Marc Bolan and T. Rex sang of “the children of the revolution” and it is precisely the mid-seventies lives of these British children that Todd Haynes sets out to portray in his 1998 film Velvet Goldmine. The glam rock era prefigured the punks and it was a time, similar to today, where image was everything and the influence of glam rockers such as the aforementioned T. Rex, Slade and early David Bowie can be seen in pop stars of today such as Lady Gaga. It is a fascinating and exceedingly well-produced film that serves as an adequate introductory course in glam rock but in the end, fails to fully congeal into an entirely successful film in part because of its sometimes awkward flashback narrative structure.
Not even the most vitriolic critic could find fault with Haynes’ cast, many of who have gone on and achieved much greater success since their roles in Velvet Goldmine. Christian Bale plays Arthur Stuart, a newspaper reporter and obsessive fan of the pop star Brian Slade (Jonathan Rhys-Meyers), whose “murder” opens the film. Brian Slade appears to be a composite of Ziggy Stardust-era Bowie and Roxy Music’s Bryan Ferry, also taking his last name from another glam rock band. Ewan McGregor plays Kurt Wild, the Iggy Pop surrogate while Eddie Izzard and Toni Collette play supporting roles.
The performances are uniformly excellent and clearly show that the actors have studied many of the pop stars that they emulated. In particular, Mr. Rhys-Meyers brilliantly captures the coke-addled nature of the seventies pop star and there is a homage to David Bowie’s televised performance of “Starman” when Slade pretends to fellate his guitarist in mid-song that music fans may enjoy. Mr. McGregor also makes a more than passable Iggy Pop and manages to capture the unique, yet extremely self-destructive charisma and mythos that surrounds the ‘Godfather of Punk’. His miming to the Stooges’ classic “TV Eye” was very realistic though there seems to be little historical grounding in the bisexuality of the singer or for really much of the film itself. The film claims to be a historical document of a time period and of a music scene, though there seems to be a great deal of flippancy regarding the historicity of the film’s characters to their possible real-life counterparts.
Haynes does an excellent job of recapturing the atmosphere of seventies glam in the mise-en-scene and set design within the film. One particularly striking scene that shows the copious research that Haynes must have done is the one in the Sombrero Club where during Slade’s star-making performance, at a table in the back, men are shown in the back speaking Polari. Polari was the underground homosexual slang spoken by Londoners, primarily during the fifties and sixties.
Another delightful touch was his addition of a female playing the New York Dolls “Personality Crisis”, as this was a song originally done by a New York band of lecherously heterosexual men who wore female dress on stage. The film is filled with allusions and references to pop-culture trivia and it can be a fun game to attempt to spot them. It’s a shame that the film sometimes becomes too muddled up in being visually attractive and outrageous, that the story sometimes becomes bogged down. This ambition, nevertheless, is not something that the film should be derided for and it stands as a remarkable encapsulation of the ethos of the glam scene and the ripples that still emanate from it.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Avatar Reviews
This is from Roger Ebert and I like how it serves to be both populist while also managing to be extremely well-informed about film and film history. http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091211/REVIEWS/912119998
Though I feel he does not adequately address the flaws that are within the flaw, he serves to show what make it so appealing to the popular audiences.
My second review is from the English newspaper The Guardian and I liked how it showcased a more international view on the film though it really trashed the film, even more than I thought was necessary. Many of the criticisms though are hard to argue with.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2009/dec/11/avatar-james-cameron-film-review
Though I feel he does not adequately address the flaws that are within the flaw, he serves to show what make it so appealing to the popular audiences.
My second review is from the English newspaper The Guardian and I liked how it showcased a more international view on the film though it really trashed the film, even more than I thought was necessary. Many of the criticisms though are hard to argue with.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2009/dec/11/avatar-james-cameron-film-review
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Revision
James Cameron is not a director who makes small films nor like a director such as Woody Allen is he content to duly churn out film after film every passing year. No, Cameron will wait until he feels he is as close to perfection as possible and until the technology is adequate for his vision. It has been twelve years since the release of Titanic, his last film. Like George Lucas, his predecessor in entertainments that furthered the special effects available in film; he is obsessed with furthering the capabilities of the movie-making process. This blockbuster auteur does not merely trade in spectacle but rather demands and revels it. Where a director like Cecil B. Demille may have taken the Bible as material for his epic films, Cameron enlarges his material to Biblical proportions, be it the love story from Titanic or the maternal relationship at the heart of the second Terminator film. Avatar may be his biggest movie yet by combining these aforementioned elements with technology that is light-years ahead of what most people have seen at the box office.
The film takes place on the remote planet of Pandora in the not-so-distant-as-it-seems future and the cinematographic and technological achievements of the film may appear as if they were beamed in from that time period. Never before have there been such advanced motion-capturing technologies as showcased in this film. The scenes containing the sacred tree of the indigenous Na’vi people are extraordinarily striking and seem to be straight out of a deep-sea diving documentary while looking incredibly realistic.
This technology also affects the physical representation of the actors and is best exemplified in the character of Neytiri, the Na’vi princess. The nuanced body language shown by her character shows how this technology could, combined with a fine acting job by Zoe Saldana, imbue an entirely new dimension to screen acting. In fact, the female characters in this movie, as in much of Cameron’s oeuvre, are the most headstrong and often downright fierce characters in the film, such as Sigourney Weaver’s chain-smoking, Na’vi expert Grace. By the end of his career, Cameron may be most remembered for pushing the technological boundaries of film and along with Ridley Scott, proving that women could be action heroes of their own, rather than merely the ingénue or femme fatale. Avatar is, however, not a film without flaws, the single largest of which is to be found within the screenplay. Where perhaps many of the tropes found within the script, such as a native people heavily in tune with their environment and the formulaic love story were meant to be seen as archetypal and universal, they instead come across as cliché and rote. Immediately after the showing, the film titles of Fern Gully and Pocahontas were bandied about by the patrons in the lobby of the theatre. A few even noticed the similarities between the Na’vi queen and the baboon Rafikki from The Lion King. The film’s dialogue also came off as stilted and trite in moments such as when the protagonist Jake is reaching out to a Na’vi prince and says, “I will fly with you, brother.” Such a cringeworthy and banal line should have been excised during script revisions. Moments like these and moments of none-too-subtle commentary on the politics of today, such as the stereotypically Southern human colonel played by Stephen Lang, that prevent Avatar from being a truly outstanding film but it is still a very good entertainment and an enjoyable and surprisingly quick way to spend 160 minutes. It is certainely better than many of the films that pass for spectacle today.
The film takes place on the remote planet of Pandora in the not-so-distant-as-it-seems future and the cinematographic and technological achievements of the film may appear as if they were beamed in from that time period. Never before have there been such advanced motion-capturing technologies as showcased in this film. The scenes containing the sacred tree of the indigenous Na’vi people are extraordinarily striking and seem to be straight out of a deep-sea diving documentary while looking incredibly realistic.
This technology also affects the physical representation of the actors and is best exemplified in the character of Neytiri, the Na’vi princess. The nuanced body language shown by her character shows how this technology could, combined with a fine acting job by Zoe Saldana, imbue an entirely new dimension to screen acting. In fact, the female characters in this movie, as in much of Cameron’s oeuvre, are the most headstrong and often downright fierce characters in the film, such as Sigourney Weaver’s chain-smoking, Na’vi expert Grace. By the end of his career, Cameron may be most remembered for pushing the technological boundaries of film and along with Ridley Scott, proving that women could be action heroes of their own, rather than merely the ingénue or femme fatale. Avatar is, however, not a film without flaws, the single largest of which is to be found within the screenplay. Where perhaps many of the tropes found within the script, such as a native people heavily in tune with their environment and the formulaic love story were meant to be seen as archetypal and universal, they instead come across as cliché and rote. Immediately after the showing, the film titles of Fern Gully and Pocahontas were bandied about by the patrons in the lobby of the theatre. A few even noticed the similarities between the Na’vi queen and the baboon Rafikki from The Lion King. The film’s dialogue also came off as stilted and trite in moments such as when the protagonist Jake is reaching out to a Na’vi prince and says, “I will fly with you, brother.” Such a cringeworthy and banal line should have been excised during script revisions. Moments like these and moments of none-too-subtle commentary on the politics of today, such as the stereotypically Southern human colonel played by Stephen Lang, that prevent Avatar from being a truly outstanding film but it is still a very good entertainment and an enjoyable and surprisingly quick way to spend 160 minutes. It is certainely better than many of the films that pass for spectacle today.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Blockbusters
James Cameron is not a director who makes petite films nor like some directors (Woody Allen) is he content to duly churn out film after film every passing year. No, Cameron will wait until he feels he is as close to perfection as possible and until the technology is adequate for his vision. It has been twelve years since the release of Titanic, his last film. Like George Lucas, his predecessor in technologically based entertainments; he is obsessed with furthering the capabilities of the movie-making process. This blockbuster auteur does not merely trade in spectacle but rather demands and revels it. Where a director like Cecil B. Demille may have taken the Bible as material for his epic films: Cameron enlarges his material to Biblical proportions, be it the love story from Titanic or the maternal relationship at the heart of the second Terminator film. Avatar may be his biggest movie yet.
The film takes place on the remote planet of Pandora in the not-so-distant-as-it-seems future and the cinematographic and technological achievements of the film may seem as if they were beamed in from that time period. Never before have their been such advanced motion-capturing technologies as showcased in this film. The scenes containing the sacred tree of the indigenous Na’vi people are extraordinarily striking and while like nothing seen by anyone who has never gone deep-sea diving, nevertheless, look incredibly realistic. In the human perspective, this technology is best exemplified in the character of Neytiri, the Na’vi princess. The nuanced body language shown by her character shows how this technology could, combined with a fine acting job, imbue an entirely new dimension to screen acting. In fact, the female characters in this movie, as in much of Cameron’s oeuvre, are the most headstrong and often downright fierce characters in the film, such as Sigourney Weaver’s chain-smoking, Na’vi expert Grace. By the end of his career, Cameron may be most remembered for pushing the technological boundaries of film and along with Ridley Scott, proving that women could be action heroes of their own, rather than merely the ingénue or femme fatale.
Avatar is however, not a film without flaws, the single largest of which is to be found within the screenplay. Where perhaps much of the tropes found within the script, were meant to be seen as archetypal and universal, they instead come across as cliché and rote. Immediately after the showing, the film titles of Fern Gully and Pocahontas were bandied about. A few even noticed the similarities between the Na’vi queen and the baboon Rafikki from The Lion King. The dialogue also came off as stilted and trite in moments such as when the protagonist Jake is reaching out to a Na’vi prince and says “I will fly with you brother”. That is a cringeworthy and banal line that should have been excised during script revisions. It is moments like these and moments of none-too-subtle commentary on the politics of today that prevent Avatar from being a truly outstanding movie but it surely a great entertainment and once would be hard-pressed to find a more enjoyable and seemingly breezy way to spend 160 minutes.
The film takes place on the remote planet of Pandora in the not-so-distant-as-it-seems future and the cinematographic and technological achievements of the film may seem as if they were beamed in from that time period. Never before have their been such advanced motion-capturing technologies as showcased in this film. The scenes containing the sacred tree of the indigenous Na’vi people are extraordinarily striking and while like nothing seen by anyone who has never gone deep-sea diving, nevertheless, look incredibly realistic. In the human perspective, this technology is best exemplified in the character of Neytiri, the Na’vi princess. The nuanced body language shown by her character shows how this technology could, combined with a fine acting job, imbue an entirely new dimension to screen acting. In fact, the female characters in this movie, as in much of Cameron’s oeuvre, are the most headstrong and often downright fierce characters in the film, such as Sigourney Weaver’s chain-smoking, Na’vi expert Grace. By the end of his career, Cameron may be most remembered for pushing the technological boundaries of film and along with Ridley Scott, proving that women could be action heroes of their own, rather than merely the ingénue or femme fatale.
Avatar is however, not a film without flaws, the single largest of which is to be found within the screenplay. Where perhaps much of the tropes found within the script, were meant to be seen as archetypal and universal, they instead come across as cliché and rote. Immediately after the showing, the film titles of Fern Gully and Pocahontas were bandied about. A few even noticed the similarities between the Na’vi queen and the baboon Rafikki from The Lion King. The dialogue also came off as stilted and trite in moments such as when the protagonist Jake is reaching out to a Na’vi prince and says “I will fly with you brother”. That is a cringeworthy and banal line that should have been excised during script revisions. It is moments like these and moments of none-too-subtle commentary on the politics of today that prevent Avatar from being a truly outstanding movie but it surely a great entertainment and once would be hard-pressed to find a more enjoyable and seemingly breezy way to spend 160 minutes.
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