CRUEL SUMMER Saw the new English film My Summer of Love at Landmark's Century Centre on Friday evening. (Incidentally, isn't that one of the clunkiest names for a movie theater ever? What century are they talking about? What center? Why is center spelled the British way?)

My Summer of Love tells the story of Mona (Nathalie Press), a teenager killing time in a small village in Yorkshire. Mona's father abandoned the family long ago and her mother recently died of cancer, leaving her with her older brother, Phil (Paddy Considine), a former hellraiser who has reformed and found Jesus. Mona and Phil live above a pub that their mother used to run and which Phil has decided to turn into a meeting place for his evangelical friends.

As the film opens, we see Mona wandering the countryside around her village. She is discovered lying by the side of a road by another young woman on horseback. The other girl's name is Tasmin (Emily Blunt); she quickly informs Mona that she is staying at her parents's country estate for the summer because she has been kicked out of boarding school. Tasmin's name, accent, and house tell us that she is from a very well-off upper-class family. Indeed, the two girls's means of transportation show us everything we need to know about their class differences: Mona lugs a broken down scooter, while Tasmin towers high above Mona on her magnificent horse. The two walk and talk for a little while. They part ways as they reach the path to Tasmin's manor house, Tasmin inviting Mona to stop by at any time.

Mona takes Tasmin up on her offer and the two girls begin spending all of their time together. They drink, smoke, sunbathe, and talk about their lives. Their friendship, originally inspired by summer boredom, quickly develops in intensity, as Mona and Tasmin begin to experiment sexually with each other. Mona's brother isn't too keen on her relationship with Tasmin, however, and his repeated warnings to her set in motion the events that lead to the emotionally-scarring climax of the film.

My Summer of Love is a quiet character study without much plot - my favorite kind of film. (Seriously, I'm not being sarcastic.) We learn about the characters just from watching them. They don't speak very often and what they say isn't always very memorable, but it is often very revealing. For instance, a drunken Tasmin quotes Nietzsche to Mona during one of their first times hanging out together. The quote isn't really important, but what is important is what the quote shows us about Tasmin. We see that she's intellectually pretentious, which is another way of saying that she's vain.

While I liked My Summer of Love, I didn't think it was a great film. Although it doesn't have much of a plot, what plot it does have is fairly obvious; we can see where the story's going right away. The two lead actresses are very good, but not quite skilled enough to add something more to the script. They don't provide any bits of business to fill out their roles, to more fully suggest the inner lives of their characters. Their relative inexperience as actors is especially evident when Paddy Considine is on screen. He's not in the film for very long, but he makes the most of his scenes. He plays the part of Phil with a quiet intensity that suggests the violence lurking beneath the character's newfound piety. You can't take your eyes off him when he's on screen.

All in all, My Summer of Love was a good movie, well worth seeing. It was also a nice break from blockbuster season.  ¶ 9:42 AM 0 comments

  THE SMITHS Vivian and I spent the weekend roughing it at the Little Swiss Village in Maniquoc, Wisconsin. The Village is a cluster of cabins on Blue Lake. We stayed there because it's dog-friendly, allowing us to take little Daley-boy along as our third wheel.

I was feeling sluggish on Saturday evening, so I decided to go for a run while Vivian took a nap at our cabin. Looking back, I think it was a portent of things to come that I was almost knocked down by two deer that leapt out of the forest as I started the run. After the deer had crossed the road, I continued out on the drive from the cabins and turned west onto the main road.

I hadn't run in a while, but I felt pretty good, so I decided to go a little further than I had planned. I soon noticed dark clouds forming on the western horizon. I thought a thunderstorm was probably headed our way, but wasn't concerned, as the clouds didn't seem too close and as I happen to like thunderstorms. A few minutes later, I felt a few rain drops tickle my arms and neck and decided that it was time to turn back. The rain was a fine drizzle for a few minutes before turning into a steady downpour. Since I had been running for about twenty minutes on a warm, muggy day, I found the rain cooling and refreshing and remained unconcerned. Then the wind began to pick up. At first it was just a few strong gusts, but it quickly became overpowering, bending the tops of the trees sideways and snapping their weaker branches. The rain also increased in strength, quickly soaking through my shirt, shorts, and sneakers. I started to feel a little worried at this point, but thought that if the storm didn't become any worse, I'd be okay. Well, it did become worse, a lot worse. Lightning struck nearby and the thunder was so loud that it was hard to think. The wind blew with such intensity that it whipped the rain directly into my face, making it difficult to see. I became increasingly worried that I would miss the turn onto the drive to the cabins, leaving me wandering hopelessly in the storm. But I saw the turn and started down the drive only to have a tree nearly fall on top of me. I ran around the tree-corpse lying in the road and headed to the cabins. Just as I was rounding the final curve, Vivian pulled up in our car. She had come out to look for me. I slowly jogged down the driveway and up to our cabin. I took off my running clothes and, as I toweled off, Vivian told me that the power had gone out during the storm.

All of the above was to say that, since the power went out on Saturday night, Vivian and I decided to go into Maniquoc and see a movie. We saw Mr. and Mrs. Smith.

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie play a husband and wife who also happen to be hired assassins; neither of them knowing of the other's true profession. As the story opens, the Smiths are assigned to assassinate the same person but they botch each others' plans. Each spouse then discovers the other's identity and decides to eliminate the competition. The two ultimately join forces when it becomes clear that both their agencies have put out hits on them as a consequence of their marital status. The previously distant Smiths recapture more and more of their original spark as the body count mounts.

I had a good time watching Mr. and Mrs. Smith, but I wouldn't necessarily recommend it. It feels as if everyone involved in the film thought they were being extremely clever, when they were just being cute. The film begins as a satire of marriage and suburban living: we see clips of the Smiths's marital therapy sessions. John and Jane feel that their marriage has become stale, lacking the excitement it had once possessed. They feel that they don't know each other anymore. But, a-ha, they don't know each other, do they? Neither knows that the other is a trained, lethal assassin. This set-up could lead to a film that questions the institution of marriage, instead the film skips ahead to the action.

First Pitt and Jolie try to kill each other, then they team up to get revenge on their respective agencies. The action scenes are well-handled, but to what end? I thought this film was a marital satire. That was the problem with Mr. and Mrs. Smith for me. The film takes a few initial shots at marriage, but doesn't have much to offer beyond the obvious. Instead of trying to find something insightful to say, the makers of Mr. and Mrs. Smith go for the action. The film feels neither here nor there, is it a romantic comedy with some action in it? Or is it an action movie with some romance and comedy? Indeed, the film feels quite vague at times. We never know what agencies Pitt and Jolie work for. We have only a few very brief scenes detailing their initial encounter and courtship. I know this isn't crucial information, but this paucity of information gave the film an unreal quality that made me care less and less about the characters. Some might enjoy the insubstantial nature of Mr. and Mrs. Smith; they might think it's lightness makes it fun. All I can say is that I wanted to enjoy it, but as the action scenes got longer and louder I found myself looking at my watch.

The biggest reason to see Mr. and Mrs. Smith are the two leads. Both are probably the two best-looking and most charismatic movie stars around. They also happen to be pretty good actors. Pitt turns in another one of his understated, comic gems. Like many handsome leading men, Pitt is better when he can break away from the dull, heroic roles that he seems born to play. Comedies allow him to loosen up and find the spontaneity and spirit that he lacks in his more serious films.

Then there's Angelina Jolie. I still don't know what to think about her. I certainly don't have anything critical to say. I'm just not sure what she should be doing. Most of her films have been dull, crappy Hollywood dramas. She's always the best thing in them, but she needs to find better work. Yet even if she does, I don't know if it will make a difference. Allen Barra has a great piece in Salon this week about her. He correctly points out that Jolie has a habit of burning up the screen, making her co-stars look like mannequins. He also writes that she doesn't fit the current spate of Hollywood roles for women. It's difficult to imagine her as a cute, likeable heroine in a romantic comedy or fitting comfortably into the Meryl Streep, Renee Zellweger, Nicole Kidman, award-winning actress mold. She's too interesting for that. I guess we'll have to wait and see if she can really make a career for herself. My guess is that she will drop out of Hollywood in the next ten years.

The best thing I can say about Mr. and Mrs. Smith is that Jolie finally has a co-star that can hold his own with her.

After the movie was over, Vivian and I came out of the theater to see that another thunderstorm was passing through Maniquoc. We drove back to the cabin, discovered that the power was still out, and went to bed.  ¶ 8:30 AM 0 comments

  SUMMERTIME BLUES Haven't seen any movies since Kings and Queen and I don't plan to in the near future, so I thought I'd do a summer movie preview. Remember, I haven't seen any of these films: the following comments come directly from the seething underbelly of my critic's id/unconscious.

Revenge of the Sith - Well, I did see this one and I already reviewed it. So, you can read what I thought about on this blog. Okay, this isn't getting off to a good start.

The Longest Yard - Yet another needless remake. I mean seriously, why? I'm not even a person who loved the first film either. Can't they think of anything new? And Adam Sandler as a quaterback? Ya gotta be kiddin' me, right?

Madagascar - Celebrities making a kids' film for their kids.

Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants - I don't want to beat up on this film, as it seems well-intentioned, but it has that after-school special, girl-power feel about it. Everyone learns a lesson of some sort and goes home happy. Well, life isn't always about lessons, kids. It's about booze and drugs and fried food. And what about that title?

Cinderella Man - Opie, Russ, and Renee need more Oscars. Why don't they just back a fucking truck up to the loading dock of the Academy Awards? Or can't there be some sort of special Ron Howard Academy Awards for movies that aspire to greatness but are boring, wholesome crap? Another bad title too, even if they really called the guy that. Throw your phone at Mr. Crowe when he's on the screen.

Mr. and Mrs. Smith - I'm holding out some hope for this one, but I have to admit it that it looks a little stupid. The preview shows Brad and Angelina trying to kill each other in all kinds of cute ways, which is supposed to be funny because they're married. Still I've liked some films directed by Doug Liman, particularly The Bourne Identity, and Brad Pitt has been good in his comic roles. I still don't know what to think about Angelina. She's gorgeous, but in a sort of cartoonish way. If they re-made Weird Science, she would be perfect in the Kelly LeBrock part since she looks like a woman that teenage boys would dream up. She's not a bad actress, but for the most part, she's made solemn, dull Hollywood dramas that seem to have had all the life sucked out of them in advance. Stay tuned.

Batman Begins- The serious Batman. The darker Batman. The tragic Batman. Honestly, who gives a shit about these tortured superheroes anymore? They're all so fucking depressed. I half expect that most of the action in this one will consist of Batman moping around his cave listening to Morissey and the Cure. Oh, by the way, Katie Holmes, a.k.a. Tom Cruise's future ex-wife, plays a district attorney in this one.

Bewitched - Can you smell it? Yes, that's the stink of a serious shit bomb. This might have worked had they got Jim Carrey to play Darrin. He might have goosed Nicole Kidman a little bit. I don't think Will Ferrell's up to the task.

War of the Worlds - To quote Brooke Shields, "Tom [Cruise] should stick to saving the world from aliens and let women who are experiencing postpartum depression decide what treatment options are best for them.” Maybe, maybe not, Brooke. I don't know about this one. It could suck, it could be pretty good. Considering Minority Report, Cruise and Spielberg's last outing though, I'm going to err on the side of this sucking.

Fantastic Four - All rational parts of my being tell me that this is going to be god-awful, but I have a funny feeling that it might not be. Maybe it's just that it looks like it's going to be so bad that I'm being fooled into thinking that it won't be. If so, hats off to those Hollywood studios and their brilliant reverse psychology.

Dark Water - It pains me to say it, since my girl Jennifer Connelly (J.Co.) is the star, but this doesn't look very good. It looks like a knock-off of The Ring and The Grudge and those other remakes of Japanese horror flicks, but it's about three years too late. It looks dull and plodding, with minimal thrills. Dark Water indeed.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Don't know about this one. I like Johnny Depp a lot, but can he really top Gene Wilder? The thing with Wilder in the original was that he looked somewhat normal, so that the character's deadpan nastiness was that much more shocking. From what I've seen of the new CCF, they've made Johnny up to look like a lesbian vampire, showcasing Willy Wonka's oddity up front. Let's just hope he can channel some of that over the top energy from Pirates of the Caribbean. I expect there will be a lot of Tim Burton production design in this one, which doesn't do much for me.

The Wedding Crashers - Vince Vaughan and Owen Wilson scam available women at wedding receptions. Sounds like it could be funny. I'm sure they'll find a way to fuck it up.

The Island - Is it me or is this just a big chase movie? There's nothing wrong with that. Just wanted to make sure.

The Bad News Bears - Hmmm. I feel conflicted about this one. The original was, of course, one the seminal movie experiences of my childhood. And Billy Bob in the Walter Matthau part seems like a good idea. Probably won't equal the original, but might be good. Now that I think about it, one of the things I liked about the original was that it was filmed in a low-key, almost-documentary style that gave it a heightened sense realism. It looked the way my life did. That was nice.

Stealth - Jessica Biel, Josh Lucas, and Jamie Foxx save the world from a stealth bomber with a mind of its own. So stupid it's brilliant.

The Brothers Grimm- Terry Gilliam. Great visuals, can't tell a story to save his life. Interesting choice for Matt Damon, though.

Dukes of Hazard - Insert Jessica Simpson joke here.

And a lot more crap in August!!!  ¶ 11:17 AM 0 comments

  ROYAL FLUSH Saw Kings and Queen at the Music Box yesterday. I had to wait in line when I got to the theater. The guy in front of me said that he wanted a ticket for "that French movie." The cashier pointed out that there were two French movies playing at the theater. The guy paused for a second, trying to process this information, I suppose, and said, "I want a ticket for the French one." Honestly, it's a wonder that I haven't killed anyone yet.

On to the film: Nora (Emanuelle Devos), runs a Parisian art gallery and is engaged to, Jean-Jacques, a fantastically rich businessman. The film begins with her journey to Grenoble to visit her young son from her first marriage, Elias, who has been spending the summer with her elderly father, an esteemed writer. Things take a turn for the worse upon Nora's arrival, as she discovers that her father is likely to die from cancer within a few days.

Meanwhile, back in Paris, Ismael (Mathieu Amalric), an accomplished violist and Nora's estranged second husband has been committed to a mental asylum against his will. Apparently, he has been behaving erratically and owes the French tax authorties several hundred thousand francs.

The film proceeds to cut back and forth between these two stories, one tragic, or at least solemn, and the other, comic, or at least kind of funny. Nora attempts to deal with her father's imminent death while trying to take care of Elias and maintain her relationship with Jean-Jacques. Ismael tries to get himself out of the asylum, having multiple consultations with two psychiatrists, one played by Catherine Deneuve. We also see him strike up a cautious friendship with a troubled young woman at the asylum.

Kings and Queen didn't work for me at all. I noticed that one critic wrote that the film is "full of life." Well, I suppose it is in the sense that, in life, a lot of random shit happens without much purpose. The things that happen in Kings and Queen don't feel connected in any way; the characters that are supposed to be related to each other seem to have never met before. For instance, it seems impossible that Nora and Ismael were ever married; or that Nora and her father were ever father and daughter. The film just doesn't provide enough convincing detail to make their pasts come alive in our imaginations. I don't think that the director, Arnaud Desplechin, is trying to make the point that human realtionships are inexplicable, that we don't know why we form bonds with certain people and not others, I think that he is just interested in mixing as many different styles together and seeing what happens. Kings and Queen is at times serious, silly, melodramatic, and surreal. Its music ranges from jazz, to rap, to a recurring Moon River motif. The idea of mixing all of these genres is interesting, but the film comes off as an annoying, overly-long mess, not a bold, visionary experiment.

Kings and Queen isn't a total loss. There are some nice performances. Mathieu Almaric, looking like a young, shaggy Roman Polanski, brings considerable charm and charisma to the role of Ismael. Magalie Woch is especially good as the young woman that Ismael befriends in the asylum. She nicely balances showing her character's humor and intelligence with her instability. And of course, there is Catherine Deneuve as one of Ismael's psychiatrists. She plays her part with a wonderful understated coolness that offers a stark contrast to the sometimes hysterical tone of the rest of the film. She's like the proverbial calm in the eye of the storm.  ¶ 7:51 AM 0 comments