Limitless (2011)

A pretty good ride, this thriller about Eddie, a blocked writer who discovers that experimental pills turn him into a brilliant achiever has some holes but what did you expect? Shakespeare? Starring Bradley Cooper (The Hangover, more) as Eddie, Abbie Cornish (Bright Star, others) as his girlfriend Lindy, and Robert De Niro (after I wrote about him in Everybody's Fine, he was in Stone and Little Fockers, and he has 7 projects in the works) as a financier who stands to profit from Eddie's abilities, this was adapted by Leslie Dixon (known mostly for her adaptations: Mrs. Doubtfire (1993), Pay It Forward (2000), and Hairspray (2007)) from the 2001 novel The Dark Fields (soon to be re-released and re-titled Limitless) by Alan Glynn, and directed by Neil Burger (the only other of his movies I've seen is The Illusionist (2006), the one with Ed Norton, Jessica Biel, and Paul Giamatti, and it's very good). It certainly made me think a lot about Phenomenon (1996) and the current series No Ordinary Family (and Roger Ebert thought about Charly (1968)). Rottentomatoes' average is barely fresh, with 66% from critics and 75% from audiences. The special effects and makeup are good, with one gorgeous actress (I won't reveal who, as it's a spoiler) made to look puffy and wasted, and the use of color is effective as well.

Lots of songs supplement the original music by Paul Leonard-Morgan and Nico Muhly (Muhly's name has been removed from imdb for this picture). I had to move back several rows and squirt essence of ginger in my mouth because the zooming camera moves were starting to make me sick. This goes on the list for Motion picture motion sickness. For people who love Cooper this is a must see. For the rest of us, it's not a waste of time, but there may be more entertaining choices to be had.

The Lincoln Lawyer (2011)

It's been a while since Jack and I have gone to a matinee on a movie's opening day, but we managed it Friday and liked the story of an L.A. attorney working out of the back seat of his vintage Town Car (his using a driver is explained early on) with the license plate NTGUILTY. Starring Matthew McConaughey (my favorites of his work: Edtv (1999), Contact (1997), Thirteen Conversations About One Thing (2001), How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days (2003), and Dazed and Confused (1993), in that order) and Ryan Phillippe (he bugs me, despite the fact that he's been in some movies I loved, e.g. Gosford Park (2001), one of my all-time favorites Igby Goes Down (2002), and Crash (2004)) as the lawyer Micky Haller and his Beverly Hills client Louis Roulet (because Roulet is sketchy, it's okay that I feel that way about Phillippe), the movie boasts McConaughey's confident grin, a real plot, photography of all sides of the city, some kick-ass rap music and more star power in the supporting roles. Marisa Tomei (I wrote about her in Cyrus) is credited as a star but her role is supporting, though not superfluous, as Micky's wife. Michael Peña (Crash, Babel (2006), World Trade Center (2006), more) has some fine and moving scenes as convict Jesus Martinez. The reliable William H. Macy (Oscar nominated for Fargo (1996), he was also wonderful in Boogie Nights (1997), Wag the Dog (1997), Magnolia (1999), State and Main (2000), The Cooler (2003), Thank You for Smoking (2005), and the current outstanding and nasty Showtime series Shameless) puts in good work as the investigator Frank, as does Bryan Cranston (formerly Malcolm in the Middle's dim dad Hal, then Breaking Bad's crafty high-school-chemistry-teacher-turned-meth-manufacturer Walt) as a detective, and country music star Trace Adkins plays the leader of a motorcycle gang who, to quote The Wizard of Oz, come and go so quickly.

Director Brad Furman started out as Julia Roberts' assistant on Erin Brockovich (2000) and The Mexican (2001) and in the next two years he wrote, produced, and directed three shorts. Now, after directing another feature, The Take (2007) that got right past me, he's in the multiplexes with this one. I looked at 10-15 sites to find out his age, but it's apparently not public. John Romano wrote the screenplay adaptation of the Michael Connelly 2005 novel of the same name. The Lincoln Lawyer is the first of Connelly's "Micky Haller novels" (he's written 14 "Harry Bosch novels," two "Micky Haller and Harry Bosch novels," and another "Micky Haller novel" is coming out next month--good timing!).

The song list can be found here, clips are edited together on this preview, and here's a taste of the original music by Cliff Martinez (fascinating bio, and downloads of music files are available on another page of his site). When you see it, remember I mentioned "missionary man." This is good entertainment--a bit dark, not for kids, rated R for a reason.

There were plenty of people at our afternoon screening, including a woman older than I who shushed me 10 seconds after the trailers began (Jack noted that, though we kept our remarks to each other to in-ear-whispering, people around her were talking, rustling wrappers, and one had a conversation on her cell phone). Perhaps the increased numbers were due to the fact that Groupon sold 190,000 discount tickets! Despite that promotion, Limitless kicked The Lincoln Lawyer's ass at the box office last weekend.

The Adjustment Bureau (2011)

Jack and I were quite entertained by this story of a guy balking against supernatural forces trying to control his destiny, and by its attractive stars, beautiful New York photography, lush sets, and music by one of my favorite screen composers, Thomas Newman. Matt Damon (after I wrote about him in The Informant! he's been in Invictus, Hereafter, to which this movie has occult similarities but much more humor, a series arc on 30 Rock, and True Grit), handsome as ever, plays David, a passionate politician who meets cute with ballet dancer Elise, played by Emily Blunt (I wrote about her in Sunshine Cleaning and then said she was luminous in The Young Victoria). This comes so close after Black Swan that I believe it's a coincidence that they both have ballet themes. Another difference is that Emily Blunt had no dance training before shooting this, and, according to imdb, her dance double is clearly shown in one pivotal scene (we didn't spot it). The script, adapted by the director George Nolfi from a short story by Philip K. Dick (whose works were also the bases for Blade Runner (1982), Minority Report (2002), A Scanner Darkly (2006), and more) (I saw Blade Runner in the year of its release a few weeks after moving to L.A., and was depressed for days at its seedy depiction of my new home, but got over it). Speaking of 1980s movie connections, just having thought about Wings of Desire (1987) when I wrote about Bruno Ganz in Unknown, the "Adjuster" Harry, played by Anthony Mackie (I wrote about him in both Notorious and The Hurt Locker), made me think more than a little about the angels in Wings of Desire--flawed, with human qualities. I was also reminded of my first semester of film school, also that year, when the head of the program said that love stories need conflict. This one certainly had it!

This is Nolfi's directorial debut after writing the sequels Ocean's Twelve (2004) and The Bourne Ultimatum (2007), and an assured debut it is. Cinematographer John Toll (Oscars for Legends of the Fall (1994) and Braveheart (1995), also shot The Last Samurai (2003) and Tropic Thunder, among many) deserves accolades for the gorgeous establishing and panoramic shots of NYC, albeit somewhat hampered by noticeable damage to the screen in theatre #14 at the multiplex near the university (clearly not Toll's fault!). To read about the choice of locations, check out the production notes and go directly to page 20 to avoid spoilers. Many commenters on imdb have complained about another screening problem: boom microphones in shots, which some say are the fault of the projectionist (I was taught that the person behind the camera is entirely responsible for keeping the boom out of the shot and is encouraged to cut the action to adjust it). In any case, we saw no booms at the top of any frames. In addition to the cinematography we loved the art direction, decorating many scenes with marble and polished wood.

Here's some of Thomas Newman's (son of composer Alfred Newman (no E.), nephew of Lionel, cousin of Randy, and more) predictably great music from the movie (I can't vouch for the images being spoiler-free, because I'm listening while typing in another window and not looking at them). After seeing Unstrung Heroes (1995), which earned Newman his third Oscar nomination (after Little Women and Shawshank Redemption (both 1994)) I immediately bought the CD, and also have in my iTunes full or partial soundtracks for American Beauty (1999-nominated), Pay it Forward (2000), Lemony Snicket's a Series of Unfortunate Events (2004-nominated), Little Children (2006), Towelhead, and Wall-E (nominated). Never having won an Oscar, he was also nominated for Road to Perdition (2002), Finding Nemo (2003), and The Good German (2006). As I look at his long resumé I want to check out many of his other soundtracks.

We recommend this.

Phil Ochs: There But for Fortune (2010)

We learned a lot (I more than Jack, the history teacher) from this tight documentary about the protest folksinger/songwriter (1940-1976), which has archival footage, duets with Joan Baez and others, interviews with his siblings Sonia and Michael, his wife Alice, and others, and packed with so many songs it qualifies as a musical. I came late to Ochs' party buying Pleasures of the Harbor, his fourth and least successful album, long after its 1967 release (and apparently sold it in a purge of my less-used vinyl when I moved 10 years ago). We enjoyed this and recommend it to anyone who remembers liking Ochs. For some background, here's the trailer, a bio and videos of the songs There But for Fortune, I Ain't Marching Anymore, and Outside a Small Circle of Friends (the latter is from the album I had).
 
We saw this February 23, but I forgot to write about it, caught up as I was in Oscar mania (what a letdown) (next year give Anne Hathaway another chance with a co-host who actually cares to entertain) (fat chance).

Unknown (2011)

This is a good thriller about a man who wakes from a coma to find no one has missed him, his wife doesn't recognize him, and he wonders if he's going crazy, with taut performances and product placement by Mercedes Benz, including some seemingly indestructible vehicles (the car chases alone are worth the price of admission). The fluffy snow in Berlin plays a part as well. Not having seen Liam Neeson in Taken (2009) (though I wrote about my faves in Chloe) I can't comment on the similarities, but apparently there are many. Diane Kruger (Inglourious Basterds) plays Gina the cab driver; January Jones (Betty Draper on Mad Men, Pirate Radio) is Liz the wife (I had to laugh at one scene where Neeson's Martin describes his wife as wearing a "dark dress," when, to me, her platinum hair is her most distinguishing feature); Bruno Ganz (favorites of the few I've seen: Wings of Desire (1987), The Last Days of Chez Nous (1992), Youth Without Youth (2007), The Baader Meinhof Complex (2008)) is the former intelligence officer Ernst; and, in the last act, Frank Langella (whom Jack likes to call Lemon-jello) (some faves: Dave (1993), Lolita (1997), Superman Returns (2006--have I mentioned it has one of the best airplane rescue scenes ever? Yes, I have), Starting Out in the Evening (2007), and, of course Frost/Nixon) shows up as Martin's "oldest friend" Rodney. I like Aiden Quinn (favorites: Reckless (1984), Desperately Seeking Susan (1985), Benny & Joon (1993), Practical Magic (1998), and the short-lived series The Book of Daniel), but he doesn't have a lot to do here, nor does the handsome Sebastian Koch (Black Book (2006), The Lives of Others (2006), more). Former video director Jaume Collet-Serra is new to me, as are writers Oliver Butcher and Stephen Cornwell (the latter is John LeCarre's son), who adapted the screenplay from the novel Out of My Head by Didier Van Cauwelaert. Most of the loose ends are tied up nicely by the end.

Not high art, but Jack and I had a good time. Rottentomatoes doesn't really agree, with the critics' score falling below passing with 55% and audiences just above with 61%.

Afterschool (2008)

As a female boomer I'm definitely not the target demographic for this tale of a boarding school freshman boy with no friends, an internet porn addiction, and some pretty bad luck, but I liked it quite a bit nonetheless. It has odd camera framing, including one scene where I recognized the voice of Rosemarie DeWitt as a teacher, even though the only parts of her that were shown were the parts on which a teenage boy would focus. Later the odd framing could be explained by members of the school's A/V club. The talented Ezra Miller (a series arc on Californication in 2008, another on Royal Pains 2009-2010, and wonderful in City Island), in his first acting gig, stars as Rob. Jeremy Allen White (Lip on the fabulous Showtime series Shameless, more) play's Rob's roommate Dave. Michael Stuhlbarg (after I wrote about him in A Serious Man, I've been watching him in the HBO series Boardwalk Empire as Arnold Rothstein, the man who fixed the 1919 World Series) plays the earnest school principal, and Addison Timlin, as the innocent sophomore Amy, looked familiar but I had to look her up to find she had her own series arc on Californication this year, one in which she removes her top frequently.

The feature debut of director/writer Antonio Campos, this movie was nominated (after premiering at Cannes) for The Gotham Best Film Not Playing at a Theater Near You (lost to Sita Sings the Blues) and breakthrough Director (lost to Lance Hammer for Ballast), as well as for the Independent Spirit Best First Feature (lost to Synecdoche, New York), and Campos does have another release in the can, Simon Killer, for later this year. Definitely worth seeing sometime, but probably not suitable for innocent kids (worldly teenagers, okay), this was the second half of the one-night-only independent movie double feature at the university last Thursday (with Littlerock) (coincidentally both have titles with two words melded together). Even fewer people saw this one. Again, too bad.

Milestone alert: this is the 350th movie summarized on babetteflix! See the index for the complete list.

Littlerock (2010)

I really liked this sweet independent movie, winner of the Best Film Not Playing at a Theater Near You of the 2010 Gotham Awards, about two young Japanese tourists stranded in the titular town in northern Los Angeles County, near Palmdale. Atsuko and her brother Rintaro are on their way to Manzanar, a real National Historic Site where there was a World War II Japanese internment camp, and their car has broken down in Littlerock. The movie's languid pace matches that of the aimless slackers who live there, and who meet Atsuko (the U is silent) and Rintaro at their motel. Co-written by star Atsuko Okatsuka (her first script and third role, but the other two were shorts) and Carl McLaughlin (his debut) there's plenty of improvisation but a clear plot as Atsuko makes some risky choices despite speaking no English. 

Director/co-writer Mike Ott (winner for this movie of the Independent Spirit Someone to Watch Award) said in an interview (no spoilers) that many of the ideas were Atsuko's and they wanted to make a sort of reverse Lost in Translation (director/writer Sofia Coppola's 2003 movie about Americans in Japan). Rintaro Sawamoto plays Rintaro Sakamoto as mature and impatient, and Cory Zacharia (like many in the cast, he really is from Littlerock) plays Cory Lawler as immature and clueless. Many of the laughs in the movie are from Cory's lines, and I wonder if anyone intended that.

Not many people were at the university for its only screening the night before last week's earthquake/tsunami in Japan, and that's too bad. Ott has only one other feature behind him (his 2006 Cal Arts thesis, Analog Days, which I haven't seen) and I will look forward to his next project. This played one night only, in a double feature with Afterschool (coincidentally two words as one). Not for children, as there is some adult activity and drug use.

Cedar Rapids (2010)

All the best jokes were not in the funny trailer, so Jack and I were pleasantly surprised by this indie comedy starring Ed Helms, John C. Reilly, and Anne Heche and directed by Miguel Arteta. I'm a fan of Helms (I wrote about him in The Hangover), who finally gets a lead, playing his usual winsome-innocent-guy part, but, for me at least, it hasn't gotten old, as Helms' Tim (AKA Insurance Man) hits the big city, i.e. Cedar Rapids. Of course he sings, in a karaoke scene. Reilly (read Cyrus for my faves), also turns in a funny performance as dissolute fellow salesman Dean, whom Tim meets at a convention. Rounding out the group is Anne Heche (great in Wag the Dog (1997), Return to Paradise (1998), the HBO series Hung, and the now-cancelled Men in Trees was a guilty pleasure for me), Isiah Whitlock Jr. (whose character Ronald mentions twice that he's a fan of "the HBO program The Wire," and it turns out Whitlock acted in 25 episodes of that show), Kurtwood Smith (he has 119 acting credits, but to me he'll always be Eric's dad Red Forman on That 70's Show), Alia Shawkat (Arrested Development, Whip It, The Runaways), Stephen Root (156 acting credits, including the mumbling Milton in Office Space (1999) and Radio Station Man in O Brother Where Art Thou (2000)), and, in cameos, Sigourney Weaver, Mike O'Malley (Eat Pray Love), and Helms' former Daily Show-mate Rob Corddry. Working from a feature debut script by Phil Johnston (one of Variety's 10 Screenwriters to Watch in 2009), Arteta (see my post on Youth in Revolt) has the pacing just right: slow enough to convey the bumpkin-in-the-city motif and fast enough to make it funny.

I really liked the music by composer Christophe Beck (Red, Burlesque, Date Night, lots more), and I'm happy to tell you clips are available on the composer's website (if it doesn't load properly go to his home page, click filmography, click Cedar Rapids, and click the play arrow under the photos). Imdb has kindly supplied us with a list of the singles as well. Sorry I've been out of touch so long. Three more in my head but not yet on the blog.

2010 Oscar-nominated animated shorts

It's been over a week since we saw this year's program. Overall, it wasn't as good as last year but not a waste of time. The first short, Madagascar, a Journey Diary (Madagascar, carnet de voyage - 11 min.) by Bastien Dubois (from France), didn't move me, despite its dancing and singing. Perhaps my annoyance at missing the beginning (different problem, but still the second year in a row in the same complex) transferred over to my opinion of the short, which didn't have a story, just people moving around. I did like the animation but the whole piece left me cold. Next was Let's Pollute (6 min.) by Geefwee Boedoe, a satire in the style of a 1950's educational film strip that I enjoyed but Jack said was heavy handed. Again, no plot, but a bunch of people make every effort to consume consume consume, turning the oceans brown and causing the fish to die (their eyes went from o to x), all to jaunty advertising jingle-type music. Despite the exotic name of the director, this is an American production. Third, The Gruffalo (from United Kingdom and Germany - 27 min.) by Jakob Schuh and Max Lang, had a plot and a great cast--Helena Bonham Carter, Tom Wilkinson, John Hurt, Robbie Coltrane, and more. In Sendak-like animation, it begins with a mother squirrel telling her children a bedtime story about a cocky little mouse who makes his way through a dangerous forest. It's pretty cute. The fourth short, The Lost Thing (U.K. and Australia - 15 min.), which won the Oscar last night for Shaun Tan and Andrew Ruhemann is probably my favorite, too. The animation was reminiscent of both Sergeant Pepper and Monty Python. The so-called lost thing is a multi-tentacled creature encased in a metallic shell, and it's found by a guy about one-third its size. Next was Day & Night (6 min.) by Teddy Newton, which we had already seen because, a Pixar production, it preceded Toy Story 3. Kind of saccharine, it had a pair of ghosts through whom we can see day or night. They eventually end up dancing together. These were the five nominated shorts. The program was fleshed out with two more. Urs (10 min.), by Moritz Mayerhofer from Germany is bleak and depressing and we were really glad when it was over. Wordless, it's about a big, muscular guy who straps his aged mother into a chair on his back and climbs over a mountain. Hated it. The last one, The Cow Who Wanted to Be a Hamburger (6 min.) by Bill Plympton, is very cute, also wordless, featuring a calf who is attracted to ads for Happy Burger and tries to get join them. The animation reminded me of Peter Max. Some interesting trivia: Plympton, who at age 64 has 54 directing credits, most of which are short films, turned down a 7-figure offer from Disney to animate Aladdin, because anything he produced while under contract to them would become their intellectual property. Though not nominated this year, his work was in 1988 and 2005. You can watch the beginning here.

I had every intention of staying for the live action shorts but ran out of steam that day.