Let's just get the obvious out in the open: It looks silly to see
people singing their way through ordinary, day-to-day events. Like
riding a bike. Or grocery shopping. Or eating. Or picking up AIDS
medication at the store.
I've never seen the Broadway "Rent," but I saw the movie version
with people who did. They loved it on the big screen. They were
laughing, singing, and crying as their old "friends" were re-enacting
a story they knew so well. I was cringing a little, and almost felt
embarrassed for the actors whose efforts, in my opinion, don't
translate nearly as well to the screen as, say, those in "Chicago."
In that musical, the dance numbers were hyper-stylized dream
sequences. In "Moulin Rouge!," the whole movie was
hyper-stylized. The filmmakers made a conscious effort to take the
viewer out of the realm of the ordinary into a colorful, kinetic,
surreal fantasy world. In "Rent," the events portrayed are so
mundane as to make the added singing and high-kicking appear
goofy and awkward.
This really is no fault of the actors. While the characters
themselves are a bit simplistic and under-developed, Rosario
Dawson (as an HIV-positive stripper), Adam Rapp (as a budding
filmmaker), and the excellent Idina Menzel (as a lesbian
performance artist) truly jump into their roles with vivacity and
deserve a better showcase for their unrelenting energy and powerful
pipes.
But I guess if it pleases the die-hards, "Rent" is some kind of
success.
My grade: C
Screened: November 16
My question: Did every creative genius of the 20th century have an
annoying wife that was holding him back from greatness? Just
asking.
There are a couple of good reasons to see "Walk the Line." The
haunting music is key, first and foremost. But better yet is -- and I
never thought I'd say this -- Reese Witherspoon. This was her One
Oscar Chance and she nails it. The power of her singing, the
nobility of her convictions, the tenderness of her vulnerabilities, and
the credibility of the performance are nothing short of jaw-dropping.
Even Joaquin Phoenix's noble turn can't compare to the highs of
Witherspoon's stunning portrayal.
The film itself is nothing new, and let's not forget that "Ray" was
nothing new either. These types of biopics exist merely to let
actors show their chops and to provide a small window into the lives
of those we admire. A very small window. It's sturdy filmmaking,
but not especially revealing or compelling.
"Walk the Line" is basically two great performances in search of a
more forceful narrative. But it's worth it for those two performances.
My grade: B
Screened: November 17
"Syriana" is a globe-trotting tale of espionage, government
corruption, big business, and terrorism that literally demands every
ounce of attention you can give it. About five disparate stories
thread throughout the film, and even when they coalesce at the end,
you still may be scratching your head over small details and hinted
connections that might've been missed.
Let's see if I can sum it up: An Iranian royal would like to
modernize his country, but the U.S. would rather see his more
oil-friendly brother take the throne. An energy analyst (Matt
Damon) becomes the good prince's right-hand man, while a
down-on-his-luck CIA agent (George Clooney, with echoes of Valerie
Plame) is commissioned to do the guy in. To no one's knowledge, a
group of Muslim teenagers are being indoctrinated as suicide
bombers to obliterate the whole oil operation being undertaken.
The execs and lawyers (Jeffrey Wright, Chris Cooper, Christopher
Plummer) back in Washington, meanwhile, are trying to secure these
shady oil contracts (with echoes of Halliburton) while making it all
look above-board.
The pic's underlying message is that the U.S. would rather have less
stable (and less democratic) Middle-Eastern regimes in power if it
meant the oil would flow more freely. There are probably a good
number of people that would agree with that statement, but whether
or not you do, "Syriana" lays it all out on the table with dramatic
impetus to spare.
Each member of the large, starry cast lends weight to small, effective
roles, with sideways glances and tiny turns of the phrase imbued with
heavy meaning as we speed by each storyline at warp-speed.
You've got to be quick on your toes to grasp "Syriana" at first bite,
but being challenged by a geo-political thriller is far from the worst
way to spend an afternoon in the theater.
My grade: B+
Screened: November 18
