The State of the Cabins (6/30/10)

I've been working overtime for you people. Thank Netflix Watch Instantly.

Movies watched for the first time (non-theatrically) since last week:
* The Blues Brothers - I'm not entirely sure why I had yet to see the 1980 film. I didn't mean to avoid it for the first couple decades of my life, but at a certain point, it seemed like it was due to be a letdown, so I probably avoided it in recent years. At the least, I didn't go searching it out - it's not something I'd think of to rent from Blockbuster, and I definitely try to avoid watching flicks for the first time via an edited source like TBS or Comedy Central. None of the goodies + commercials? I'll pass. But thanks yet again to NWI, my excuses are gone. A viewing of Slap Shot is in my near future as well...

Anyway, this one. No real surprise here, but it was a letdown. I definitely wouldn't say that I didn't like it, but I don't think I let out a real laugh once - a chuckle here and there, and some general amusement at some of the shenanigans, but knee-slapping and gut-busting were off the board. I dug not only the casting of Carrie Fisher (I had no idea she was in it) but the skits involving her character; they were my kind of absurdity, and I dug how the Brothers didn't even acknowledge the myriad ways she was attempting to kill them until the end. It was as if she were a mere nuisance - they got up, dusted their clothes off without a word, and moved on.

Although the music was of course great, the instances where it was employed in a traditional "musical" fashion (i.e. cast members randomly breaking out into song) were a bit turn-off, not helped by the poorly disguised lip-syncing. (At first, I thought the film a low-budget one...until the cars kept piling up and the cast and necessary crew seemed to multiply exponentially.) The general storyline of the bringing the band back together on the "mission from God" was good, but as usual, length was a concern, and not even this comedy could overcome a 140-minute run time.

And though these aren't theatrical releases or full reviews, I figured I'd throw in some ratings from now on:

Fletch's Film Rating:

	Expectation: "It's in the hole!"
	Reality: "Darn tootin."

* Special - Long recommended by Nick, this ultra low budget affair starring Michael Rappaport as a lonely meter maid who starts "becoming" a superhero due to an experimental drug lived up to its advance billing. This is due largely to its ability to take something we're so familiar with (an origin tale) and completely flip it on its head. Rappaport's character starts noticing all these new abilities...or does he? As his mind becomes increasingly twisted, the true brilliance of the script comes to life, as his character finds a way to justify his actions regardless of the situation, turning the smallest slight against him or vaguest threat into the kind of thinking we've come to expect from these movies (government conspiracies, best friends turned into enemies, etc.). Filmmakers Hal Haberman and Jeremy Passmore make the most of their million dollar budget, managing not only a few CGI tricks but only old school tricks of the trade that make the film feel larger than it is.

Far from perfect, but definitely worth a watch, even more so considering its concise run time (sub-80 minutes).

Fletch's Film Rating:

	Expectation: "You seem a decent fellow. I hate to kill you."
	Reality: "Darn tootin."

* The Hustler - I've loved The Color of Money for years, but (of course) had never gotten around to seeing its predecessor. Would it outshine the Scorcese/Newman/Cruise team for me?

Of course not. I really, really wanted to like The Hustler, and to echo my sentiments about The Blues Brothers, there were elements that I truly enjoyed - mostly the acting from Newman himself (the more I see of him, the more respect I have for him) to George C. Scott playing an A-1 sleazeball. Gleason was fine, but I don't think he says more than 30 words the whole time. And, as with what happened after seeing A Streetcar Named Desire, I had to pull myself out of my state of shock upon reading that Piper Laurie won Best Actress for her role as The Wet Blanket. Granted, that role was probably a great inspiration to Gretchen Mol's character in Rounders, but christ, did she bug the hell out of me. Clearly, I have issues with the acting stlye of ye olden times, and only when I see an actor that I'm familiar with from "my time" am I able to reconcile it and/or convince myself that folks like Newman acted the same in the early 60s as they did in the 80s.

And, of course, the film drags on, though I'll spare you the rest of that complaint since I already feel like a broken record on that point. Instead, my biggest issue was with the relative lack of pool, or at least, the camera work during said pool games. Sure, there's more drama to be had above the felt (with the players, that is), than on it, but being a formerly avid player, I'd like some semblance of what's going on on the table and/or that these guys are actually any good. They might as well have been knitting sweaters.

Fletch's Film Rating:

	Expectation: "You're the best...around!"
	Reality: "You seem a decent fellow. I hate to kill you."

* The Puffy Chair - I'd never heard the term "mumblecore" until three or four months ago, probably right about the time that Cyrus was breaking out at Sundance. I was somewhat familiar with Mark Duplass (having watched him star in the FX comedy The League last fall, and might have heard the name The Puffy Chair, but this whole new aesthetic and/or his teaming with his brother Jay? Not a word, really. And now, with Greta Gerwig co-starring in Greenberg and Cyrus starring much bigger-than-tiny names like Jonah Hill, Marisa Tomei, and John C. Reilly, the Duplasses and mumblecore are getting a ton of press.

Sidenote: I hate that word, and just about any other musical/movie "genre" with the word code in its title, (O....M...Effing....G) with the possible exception of "hardcore," since that's the only one that's actually, you know, a real word, or at least based on one. But "mumblecore" - WTF does that even mean? Come to find it, it's simply defined by Wiki as:

"primarily characterized by ultra-low budget production (often employing digital video cameras), focus on personal relationships between twenty-somethings, improvised scripts, and non-professional actors."

In other words, it's a fucking independent movie. How the hell are those characteristics different from any other "genre" of tiny films made over the years? Bugs the crap out of me.

So, despite my enjoyment of M. Duplass on The League and my anticipation of Cyrus, it's safe to say that the Brothers got themselves out on the wrong foot with me (even if they weren't the ones to coin the term).

Anyway...all that said, I quite enjoyed The Puffy Chair. Once you get past the aforementioned low budget production, you can see that it's a solidly acted, amusing film, albeit one with not all that much of a narrative. It's a road trip flick with three main characters, and as with many a road trip, it deals with the way they interact and how the trip impacts their interpersonal relationships. If that sounds heavy, it's because it indeed gets heavy, though there are certainly amusements to be found along the way. In many ways, it reminded me of a cross between Away We Go and The Brothers McMullen. The characters can be painfully aggravating at times, but it's not just to the audience, it's to each other as well - they're cramped in a van, and we're cramped along with them.

(Though I'd love to know how, on this ultra-low budget, the Duplasses managed to snag Spoon, Death Cab for Cutie, Matt Pond PA and other bigger-name indie musical acts for the soundtrack...)

Fletch's Film Rating:

	Expectation: "You seem a decent fellow. I hate to kill you."
	Reality: "Darn tootin."

* Helvetica - Well, I'm running pretty long here, so I'll keep this short, and not just because I kept nodding off during the film last night (due to the lateness of the viewing more than the subject matter). Helvetica is a movie by, for, and (essentially) about graphic design nerds. I'm married to one, so it was right up her alley, and after having been with one for 8 years, a little graphic designer nerdiness has probably rubbed itself off on me as well.

In case you're painfully unaware, Helvetica is a font. But not just any font - THE font of choice for marketers and designers for the last 50+ years. (Here's what it looks like.) Gary Hustwit's doc is all about how it came about (in the 50s or something, by Germans or Swiss, I lost track), how it's mass popularity came about, and what it all means.

It's ok, though I don't think the filmmakers made it quite interesting enough, with several interviews with heavily accented folk that go on for long, long takes. For a movie about design, a bit more visual stimulation would have been nice (the interludes where they showed the various uses of the font in cityscapes or for corporate branding were the most interesting parts).

For design nerds only.

Fletch's Film Rating:

	Expectation: "Darn tootin."
	Reality: "You seem a decent fellow. I hate to kill you."

Music I'm currently obsessed with:
Yeah, I ain't had time. Nothing new here.

Book I'm currently reading:
A few months ago, I heard Kurt (I believe) on the Row Three Cinecast talking about the upcoming film adaptation of Never Let Me Go by director Mark Romanek (lots of music videos, One Hour Photo). He was intrigued at the prospect and said something to the effect of "I can't wait to see it since the novel is more or less unfilmable."

This, of course, had me intrigued.

So, after not having been able to track down Battle Royale in two smaller bookstores, I found a copy of Kazuo Ishiguro's novel, and am currently halfway through it. Just this morning, I've come across a major revelation, plot-wise.

I'm still unsure of what I think about it all. I had a hunch about where the story was going - several hints are dropped - and my fears (for lack of a better word) pretty much just came true. I don't want to give it away, but let's just say that the plot is turning into a certain Jerry Bruckheimer production and leave it at that (though set in the English countryside). So it's got this boarding school first half, and only now is it revealing What It's All About. And I'm not sure if it's gonna fly with me. Had the book been written 20 years earlier than it was, it would be fine, but not as is.

My larger issue is, despite a somewhat interesting story, I don't think the writing is all that good. I HATE the way that 90% of the chapters (or segments within chapters) end, as they all end the same goddamn way, with the narrator telling one story, then alluding to the story they are going to tell you next, followed by them doing exactly that. It's hard to explain, but it irritating as all get out. Here's an example:

"As it was, an opportunity did come along for her, about a month after the Midge episode, the time I lost me favourite tape."

END OF SEGMENT

"I still have a copy of that tape and until recently I'd listen to it occasionally..."


If there was just a little variety thrown in, it really wouldn't bother me all that much, but it's just so predictable, and seems like the writing of a child (the narrator is 31 and Ishiguro was about 50 when he wrote it. Weak. Still, I'll reserve judgement on the novel as a whole until complete.