Patrick KernanThree of my favorite bloggers have been kind enough to join me for what will be a four day blog-athon to wrap up the year in movies. Brian Dunn, Julian Stark and Candice Frederick are three friends I met on Twitter and have exchanged ideas and reviews with for much of 2010 and it is a privelege to share some blog space with them this week....

Thanks to my favorite Twitter folks @202chicago aka Julian Stark, @reeltalker aka Candice Frederik and @bpdreview aka Brian Dunn for participating in this end of 2010 wrap up. Lots of big topics so let's jump in...

There were many interesting trends in 2010 but one that emerged late in the year for me was a surprising move to the middle of the road for some of the more daring directors of recent years. David O. Russell, John Cameron Mitchell and the Coen Brothers all made excellent films this year but I was rather surprised at how mainstream each of these ! films were. Russell's The Fighter is a sports movie with all o! f the in herent dramatic beats right down to the final dramatic fight for it all. Sure, Christian Bale delivers some of his typical method stuff but this is truly a mainstream, crowd-pleasing sports movie from a director who has fought genre restrictions in Three Kings and especially in I Heart Huckabees.

Rabbit Hole is a terrifically moving drama with an excellent Nicole Kidman performance but there is no escaping the fact that this is a straight, mainstream drama safe for all audiences and a complete 180 for the director of Hedwig and the Angry Inch and Shortbus. I kept expecting drag queens to show up at the grief counseling sessions or some kind of homoerotic theme to emerge and nothing happened. The most outre moment of the movie has Aaron Eckhardt and Sandra Oh sharing a doobie. John Cameron Mitchell is the last director I would have expected to go so mainstream. If Rabbit Hole had starred Sandra Bullock the damned thing could have been, heaven forbid a blockbuster! .

Finally, the Coen Brothers made a western; a plain, no nonsense western. And more atypically, the ever so independent Coen's made an oh so trendy remake. Is there anything more Hollywood these days than a remake? Yikes! True Grit is a great movie, one of my favorites of the year but it defies the spirit of what we know of the Coens. It flies in the face of the independent spirit they have cultivated. Even more shocking, True Grit has none of the Coen's trademark quirk. Aside from the guy wearing the Bear rug as a bathrobe where was the Coen's trademark oddity? All of this complaining on my part makes me sound unsatisfied but I did like the movies. The Fighter, Rabbit Hole and True Grit are fantastic but maybe, and I am just realizing this as I type it, I kept them far from my top 10 of the year because I was so put off by their 'mainstream-ness.'

Darren Aronofsky certainly did not fall into the mainstream trap. Black Swan is decidedly weird and daring. I! watched Black Swan on the edge of my seat waiting for it to t! ip over into Mommie Dearest camp, kitsch disaster and it took my breath away how Aronofsky managed to keep it from tipping. Black Swan is truly an artistic dramatic achievement with characters that move you and a compelling story but truly the driving force for me was the suspense of whether it would turn into a car wreck. That Black Swan is not a pile up on the side of the movie freeway is arguably Aronofsky's greatest achievement. In my review I compared Natalie Portman's performance to that of De Niro in Raging Bull and I received a few odd glances. I stand by the comparison. Both performances are physical transformations involving painful real life experiences to inform the drama on the screen. Portman arguably went through even more because she transformed her body and her performance from the vocal affectation to the sheepish manner are a departure from what she has done in the past, De Niro already had the goomba down, his genius in Raging Bull was the physical toll he took o! n himself. Julian Stark

Thank you so much for inviting me to be a part of this discussion, Sean! It’s always a privilege to discuss the wonderful world of film with you, Candice, and Brian.

It was definitely fascinating to see some of the more daring directors head down a mainstream path this year. Though I haven’t seen Rabbit Hole for myself just yet, I was shocked to find out that its director was behind the cult classic Hedwig and the Angry Itch.

Another film that seems to fit in with this peculiar change is David Fincher’s The Social Network. Don’t get me wrong: it’s a terrific film from one of today’s finest working directors, but where is Fincher’s trademark flair? Granted, an overload of flair wouldn’t have served the film very well, but it’s odd to see Fincher make such a mainstream film. Then again, he did it two years ago with The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, so perhaps my surprise is unwarr! anted.

And there is certainly something t! o be sai d of Darren Aronofsky and Black Swan. Who would have guessed that this strange yet brilliant tale of a psychopathic ballerina would overtake The Wrestler as Aronofsky’s highest grossing film in the States? Of course, that just goes to show what positive word of mouth can do for a film.

Interestingly enough, Black Swan has performed better than David O. Russell’s The Fighter, which should have done far better over the holiday season given the dearth of sports films out at the moment, not to mention its inspiring story, the actors involved, and the awards attention it has received thus far. Safe to say, it doesn’t look like The Fighter will be this year’s Rocky.

Another thing I’ve noticed about this year is how it’s been terrific for actresses of all ages. In regards to the younger actresses, there were quite a few breakthroughs. Jennifer Lawrence took the cake for her terrific character work in the Ozark thriller Winter’! s Bone, but let’s not forget about some of the other great breakthroughs. Chloe Moretz gained some minor recognition for last year’s (500) Days of Summer, but it was this year’s Kick-Ass that saw her shocking audiences with some not-so-appropriate language, not to mention a brazen attitude and expert fighting skills. She also starred in the lauded remake Let Me In and the underrated kid flick Diary of a Wimpy Kid. In all three films she played completely different characters and did so brilliantly and effectively; I expect her future in Hollywood to be a bright one.

Another young actress on the rise is Emma Stone. Though the redhead made her big screen debut in 2007’s Superbad and starred in the surprise hit Zombieland last year, Stone really wowed audiences and critics for the first time with her leading performance as the accidental outcast Olive Pendergrass in Easy A.

And who can leave out fourteen-year-old Hailee Steinfeld? She ! starred opposite screen veteran Jeff Bridges, not to mention w! ell-know n actors like Josh Brolin and Matt Damon, in the Coen Brothers’ True Grit. Not only was she able to hold her own in her first big role; she arguably gave the best performance in the film as Mattie Ross, a complete realization of the stubborn yet scared character.

Last but not least in regards to breakthroughs, Australian actress Mia Wasikowska had her first commercial success with Alice in Wonderland and showed impressive range in the indie dramedy The Kids Are All Right.

Heading from young breakthroughs to simply younger stars, Amy Adams played against type, though not too drastically, yet still held some of her trademark charm opposite Mark Wahlberg and company in The Fighter. Michelle Williams aged alongside Ryan Gosling in the highly lauded film Blue Valentine.

Natalie Portman gave an absolutely timeless performance in the aforementioned Black Swan. Mila Kunis gave a great supporting performance in the same film. She pro! vided some exceptional character work, playing up to what Portman thinks her character is and fully realizing her character’s actual nature.

Barbara Hershey, who portrays Portman’s stage mother, provides an incredible performance as well. This, of course, leads into the other side of this great year for actresses, since older actresses had a great year as well. Perhaps this has something to do with the lack of films starring Meryl Streep this year, but I digress.

Though Julia Roberts may have been dethroned from being “America’s Sweetheart” by Sandra Bullock, she carried Ryan Murphy’s unfortunately muddled Eat Pray Love to box office success and in all honesty was the only thing that kept me watching until the very end. Two-time Oscar winner Hilary Swank led the courtroom Conviction, which also starred Melissa Leo and Juliette Lewis; both of them have had a great year as well, receiving accolades for their work in multiple titl! es. Dame Helen Mirren appeared in five domestically released t! itles th is year, including the box office hit RED.

But it was Annette Bening that probably had the best year of any not-so-young actress, giving celebrated performances in both The Kids Are All Right and the ensemble drama Mother and Child. In fact, she and Portman gave what might be the best performances of the year, male or female.

Julian Stark (pen name)

Founder and Editor: "Movies and Other Things" (http://julianstark-moviesandotherthings.blogspot.com)

Contributing Writer for Player Affinity (http://playeraffinity.com)Brian DunnI'd also like to thank Sean for getting this going and asking me to contribute. I'm a huge fan of his blog and his reviews, and I'm really excited to be participating with Julian and Candice, two of my favorite people on Twitter and whose opinions on film and the Oscars I respect a great deal.It'll take me another couple of months to see every 2010 release that has piqued my interest, but I've seen enough of the important, ! noteworthy choices, and I've been following the critical and box office responses very closely. The biggest trend of 2010, in my opinion, is the blur between what's real and what's not. My favorite movie so far of 2010, a documentary called Exit Through the Gift Shop, had me leaving the theater in a daze, trying to figure out what it was that I had just seen and what it all really meant. It's directed by the noted "street artist" Banksy, who appears in the film as nothing but a black silhouette with his voice distorted in order to protect his identity. The first half of the film is a pretty straight-forward look at the phenomenon of "street art," an anarchic movement of public displays of creativity. Most of the artists implement their work in the middle of the night, which makes sense considering how close "street art" comes to vandalism. The second half of the film centers around a rising star in the "street art" movement who obsessively tapes every aspect of his life on ! his camcorder. As he begins to receive notoriety, fame and suc! cess alo ngside the entire "street art" movement, he begins to lose touch with himself, and the integrity of his work becomes questionable as a result.It may not sound like it, but Exit Through the Gift Shop is a total mind trip, because one wonders whether the film in itself is an example of the very thing its showcasing. There are other documentaries that fall into this category that I have yet to see like Casey Affleck's I'm Still Here, about Joaquin Phoenix's supposed foray into hip-hop, and Catfish.There were also a number of fictional films that similarly had audiences discussing and debating over what's reality and what's not. Christopher Nolan's excellent film, Inception, is perhaps the clearest example of this. Not only were we asked to follow a series of interlacing layers of dreaming that are mathematically proportional and precise, but we're also left with an open ended final shot which has the audience asking whether everything is just a dream. Inception is one of those ! films whose hype seems to have come and gone, and while I believe it will receive many nominations, I don't think it will be a favorite to win any of the major Oscars like Picture, Director, Screenplay or Acting. Yet, its box office success gives me a great deal of hope. At a time when Hollywood is catering so much to the least common denominator, it's refreshing to have Christopher Nolan provide us with a film that actually trusts its audience enough to ask questions of itself and of his film. With Inception, the answer to the question, "Is it all a dream?" is not what's important. It's the thinking and the discussing and the debating that matters. The same thing is true for Exit Through the Gift Shop as well.Even a film like David Fincher's The Social Network provided a great deal of watercooler debate over the villainy of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg. The thing I found especially compelling about Aaron Sorkin's screenplay is the fact that he took a real person and re! al events in the not-too-distant past and ultimately fictional! ized eve rything and everyone. I find it odd that some people I've talked to in real life talked about Jesse Eisenberg's character and the real Mark Zuckerberg interchangeably, judging the real person solely on the film. In many ways, this blur between reality and fiction is the most impressive because it's the most subtle. I do believe that The Social Network will go down in history as the first "historical" movie that focuses on the internet age. It's quite an achievement, and it's one of the very best films I've seen this year.Black Swan, of course, similarly has us questioning whether we can trust what we're witnessing on screen. While I did enjoy the film quite a bit, I don't think it's as successful as the other films I mentioned, simply because I could see the conclusion coming from a mile away. That's the tricky thing about blurring the lines between reality and non-reality--it has to be subtle or else it becomes gimmicky. Two other good films from 2010, Shutter Island and Th! e Book of Eli, both provided gimmicks, pulling the rug out from under the viewers at the end, but there's only so much room for discussion in films like these because all the questions are ultimately answered. These films try to replicate the "wow" moment of something like The Sixth Sense, and that can be fun, but it can also be cheap. Thankfully, Black Swan, Shutter Island and The Book of Eli are extremely well-made and very entertaining; however, they're perhaps not as clever as they think they are.It's no surprise when we're living in a world in deep economic turmoil that filmmakers want to provide us with escapes even within our escapist entertainments. People have more worries and more stresses in their lives so they're eager to lose themselves in films more so now than ten years ago when the economy was good and the threat of terrorism wasn't such a huge part of our everyday thinking. Movies serve a place by giving us an oasis from the arid wasteland of the world arou! nd us. They need to satisfy in this regard, and when a movie m! akes you think and ask questions, it's allowing you to actively participate even while escaping. 2010 gave us a handful of films that were both entertaining and intellectually stimulating. The desire to escape isn't going away, so I'm happy that at least some film makers are taking this desire seriously.@bpdreview on Twitterwww.bpdreview.comCandice Frederick will join us tomorrow as we continue our year end review.Candice FrederickFilm Blogger/CNN Guest FilmCritichttp://ticketstubz.blogspot.com/http://www.linkedin.com/in/candicefrederickhttp://twitter.com/ReelTalker
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New picture: Tomar RH off the Lantern Grüns off `

The first Green Lantern trailer only showed glimpses of some of the all-CGI characters that will make up part of the interstellar Green Lantern Corps. We see a great shot of the massive Kilowog, and one medium shot and a couple long shot looks at the bird/fish/thing Tomar-Re. Most of the characters look good in that brief context, but I think a lot of people want to see more. So here’s a new shot of Tomar-Re that shows him dead-on, and in some good detail.

Here’s the primary shot of the character from the trailer:

And this is the new shot, courtesy of CBM:

I’m curious to hear how this guy, and the rest of the CGI characters, will be voiced. That’ll be part of the make or break for those guys. And since I’m less interested in the Earthbound aspects of the film than the far-flung heroic sci-fi of the plot threads that involve the Corps, I’m hoping for the best.

Tomar-Re introduced pretty early in Green Lantern’s comic book run, in 1961. Here’s some background on the character, which could prove spoilerish for the film:

Tomar was a scientist on the planet Xudar before joining the Green Lantern Corps. He became a pivotal member of the Corps, training new members, like Arisia, and serving in the Honor Guard. He investigated reports of abuses of power by Sinestro on Korugar. He was close friends with Abin Sur, Green Lantern of neighboring sector 2814. He was also the first Lantern to meet Sur’s replacement, Hal Jordan, and the two got along equally well. In the Post-Crisis timeline, that friendship is deepened further in that the rookie Jordan met him soon after being recruited. Jordan was brought to him by his power ring to help with his difficulties with handling the weapon and Tomar-Re not only guided the Terran to GLC headquarters for the optional training program, but also provided valuable emotional support during this difficult time.

• /Filmcast Ep. 124 – Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1 (GUEST: Dave Gonzales from Latino Review)
• New Image: Peter Sarsgaard as Hector Hammond From ‘Green Lantern’
• Movie Trailer: Green Lantern
• First Look at Footage From New ‘Green Lantern’ Trailer
• Jon Favreau Calls Summer 2011 A Box Office ‘Bloodbath’
• JJ Abrams’ Super 8 Gets a Release Date

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Into of undermines limps - one off letters

Hi everyone! Sorry this is a bit late (yeah I know- understatement), my cat just died (she had FIV, basically the cat version of AIDS, which she was apparently born with.) and I completely didn't feel up to posting. I promise there will be minimum moping in this post :PRecieved for Review:You Wish by Mandy Hubbard (TBR August 5th, 2010 from Razorbill Publishing) (finished already)The Secrets of April, May and June by Robin Benway (TBR August 3rd, 2010 from Razorbill Publishing)Thanks so much to Razorbill Publishing for giving me complementary copies of these two great books for review!Library:From 2 different libraries... I know it seems like a lot, but I returned all the other books I had out, soooo.... it evens out, right? *cough*Kitchen Princess Vol. 1 (Manga)The Heart is Not A Size by Beth KephartMe, the Missing and the Dead by Jenny Valentine (one of my favorite authors)Margherita Dolce Vita by Stefano Benni (I'm in love with this imprint, Europa Editions!)Solanin by Asano Inio (Manga I've been trying to get FOREVER)The Nature of Jade by Deb Caletti (I really haven't liked Caletti's work at all, but I'm giving her another chance)The Moving Toyshop by Edmund CrispinA Good Day for Love Letters- George Asakura (not sure how I feel about the art)Gentleman Prefer Blondes- Anita LoosCooking With Fernet Branca- James Patterson-HamiltonGourmet Rhapsody- Muriel BarberyThe Queen of the Tambourine- Jane GardamKimmie66- Aaron Alexovich (I wish this imprint hadn't closed, Minx w! as so great!)Emily the Strange: The Lost Days-Rob Reger (I hav! e no ide a what this is, it just looked cool. Is it a series?)The Ghosts of Ashbury High- Jaclyn Moriarty (YAY! I love this series!)The Evolution Man, or How I Ate My Father- Roy Lewis (Weird, I know :P)Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close- Jonathan Foer The Line- Teri Hall (I never got to finish it)Sorry- Gail JonesGimme A Call- Sarah MylnowskiWonderland- Tommy Kovac and Sonny Leiw (Pretty.... *gape*)JPod- Douglas Coupland (love it even more than I thought I would, considering I'm not a fan of the pessimistic, vaguely pretentious Generation X stuff)*deep breath* Even more than I thought I'd checked out.Bought:All but 2 of these (the one on top and the one on the bottom) are from a used book store.! I got them for only 50 cents each down in Mississippi! *dance* Oh, and I got the Great Gatsby too, but I forgot to dig it out from under my bed (books are everywhere under there in my room, as I just got a new bookshelf and have yet to stock it). It's scary under there.Dr. Slump Vol. 1 by Akira Toriyama (my favorite manga ever! The art is so simple but genius. Toriyama is great.)The Taker- J. M. Steele A Farewell to Arms- Ernest HemingwayGreat Short Works of Mark TwainThe Picture of Dorian Gray and Other Writings- Oscar WildePygmalion and 3 Other Plays- George Bernard Shaw Pygmalion and My Fair Lady (in too horrible condition to show: my dog got a hold of it! Luckily I had finished it on the trip back from Texas :P)The Great Gatsby- F. Scott Fitzgerald (I like it much more than I expected to.)***********888Finally done with the list! I got a lot of great books this week, and didn't even spend that much money. A lot of these I've been trying to track down, and finally did, ! which is awesome :) Mostly mangas that weren't at B&N or e! ither of my libraries. So, what was in you mailbox this week?
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Scythian Common Dictates I Shut down

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Into of undermines limps - one off letters

Hi everyone! Sorry this is a bit late (yeah I know- understatement), my cat just died (she had FIV, basically the cat version of AIDS, which she was apparently born with.) and I completely didn't feel up to posting. I promise there will be minimum moping in this post :PRecieved for Review:You Wish by Mandy Hubbard (TBR August 5th, 2010 from Razorbill Publishing) (finished already)The Secrets of April, May and June by Robin Benway (TBR August 3rd, 2010 from Razorbill Publishing)Thanks so much to Razorbill Publishing for giving me complementary copies of these two great books for review!Library:From 2 different libraries... I know it seems like a lot, but I returned all the other books I had out, soooo.... it evens out, right? *cough*Kitchen Princess Vol. 1 (Manga)The Heart is Not A Size by Beth KephartMe, the Missing and the Dead by Jenny Valentine (one of my favorite authors)Margherita Dolce Vita by Stefano Benni (I'm in love with this imprint, Europa Editions!)Solanin by Asano Inio (Manga I've been trying to get FOREVER)The Nature of Jade by Deb Caletti (I really haven't liked Caletti's work at all, but I'm giving her another chance)The Moving Toyshop by Edmund CrispinA Good Day for Love Letters- George Asakura (not sure how I feel about the art)Gentleman Prefer Blondes- Anita LoosCooking With Fernet Branca- James Patterson-HamiltonGourmet Rhapsody- Muriel BarberyThe Queen of the Tambourine- Jane GardamKimmie66- Aaron Alexovich (I wish this imprint hadn't closed, Minx w! as so great!)Emily the Strange: The Lost Days-Rob Reger (I hav! e no ide a what this is, it just looked cool. Is it a series?)The Ghosts of Ashbury High- Jaclyn Moriarty (YAY! I love this series!)The Evolution Man, or How I Ate My Father- Roy Lewis (Weird, I know :P)Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close- Jonathan Foer The Line- Teri Hall (I never got to finish it)Sorry- Gail JonesGimme A Call- Sarah MylnowskiWonderland- Tommy Kovac and Sonny Leiw (Pretty.... *gape*)JPod- Douglas Coupland (love it even more than I thought I would, considering I'm not a fan of the pessimistic, vaguely pretentious Generation X stuff)*deep breath* Even more than I thought I'd checked out.Bought:All but 2 of these (the one on top and the one on the bottom) are from a used book store.! I got them for only 50 cents each down in Mississippi! *dance* Oh, and I got the Great Gatsby too, but I forgot to dig it out from under my bed (books are everywhere under there in my room, as I just got a new bookshelf and have yet to stock it). It's scary under there.Dr. Slump Vol. 1 by Akira Toriyama (my favorite manga ever! The art is so simple but genius. Toriyama is great.)The Taker- J. M. Steele A Farewell to Arms- Ernest HemingwayGreat Short Works of Mark TwainThe Picture of Dorian Gray and Other Writings- Oscar WildePygmalion and 3 Other Plays- George Bernard Shaw Pygmalion and My Fair Lady (in too horrible condition to show: my dog got a hold of it! Luckily I had finished it on the trip back from Texas :P)The Great Gatsby- F. Scott Fitzgerald (I like it much more than I expected to.)***********888Finally done with the list! I got a lot of great books this week, and didn't even spend that much money. A lot of these I've been trying to track down, and finally did, ! which is awesome :) Mostly mangas that weren't at B&N or e! ither of my libraries. So, what was in you mailbox this week?
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`the more other side ground off Woman, hold the roofridge role off Natalie Portman for which

IFC Films has released the movie trailer for The Other Woman, a film adaptation of Ayelet Waldman‘s novel “Love and Other Impossible Pursuits”. The comedy/drama stars Natalie Portman and “details the story of a woman’s difficult relationship with her stepson.” The film co-stars Lisa Kudrow (Friends), Daisy Tahan (13, Nurse Jackie) and Lauren Ambrose (Six Feet Under). Directed and adapted by Don Roos, writer/director of two underrated movies Bounce and Happy Endings, and the man who wrote the screenplay adaptation of Marley & Me.

I find it slightly suspicious that both the poster and trailer were released on the same day it was revealed publicly that Portman is pregnant and engaged to Benjamin Millepied, who served as choreographer on Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan and was Portman’s dance partner in the film. Almost seems like this indie film was trying to latch on to the gossipy news break. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September and was met with slightly positive reviews. It was only recently revealed that IFC Films will release the film in limited theaters on February 4th 2011, following a Video On Demand debut on January 1st 2011.

Watch the trailer now embedded after the jump. Please leave your thoughts in the comments below.

• New Poster: ‘The Other Woman,’ Starring Natalie Portman
• ‘Black Swan’ – What Did You Think?
• ‘Your Highness’ Trailer
• New Photo From ‘Your Highness’
• ‘Thor’ Trailer
• Release Date Schedule: Darren Aronofsky’s ‘Black Swan’

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127 hours

December 24, 2010127 Hours (2010) *****Directed by Danny BoyleMy tweet:127 Hours (2010)- Pretty damn amazing. Maybe the most intense film I've seen in the last few years. ***** out of 5Other thoughts:Without a doubt, had anyone else other than Danny Boyle directed 127 Hours, it would be a vastly different film. One of the most visceral filmgoing experiences I've ever had, we see the true story of Aron Ralston, a fearless and arguably stupid outdoor adventure junkie who is so confident in his own skills that he doesn't tell anyone where he's going despite the fact that he will be all alone, with no one around him for miles. After a flirtatious tryst with some y! oung women, Ralston falls into a crevasse where a boulder lodges itself on top of his arm. Thus begins an excruciating couple of days that has Aron try and fail to move the rock, then figure out how to continue to survive with a rapidly depleting water supply, and finally come to terms with what he must do in order to have a chance to live the life he sees in front of him. All the while, Aron retreats into his mind, taking stock of his life so far while also imagining going to a party he was invited to by the young women mentioned above. He has one hour worth of battery life in his camcorder, and he uses it not only to watch previously recorded material, but also to record a message of love to his parents. As things get really dire, Aron also interviews himself on camera in a dual personality exchange containing more pathos than you'd ever see on Letterman or Leno.For well over an hour, we're trapped along with James Franco who plays Ralston, and knowing that the character ! is ultimately going to cut off his own arm, Boyle teases us wi! th serio us suspense. The film brings to mind the old Hitchcock axiom--if you see a bomb explode, it's not scary, but if you know there's a bomb hidden under the table which could go off at any moment, then that's scary. At the same time, Boyle strikes the right balance between ratcheting up tension and not getting too manipulative. So much of the film could have pandered to the sort of filmgoer who loves to see disturbing images on screen like a man forced to cut off his own arm. Instead, 127 Hours is refreshingly often meditative and quiet instead of being uncompromisingly nasty and gratuitous.Beyond Boyle's direction, another key to the film's success is James Franco who gives perhaps the performance of the year. Franco is one of those actors that seems a bit odd in real life. I remember him best for his hilarious guest starring role on 30 Rock where he plays himself having a love affair with a body sized pillow with a Japanese anime woman in a bikini drawn on the outside. Match t! hat with his peculiar desire to play an over-the-top serial killer on soap operas, and it's perhaps expected that Franco would ham up a performance that requires him to be on screen alone for almost an entire film. Also add Ralston's real life confidence and ability into the equation, and Franco seems like a disaster waiting to happen. Instead, he's so perfectly balanced as a relatively socially awkward jock. Franco's Ralston isn't the sort of person that's going to be the life of the party, but he would be the sort who would be all too eager to jump off the roof of a house onto mattresses below if someone dares him to do so. If anything, Franco teeters just a bit towards underplaying the role, but, considering that you can't take your eyes off of him on screen and considering that every single thought and plan registers to us so clearly often without any words spoken at all, it's safe to say that he rises up to the challenges of an unconventional role and elevates the succ! ess of 127 Hours as a result.The last five minutes or so don't! quite m atch the consistent novelty of the previous ninety, with imagery involving a couch sitting next to a pool that's just a bit trite, but, by that point, the viewer has experienced everything necessary concerning the exposition, climax and catharsis of Aron Ralston's unimaginably difficult and impressive experience. 127 Hours is at times difficult to watch, but thanks to Boyle and Franco particularly, it's one that left me completely satisfied. I'm sure that Ralston's ordeal was much more onerous than mine was simply watching a movie, but I'd like to think that, witnessing nerves being sliced, I might have gotten at least a glimpse into the suffering and ultimate triumph of an especially resourceful and determined young man.
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The three following days (2010)

Does receive Which is the luck tons your backs off the life together after one which PUT hardware by has tragic coincidence? „The three following days “could fuel element mobile whitebait ton to who this very question and interesting. Does emergency that thesis answers edge fuel element, it seeks those custom, goal which acres incoming goods, in order ton say, what correct and wrong is, yew incoming goods more never were in look for have situation? Russell Crowe seems has standard off - ton standard fuel element role off the, which makes good He, ace long ace it does emergency escaped from its way. This Mark it the resumption the characters draws, the anything does emergency CUTs tons roofing stone, goal his liked family and that one is enough reason tons lead it more over from the edge tons. „The three following days “has very Nice tension narration, which does emergency ADD much tons, what incoming goods already saw, goal it demands certainly its position ace good ! maintenance regarding the life and the chances custom that everything must take, yew the judges boat lake the light the pits all your complaints for the innocence. It of makes it likewise in has good child without recruiting RK the revolution piaulement the nearly engine of vehicles and RK pursuits without engine, which makes has smart film for the person for it that, ace ton the MUSE one the reality off the life ace SELECT just now has film for the lacquer off something ton make more better. Examine the outside. ★★★★Director:   Paul Haggis
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127 hours

December 24, 2010127 Hours (2010) *****Directed by Danny BoyleMy tweet:127 Hours (2010)- Pretty damn amazing. Maybe the most intense film I've seen in the last few years. ***** out of 5Other thoughts:Without a doubt, had anyone else other than Danny Boyle directed 127 Hours, it would be a vastly different film. One of the most visceral filmgoing experiences I've ever had, we see the true story of Aron Ralston, a fearless and arguably stupid outdoor adventure junkie who is so confident in his own skills that he doesn't tell anyone where he's going despite the fact that he will be all alone, with no one around him for miles. After a flirtatious tryst with some y! oung women, Ralston falls into a crevasse where a boulder lodges itself on top of his arm. Thus begins an excruciating couple of days that has Aron try and fail to move the rock, then figure out how to continue to survive with a rapidly depleting water supply, and finally come to terms with what he must do in order to have a chance to live the life he sees in front of him. All the while, Aron retreats into his mind, taking stock of his life so far while also imagining going to a party he was invited to by the young women mentioned above. He has one hour worth of battery life in his camcorder, and he uses it not only to watch previously recorded material, but also to record a message of love to his parents. As things get really dire, Aron also interviews himself on camera in a dual personality exchange containing more pathos than you'd ever see on Letterman or Leno.For well over an hour, we're trapped along with James Franco who plays Ralston, and knowing that the character ! is ultimately going to cut off his own arm, Boyle teases us wi! th serio us suspense. The film brings to mind the old Hitchcock axiom--if you see a bomb explode, it's not scary, but if you know there's a bomb hidden under the table which could go off at any moment, then that's scary. At the same time, Boyle strikes the right balance between ratcheting up tension and not getting too manipulative. So much of the film could have pandered to the sort of filmgoer who loves to see disturbing images on screen like a man forced to cut off his own arm. Instead, 127 Hours is refreshingly often meditative and quiet instead of being uncompromisingly nasty and gratuitous.Beyond Boyle's direction, another key to the film's success is James Franco who gives perhaps the performance of the year. Franco is one of those actors that seems a bit odd in real life. I remember him best for his hilarious guest starring role on 30 Rock where he plays himself having a love affair with a body sized pillow with a Japanese anime woman in a bikini drawn on the outside. Match t! hat with his peculiar desire to play an over-the-top serial killer on soap operas, and it's perhaps expected that Franco would ham up a performance that requires him to be on screen alone for almost an entire film. Also add Ralston's real life confidence and ability into the equation, and Franco seems like a disaster waiting to happen. Instead, he's so perfectly balanced as a relatively socially awkward jock. Franco's Ralston isn't the sort of person that's going to be the life of the party, but he would be the sort who would be all too eager to jump off the roof of a house onto mattresses below if someone dares him to do so. If anything, Franco teeters just a bit towards underplaying the role, but, considering that you can't take your eyes off of him on screen and considering that every single thought and plan registers to us so clearly often without any words spoken at all, it's safe to say that he rises up to the challenges of an unconventional role and elevates the succ! ess of 127 Hours as a result.The last five minutes or so don't! quite m atch the consistent novelty of the previous ninety, with imagery involving a couch sitting next to a pool that's just a bit trite, but, by that point, the viewer has experienced everything necessary concerning the exposition, climax and catharsis of Aron Ralston's unimaginably difficult and impressive experience. 127 Hours is at times difficult to watch, but thanks to Boyle and Franco particularly, it's one that left me completely satisfied. I'm sure that Ralston's ordeal was much more onerous than mine was simply watching a movie, but I'd like to think that, witnessing nerves being sliced, I might have gotten at least a glimpse into the suffering and ultimate triumph of an especially resourceful and determined young man.
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Little Fokker celebrate higher Christmas

Little Fokker rocked the top OF the case the USA this Christmas, the cathedral TIC radioactive fall out you family and ton of fair raises ton split the more higher spot with A prize OF $34m.Happily, true the wasn&rsquo AS A critic received much better OF granulation; T far behind, Coen Brothers’ new adaptation you delivers OF Charles Portis writing the diagram into the second place (A very sizeable $25m). Load week ’ Tron NUMBER one OF S: The legacy became deformed more under the pressure OF of the new releases, derezzing more outer third place ($20m), whereas the voyage OF the Treader paddle coup LED into the more quarter ($10.8m) and bear OF Yogi which initialized you second more outer fifth ($8.8m). David O. Russell’ S decent the combatant proved A continuous aspiration into the sixth ($8.5m), whereas special Gulliver&rsquo OF holidays; the voyages OF S SE of acres open into the seventh place with A very disappointing $7.2m. That’ just OF Jack Blac! k OF service OF L for more ton ruin A traditional book with the easy ways 3D. WHILE waiting, the black swan gambadé just A place OF seventh more outer eighth ($6.6m), muddled loosened its braids into the ninth place (OF fifth, $6.5m), and the power OF pure traction OF Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie ensured himself that the tourist obtained the 10th place with $5.7m, INTO spite OF cooking universal.
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The three following days (2010)

Is the does chance for obtaining your DOS OF the life together after being struck hard by A tragic coincidence? “The three following days” could fuel element able ton to who this question in A very mobile and interesting way. Emergency what CAN thesis answers fuel element those seek US, corn which sums US ton say what is exact and erroneous IF incoming goods more never were in look for A situation? Russel Crowe seems tons of fuel element A type OF A role OF the type which makes IT wave as long as IT of does emergency skew OF its way. This time, ton him them taken again the draws to character which DO emergency have anything ton loosely corn SA loved family and that is enough reason tons lead it in addition ton you board. “The three following days” is suspense which does emergency ADD nice at account with very much so that incoming goods already saw, corn claims certainly SA position like good prone entertainment outer OF the life and of chances US that all must take ! when the judges CAN emergency lake the light the pits everything your complaints for innocence. IT thus makes it good manners without recruitment with the road OF piaulement cars rapidly and persecutions without engine, making him A smart film for the people that as with the MUSE on of realities OF the life than SELECT just A film for the lacquer OF something tons more better fair. Check the outside. ★★★★Director:   Paul Haggis
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127 hours

December 24, 2010127 Hours (2010) *****Directed by Danny BoyleMy tweet:127 Hours (2010)- Pretty damn amazing. Maybe the most intense film I've seen in the last few years. ***** out of 5Other thoughts:Without a doubt, had anyone else other than Danny Boyle directed 127 Hours, it would be a vastly different film. One of the most visceral filmgoing experiences I've ever had, we see the true story of Aron Ralston, a fearless and arguably stupid outdoor adventure junkie who is so confident in his own skills that he doesn't tell anyone where he's going despite the fact that he will be all alone, with no one around him for miles. After a flirtatious tryst with some y! oung women, Ralston falls into a crevasse where a boulder lodges itself on top of his arm. Thus begins an excruciating couple of days that has Aron try and fail to move the rock, then figure out how to continue to survive with a rapidly depleting water supply, and finally come to terms with what he must do in order to have a chance to live the life he sees in front of him. All the while, Aron retreats into his mind, taking stock of his life so far while also imagining going to a party he was invited to by the young women mentioned above. He has one hour worth of battery life in his camcorder, and he uses it not only to watch previously recorded material, but also to record a message of love to his parents. As things get really dire, Aron also interviews himself on camera in a dual personality exchange containing more pathos than you'd ever see on Letterman or Leno.For well over an hour, we're trapped along with James Franco who plays Ralston, and knowing that the character ! is ultimately going to cut off his own arm, Boyle teases us wi! th serio us suspense. The film brings to mind the old Hitchcock axiom--if you see a bomb explode, it's not scary, but if you know there's a bomb hidden under the table which could go off at any moment, then that's scary. At the same time, Boyle strikes the right balance between ratcheting up tension and not getting too manipulative. So much of the film could have pandered to the sort of filmgoer who loves to see disturbing images on screen like a man forced to cut off his own arm. Instead, 127 Hours is refreshingly often meditative and quiet instead of being uncompromisingly nasty and gratuitous.Beyond Boyle's direction, another key to the film's success is James Franco who gives perhaps the performance of the year. Franco is one of those actors that seems a bit odd in real life. I remember him best for his hilarious guest starring role on 30 Rock where he plays himself having a love affair with a body sized pillow with a Japanese anime woman in a bikini drawn on the outside. Match t! hat with his peculiar desire to play an over-the-top serial killer on soap operas, and it's perhaps expected that Franco would ham up a performance that requires him to be on screen alone for almost an entire film. Also add Ralston's real life confidence and ability into the equation, and Franco seems like a disaster waiting to happen. Instead, he's so perfectly balanced as a relatively socially awkward jock. Franco's Ralston isn't the sort of person that's going to be the life of the party, but he would be the sort who would be all too eager to jump off the roof of a house onto mattresses below if someone dares him to do so. If anything, Franco teeters just a bit towards underplaying the role, but, considering that you can't take your eyes off of him on screen and considering that every single thought and plan registers to us so clearly often without any words spoken at all, it's safe to say that he rises up to the challenges of an unconventional role and elevates the succ! ess of 127 Hours as a result.The last five minutes or so don't! quite m atch the consistent novelty of the previous ninety, with imagery involving a couch sitting next to a pool that's just a bit trite, but, by that point, the viewer has experienced everything necessary concerning the exposition, climax and catharsis of Aron Ralston's unimaginably difficult and impressive experience. 127 Hours is at times difficult to watch, but thanks to Boyle and Franco particularly, it's one that left me completely satisfied. I'm sure that Ralston's ordeal was much more onerous than mine was simply watching a movie, but I'd like to think that, witnessing nerves being sliced, I might have gotten at least a glimpse into the suffering and ultimate triumph of an especially resourceful and determined young man.
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