Mean Streets

I feel terrible because I like Martin Scorsese’s work very much, but this one, alas, I did not. Maybe, and I’ll admit it, I just didn’t get it, but this movie was just not interesting or captivating. On the contrary, it was sort of boring.

The performances, as you would expect from the likes of Robert DeNiro and Harvey Keitel, were very good, but the story just dragged along from a lone starting point to a lone ending one, and not much stayed with me when the credits started rolling.

This is what I call a window-movie, meaning that watching it is like opening a window on a street section, only here we open it on someone’s life for a couple of hours and then close it. There isn’t always a starting point (with a clear reason), a development and a conclusion. Sometimes the whole reason for the movie is just to show you a certain moment in time.

This movie felt like that. It shows you a moment in the life of DeNiro’s character when he’s in some trouble with some shady characters from his neighborhood. You can tell from the beginning that the guy is messed up, so you don’t hold out much hope that he’ll have a bright future. And that is pretty much all I remember of the whole story.

Like I said, I generally like Scorses’s work and it’s nice to see one of the first efforts by DeNiro and Keitel, but this movie left me a little cold.

Grade: 5

Fantastic Four

Another comic book adaptation, another semi-disappointment. This movie’s only salvageable element are its visual effects (good and believable), but this isn’t saying much given that eye popping effects are now a staple of any studio wannabe franchise and/or tent-pole product. Other than that, there’s really nothing worth your money or time.

I won’t even bother summarizing the story, since it’s the usual recycled good guys vs. bad guy concept (guess who wins in the end; hint: they’ve already made a sequel).

The direction is bland and the script boring, so much so that even the actors struggle to find ways to make something concrete out of thin air.

This was actually the movie of first performances for me, for virtually all the marquee names. Of the top five actors, I had only seen Ioan Gruffudd in a small supporting role in Titanic, and he’s probably the one that does the best work here. The other one would have to be Michael Chiklis, of The Shield fame.

Chris Evans, gloriously handsome and all too eager to show off his statuary body (thank you, Chris, you didn’t disappoint in that…) is mediocre at best while the other very attractive male, Julian McMahon (the hotter half of the Nip/Tuck duo) seems quite underutilized.

Jessica Alba, the lone female role in this stinker, disappoints because although she has made quite a name for herself, in this movie looks like not much more than a bimbo.

Stay away.

Grade: 4

Eragon

Well, what can be said about this movie? That it’s mediocre at best? That its runtime (about 104 minutes) is way too short to do the story justice? That whoever made the decision to keep the movie’s runtime short didn’t also decide to leave out more material, forcing so much to be told in so little time, I felt like a goose being force fed in order to make foie gras.

Or that it is a clear rip off of the Lord of the Rings? This last point I put separate for two reasons. First, I haven’t read the book, so I really cannot tell how much this story really differs from Tolkien’s opus (or if it does at all). Second, because if it does differ from it substantially or if the book’s author was only tangentially inspired by it and used it as a spring board, the movie still stinks of being rushed into production and into theaters to take advantage of the audience’s thirst for fantasy movies in the mold of the Lord of the Rings. In short, it feels like a copycat job.

[SPOILER PARAGRAPH] The movie tells the story of Eragon (and don’t even try to convince me that this name does not sound vaguely like the name Aragorn), a teenage kid who finds a dragon’s egg that will only hatch when it finds its rider, and promptly does so when Eragon finds it. Our hero is then quickly schooled in the ways of the dragon riders by Brom, a former dragon rider himself now in hiding (who just so happens to live in Eragon’s same village). Eragon has to learn quickly because the anti-hero, Galbatorix (a poorly cast and barely used John Malkovich), a dragon rider who turned bad and killed (almost) all of his kin in order to take power into his own hands, is now targeting Eragon to solidify his control over the land once and for all. Surprisingly (not really), Eragon is a quick learner and masterfully defies all of Galbatorix’s armies.

The direction is not so terrible as much as rushed, but the screenplay is not only stuffed like a turkey with material, it’s also grossly underdeveloped. The actors, especially renown good ones like Jeremy Irons and John Malkovich, do what they can, failing miserably, but at least look like they had more fun making the movie then we have watching them in it. The only consolation might just be that the actor playing Eragon, Ed Speleers, is incredibly good looking, but that’s not enough to save this stinker from getting a bad score.

Grade: 3.5

V for Vendetta

What a wonderful little gem of a movie this was. I’m not a comic book fan (or reader for that matter), so I went into this viewing without expecting too much and was more than pleasantly surprised. I’ll actually go as far as to say that this was one of the best movies I’ve ever seen in this genre.

[SPOILER PARAGRAPH] The story centers around Eve, a young girl who’s saved one night by our hero, V, who readily falls in love with her and to whom she becomes more and more attracted. The problem is that V is on a quest to overturn the British government, now in the hands of a Nazi-like regime that obviously considers him a terrorist and a big threat to its own survival. As a result, the Chancellor’s will is bent on seeking and neutralizing V, with whatever means necessary and at any cost. The relationship between V and Eve will evolve and change over the course of the movie in unpredictable ways.

What makes the movie shine is its screenplay. It is so well written and intelligently developed that it flows flawlessly from the first frames to the end titles. The actors do a very good job, especially Hugo Weaving, who is such a good actor he can make his character’s emotions and feelings seep through a mask. You never see his face, but through his body language, well calculated head tilts and his charismatic voice, his performance turns out to be brilliant. He is V and he carries the whole movie with what seems like little or no effort.

Good are also Natalie Portman, Stephen Rea, a venomous John Hurt and Stephen Fry, in what amounts to little more than a cameo.

The direction is very good, as are the cinematography and the art direction, but one thing that gives added life to the film and stays with you long after the end titles roll is the score, by Dario Marianelli.

An excellent cinematic experience.

Grade: 9

California to jump to the future?

I read this post on Towleroad in which they say how the California Supreme Court might be getting ready to rule in our favor on the question of marriage rights, and might even go as far as giving us that right with their ruling:

Sources wishing to remain anonymous in the California Court System indicate that the court, which has until June 2, 2008 to issue it's marriage ruling, is considering issuing it on Friday, May 23, 2008, with the decision being written by Chief Justice Ronald George. The Court is readying itself for a backlash that may follow the rumored and bold decision. There is talk that the Court will not simply strike down Proposition 22, but will move the State of California toward full marriage, if not even granting full marriage rights for gays and lesbians outright.

That would be really good news. Really good news.

California usually leads the country on any cause, so this could be a watershed moment for gay civil rights in America.

Mark your calendars.

Italy trip

I just came back this past Sunday from my latest trip to Italy. I was there only a week but I was able to see all the people I wanted to see, especially my parents.

My mom had heart surgery last year, but she seems to be recovering well, although slowly. It was also nice to see my nieces, Sofia and Susan, and my cousin Elena's 2 daughters, Simona and Veronica. Boy, have they grown... and they're all beautiful.

Overall the vacation was nice but not very relaxing, since I had to study for a Microsoft Certification test I have to take next week that's ruining my health because of all the stress I'm under.

The worst part was definitely the trip though. I flew Virgin + British Airways and they lost my luggage on the way there. I didn't get it for 4 days!! By the time the suitcase arrived I had 2 days left, not even worth undoing it.

The trip back was much worse though. Because of high winds in London, we were delayed 2 full hours, so I missed my Virgin flight to the US. I had to stay an extra day in London (no fun though, I was set up in a hotel at the airport and I was in no mood to go out, that's for sure) and I missed Easter with the family. It was pretty sad.

Naturally, I was also questioned by Immigration at JFK (who knows why they had issues with the fact that I went to another school once) and they AGAIN lost one of the two pieces of luggage I had. They delivered it the day after, but it was broken.

What a nightmare. And now I have to go through the whole refund process, which will probably drag on for weeks.

End result, I'll never fly Virgin again (they could have put me on the later flight they had on Saturday, instead they just sent me back to British Airways, saying that they were responsible, not Virgin) and I'll try to avoid flying into London's Heathrow airport if I can, since it's a mess (words of British Airways employees, not mine). It's so big it can't handle the amount of traffic it sees daily.

Let's hope for better luck next time.

The 80th Academy Awards

The ceremony took place two days ago and was dignified and entertaining, just like the previous one hosted by Jon Stewart. He was funny, engaging, and witty, which is what you'd expect from an Oscar's host.

That said, Whoopi is still my all-time favorite...

Just like two years ago, I haven't watched the vast majority of the nominated movies from this past year, so my comments will be mostly limited to the ceremony itself.

A wave of sadness actually filled me every time they showed a clip from a nominated movie or performance. Sadness for not going to the movies anymore as much as I used to. Sadness for having missed so many good movies for a few years now. But the requirements of my life now don't leave much time for going out anymore. I guess I'm just getting old...

Anyway, I liked the montages, as usual, although this year, for the first time, I felt like they were abusing the medium a bit. I'll blame the recently resolved writers' strike and the possibility that the telecast might have been stripped of all celebrities, which would have meant even more montages (like Stewart himself joked about) and I'll assume they had readied more than usual and wanted to keep most of them in. We'll see next year.

The introductory clip was cool and Stewart's opening monologue appropriate. The presenters were all more or less spared overly lame dialogues, although the "I'm Halle, you're Judy" one did flare out pretty quickly. Steve Carell and Anne Hathaway sold theirs the best I thought. I really thought they were introducing the documentary category, and they didn't look like the best choice for that award. This proves again the comedic talent of Carell.

Since fashion is always very important at the Oscars, I liked most of all Katherine Heigl's fabulous red gown, while the worst dressed had to be Diablo Cody, who brought to mind the adage, "If you don't have the guts to wear it, don't." What's with the hand and the envelope in front of her crotch??! If you put on a dress like that, wear it with you head held high or don't wear it at all. I can only imagine her struggle on the red carpet...

A special mention must be made for Jennifer Hudson though, who looked like a marshmallow in that white dress. Doesn't the poor thing know that black slims you down, while white inflates you? This is the second ceremony she attends and the second poor dress choice she makes. The girl needs a personal shopper, pronto!!

And now we come to the awards themselves. I'm glad to say that nothing upset me and that I was surprised quite a few times by the choices of the Academy, choices that show how the old guard is slowly dying off, leaving room to a new generation of voters that aren't afraid to make unconventional choices.

More or less in the order in which they were awarded, here are my personal thoughts:

• The Golden Compass wins Best Visual Effects; I thought for sure that the last Pirates movie would take this one, or Transformers. The Golden Compass's effects must be pretty amazing...
• Sweeney Todd wins Best Art Direction; I was obviously pleased that a team of Italians took the award, but mostly this made me think of the "sometimes less is more" saying, since from the clips shown, Sweeney Todd had the most understated art direction of the five nominees.
• Javier Bardem wins Best Supporting Actor; although apparently he was the odds on favorite here, I was afraid that the Academy would have gone for the sentimental choice and awarded Hal Holbrook. I'm glad it didn't happen. Bardem also gave a very nice and touching speech.
• Tilda Swinton wins Best Supporting Actress; this one really surprised me and although she seemed to have garnered much support toward the end of the awards season, I thought that again the Academy would have gone for the old-timer and awarded Ruby Dee. My beloved Cate Blanchett didn't win, which is too bad, since she's always fantastic, but I happen to have seen Michael Clayton and Tilda Swinton was superb, so a well deserved award. She looked very surprised as well, by the way.
• The Bourne Ultimatum wins Best Editing, Sound Editing, and Sound Mixing; yeah! I was really glad to see this movie getting recognized since I, again, happen to have seen it and it was very good, certainly deserving to be rewarded, and the Best Editing Oscar is a big reward indeed.
• Marion Cotillard wins Best Lead Actress; WOW!! This one really made me sit up! I haven't seen the movie, but in the clips they showed she was phenomenal, so she totally deserved to win, but again, I thought the Academy was gonna go with Julie Christie, as the sentimental favorite. Awarding Cotillard, a French actress starring in a movie that virtually nobody saw this side of the Atlantic and that was (GASP!) subtitled showed that sometimes the most deserving really does win. And that the Academy's demographics are, again, changing.
• Nicole Kidman presents the Honorary Award to a production designer who's 98 years old!! Holy crap!! Could Nicole be any more gorgeous and understated in her divine presence? I have to shamefully admit I caught very little of what that guy was saying (God bless him though, still sharp as a whistle), since I was way too busy admiring her beauty. And that dress... and the necklace!
• The song from Once wins Best Song; I later found out this was indeed the odds on favorite in this category, but I had read that Alan Menken was getting ready for yet another Oscar (from another Disney movie) and I'm glad it didn't happen. Granted, usually multiple nominees in the same category end up hurting themselves by splitting their votes, thereby reducing their chances of winning the big prize, allowing a dark horse to come in and snatch it, but I still feared Menken would have taken it. As for the songs themselves, I found the first from Enchanted quite boring, the second one, slightly less boring, and the third quite interesting mostly because it was sung by the hottest man in the Kodak Theater (John McLaughlin, OH MY GODS!!). I liked the winning song but I was moved the most by the one from August Rush, which gave me goose bumps throughout (that little girl's voice was amazing!!)
• I rejoiced when Stewart called Markéta Irglová back on stage to give her acceptance speech, which had been cut off by that annoying orchestra after her winning partner had given his thanks, especially because what she had to say was very powerful and touching. Go Markéta! Gods I hate it when they cut acceptance speeches. Damn, I just won an Oscar, let me talk. If I speak over 3 minutes, then cut me off, but 30 seconds?! Fuck you!
• The In Memoriam segment was touching as usual, whether we know the artist or not, but the decision to now include executives and (wait for it) agents gave me pause. What's next? Publicists and spouses? When are we gonna see the pets paraded on screen?
• Dario Marianelli wins Best Score for Atonement; I rejoiced because he's Italian, actually one of two nominated this year!! I haven't heard the score yet though :(
• Sicko doesn't win for Best Documentary (and all Michael Moore's haters everywhere rejoice); I was surprised but I didn't know who the odds on favorite was, so maybe it was just me. I actually haven't even seen Sicko, but I did see No End in Sight, and it was a powerful indictment of this administration if there ever was one.
• Diablo Cody wins Best Original Screenplay; I later found out she was a shoo-in, but I was surprised and glad since Juno's script was great and I like to see this woman, former exotic dancer, have success after many years of trying in this business. It's the classic Cinderella story, and who doesn't like one?
• No big surprises for the Best Actor, Director and Picture, so I'll move on.
• I rewound three times when Scott Rudin thanked his partner (he must mean business partner...)... from the stage... while accepting the Best Picture Oscar... and called him honey!! I just about squealed with glee since something like that would have been absolutely unthinkable just 10 years ago. Too bad there wasn't a camera ready to show his "honey," that would have been sweet. Go Scott!!!
  

That's it I guess, so overall a good ceremony, with a few nice surprises and several well deserved wins.

By the way, did anyone else notice how that slippery area of stage right in front of the microphone stand just wasn't getting cleaned? Was anyone else hoping waiting for a big star to end up on his/her butt, shoes flying towards the audience like projectiles??

And finally, I had never seen Dwayne Johnson (aka The Rock) live, and I was floored by how handsome he is. Good Heavens!

All right Oscars, good job this year. Now on to the next round of candidates for '09!

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The Sun

Lying on the couch in the family room this afternoon, soaking in the dying sunlight, I thought, the Sun, our star, gives us life. We wouldn't be here without it.

Is the Sun God?

One Day of the Iraq War

This video is incredible:



Keep in mind that all the things this video mentions we could do with the money wasted daily in Iraq could have been done over and over, every day, for the past 5 years.

How many problems could we have solved in this country already?

When are we gonna stop wasting money away in a country half around the world and start using it to make our lives better here in the US?

Just asking.

The State of the Union according to Bush

This was just too good not to post:


This guy is just delusional. It's sad and hilarious at the same time.

He really has turned into Baghdad Bob.