Joe's Talk

Take Shelter

I loved this! It was filmed in a suburb on the east side of Cleveland. There was lots of buzz in the local papers about this locally filmed independent drama. I liked that the community and homes looked familiar.

Michael Shannon and Jessica Chastain were wonderful as the Midwestern couple Curtis and Samantha at the center of this story! Their daughter is deaf and while Curtis struggles to participate and communicate with her it is obvious he only wants to keep her safe. Curtis starts to see apocalyptic signs of an oncoming storm. He is worried he might be going crazy. It could just be daydreams or nightmares. Some of these nightmares are quite shocking and you will feel right along with Curtis the absolute panic that he feels. Curtis follows the rational steps that many modern men would to try to deal with his feelings of anxiety and of losing touch with reality. It is equally hard for us, the audience, to tell what is real and what is a dream for awhile. Could it be his family history? Could it be a sleep issue? Could it be stress over his job loss? Could he be a modern day Noah and be seeing some doom that is really coming? Best be prepared for anything! He expands the storm shelter in his back yard. Will anyone stand by his side through all this craziness? Michael Shannon deserves an Oscar nomination for this role as a tormented protective family man. I hope he gets a handful of noms from the various awards organizations.

The Greater Good

Lots of good info.

Mr. Nobody

I loved it. It's like a puzzle. It's different and I was glued to the screen.

Melancholia

I think I can easily say that "Melancholia" is the most depressing film I have ever seen. It's gloomy, haunting, uncomfortable, and categorically convincing with its subject matter. If you're not in a good mood before you plan on watching this, don't watch it. If you're irrationally afraid of the apocalypse and the end of the world, don't watch it. There are many detractors that I can list off warding you away from the emotional roller coaster that this film puts you on, but there are far more pros than cons here. Director Lars Von Trier is one of the most controversial filmmakers of this generation. He always manages to anger people with his films and most think he does it purposely. His film "Dogville" pissed off Americans, his film "Manderlay" pissed off black Americans, his film "Antichrist" pissed off everyone, etc. His own personal angst is usually seeping out of his films which causes audiences to react strongly against him as a person, but this time, with "Melancholia", Von Trier has given us what could be his most tame and uncontroversial film since "Dancer in the Dark". The film's title refers to an alien planet that is on a course towards Earth and has sisters Justine (Dunst) and Claire (Gainsbourg) worried about the end of the world. The film is split into two parts: Part I - 'Justine' and Part II - 'Claire'. The first part chronicles Justine's wedding reception and we watch her as she slowly unravels after noticing a big red star in the sky that burns brighter than the rest. In the second part, Justine has become severely depressed and moves in with her sister and her husband John (Sutherland). John, who is somewhat of an astronomy aficionado, explains Melancholia, the now visible blue planet, to his worried wife. He tells her that the planet is supposed to fly right by Earth without colliding and she has nothing to worry about. As the countdown to the fly-by happens, Claire becomes more and more worried about the possible collision between Melancholia and Earth. Both parts are excellent, but the second part has this constant air of impending doom and the last 30 minutes are some of the most intense minutes of film I have ever seen. There are some gorgeous images and special effects throughout the film and the music is used really effectively, but the technical aspects are really overshadowed by the thematic elements. "Melancholia" is a terrifying disaster film with an ending that had me scared senseless. Yes, it's fiction, but it's all so realistic that it will undoubtedly have you paranoid for days. This is not a film you'll forget; it will stick with you for a long while and potentially haunt you every time you look into the night sky and notice "Hmm, that star looks abnormally large..." (A)

Drive

"Drive" is not only the best movie I have seen thus far in 2011, but one of the most taut and gripping thrillers I have seen in a long time. Its elegance is unmatched by any film released this year and its charisma is downright breathtaking. If you can't tell, I'm in love with this film. Prior to the release of "Drive", I had not been a huge fan of director Nicolas Winding Refn. His previous films include "Pusher", "Bronson" and the wildly atmospheric "Valhalla Rising". None of these are bad films; they're all quite good, but none of them ever blew me away or had me wanting to watch them a second time. "Drive" is Refn's first film that had me fully captivated and wanting to watch it again right after it ended. Refn won the prize for Best Director for this film at Cannes this past May and I must say that is one hell of a well-deserved prize. After the opening sequence alone I was on board and completely mesmerized with his direction style. The whole film is sleek and has an atmosphere of 80s inspired nostalgia which is conveyed through the colour scheme, soundtrack and even the font used in the credits. While watching "Drive", I felt like I was watching Michael Mann's "Miami Vice", Martin Scorsese's "Taxi Driver" and Peter Yates' "Bullitt" have an orgy on screen and I loved every second. This super-stylized, graphic, yet inspiringly gorgeous film is one of my new favourites. A wonderful cast, sharp direction and brilliant technical work makes this a pleasure to watch not just once, but over and over again. (A+)

Tyrannosaur

Ever since I saw Paddy Considine in Jim Sheridan's "In America" back in 2003 I've loved the guy. He's had some great roles and is one of my personal favourite British actors. He's had stand out performances in "Dead Man's Shoes", "My Summer of Love" and "Cinderella Man". This time around, Considine takes the reins and directs this visceral picture. "Tyrannosaur" is Considine's first time working as a director and it's easily one of the most memorable directorial debuts in recent years. I saw this film at a screening here in Toronto at the International Film Festival and Considine was there for a question and answer session. The way he spoke about this project gave me goosebumps; he's a real passionate filmmaker and he's absolutely fantastic at what he does. Considine made the short film "Dog Altogether" back in 2007 [it won a BAFTA award for Best Short Film] and that was the beginning of "Tyrannosaur". "Dog Altogether" featured the same cast, characters and story of "Tyrannosaur", but only ran a mere 16 minutes. Considine said at the Toronto screening that after making the short film, he talked with Peter Mullan [who plays Joseph in the films] about turning it into a feature film and he was very much on board. He shot "Tyrannosaur" with Peter Mullan and Olivia Colman reprising their roles and I have to say that after seeing it the other night, I still can't shake it from my mind. It's one of the most powerful, beautiful and well acted films I have seen in recent years. It's perhaps the most moving film of this nature since "The Wrestler". It's very much a character driven film and it runs on its two lead performances. Peter Mullan is superb, as he is in most things, but the performance from Olivia Colman is absolutely mind-blowing. She's a revelation and she had me shaking my head in disbelief. I couldn't believe how brilliant this performance was. She's best known in the U.K. for her comedic roles on TV and film and this role in "Tyrannosaur" is basically her first drama-heavy role. You would never know this woman had never done drama before, she knocks it right out of the park. This is a dark film and it can be really hard to endure at some points, but the pay-off is so satisfying. It won three prizes at Sundance earlier this year: Best Director and two prizes for acting for Colman and Mullan. It's one of the best films of the year and features a great directorial debut and one hell of a lead actress performance. My favourite film of 2010 was a Sundance smash hit ["Winter's Bone"] and "Tyrannosaur" will undoubtedly be up there as one of my favourites of 2011 at the year's end as well. (A-)

Frankenstein

This is not a close adaptation of Mary Shelley's book, but James Whale's film has become more culturally iconic than the book. Unlike some of the other Universal monster movies this one did not strike me as campy. It is full of old-time-y acting perhaps, but that is ok with me. Mae Clarke as Elizabeth, Dr. Frankenstein's fiance, did a good job in the romantic lead. The character of Victor, Elizabeth's other male friend, is pretty useless hanging around except for providing a little dialog. Edward Van Sloan (Van Helsing in Dracula) as Dr. Waldman is quite dull. Frankenstein's father is an old fuddy duddy whose English accent really seems out of place in the generic German town where this story is set. Lionel Belmore is the Burgomaster, a small part, but he will pop up again in this series. Dwight Frye, fresh off of his role in Dracula, plays Dr. Frankenstein's humpback assistant Fritz. There is no Igor in this original movie. Colin Clive shows Frankenstein in mad scientist mode and romantic mode and is much better than I expected him to be from clips I had seen. Boris Karloff has a star making turn in this classic! It is amazing the depth he is able to portray in that makeup and only through grunts.

The gothic sets and movement of the cameras are impressive. The laboratory established the look of mad scientists' lairs for decades. James Whale's feeling on the pulse of this franchise made it the best of Universal's classic monsters. Many people may think they know this movie without having seen it from start to finish, but it offers surprises to those who really look. It is still alive!

Contagion

I saw an advanced screening of this tonight here in Toronto and I have to say that I was left slightly underwhelmed. Not because the film was bad, it was quite decent, but because it was just not as great as it should have been. With a director like Steven Soderbergh and a mind-blowing all-star cast, this should have been a home run. However, "Contagion" is ultimately a generic exercise in safe filmmaking. There's virtually nothing spectacular about this movie; most of it is forgettable and the rest of it seems like been-there-done-that storytelling. It's not entirely a disappointment though. Soderbergh's direction is above average and there are some good performances as well. In my opinion, Kate Winslet and Matt Damon stood out as the best performers of the bunch. Jennifer Ehle also comes to mind as someone that impressed me. What I did really like about the movie was its ease in scaring the audience; it's basically a thriller more than anything. I heard many grunts and 'ooh's from people around me during the film, so it succeeded in making the audience uneasy. It really is a terrifying premise especially if you're a bit of a germaphobe like I am. People were coughing and sneezing around me and I just wanted to whip out my bottle of hand sanitizer. The beginning of the film starts with a montage of scenes showing the virus spreading throughout the world. It's really intense and the editing makes what's happening intriguing, but this excitement doesn't come often enough. It can be slow at times, the dialogue can be stale and most of what happens is all too recycled, but there are some good things that you will take away from this movie that won't leave you disliking it completely. I enjoyed it for the most part, but I think I was ultimately disappointed because my expectations were really high. The trailer makes the film seem a lot more exciting than it is and the star-studded cast really isn't all that excellent. It's worth seeing in theaters, but don't expect it to win any Oscars come 2012. (B-)

No Strings Attached

It was ok,I just couldnt see Natalie Portman pulling off a rom- com.Anyway I thought that up until the " you look like a pumpkin BITCH!" Then I was good to go.Pretty funny.Check it out if you want a decent rom- com.

Limitless

Something original. Lots of twists. Great movie.

The Lost Thing

This was my favorite of the Oscar nominated animated shorts. Our narrator leads us through an urban Australian wasteland of sorts with busy people in their own worlds and signs all over barking orders. Our narrator is a teen who collects bottle caps. His life changes when he sees what could be a giant metal cookie jar with portals and hatches around it through which octopus like tentacles or crustacean like claws can protrude or retract. It is a strange mix of mechanics and flesh. It acts like a lost puppy. The teen can't call it anything but a "Lost Thing." Can he find a place for this lost thing? Very creative and dreamlike as we see what happens at the teen's home, at a bureaucratic office, and when they follow a mysterious sign. The CGI had a unique textured look that I thought was really delightful.

127 Hours

INCREDIIBLE!! James Franco better win an Oscar for this.Very well deserved.See it soon!

Black Swan

Aronofsky positively permeates this picture with mirrors! A little girl who has barely grown up or learned to take care of herself because of the pressure of an overbearing stage mother is given the method acting advice of losing herself in her role. Natalie Portman as the fragile Nina seeks Perfection. We see the unimaginable physical abuse and pain a ballerina can go through to master her technique. Unfortunately Nina has a habit of hurting herself as well. When she does achieve being given the lead in Swan Lake she is tasked with playing both the white swan, which is natural for her, and the black swan, a confidant seductive character. Can she pull off portraying such polar opposites? Everywhere she turns is a mirror with her face looking back at her. Or is it her face? Will she have a Jekyll and Hyde split? How much of it is real? And how much is in her head?

This is my favorite of the Oscar contenders that I've seen so far this year. I think the best actress award will go to Natalie Portman as well. Winona Ryder is superb as the still young prima ballerina who has outlived her usefulness to the director. She is a symbol of perfection that Nina wishes to attain even though there are many faults that the audience will easily see. Barbara Hershey is somewhat gaunt and creepy as a mother who babies her grown daughter. Vincent Cassel is the demanding director who at times appears to be the lecherous casting couch type and at others the comforting father figure who encourages Nina to live a little to release the black swan within. Mila Kunis is a new girl in the ballet company who through her less uptight manner becomes a friend and an enemy in turn.

The music, including that from the familiar Swan Lake (familiar even to those who know nothing about ballet I bet), is beautiful. Often the tunes are given new life because we are seeing Nina's struggles backstage set to them. The official genre of this film is listed as Drama/Thriller. There are several horror elements that are good for a few frights too. The visual effect of Nina's skin changing and her transformation during her performance of the one dance is amazing. Everything comes together very well in this artistic film.

Black Swan

A kind of sad film about a girl that wants to please others so much she tends to forget herself.Her mother is very wishy washy whenever she is around Nina.All in all it is a dark thriller with some scenes that you just aren't going to get.However Portman did an AMAZING job with this film.I love that she chooses her films very carefully it sure pays off for her.Beautiful dancing,ballet and the dark sides to what it takes to make it to the top.I loved it and would see it again.See it Soon!

Life as We Know It

Pretty Good.A couple falls into a situation of becoming guardians of a baby which neither of them have a clue what they are doing.A few good laughs.But I would wait for the DVD.

127 Hours

The bookends were a little unclear to me. I guess crowds of people scurrying around can have different meanings to different viewers. Is it about the cheering and often pumping fists or spread hands into the air? Is it about the crowded-ness? Is it about people going on with their normal busy lives? It could be about all these things. The other symbol that didn't seem as fully integrated in the story as it could have been was the bird, a crow if I remember correctly, which toward the end Boyle tries to make more meaningful than many of the other elements of minutia that are packed in this tale.

The movie gives us James Franco as Aron Ralston exploring canyons in Utah exclusively. And more restrictive than that he is trapped in one location for the majority of the time. How does Danny Boyle fill one hour and thirty-three minutes? He jams lots of fast editing, split screens and portals in for visual interest. He crams the running time with examinations of minutia. This includes treating the tools and supplies that Aron had with him during this unexpected accident like sacred objects. Also the imagination and memories of Aron's mind give a window to things that either distract from or recommit him to his mission of survival and release us temporarily from the claustrophobia. Then there is the nearly microscopic look at fluids being drunk and blood, tissue, and bone coming in contact with a knife. I usually get queasy with the thought of blood and I couldn't fully watch every frame of what you know Aron has to do to free himself. But I don't think it is as bad as some reports I read about of early screenings. James Franco deserves an Oscar nom for keeping us entertained with his somewhat manic characterization, but I still felt a certain distance from his character and situation that kept me from completely feeling his pain with him.