Married to the Movies (#2) - Black Snake Moan

a film by Craig Brewer

ONE SENTENCE SYNOPSIS
an old heartbroken bluesman in the rural South finds a young woman beaten and abused and resolves himself to “cure” her of her destructive behavior

HER TAKE
Samuel L. Jackson has done it again. This time, in Black Snake Moan as Lazarus, a man attempting to mend his heart and find love again. Jackson is solid from start to finish and is the foundation from which the rest of the film grows. He crosses many a threshold of emotions flawlessly and gracefully as Lazarus journeys from unknown territory (the aftermath of his divorce) to the safe haven he finds in mentoring hedonistic Rae (Christina Ricci). Jackson gives Lazarus the kind of gentle force that is not dangerous but at the same time “will not be moved.” He is an unlikely knight of sorts whom, initially, you are uncertain can fulfill your hopes, but eventually lifts and carries the sword so nobly, you cannot help nearly forgetting his faults by curtains close.

But this is no fairy tale. Each character has their own internal battle they must struggle to overcome and with the help of each other they manage to…well…manage. They learn that while it might not be possible to kill 'the beast', they can at least tame it. Love is the strongest theme throughout showing itself in a multitude of ways: as kindness helping a stranger, as jealousy blinding a lover, and as loyalty remaining true to friendship, among many others.

Probably the most moving element of the film was its music. Scenes where music is most prevalent are the keystones to the emotional arch of the story. Archive footage sequences of legendary bluesman “Son” House are enchanting as he simultaneously describes the emotions that generate true blues music and the emotions that drive our main characters. Blues plays a heavy hand in setting the mood throughout the film with the most powerful display of man and music culminating in a rare performance by Lazarus, witnessed only by Rae during a tumultuous thunder and lightning storm (Jackson actually learned to play for this role). This scene is by far the most electric and solidifies the bond between Lazarus and Rae. The soulful music continuously enhances and reinforces the feelings and experiences of the characters throughout the film.

To some, this may come as a surprise, but my negative impressions of this film revolve primarily around the casting of Christina Ricci as “Rae.” And I even like Christina Ricci sometimes. I’m guessing she fought hard for this role because she certainly gives it her all. Unfortunately, her “all” didn’t quite cut the mustard. The only time she actually sold her performance was when she was scarffing down food. In those singular moments (twice I think I counted?) I actually, truly believed she was hungry. I may have even cheered a little inside, despite assuming she spit it back out at the word “cut!” so she could maintain her skeletal physique for the next four months of shooting. Did she “slim down” for the role? I don’t know, but her emaciated figure, unlike Christian Bale’s Trevor Reznik (The Machinist), did not positively enhance the aesthetic of her character. Her already large eyes, seemed to be in perma-bulge mode, also an incredibly distracting side effect of her look. To her credit, she pulled off the dirty, trashy, backwoods, feisty wild child aspect to a degree. But incredibly desirable sex goddess? No. If I were to give her that, well that would just paint all the men in that story into a rather unpleasant category of men who cannot resist skin and bone, stringy blonde haired, bulgy eyed girls—not your classic vixen...and I don’t think that was the intended impression. Ultimately, she gets an “A” for effort for clearly diving head first into the role, but the casting missed the mark here. A different actress (and by that I mean, anyone healthier and—I’m just going to say it—more attractive) could have made Rae the emotionally scarred on the inside/reckless and irresistible temptress on the outside young woman she was supposed to be.

The supporting cast members, which include a vulnerable Justin Timberlake as Rae’s anxiety riddled boyfriend, prove to be a good balance for the leads and add meaningful performances of their own. All in all, I recommend this film if you can get past the Christina Ricci black hole. If you can, then the music, Samuel L. Jackson, and the story itself make it worth while.

HIS TAKE
As far as tough sells go, a film about an embittered Bluesman who chains a nymphomaniac girl to his radiator in order to cleanse her soul is pretty difficult. Simply put, this is not ‘mainstream’ moviemaking. Or at least, it’s not something I can imagine my family renting off of Netflix.

But that’s what director Craig Brewer seems interested in, stories about flawed characters, and the redemption of the irredeemable. After all, this is the same director who brought us the pimp-turned-rapper Sundance hit Hustle & Flow. That film turned into a surprisingly upbeat tale, one that it received a fair amount of criticism for by over-glorifying its subject. Black Snake Moan borrows its themes, but if there’s one thing that this film shares with Hustle & Flow, it’s the ability to hit the right notes… musically.

When a song is playing in Black Snake Moan, it’s to good effect. The title of the film itself is borrowed from a 1927 Blind Lemon Jefferson song and the Blues-y feel that Brewer instills fits the storyline well, keeping it all about failed and failing relationships and the heartache they cause.

Which is why it’s not surprising that we’re first introduced to Lazarus (portrayed by Samuel L. Jackson in a stunning departure from his recent ‘autopilot’ roles for Snakes on a Plane and The Man) on a barstool. He’s there drowning his sorrows over his lost love Rose. Feeling like his wife turned his back on him, Laz turns his back on the only one left to blame besides himself, God. And no longer the forgiving type, a few short scenes later Laz is perched in his tractor running Rose’s rose garden into the ground.

Lazarus (as evident by the too-obvious name) is a dead spirit in need of revival and he finds it in the least likeliest of places – sprawled half-dead and half-naked in the middle of the road.

Enter Rae (Christina Ricci), a sexually abused child whose aftereffects have left her unable to control her sexual compulsions. Ricci is asked to do too much, to be a sympathetic character that acts in an immoral way to those that she supposedly loves. It’s almost an impossibility to capture this correctly and Black Snake Moan has its flaws in this regard (often treating Ricci’s character as a monster or a drug addict in need of a fix), but Ricci is perfect for the role. She plays off of the conceptions of her past characters (Monster? Fear and Loathing?), for once using typecasting to added effect.

What results is a symbiotic relationship between Lazarus and Rae where they use one another to become the people they probably should have been in the first place. There are still shortcuts taken in the storytelling at this point in the story (Justin Timberlake’s character is extended to minimal effect) but when Black Snake Moan focuses on their relationship, it seems to truly hit its stride… and it’s refreshing to a see a relationship that is not focused around love or betrayal, but simply two characters that know they’re good for one another and good for themselves.

HER REACTION
You're observations are right on. I agree wholeheartedly with your assessment that the movie shines when it focuses on the Lazarus/Rae relationship and the intertwined music. I also agree with the comment that the director asked too much of Ricci. Now I could be snide and say that he asked too much of her when he "requested" she make her character believable but I won't...I'm not going to say it. I'm also not going to say that her decision to regurgitate her food to "get into character" is going to convince me she was the best casting choice. Nope...you didn't hear it out of these lips.

HIS REACTION
I almost feel like I should offer condolences to Christina Ricci’s family after that review. Just no-holds-barred stuff. You even got a little personal there attacking her for being ugly at one point. The thing is though, I don’t think she ever intended – or needed to be – an ‘incredibly desirable sex goddess’ as you stated. She pulled off ‘dirty, trashy, backwoods, feisty wild child’ enough to succeed in the role and I feel that the real flaws in execution towards her character (her wanton lust and back story) were mishandled more on the director’s part. As for her ‘skin and bone, stringy blonde haired, bulgy eyed’ appearance… well, damn, I have no response for that.



written by Brian and Rebecca

In the Screening Room - Alexander Payne's Citizen Ruth

Session 008 - Citizen Ruth

Who saw it and what are your thoughts on it?

In the Screening Room - Mike Hodge's Croupier

Session 007 - Croupier

Who saw it and what are your thoughts on it?

Recent Watches: September 2007

I've postponed putting up this topic for a couple of reasons. One being that I wanted to space out the posts we've got coming to give everyone some time to discuss on the boards... and the other is that ever since I've started taking the vanpool in to work I've been able to catch about a movie per day and have an excess of movies that I need to delve into here in the "Recent Watches" section.

First, saw Bugsy, Croupier (post coming within 1-2 days) and Sunshine (possibly the next "His & Her" article but if not I'll get into this on pengin's previous post). Those will all get their own time for discussion, but I've also got another two handfuls of films that need discussing.

Those films include: The Simpsons Movie, Blades of Glory, Fallen Angels, The Science of Sleep, All That Jazz, The Fountain, The Number 23, Babe (yes, I finally saw it) and Double Indemnity. I intend to spend some time discussing each one, even if it's just a short paragraph... but all that will be after the jump, in the comments section just so I can get this post up and give you guys your own forum for discussion.

Here we go.

Married to the Movies (#1) - Away From Her

a film by Sarah Polley

ONE SENTENCE SYNOPSIS
a family drama that tells the story of an elderly married couple facing the effects of Alzheimer's on their lives and relationship

HER TAKE
Writer-director Sarah Polley presents “Away From Her” unflinching in its honesty but with care and respect. It does not sugar coat the devastating affect Alzheimer’s disease can have on both the person it inhibits as well as those around them. But it does not over dramatize it either. What is left is a stark look at how Grant Anderson (Gordon Pinsent) copes with wife Fiona’s (Julie Christie) decision to admit herself into a facility that will care for her as her mind deteriorates.

Julie Christie and Gordon Pinsent are wonderful both separately and together. Though the film was written with Christie in mind, the focus is really more on Pinsent’s character who must find his way, with the help of care center nurse, Kristy (Kristen Thompson), and Marian (Olympia Dukakis), the wife of a man Fiona becomes attached to in the care center. I’m usually a fan of Dukakis but didn’t think her performance in this was by any means up to par. The real standout supporting performance was by Thompson. She is flawless as the grounding element in the midst of all the confusion and holds her own amongst the likes of Christie and Pinsent. Pinsent does a wonderful job of conveying the brewing storm beneath his outwardly calm and sturdy surface. He rarely shows outward emotion but his anger, sadness and helplessness is clearly present. Christie matches his performance with her own version of the internal battle she is fighting.

The pace was slow and meandering reflecting not only the age of the characters but also the emotional journey they embarked on together (whether you place the beginning of that journey at the onset of the Alzheimer’s or the marriage proposal makes little difference). It is an appropriate pace but with not much dialogue to move it along and so much being left up to the imagination it could have moved a hair faster. It also felt a bit disjointed along its undefined timeline with slightly choppy transitions. This didn’t detract exceedingly from the work as a whole but it also didn’t feel like a smooth united piece either. The average filmgoer will not see this as an intended effect designed to convey Grant’s loss of order to his world. I’m not sure if it was intended, but I’ll give it the benefit of the doubt here.

The mood of the film is somber though there are brief moments where emotion is elevated by happiness or anger. It is reflective, pensive and stark in its presentation of the reality of the situation. There is a recurring sense of restraint throughout the film that turns out to be a double edged sword. This restraint is effective in conveying the struggle and resistance Grant displays as a reaction to the circumstances. But it gets in the way at times of delving into the roots of Fiona and Grant’s relationship causing me to wonder exactly where they stood as husband and wife as she enters the care facility. And perhaps we aren’t supposed to know exactly what transpired between the two in the past but I would have liked to have had a little more understanding in that regard as opposed to allusions to past events.

Despite its minor flaws, I believe older viewers, especially those who have experienced long marriages, will be able to relate to this film more than younger generations. But nevertheless, people of all ages (young adult and up) should be able to appreciate it. It won’t be the first thing I think of to recommend to people but it’s worth a watch if you are interested in the subject matter.

HIS TAKE
Away From Her is the type of widely praised but little seen film that goes largely unnoticed in theaters. The storyline is geared towards adults (specifically of retirement age) and deals with an issue that most key demographics aren’t affected by (Alzheimer’s).

Myself included, I barely registered a blip on the radar as it came and went through the not-so-local cineplexes this past spring. But that it could come and go without so much as a passing thought is not necessarily indicative of its cinematic worth…

Because Away From Her is also the type of film that once the Academy Award season rolls around, a nomination or two will certainly come its way and have everyone scrambling to see it before the Oscar telecast.

And that nomination will be… Best Actress, Julie Christie. I can’t imagine seeing five better performances this year. Christie plays Fiona, a former ‘wild child’ woman who is now relegated to labeling her drawers just to remember where her kitchen utensils go. She’s a prisoner of her own mind. She forgets faces, even of her husband of forty years and misplaces pans in the freezer like it’s the rightful place to put it. Christie is really remarkable in the role, completely selling her decline into dementia. She’s filled with uncertainty and a calming fear that is beautifully painful – and strikes you right in the heart.

But this movie is more about her husband Grant, portrayed well by Gordon Pinsent. His is the opposite struggle of seeing someone he loved lose their memory and their mind without having the power to do anything about it himself. He’s an idle bystander, hopeful, but also fearful that Fiona could wander off by herself without the ability to return home. And how hard must it be to look in the face of the woman you love and not know if she even recognizes you?

The first half of Away From Her is really about how their relationship deteriorates and how Grant is faced with the burden of responsibility. It’s ultimately his decision to make whether he can care for her or whether she needs to be institutionalized.

This truly is some heartbreaking stuff (and fine filmmaking to boot). It’s not just for your family’s AARP members. Because of the depth of Christie’s performance, you can see flashes of memory and moments strike her. You can actually see her entire train of thought play out on her face. It’s excellent stuff, some of my favorite moments of the year thus far.

However, I don’t think the second half of the film quite lives up to the first. Once Grant ultimately decides what to do in the situation, the movie delves into a soap opera-ish love triangle that negates some of the delightfully simple and human elements of its beginning. Plus the backstory that is introduced for Grant is largely unnecessary, supposedly giving him a motive for his actions but really I think it does more to undermine them.

Even still, it’s a lovely little film that is polished and assured of itself courtesy of actor/director Sarah Polley. I’m absolutely intrigued about the possibilities of Polley as a filmmaker one, five and ten years from now. If Away From Her is any indication, she’s definitely one to watch.

So we’re one article into this and already I’ve discovered a film I might have otherwise ignored. Mission accomplished.

HER REACTION
I see we agree on many key points. The only place we truly differ is this talk about a little statue by the name of Oscar. I think Julie Christie's performance was extremely moving and strong and deserves at least a nod but I don't think it'll happen. With so many promising films yet to be released I have a feeling Away From Her will, unfortunately, be all together passed by. But who knows? We'll have to wait and see.

HIS REACTION
Well, no fireworks from our first forray into tandem reviewing. We're on the same page here, I'm just reading a more interesting paragraph. We both singled out the backstory as unnecessary or undeveloped and the acting as some of the stronger reasons for seeing the film.. I just found a little more to like in the leads and a star to champion for an Oscar nod in Christie. Still though, that first hour had me thinking 'Top 10 of 2007' until I saw some cracks.

written by Brian and Rebecca

Month of Movies: September 2007

With the opening of 3:10 to Yuma today, the movie season has arrived. It's time for the studios to start unveiling their boatload of Oscar contenders and me, I find myself overwhelmed with the options available to me. Starting this month through the end of the year there's nearly a can't miss film being released every week (and others opening limited that I don't know exactly when or where they'll show up to be seen).

But starting with September here, 3:10 to Yuma simply from the cast looks like a surefire good time. Maybe not a western of the caliber of Unforgiven, but few are. In addition, we get Shoot 'Em Up which for me is a DVD rental but with Clive Owen and Paul Giamatti it's a first rate DVD rental.

Even The Brothers Soloman and The Hunting Party look fairly interesting (because of Will Arnett and Richard Shepard's The Matador follow-up respectively). I even see a limited release of the long-gestating John Turturro film Romance & Cigarettes whose cast has intrigued me since I first heard about it nearly two years ago.

Then we get the one-two punch of Neil Jordan's The Brave One and David Cronenberg's Eastern Promises. Two absolute must sees on the same day. Three if you factor in Paul Haggis' limited release of In the Valley of Elah. Also being released are the intriguing, festival circuit King of California with Michael Douglas and the not-as-intriguing-but-not-appalling Mr. Woodcock.

A few more that haven't peaked my interest yet include Across the Universe (hey, the "Filmspotting" guys have it as a Top 10 inclusion, I might have to see it) and two I can't seem to find any reason to see Resident Evil: Extinction (sorry Rebecca) and Good Luck Chuck.

God, then there's more limited release must sees with Sean Penn's Into the Wild and The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. It's just getting ridiculous at this point. But wait, still more. Peter Berg's The Kingdom is another one I'll definitely be checking out. And yet two more limited release must sees with Ang Lee's Lust, Caution and, of course...

Wes Anderson's The Darjeeling Limited.

Good God man, I've got some movie watching to do.

(p.s. even the posters kick ass this time of year)

In the Screening Room - Barry Levinson's Bugsy

Session 006 - Bugsy

Who saw it and what are your thoughts on it?

Film Script's Top 7 - Best Movie Franchises

I probably should have taken the initiative and posted this as soon as The Bourne Ultimatum and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix were still fresh in theaters, but considering we're exactly at the border between summer and fall movie season - as evidenced by this past week's releases (Halloween, Death Sentence, Balls of Fury) and the ones coming in the next couple weeks (3:10 to Yuma, The Brave One, Eastern Promises, In the Valley of Elah) - I still felt that the topic deserves to be brought up... besides, who doesn't love a good list?

Also, as we continue with "The Film Script" I hope to settle into a groove with the posts much in the way that at the beginning of each month I've been posting a "Recent Watches" section and a "Month of Movies" topic. I'd like to get at least one "Top 7" list in per month as well. They're usually a topic that we get more posts and more interest in anyway.

Oh, and one last thing that I feel like addressing. The welcoming of a new contributor, Rebecca, to the site. You may or may not have noticed the addition to the list of "Contributors" on the site, but regardless, Rebecca and I are planning a new column (maybe weekly, maybe semi-weekly, we'll work that out) giving sort of a His-Hers take on contemporary and classic films. I believe the first film we've decided on is Away From Her. If anyone else has seen it, everyone is welcome to join in the debate in the comments section as usual. It's just a spin on the topic posting that we wanted to try out, with each of us giving our own take on the film (we'll each write our reactions to the film without discussing it with the other) and then with a kind of 'counterpoint' section where we respond to the other person's take. Should be interesting, I'm definitely looking forward to trying that out.

But now, the list:

7. Star Wars
I make it no secret that I was not a Star Wars geek growing up. I only recently (the past 3-4 years) caught up with the entire series. And while I love a few of the films, by taking in all 6 within a short amount of time, The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones really cast a shadow on the series. To view it in that context, only half the films are really all that good. However, the two best (obviously still the first two) are truly great and classic films. For them alone, Star Wars deserves to be on any ‘Best Franchise’ List - and probably with higher placement than I’m giving it.

6. Indiana Jones
I don’t think either sequel ever approaches the level of Raiders, but throughout, the Indiana Jones series remains one of the most purely entertaining film franchises of all-time. Harrison Ford was perfect for the role (we’ll find out next year whether a 60-year-old Ford still is) but this is the type of grand spectacle entertainment that works so well with talent as big as Spielberg behind it to shape it into something special. I don’t know whether Raiders is enhanced with the addition of Temple of Doom or The Last Crusade (the markings of a truly great sequel/series). But it’s fun, it’s charming, it’s entertaining and engrossing. It’s thrilling. It’s 6th place all-time.

5. The Bourne Identity
The Bourne films started out as a typical – albeit strong – action series, but somewhere around the time Marie is sniper-rifled in The Bourne Supremacy they changed over into explorations of a past filled with regret, of revenge and self-exploration. They became deeper, more fierce, and more meaningful as they went along… all while hiding in plain sight as ‘blockbuster’ films being consumed by a mass audience. Plus, check out the cast lists… it’s like a running tally of top notch actors and actresses all doing great work.

4. The Terminator
When I was ten years old, if you had told me I could only see one movie for the rest of my life… I think I could have been happy with T2. In fact, for about two years I probably treated it as the only film on earth when I watched and rewatched and rewatched the thing seriously at least 100 times. To this day it is – by far – the film I’ve seen the most number of times. The Terminator itself is a classic that has grown on me even more with age (I guess the gritty reality of the original wasn’t as appealing as the stylized spectacle of the second when I was younger). Then Jonathan Mostow comes along and delivers the serviceable, unspectacular-but-not-disappointing-either T3. To me, it’s a solid, rounded trilogy with some amazing highs and very rare lows. I’m worried about T4, but to this point… easily one of the best franchises of all-time.

3. The Godfather
Two of the best films ever made. The only reason it’s listed at #3 is because of one average film that drags it down. Part II was (and probably still is) the best excuse for ever making a sequel. The first two films are *always* considered for a list of the top films of all-time and include some of the top performances of all-time. When you think of the actor’s from those two films, these are the films that define them. These are the upper echelon of their filmographies and upper echelon of filmmaking. But that’s just it, the third never is… and I’m a stickler for consistency. And while Part III is not a bad film (hell, it managed a Best Picture nom of its own), it’s so starkly below the level of the first two that it unfairly drags down the series from it’s rightful #1 position.

2. The Lord of the Rings
It almost feels like a cheat to put it here because, really, what is The Lord of the Rings but one 9-hour movie (maybe this feeling will change if they ever get around to making The Hobbit like they’ve long planned to)? The films are obviously great and each film is on the same level as the one before or after it, but it was filmed all together like one movie with one cast and there was no time between films where they had to regroup any of the actors or deal with any criticisms or hire writers to craft another story. It was one story, exceptionally told. But by my own definition, three films = placement on the list and with the caliber of all three, it deserves this #2 slot. After all, it’s some of the best filmmaking of the past decade.

1. The Man With No Name
I love this series. As soon as Clint Eastwood showed up in this Sergio Leone trilogy, his look became iconic. The poncho, the thin cigar, the hat. He drifts from movie to movie without any real connection between them… besides the poncho, the thin cigar and the hat. And the feel, courtesy of Sergio Leone’s direction and Ennio Morricone’s score. It’s a remarkable series, unlike any other I’ve ever seen. The distinctiveness of a Sergio Leone western is uniquely unusual and wonderful. It’s a crime he was only able to complete a handful of movies in his lifetime. Luckily – even in his brief career – he treated us to the best franchise in history.

Runners-Up include: Rocky, Batman, James Bond, Harry Potter, Die Hard, Lethal Weapon, Alien, Back to the Future, Spider-Man, Superman, Dirty Harry, Predator, American Pie, Scream, etc.

(find a list of other franchises at http://www.the-numbers.com/movies/series/franchises.php)