Skyfall

This post has been written by someone very dear to me. He took the time out of his busy schedule to contribute to this blog. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

     Being based in the UK, I've had the privilege of seeing the latest chapter in the Bond saga,"Skyfall" before its release in the US. As such, EpicD has asked me to share my thoughts on it so here it goes.
Bond films follow a pretty standard blueprint, British national secrets are in danger. Bond goes after the bad guys, gets distracted by some girl, and M. gets him back on track. Finally, he [Bond] saves the day. In many respects, "Skyfall" follows this very pattern, but with some unexpected twists.
     With a running time of 2 hours and 23 minutes, this addition to the 007 series will keep you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. The series is somewhat showing its age, as Skyfall is a definite attempt to modernize and bring a new-found sense of relevance to the saga.
     The films formula is simple: MI6 is under attack from multiple angles and 007 (Daniel Craig) must come out of 'retirement' to save it. Bond's loyalty to M. (Judi Dench) is tested as her past, in the form of Silva (Javier Bardem), appears from the shadows to haunt her. Of course there is the girl, Eve (Naomie Harris), to keep 007 healthily distracted.
     Directed by Sam Mendes, the film starts out in unfamiliar territory. Is bond still relevant? Do we still need spies in a post cold war era? 007 and MI6 struggle to prove their relevance in what ends up a very personal conclusion surrounding the Bond we all know and love.
 

Rating: 4 Stars (Maximum 5) - Action, wit, and secrecy of a bygone era clash with the modern world resulting in an epic addition to the Bond franchise.

Looper

     In my triumphant return to writing, I am briefly discussing sci-fi/action film Looper. Since February, I have been vexed by the vicarious vicissitudes of fate. Now that things have calmed down, I will resume doing what I love most...watching and critiquing movies. Without further adieu, here is a brief synopsis of Film District's Looper.
     Fate, providence, predestination, consequence, future, and death are all themes in Looper, a time traveling action epic starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis, and Emily Blunt. Looper, takes place in the not so distant year of 2074. It is a society where one can work as an assassin for mob syndicates that send victims 30 years back in time for execution. These "assassins" are known as loopers. Loopers lead a relatively easy life as long as they kill each mark put in front of them. The job continues until they assassinate their future selves. Upon completion of this inevitable task, the "loop" is closed. Effectively closing all loose ends that tie these assasins to their emloyers. This is where the problem begins...
     Looper begins with a brief glimpse into the life and addictions of Joe (Gordon-Levitt), a looper whose future will bring drastic changes to his present. Once this change occurs, we are violently introduced to future Joe (Bruce Willis). A man with his own set of memories and life history that are about to be disrupted by the consequences of time travel. From this point forward the film takes a jarring turn towards rapid story progression, time-paradoxes, and stylized action of the likes we have not seen since Die Hard With A Vengeance. As a bonus, Sara (Blunt) provides an interesting turn of events that will undoubtedly lead to many conversations with friends on the laws of astrophysics, time travel, and evolution.
     What happens when your future and past intersect? What happens to the past that you remembered before the time/space continuum was corrupted? How do you alter the future without knowing that your actions are the cause of the problem you are trying to solve? These questions are just a few of the conversation starters that will make this movie a must-see-event for years to come. All in all, Looper provides a gripping tale of the consequences of a person's actions and delivers it on a special effects driven platter ensconced in breathtaking brutality that we have not in any film this year. A superb effort from director and writer Rian Johnson, a film that should not be missed.

Rating: 5 Stars (Maximum of 5) - Brutality, science, and masterful storytelling combine in Looper, the best action film of 2012.

The Lorax

     For those who are unfamiliar, The Lorax (Danny DeVito) is a mystical creature that speaks for and protects trees. Ted (Zac Efron) is a 12-year old boy who will do anything to get the attention of the beautiful Audrey (Taylor Swift). During a "chance" encounter Audrey reveals that she wants more than ANYTHING to have a tree. Naturally, Ted views this as his opportunity to impress and hopefully one day marry the girl of his dreams. Never having left town before, Ted sets off to find a mysterious man known only as the Once-ler (Ed Helms). The Once-ler begins to weave a tale of greed and the horrible price that it came with. Making a long plot-spoiling story short, the Once-ler destroys the forest and breaks the Lorax's heart. Fast forward several years, and now it's in Ted's hands to fix this horrible mistake.

     The Lorax is a stunning tale that addresses one of the most pressing matters in this day and age; what is more important, the bottom dollar or environmental preservation? Slightly reminiscent of Pixar's WALL-E, The Lorax weaves a magical tale of warning from Dr. Seuss the master of rhythmic story-telling. The film begins with a brief introduction from the famed Lorax and immediately erupts into a song and dance sequence that will grab the attention of every one in the audience. Don't be fooled by this film, it's musical aspects are merely an easy disguise for the intense dialog that is riddled with poetic devices. The subtle adult humor is not hard to miss, but will not alienate even the most conservative families.
     Unfortunately some may view the film as a political platform for liberals, democrats, and environmentalists. It's message is very grounded in the consequences of big corporations, greed, and environmental conservation. Another film with a similar theme would be 2011's The Muppets. The Muppets film was unfortunately viewed to be Marxist by many narrow-minded critics. Simply put, the environment should be more important than the convenience or financial gain of destroying it. This message may go over the heads of the children that see this movie, but the concept will be driven home with eye-popping 3-D effects.
     Long story short, The Lorax is definitely a film for families of all ages to enjoy. The characters are colorful and memorable. From a feisty grandmother (Betty White) to a devious corporate tycoon (Rob Riggle). The film can appear to be a blatant attempt at environmental pandering and come off as being preachy, but it's a message we all need to hear. Chris Renaud and Kyle Balda co-directed a beautiful story that's filled with enough fun and humor to keep the attention of everyone in the audience.

Rating: 4 (Maximum of 5) - The Lorax is a beautifully crafted Doctor Seuss educational masterpiece.

This post was co-written by one of my amazingly talented nephews. Thank you for your thoughts and input Niles.

The Iron Lady

     The other day I had the immense pleasure of seeing Meryl Streep portray one of the most powerful women in modern history, the indomitable Margaret Thatcher. For those who are unaware, Margaret Thatcher was the first woman to head the conservative party and the first to become prime minister of Great Britain with a tenure lasting from 1979-1990. She earned her title as "The Iron Lady" for her tough stances on unions, and labor laws. It is no wonder that such a powerful woman in history would be portrayed by one of the most powerful actresses of all time.

     Meryl Streep gives what I consider to be a career best performance in The Iron Lady. She flawlessly assumes the role of the great Margaret Thatcher as a retired woman suffering from dementia and as a political force of nature. The film begins with a brief glimpse into the modern life of Ms. Thatcher as an elderly woman. It is shortly revealed to us that she is in fact suffering from delusions and paranoia. It is not long before that we are plunged into a series of flashbacks that chronicle Margaret's life as a young girl who never fit in at home or socially.
     Within these early flashbacks the role of the then unmarried Margaret Roberts is played by Alexandria Roach. We are quickly made aware of how young Margaret is uncomfortable with her home life and strives to do something more with herself. Despite being shunned by other girls her age and her mother, her father remained a positive force in her life and supported her continuing her education at Oxford. We are then whipped back and forth between present day and her road to political power.
     The film does it's best to show us that this now demure and somewhat broken woman was once capable of making the most powerful men in the world squirm in their seats with only her words. Unfortunately, what should be a subtle contrast ends up being a coy and often unfair representation of Thatcher in the present day. Director Phyllida Lloyd puts too much emphasis on the life that Baroness Thatcher lives now in an attempt to draw an emotional response from audiences. This tactic comes off as nothing more than exploitations of circumstance and emotional pandering. Margaret Thatcher is not a woman that we should pity, she is a woman who is to be revered.
     Luckily the film is saved by it's accurate portrayal of Thatcher throughout her career and the lengths that she had to go to overcome every trial that dared to hold her back. In one scene Thatcher states, ‘It used to be about trying to do something; now it’s about trying to be someone.' Regrettably screenwriter Abi Morgan does not heed the advice of this line. The problem with the movie is that does not show enough of what Margaret Thatcher did, but instead focuses too much on who she is now.
     In the end, The Iron Lady is still a powerful film and poignant lesson in global political history. Meryl Streep once again more than plays the role she is presented with, she is a solid manifestation of the much maligned former Prime Minister. This definitely a film to see because of it's importance and because of the stunning portrayals by the entire cast. Just be prepared to be somewhat disappointed by the manner in which the story is told.


Rating: 3.5 (Maximum of 5) - Meryl Streep shines in this film that does not match her level of dedication to excellence

Books & Adaptations

     I've been going through a lot of posts from an old blog I used to maintain. While reviewing a lot of these sometimes awkward and grammatically challenged posts, I discovered a creative jewel that I have long forgotten. The post detailed a letter I wrote to my favorite author at the time in regards to adapting one of his series into films. I also mention "The Golden Compass", which at the time had not been released as a film. While The Golden Compass had immense potential, it was dragged down and destroyed by the narrow-minded and unimaginative members of the American religious community. The backlash of negative press resulted in the studio (New Line) pulling the plug on future projects. To make matters even worse, major plot lines were intentionally omitted from the film due to studio censorship. It's ridiculous that people would boycott a fantasy film because of it's over arching themes, but would still allow trash like Borat, Jackass 2, and even The Paranormal Activity series to thrive. Alas, I have digressed.  I hope you enjoy this blast from the past and feel encouraged to post comments. Thanks!

  I recently wrote a letter to my favorite author of all time (at the moment) to bounce some thoughts off of his head and generally get some off of mine. I am posting that very same letter here as well for the opinions of my friends, family and dedicated readers. Please feel free to respond with thoughts, advice or commentary.


Dear Garth Nix,

     Mr. Nix I am an avid reader and an aspiring writer in the US. I'm writing this to share with you some of my thoughts and propose a few questions. At this current time you are my favorite author. Overall, I love the energy and flow of all of your books. Your literature has helped me write several short stories and has furthered my own dreams to become an accomplished filmmaker. You are fiercely imaginative and you have yet to release a book or story that is less than riveting. It has been a dream of mine to adapt "The Abhorsen Trilogy" into three separate powerful screenplays for film. Of course yours is not the only one, but the most pressing. I initially fell in love with Sabriel long before I knew it was a trilogy. I have since written a screenplay based on it for a school project. The world of the Abhorsen is so complex and imaginative that I feel like it can spawn a generation of followers via films and mini-series. While I am sure that you are in current discussions and/or negotiations with many people about bringing your many works to life. I wanted to be sure that unlike some authors, that this is done in the most accurate way possible. For example, I love Philip Pullman and my dream of bringing the "His Dark Materials Trilogy" to life is now dead. Alas, all I can do is hope that Mr. Pullman had more than a hand in the adaptation of a very complicated book (The Golden Compass) than other authors have had in theirs. A fine example would be what I consider to be the travesty of "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix". Mrs. Rowling has accomplished what many writers dare to achieve. She started with nothing and ended with a cultural phenomenon. As she wrote, her books became more complex and progressively more stylized and powerful. In essence, she got better as she went along. Unlike her writing, the films have done just the opposite. I may be over exaggerating, but I could have publicly executed David Yates (the director) for the most recent film (Order of the Phoenix). I do not wish for this to happen to any of your films, or to others whom I admire. I feel that as an author you have to be just as fiercely dedicated to your own works of literary art as you were during their initial editing process.
     I am sure that you are well aware of all of this. Then again this is an open forum so I am also writing this for all those who wish to read and respond. So in final words, I wish to say that I pray for your continuing success and hope that like myself your passion for great writing will translate into great films. I look forward to your response (as well as anyone else) and bid you adieu.

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

     For the past several years we as movie-goers have been subjected to an alarming number of adaptations. Whether it has been from a graphic novel, manga, children's book, or other literary work; it seems as if there are no longer any original thoughts in Hollywood. Especially when you think of films that are in fact remakes of a movie that was an adaptation of a play that was an adaptation of something else entirely. Nonetheless, it is happening and will continue to happen. The good news is that occasionally a truly great book to film adaptation is made. Great adaptations go above and beyond to bring the original piece to a vibrant and artful life. Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close is one of those great film adaptions.
     Directed by Stephen Daldry (Billy Elliot, The Hours) Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close is an adaptation of a novel with the same title. This film follows a nine-year-old loses his father in the September 11th attacks and his journey to to find the lock to a key that was left behind by his father. Oskar Schell (Thomas Horn) is incredibly close to his father Thomas Schell Jr. (Tom Hanks) and it almost seems as if no one but his dad understands him. Oskar is a jack of all trades; a self-proclaimed amateur inventor, jewelry designer, astrophysicist, tambourine player, and pacifist. The one thing that Oskar isn't is good at is being social. He's petrified of many things and the loss of his father sends him over the edge. A year after his father's death, Oskar embarks on a nearly impossible quest that he hopes will keep him from losing his only friend (his dad).
     The beauty of Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close is it's intimate perspective on how a single event can destroy so many lives. The imagery alone is enough to conjure powerful emotions for anyone that remembers or was affected by the attacks on the World Trade Center. There are many messages to be found within this artistic and emotional tale of family, loss, and love. Communication, self-expression, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are all subjects found within this film. Bolstered by a spectacular supporting cast featuring Sandra Bullock, Viola Davis, and Max von Sydrow, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close speaks to all generations and all ages. This is easily the first must-see movie event of the new year. I can only hope that 2012 will continue to deliver adaptations such as this one.

Rating: 5 (Maximum of 5) - Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close is an incredibly emotional and poignant tale of a boy and his struggle to save the bond he had with his dead father