A person that had a profound impact on me when I was much younger was my grandmother on my mother's side. My Vietnamese was horrible growing up was pretty bad so I hardly understood a thing she said but I could tell she loved me. Everything from the way she used to watch over and care for me while my parents went to work to the way she prepared my favorite French Fries from scratch. Another thing that has really stuck with me since that time was her favorite TV show. On the rare occasion I can remember her taking time for herself she used to always love to sit and watch I Love Lucy. It has that universal appeal that did not really require a command of the English language to appreciate I suppose.
Why do I bring her up you might ask? TV and film are two separate and different things but a lot of qualities remain the same between the two. The qualities I look for in a film contain a universal appeal that often appear without the need for understanding the dialogue. A lot of good films that I have seen do not really require a full understanding of the plot as the visuals can often carry a movie (i.e. Avatar, Y Tu Mama Tambien, Inception). But what I really look for in a film is something that simulate life. Something that can be a bridge between fiction and reality. Sometimes films take liberties with a story but the same could be said of a painter making a portrait or a musician making the lyrics of a song about a person, place or thing. The details are not so much important as the artistry.
With the the film section of my blog I wanted to share and convey to whomever might be reading this the reasons why I enjoy watching films and have a personal distinction between films and flicks. I will explain in another post what that distinction is. For this post I just wanted to share why I find films imporant. For more entertaining fare: the five films that are to be released in the next five months that I think people should see in theaters.
1. Waiting for Superman
Due out: September 24, 2010
My take: By the director of Inconvenient Truth, this next documentary by Davis Guggenheim is a really engaging film. He focuses on the crises facing American public education. I fortunately have already seen this film at the Seattle Independent Film Festival and I truly doubt anyone walked out of the theatre with a dry eye. One of those rare documentaries that makes you want to take action as well as being an entertaining fare the film draws upon the raw drama of the people involved from various levels (politicians, social activists, kids, parents, etc.). The best thing I think I took from the film is that the kids that they follow all throughout the movie could easily be the kid down the street, your nephew, your son, your daughter, your sister, your brother...Everyone can definitely take something from this film and hopefully acts upon it!
For the trailer click here.
2. Due Date
Due out: November 5, 2010
My take: With a veteran comedy director like Todd Phillips of The Hangover and Old School I can not see how he screw it up. Even though he has made some pretty bad movies, (i.e. Starsky and Hutch and School for Scoundrels) neither were original works of his. He did not write Due Date but he did have producing credits. And how can you do wrong with Robert Downey Jr., Michelle Monaghan, Jamie Foxx and one of my favorite comedians - Zach Galifianakis. I think this will be the funniest movie of the year. The film is a road trip movie which is a place Todd Phillips has already visited in Road Trip with a far worse cast ("Stifler" and Tom Green being themselves worked well). The plot follows Downey's character as he has to try and make it cross country in time for his child's due date and along the way he picks up Foxx, Galifianakis and an adorable French Bulldog. Comedy and mayhem ensues...
For the trailer, click here.
3. The Social Network
Due out: October 1, 2010
My take: David Fincher (Fight Club, Zodiac and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) is an awesome director and he brought back Jeff Cronenweth (Fight Club) as his cinematographer. Their work on that Fight Club with its dark and grungy appeal really fit that film and will do well to portray this very interesting look at the formation of the Facebook social network. I will admit it, I am addicted to Facebook, but it is the plot that really interests me.The film is based on a book that was a New York Times Bestseller (The Accidental Billionaires) that was itself written by Ben Mezrich (Bringing Down the House) who has a history of writing some tasteful and interesting non-fiction books. From the trailers you get the sense that Jesse Eisenberg (Adventureland, Zombieland) is going to play his traditionally geeky, witty character but as the saga of the formation of the Facebook website unfolds he becomes a straight up dick which is a nice change of pace for him. I think he will get a lot of recognition for this role after it comes out. Basically, the film is depicting the formation of Facebook from its roots at Harvard under creator Mark Zuckerberg (played by Jesse Eisenberg), the relationships he formed (for better or worse) after its newfound popularity and the subsequent fallout in many of those relationships when he became embroiled in lawsuits and personal greed.
For the trailer click here.
4. The Fighter
Due out: December 10, 2010
My take: There is not a whole lot to go on except for plot details and the cast and crew attached to the project but everything sounds like they will make a nice ensemble. Originally Darren Aronofsky (The Wrestler, Requiem for a Dream) was attached to direct this film but had to drop because of scheduling conflicts. Director David O. Russell (I Heart Huckabees, Three Kings) picked up the project and is working Amy Adams, Christian Bale and Mark Wahlberg on the project as his stars. With that kind of a lineup I am only afraid that his Russell's oddball humor might conflict with the tone of the film. The story focuses on the early years of a boxer named Micky Ward before he went pro in the 1980's. Wahlberg plays Micky and his character is trained by his half-brother (Dicky) played by Bale. I just hope that Bale did not have another of his infamous "Batman" freak-outs but otherwise I am looking forward to this one.
No Trailer available. :(
5. Tron: Legacy
Due out: December 17, 2010
My take: The director, Joseph Kosinski, has had experience in the film industry but mostly in a technical background (computer graphics). He found some success as a commercial director having filmed the Halo 3 "Starry Night" as well as the "Mad World" Gears of War TV spots. Although they are each limited in scope, he really seems to show a good use of computer graphics. Unlike some "directors", *cough* (Jerry Bruckheimer and Michael Bay) *cough* who rely on computer graphics for their "awesomeness", Kosinski seems like one of those directors who use their graphics as an aesthetic and tasteful part of film production (case in point: Avatar). Tron Legacy is a sequel to the original Tron in which Kevin Flynn's (played by Jeff Bridges) son (played by Garrett Hedlund) goes on a quest to find his father and gets thrust into the Tron-world of gladiatorial games with him. The project is taking a lot of risks with a budget of $150 million, a mostly rookie director and an unknown as the star. The appeal of a big budget blockbuster by Disney going into the usually dull holiday season should see this movie doing well, but will it be a good film? Time will tell.
For the trailer, click here.
Pill #43/180
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