Review: "She's the Man" Only Thinks its Clever

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 197 (of 2006) by Leroy Douresseaux

She’s the Man (2006)
Running time: 106 minutes (1 hour, 46 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for some sexual material
DIRECTOR: Andy Fickman
WRITERS: Karen McCullahand Kirsten Smith and Ewan Leslie; from a story by Ewan Leslie (Inspired by Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare)
PRODUCERS: Ewan Leslie, Jack Leslie, and Lauren Shuler Donner
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Greg Gardiner
EDITOR: Michael Jablow

COMEDY/ROMANCE/SPORT

Starring: Amanda Bynes, Channing Tatum, Laura Ramsey, Vinnie Jones, David Grass, Julie Haggerty, Robert Hoffman, Jonathan Sadowski, Alex Breckenridge, Amanda Crew, Jessica Lucas, James Kirk

When her school discontinues the girl’s soccer team, Viola Johnson (Amanda Bynes) is determined to prove that she can make it on a boy’s team, especially after her boyfriend, soccer stud Justin (Robert Hoffman), mocks her. When her twin brother Sebastian (James Kirk) skips town to play with his band in London, Viola disguises herself as Sebastian and heads to his boarding school, Illyria Prep. There, Viola hopes that she can make the boy’s soccer team if her disguise convinces everyone at Illyria that she is indeed Sebastian. The Illyria boy’s soccer team is set to play her real school, Cornwall, in two weeks, and Viola would love to beat them and reveal to Justin that he lost to a team with a female player.

There are, however, complications galore. Viola falls in love with her handsome roommate, Duke Orsino (Channing Tatum), the captain of the Illyria team, and Duke certainly believes Sebastian is who he says he is because Duke doesn’t see through Viola in drag. Channing, however, is in love with Olivia (Laura Ramsey), but Olivia is in love with Sebastian who is really Viola in drag. As the day of the big game between Illyria and Cornwall approaches, the real Sebastian returns to school, and Viola in drag starts finding life a drag.

A work that is inspired by William Shakespeare can be anything from an adaptation that is derivative to a work that merely borrows a few ideas. It’s been so long since I’ve read Twelfth Night, but I remember enough to recognize what the 2006 high school romantic comedy, She’s the Man borrows. Shakespeare aside, She’s the Man is a slightly above average youth comedy. It has its moments – most of them derived from the lies and confusion brought about by mistaken identity and impersonation. There are some decent, if not good characters. It’s not that this film is not well directed so much as it is badly written. The writers may have borrowed from Shakespeare, but there’s not enough left of the Bard to make this a winning script. The narrative is too long, and the writers prop it on mishaps and identity-based gags rather than on good characters.

Since her days of romping on Nickelodeon, I’ve thought Amanda Bynes had the making of a fine comic actress. She is growing into one, and she takes this flimsy material and makes it worthy, though flawed. Channing Tatum (as Duke) is not a good actor, but he’s handsome and the camera mugs on him the way it does another acting challenged, but great movie star, Keanu Reeves. Tatum does his best to mimic the posturing, posing, and attitude of a modern young, urban black teen. There’s enough kink in his hair and enough tinge in his complexion to almost convince that he has… soul?

5 of 10
C+

Friday, September 15, 2006

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Review: "Saved!" is Heavenly

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 202 (of 2004) by Leroy Douresseaux

Saved! (2004)
Running time: 92 minutes (1 hour, 32 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for strong thematic issues involving teens – sexual content, pregnancy, smoking, and language
DIRECTOR: Brian Dannelly
WRITERS: Michael Urban and Brian Dannelly
PRODUCERS: Michael Ohoven, Sandy Stern, Michael Stipe, and William Vince
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Bobby Buckowski
EDITOR: Pamela Martin

COMEDY/DRAMA

Starring: Jena Malone, Mandy Moore, Macaulay Culkin, Patrick Fugit, Heather Matarazzo, Eva Amurri, Chad Faust, Elizabeth Thai, Martin Donovan, and Mary-Louise Parker

Mary (Jena Malone) is a devout senior at American Eagle Christian High School who believes that Jesus protects her and guides her every action. She’s also part of a group of devout, young women who lead kind of a campus crusade discouraging other students from backsliding (sinning and going away from their Christian faith), and Jean really follows of the example of group leader Hilary Faye (Mandy Moore), a perky, holier-than-thou, and sanctimonious campus crusader.

The shit hits the fan when Mary discovers that her boyfriend, Dean (Chad Faust), is gay. She prays deeply and comes to believe that Jesus want her to sacrifice her virginity to have sex with Dean to cure him of his homosexuality. Not only does she not cure him, she ends up pregnant. When she learns of her condition and that God won’t restore her…cherry…or wholeness, she begins to look at her peers and faith in an entirely different light. She leaves Hilary and her holy girls and strikes up a friendship with Hilary’s wheelchair-bound brother, Roland (Macaulay Culkin), and the school’s lone Jewish student, a rebellious girl named Cassandra (Eva Amurri). She also falls for Patrick (Patrick Fugit), the son of the self-righteous school principal Pastor Skip (Martin Donovan).

Co-produced by R.E.M. lead singer Michael Stipe, director/co-writer Brian Dannelly’s Saved! is a dark coming of age story, and Dannelly came to bust up on the white American Christian subculture. The film isn’t mean-spirited; actually, Saved! has a far more generous Christian tone than many Christian media personalities and a certain “passionate” film. The satire is sharp, but it’s aimed at a message of tolerance and forgiveness. Saved! doesn’t “poo-poo” sin; it simply asks that people be more mature about how they regard sin. It’s as if Dannelly and co-screenwriter Michael Urban are encourage self-examination, forgiveness, and self-awareness of what Jesus’ message really means to people. They aim the satire and poke fun at intolerance, self-righteousness, and those who see the splinter in the eye of another, but not the logs in their own eyes.

The acting really sells the movie. Mandy Moore surprised me by how energetically she embraced her role. She makes Hilary Faye villainous rather than a villain, so that Hilary can get the same chance at redemption that she denies others. Of course, there’s the added delight of seeing Macaulay Culkin, who is a good (but not a stand out) actor, and who has the kind of screen chemistry that makes him a star. Truthfully, every scene in which he appears, the camera seems to center on him. His pull is like the tug of a cinematic dwarf star.

I only had issues with the somewhat puff piece ending, and how Saved! softly served the way fanatics under duress tend to act, but the film made its point. And no satire of Christians was ever so…Christian.

9 of 10
A+

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Teena Marie Has Left Us

Teena Marie died on Sunday, Dec. 26th.  I don't really know what to say because I'm still in shock.  I'll let MTV and The Wrap tell you more.

Black Film Critics Circle "The Social Network," But Spread the Love

There is a new film critics organization, the Black Film Critics Circle.  This is how they describe themselves on their website:

Welcome to the Black Film Critics Circle (BFCC), a new film critic’s organization dedicated to honoring excellence of professionals in the film industry in U.S. and World Cinema.

BFCC is a professional organization of film critics working in all areas of the media to include print publications,broadcast television, radio and on-line outlets.

I'm curious to see how long they last.  Like just about every critics organization, they chose The Social Network as their best picture,while also awarding it "Best Ensemble" and "Best Adapted Screenplay."  They also liked Black Swan with two wins, director and actress (Natalie Portman) and The Fighter, giving supporting acting honors to Christian Bale (actor) and Melissa Leo (actress).

The group also handed out special awards.  One of them is a surprise - a notice for Gareth Edwards, director of science fiction flick, Monsters, "for taking an original and organic approach to cinema that brings the industry back to its roots (visual storytelling) and favors creativity and resourcefulness over contrived storytelling and reliance on big budgets and mindless spectacle. 'Monsters' is a great look at how sci-fi is done right (human stories, not creature-features) by a director who just shot the film and THEN found the story to tell, with good visual effects employed economically to enhance the film - not define it."

THE WINNERS:
Picture: The Social Network

Director: Darren Afronosky, Black Swan

Actor: TIE
Colin Firth (The King's Speech)
James Franco (127 Hours)

Actress: Natalie Portman (Black Swan)

Supporting Actor: Christian Bale (The Fighter)

Supporting Actress: Melissa Leo (The Fighter)

Best Original Screenplay: Christopher Nolan – Inception

Best Adapted Screenplay: Aaron Sorkin – The Social Network

Best Documentary: Waiting For Superman

Best Foreign Film: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Best Animated Film: Toy Story 3

Best Ensemble: The Social Network


BFCC Pioneer Award - Haile Gerima
BFCC Rising Star/Best Newcomer Award - Jaden Smith
BFCC Special mention: Gareth Edwards for "Monsters"

TOP 10 Films:
1. The Social Network
2. Inception
3. Black Swan
4. The Fighter

5. TIE:
The Kids Are All Right
The Town

7. Toy Story 3
8. The King's Speech
9. Winter's Bone
10. The Ghost Writer

http://blackfilmcriticscircle.org/

Review: "Elf" Still Will Ferrell's Best

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 169 (of 2003) by Leroy Douresseaux

Elf (2003)
Running time: 97 minutes (1 hour, 37 minutes)
MPAA – PG for some mild rude humor and language
DIRECTOR: Jon Favreau
WRITER: David Berenbaum
PRODUCERS: Jon Berg, Todd Komarnicki, and Shauna Robertson
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Greg Gardiner (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Dan Lebental

FANTASY/COMEDY/FAMILY

Starring: Will Ferrell, James Caan, Bob Newhart, Edward Asner, Zooey Deschanel, Peter Dinklage, Faizon Love, Mary Steenburgen, Daniel Tay, Amy Sedaris, Michael Lerner, Andy Richter, Kyle Gass, Jon Favreau, Ray Harryhausen, and Artie Lange

Will Ferrell is an excellent comic actor, a fine character actor, and simply a good actor. All his light fully shines in his star vehicle/Christmas fantasy, Elf. It’s a feel good film that definitely worked in making me feel good, and it’s so darn hilarious.

As an infant at an orphanage, Buddy (Will Ferrell) accidentally ended up being hauled back to the North Pole in Santa’s (Edward Asner) toy sack. After Buddy really begins to wreak havoc on the elf community because of his huge size and ungainly body, his Papa Elf (Bob Newhart) tells Buddy that he is not an elf, but is instead a human. Buddy travels to New York to meet his biological father, Walter (James Caan), who didn’t realize he had a love child. While Walter’s wife, Emily (Mary Steenburgen), and son, Michael (Daniel Tay), easily take to Buddy’s strange but delightful personality and ways, Walter is uncomfortable with Buddy. It’s a situation ripe for some of that Christmas magic.

Director/actor Jon Favreau’s film is very well made, from the topnotch cast of character actors to the magical sets that easily capture the mood of holiday times. Zooey Deschanel as Buddy’s love interest Jovie has a beautiful voice that makes any song ripe with Christmas joy. James Caan, Ed Asner, and Daniel Day also turn in solid, steady performances.

This is, however, Ferrell’s film. He’s hilarious, and I laughed much harder than I thought I would. He has a great comic sense, and he can really bury himself in silly characters. Most of all, he imbued Buddy the Elf with the Christmas spirit. I really felt the yuletide thing, and I’m a straight up Scrooge. Fans of Ferrell and lovers of Christmas movies will be delighted, and people who don’t go for that thing will still have fun. Elf is good.

7 of 10
A-

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Negromancer's First Christmas!

Sort of.  This is Negromancer's first Christmas as a blog, although it had several in its original incarnation as a website.

So Merry Christmas, one and all.  You, the readers and visitors, have been a gift, and it seems as if more new arrivals are gifting each month.  So, let's hope that things will be even better for all of us by the time we get to next Christmas.

Once again, Merry Christmas, y'all!

Review: "The Polar Express" Always a Wonderful Christmas Arrival

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 1 (of 2006) by Leroy Douresseaux

The Polar Express (2004)
Running time: 93 minutes (1 hour, 33 minutes)
MPAA – G
DIRECTOR: Robert Zemeckis
WRITERS: William Broyles, Jr. and Robert Zemeckis (based upon the book by Chris Van Allsburg)
PRODUCERS: Steve Starkey, Gary Goetzman, William Teitler, and Robert Zemeckis
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Don Burgess, A.S.C. and Robert Presley
EDITORS: Jeremiah O’Driscoll and R. Orlando Duenas
Academy Award nominee

FANTASY/ADVENTURE/ACTION/FAMILY

Starring: (also voices) Tom Hanks, Michael Jeter, Peter Scolari, Nona Gaye, Eddie Deezen, and Charles Fleischer with (voices only) Daryl Sabara and Jimmy Bennett

A boy, known in this story as Hero Boy (Tom Hanks/voice by Daryl Sabara), wants to believe in Santa Claus, but he’s old enough to start questioning the myths and traditions around Christmas. One Christmas Eve, a magical train named The Polar Express, arrives outside his home. Encouraged by the mysterious but friendly Conductor (Hanks), this doubting boy boards the train and heads towards the North Pole and Santa Claus’ (Hanks) home. There, he and two other children, Hero Girl (Nona Gaye) and Lonely Boy (Peter Scolari), embark on a journey of self-discovery.

I’m not crazy about the term, “instant classic.” However, I will apply it to the 2004 Christmas film, The Polar Express. Although it opened to mixed critical reviews and a less than stellar box office (compared to its budget), the film’s word of mouth kept its box office steady and strong on the way to becoming a blockbuster; the film even had a 2005 re-release to IMAX theatres. The Polar Express was one of the very best films of 2004 and will likely remain a popular Christmas film (certainly for me). One reason it will remain popular is because the film doesn’t look at Christmas from the point of view as a particular religious experience, but from the point of view as a holiday representing American can-do spirit, charity, and optimism. Like many popular Christmas film, it identifies with the notions that mark Christmas as a secular holiday, rather than a “holy day,” and the Christmas in this film is firmly rooted in American culture.

The film mixes computer-generated animation with a process called “3D motion capture.” In that method, the actors’ physical performances are digitally recorded and are later “skinned,” which means wrapping those recorded performances in computer animation. The Polar Express was the first film to use 3D motion capture for all the actors’ performances in the film. In fact, all the children’s performances are acted by adults, using over-sized props to get their movements within the physical environment correct.

The look motion capture gave the film was one of the reasons some critics had mixed feelings about The Polar Express, with one critic going so far as to say that the characters’ eyes looked creepy. Motion capture does make the characters look a little more like real people than regular computer animation. Here, the process works because the motion capture-rendered characters blend in so well with all with the CG animated props, sets, and backdrops. Basically, regardless of what processes the filmmakers used, The Polar Express has a unique look – you’ve never seen anything like it. It’s amazing; it’s magical.

Quite a bit of credit should go to Oscar-winning director Robert Zemeckis (Forrest Gump) as the ringmaster of this film. His script, co-written by William Broyles, Jr. (Apollo 13), is tight and concisely uses very little dialogue to establish character, which in turn allows the audience more time to focus on the film’s dazzling look. As a director, Zemeckis blends poignant comedy, a wondrous sense of adventure, and impressive action sequences to make a riveting and heartwarming Christmas fable.

The film treats Christmas as a secular affair – the true meaning of Christmas is on the inside, the Conductor tells Hero Boy. We can truly experience the magic of Christmas if we believe in that magic – Santa Claus, his home at the North Pole, his elves, etc. – and age doesn’t matter, as long as we believe. Friendship, sharing, humility, providing leadership, and relying on and trusting in friends – those are Christmas ideals in which we can all believe regardless of creed. The Polar Express extols those ideals in a way that only the best Christmas films can.

9 of 10
A+

NOTES:
2005 Academy Awards: 3 nominations: “Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song” (Glen Ballard and Alan Silvestri for the song "Believe"), “Best Achievement in Sound Editing” (Randy Thom and Dennis Leonard), and “Best Achievement in Sound Mixing” (William B. Kaplan, Randy Thom, Tom Johnson, and Dennis S. Sands)

2005 BAFTA: 1 nomination: “BAFTA Children's Award: Best Feature Film” (Steve Starkey and Robert Zemeckis)

2005 Golden Globes: 1 nomination: “Best Original Song - Motion Picture” (Glen Ballard and Alan Silvestri for the song "Believe")

Sunday, January 01, 2006

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