The Hurt Locker: Kathryn Bigelow

02Jul09

by The Great White Gypsy

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“War is bad.”
“Bring our troops home.”
“We shouldn’t be in the Middle East.”
“This is a pointless war.”
Whether or not you agree with any or all of these statements, I think most of us can agree that it gets tedious and borderline insulting to be constantly, blatantly told this in every Middle East war film to come out in the last ten years. We go to the movies to be entertained, not to be caught up in partisan ideology and American guilt. Watch Charge of the Light Brigade, Gallipoli, or The Young Lions. Watch any Vietnam movie ever made. We all know that war is horrible; but contrary to popular belief (and in direct opposition to Michael Moore and Oliver Stone), cinema’s role in depicting times of war is to highlight our humanity, our courage, those moments when normal people are ordered into hell and voluntarily, sometimes accidentally become heroes.
The Hurt Locker is a war film that, much like Jarhead and, more recently, Generation Kill, shrugs cumbersome propaganda and focuses on the actual people. Staff Sgt William James (Jeremy Renner) is an Army explosives expert transferred to Camp Victory in Iraq after the previous Staff Sgt is killed in action. His squad searches for and disarms IED’s in the streets of Baghdad. The film covers one tour of duty for the squad (Which also includes Anthony Mackie and Brian Geraghty), and the mental and physical challenges they face. There is no specific terrorist or “bad guy” to be chased, just lots and lots of bombs to take care of.
This film manages to be tense all the way through. There are several complex and large bombs that Sgt James must disarm, and he does so with a cavalier, reckless attitude that scares his subordinates. However, it is also tense watching the squad hiding in a rock outcropping, playing a waiting game with enemy snipers. Though there are violent scenes, the film doesn’t rely on blood or body parts to keep you in the story. Equally jarring are the periods of downtime, when the soldiers have nothing to do but drink, fight, and think about their families. Of course, they are all trying not to get killed. They all want to go home. Sgt Eldridge (Geraghty) is scared and guilt-ridden over the last Sgt’s death. Sgt Sanborn (Mackie) seems cautious out of logic, but as his character progresses, he admits that he hates being in Iraq, and he wants to live long enough to start a family.
And that’s it. No long diatribe about the evils of war, no incompetent officers throwing troops into the fire. The biggest weapon of this film is its patience, and director Kathryn Bigelow (Point Break) really pulls it off. The film’s camerawork is very indie, adding to the realism. For the most part, the shots are all on point and full of purpose. Only occasionally does some fancy cinematography (a slow motion shot of a bullet casing hitting the dirt, for example) feel forced and out of place. Cinematographer Barry Ackroyd (United 93) did a respectable job, but those random outliers do detract slightly from the overall feel of the film.
Marco Beltrami (3:10 to Yuma) and Buck Sanders (Max Payne) provide a tempered yet powerful score that doesn’t overindulge for the sake of tension.
Jeremy Renner (28 Weeks Later) has been in some good films, and his performance in this one is perfect. His character is confident, talented, and cocky, but maintains an underlying sense of personal uncertainty. Anthony Mackie (Notorious) actually does a good job here, completely relatable and sympathetic throughout.
As much as I appreciate this film and it’s lack of political bias, there are some downsides. I was completely on board until the last five minutes, when the story seemed to wrap up too quickly, without elaborating on something I considered important. The character development seems to deviate, and for a few minutes all connection with Sgt James goes out the window. Also, certain characters and side-plots are extremely predictable and underdeveloped. Screenwriter Mark Boal (In the Valley of Elah) could have done a better job of evolving these things in the script, but I won’t hold it against him.
The Hurt Locker is not as good as Jarhead, but I think it’s much better than Stop-loss, and it won’t take a War film buff (such as myself) to appreciate it. Definitely check this one out.
Final Grade: B+


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Bill Callahan – Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle

30Jun09

Bill Callahan - Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle

I listen to a lot of music. Like A LOT of music, devouring albums like Shia LaBeouf ruins movies. And that’s a lot of fucking movies. Most of these records don’t last past the first listen. They get heard, I jot down some notes, and immediately file them away among artists like: Toddla T, Isis, The Scribbling Idiots, and Death Vessel. Never heard of Toddla T, Isis, The Scribbling Idiots or Death Vessel?? Exactly. So when one of those 20-30 albums a week sticks in my rotation, it’s a damn fine piece of music.

I first came across Bill Callahan’s Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle back in April and was pretty ambivalent. I figured this would be one of the many albums I’d never listen to again and join the Toddla Ts of the world. To get a better idea of my first impression, here are my notes from my first listen through on April 17:

The second solo album from the famous SMOG, whom I’ve never really put forth the effort to absorb, released under his real name. This is just OK. It sort of reminds me of if The National sang The Mountain Goats with less Conor Oberst/Bright Eyes and a bit more Devendra Barnhart. Pseudo interesting, but nothing earth shattering. I should probably abandon this, go listen to some SMOG and figure out why this guy is a considered a genius.

Yet now it’s almost July, and Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle is still going strong in my rotation. As of this writing and according to iTunes, I’ve listened to it 28 times through (and that’s not counting the many times I’ve listened to it on my iPhone in the car).

Why this album has endured so long, despite my initial impression, I have no idea. If someone were to describe it to me–an acoustic, baritoned voiced, alt-countryish rambling, with a song about a bird who can’t find a place to land because there are too many fucking other birds in his tree (seriously, there is a song called Too Many Birds), a chorus full of giberish (Eid Ma Clack Shaw), and a crazy one-off, avant-garde, experimental track with a vaguely female voice “ahh-ing” all over the place (Invocation of Ratiocination)–I would not be interested. Not even a little.

But for some reason, I cannot get enough of this album. I fucking love it. Maybe, like Kanye on 808s and Heartbreak, he’s some sort of crazy voodoo witchdoctor brain ninja that sucks you in deeper and deeper with every listen, till your completely mindfucked. But, for all his quirks and nonsensicality, Bill Callahan has made one amazing album. It could possibly become one of my favorites of this year. It’s an album that will grow on you, take hold of you, consume you.

It’s completely engaging throughout–cohesive in every sense of the word, without falling into the trap of “concept album”–to which so many other artists succumb. This is definitely something I recommend experiencing through a nice pair of headphones and just zoning the fuck out. As you sit back and let the Callahan’s incomparable sounds wash over you, his esoteric lyrics start to make sense. You begin to lose yourself in his world. And halfway through your second listen, you’ll be like, “Damn. Sometimes I DO wish we were an eagle…”

Eid Ma Clack Shaw


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My Infinite Summer: The Beginning

28Jun09

My Reading Supplies

I first picked up David Foster Wallace’s Infinite Jest in the summer before my freshman year of college. I had dropped out of high school at 15, spent a year or so living in Nepal and experiencing the world1, got my GED at 16, murdered my SATs and was ready start college younger (and presumably, smarter) than the rest of my class.

I decided to read Wallace’s massive masterwork because I was in the habit of reading the likes Kundera, Pynchon and Nietzsche just to say that I had, and to laud my intellectualism over my simple-minded peers.2

Unfortunately, like my college career itself, my quest to read Infinite Jest died about two-thirds of the way through. The giant, cloud-covered book sat on my shelf, collected dust and eventually got lost in the shuffle of life.3

I never gave the book another thought. That is, until I read about Infinite Summer. Their challenge intrigued me. I figured it would be the perfect opportunity to break free from the monotony of my existence, exercise my mind and experience a great piece of American literature. I immediately Amazoned myself a fresh copy.

So last week, I began my Infinite Summer–this time with significantly less pretense. And it has been fanfuckingtastic. Beyond his awe inspiring prose, David Foster Wallace is extremely quotable.4 Armed with my Moleskine and various other supplies5, I’ve taken copious notes, scribbled quotes and discussed the book with friends.6 But most of all, it’s forced me to end my cycle of work, XBOX, sleep, repeat.7

I know it’s only been a week. But I’m loving every second of this, so far. Let’s hope I make it through this time. I think I will. It’s gonna be a good summer…

Notes and Errata

1I actually moved out there with my parents. They were missionaries. And it wasn’t as cool as it sounds. There was a lot more Jesus and potlucks than pot smoking and getting laid by she-sherpas.

2By now, it probably sounds like I was a giant asshole. I probably was. But rest assured, all these years later, I have re-read most of those books and am a better person because of it. And I engage in less lauding and more quiet mockery.

3However, I still maintain that my roommate at the time, aka The Great White Gypsy, stole it and is now holding it for ransom.

4If you’ve ever read sexy gypsy before, you know we love to quote EVERYTHING–Family Guy, The Simpsons, South Park, Anchorman, whatever. Infinite Jest has now officially been added to that list.

5See above picture

6This includes the infamous @supertoast and The Great White Gypsy

7This mind-numbing cycle is the reason I’ve been noticeably absent from sexy gypsy for the last month or so. My apologies. This will change.


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Coming Soon: July

28Jun09

by The Great White Gypsy

public_enemies

Public Enemies – Directed by Michael Mann, Written by Michael Mann and Ronan Bennett
I may not have liked Miami Vice, but Michael Mann is one of the best directors ever, and this epic 1930’s crime drama looks fantastic. The story of Dillinger and Baby Face Nelson has been portrayed on screen a million times, but this cast is amazing, and the cinematography looks great.
Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, Emilie de Ravin, Marion Cotillard, Channing Tatum, Leelee Sobieski, Billy Crudup, Giovanni Ribisi, Stephen Dorff
July 1

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The Girl From Monaco – Written and Directed by Anne Fontaine
The story of a lawyer who travels to Monaco to defend a criminal, and gets involved with a seemingly innocent girl via his bodyguard. Fontaine is celebrated in France, and the film won two French Academy Awards last year (I know, I know, but give it a chance).
Fabrice Luchini, Roschdy Zem, Louise Bourgoin
July 3

blood_the_last_vampire

Blood: The Last Vampire – Directed by Chris Nahon, Written by Chris Chow
Based on a popular anime, this is basically Blade, if he were a Japanese schoolgirl. If you liked House of Flying Daggers, Fearless, and Blade, you might enjoy the bloody katana action with the undead.
Gianna Jun, Allison Miller, Masiela Lusha, Koyuki
July 10

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Bruno – Directed by Larry Charles, Written by Sacha Baron Cohen
Borat was an awful, awful, awful movie. And I freaking loved it. I still call people gypsy. This will not be as popular, and probably not as funny, but two hours of uncomfortable riotous laughter is always worth $11.
Sacha Baron Cohen
July 10

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Streets of Blood – Directed by Charles Winkler, Written by Eugene Hess
Winkler and Hess are both fairly new to film, and the casting is somewhat unexpected, but the story of corrupt cops in The Big Easy during Hurricane Katrina might be one of Kilmer’s better films of late. It won’t be Spartan, but I’ll watch it.
Val Kilmer, 50 Cent, Sharon Stone, Michael Biehn
July 13

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500 Days of Summer – Directed by Marc Webb, Written by Scott Neustadtler and Michael H. Weber
I’ve been very impressed with Joseph Gordon-Levitt since Manic, and Deschanel is always good. Music Video-director Webb’s first big feature about a man reliving his relationship with the love of his life after she dumps him. Looks like The Break-up meets Definitely, Maybe, but the animated bird has me skeptical, and both writers followed this project with The Pink Panther 2. I’ll wait for on-demand.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Zooey Deschanel
July 17

death_in_love

Death in Love – Written and Directed by Boaz Yakin
Yakin directed Remember the Titans (surprisingly good) and Uptown Girls (why would I watch that?), but this is a much more serious film about a concentration camp survivor who has a relationship with a Nazi soldier. As she gets older, she watches her sons’ lives and relationships get progressively more complicated and unsuccessful. I have a hard time taking Josh Lucas seriously, but it looks intriguing.
Jacqueline Bissett, Josh Lucas, Lukas Haas, Adam Brody
July 17

answer_man

The Answer Man – Written and Directed by John Hindman
Jeff Daniels plays a writer still riding the 20 years of success brought by his book about God and life’s answers. However, he’s a recluse and kind of a dick. Then he meets an attractive chiropractor, and starts to open up. If anyone but Daniels was in this, I would pass, but I like his work. First film for Hindman.
Jeff Daniels, Lauren Graham, Lou Taylor Pucci, Kat Dennings
July 24

deadgirl

Deadgirl – Directed by Marcel Sarmiento and Gadi Harel, Written by Trent Haaga
Not to be confused with Brittany Murphy’s lackluster thriller, Deadgirl is the story of two teenagers who ditch school to hang out in an abandoned mental facility. They find a woman in a locked room, barely alive, and decide to keep her there and have some…fun. Looks really, really twisted, but I’ve never heard of anyone involved.
Shiloh Fernandez, Noah Segan
July 24

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In the Loop – Directed by Armando Iannucci, Written by Jesse Armstrong and Simon Blackwell
I usually don’t go in for British camcorder-comedies, but this looks genuinely funny, absurd, and relevant. About politicians in Britain and America weighing the pros and cons of going to war.
Peter Capaldi, Tom Hollander, James Gandolfini, Anna Chlumsky, Steve Coogan
July 24

orphan

Orphan – Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, Written by David Johnson
Little white girls are scary, Peter Sarsgaard is a solid actor, and Vera Farmiga is hot, and not a half bad actress. Need I say more? Probably. A couple adopts a 9 year old who’s a little…off. By off I mean psychotic. Same director as House of Wax, but Paris Hilton isn’t in it, so it might be cool.
Vera Farmiga, Peter Sarsgaard
July 24

shrink

Shrink – Directed by Jonas Pate, Written by Thomas Moffett
Kevin Spacey is one of my favorite actors, and he hasn’t done nearly enough work in the last few years. So I’m excited to watch him play a celebrity therapist who suffers a mental breakdown. Newbie writer and director, but the cast looks respectable, and Robin Williams is in there somewhere.
Kevin Spacey, Saffron Burrows, Mark Webber, Keke Palmer, Pell James, Robert Loggia, Robin Williams
July 24

thirst_ver2

Bakjwi (Thirst) – Written and Directed by Park Chan-Wook
What little I’ve seen of Korean cinema has impressed me; lower budget, but just as much violence as Japan. I’m also a huge vampire fan, so this tale of a priest-turned-vampire trying to maintain his humanity sounds pretty sweet. Chan-Wook also directed Oldboy, which was an instant Korean classic.
Song Kang-Ho, Shin Ha-kyun, Kim Ok-bin
July 31

funny_people

Funny People – Written and Directed by Judd Apatow
It might seem like Apatow has directed every movie since 2005, but this is only his third, and it appears to have a bit more substance than the first two. Sandler plays a comedian with a terminal illness who makes his peace with death, only to be given a second chance. Several Apatow regulars, and some new additions, I’m just not sure about his pairing with Sandler yet.
Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, Eric Bana, Jonah Hill, Jason Schwartzman, Leslie Mann
July 31

KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN

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Last Ride – Directed by Glendyn Ivin, Written by Mac Gudgeon
Australian film about a father who runs from his past, and brings his son along through the outback. Supposedly Weaving’s best performance yet, it looks like another underappreciated hit from down under. It hits theaters in Australia July 2, but no other releases are scheduled so far, so it might be on DVD by August, it might hit festival circuits in 2011. Who knows?
Hugo Weaving, Tom Russell
July 2 (Australia)

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All the Boys Love Mandy Lane – Directed by Jonathan Levine, Written by Jacob Forman
Horror movie about a girl every guy wants to get with. Then someone actually goes crazy and tries to kill everyone to get to her. The preview reminds me of Texas Chainsaw Massacre and High Tension. Levine’s latest was The Wackness, which was really good, but this one actually started at festivals in 2006, and hasn’t gotten an officially U.S. release yet. Which is surprising, because Amber Heard is really sexy.
Amber Heard
July 17 (Possible Limited Release)

fifty_dead_men_walking

Fifty Dead Men Walking – Directed by Kari Scogland, Written by Nicholas Davies and Martin McGartland
This is the true story of Martin McGartland, an undercover civilian in the IRA. He actually wrote the book himself a few years ago, and is still in witness protection. Screened at Canadian festivals in 2008, came to the Seattle festival in May, but I can’t find a solid date. I actually saw this movie a few months ago, and I highly recommend it. It’s not the most exciting movie ever, but the acting is good, and the fact that it all really happened is crazy.
Jim Sturgess, Ben Kingsley, Rose McGowan
July 31 (Possible Limited Release)


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Away We Go: Sam Mendes

25Jun09

by The Great White Gypsy

away_we_go

I wish you could’ve seen my expression last November, when I first read the Oscar nominees for 2008. I was appalled. Not only were certain films on the docket that didn’t deserve so much as an original song award, but what was almost completely absent was Sam Mendes’ gut wrenching yet brilliantly crafted period piece, Revolutionary Road. I couldn’t believe the Academy’s oversight. I mean, it’s not like his films haven’t gotten any recognition (American Beauty got a couple awards), but with the competition last year being what it was, his snubbing was inexcusable.
Apparently, I held onto that longer than he did.
It would appear that, immediately after finishing Revolutionary Road, Mendes unbuttoned his collar, loosened his tie, called up Dave Eggers, and said, “Let’s lighten it up this time.” This is obvious in the opening scene of his new movie. The first shot is John Krasinski’s legs dangling over the end of a bed. He is going down on Maya Rudolph, his girlfriend. Their pillow talk is awkward enough, and then he makes a comment about the way she tastes. As men tend to do, he verbally digs himself deeper, and with a resounding slap to the face, and a fall from the bed…
Away We Go is an amazing, simple, emotional, relatable film. Burt (Krasinski) and Verona (Rudolph) are expecting a baby in a few months. They have moved to Denver to be closer to Burt’s parents (Catherine O’Hara and Jeff Daniels) for the birth, only to find out that they are renting out their house and moving to Belgium for two years. With a lack of substantial roots, and a fear of being “fuck-ups”, the two embark on a countrywide search for the perfect place to raise a family. This takes them to Phoenix to see Verona’s ex-boss (Allison Janney), Tucson with Verona’s sister, Madison for an evening with Burt’s “cousin” (Maggie Gyllenhaal), Montreal with a couple college friends, and finally to Miami near Burt’s brother. Along the way, they find that what appears to be happiness is often misery, what looks like stability is actually lunacy, and what matters most is that the two of them are “in love like no one else”.
If you go into this looking for a typical Sam Mendes movie, you may be disappointed. Away We Go features virtually none of his trademark camera shots, cinematography, or score. If I hadn’t known beforehand that he directed it, I probably wouldn’t have guessed it. This is like Juno and Nick & Norah for grownups, the type of film that usually features a first time or unknown director. However, Mendes’ experience, patience, and creativity make it better than others in the genre. There is really only one Mendes moment, early on, when Verona pulls the car over, gets out, and walks a ways down the road before stopping to stare off in the distance. The camera follows her out of the car and down the road, then turns so we can see Burt walking up behind her. Hard to explain, I know, but if you’ve seen American Beauty or Revolutionary Road, you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about when you see it.
Also surprising is Mendes’ crew choices. This is the first time Thomas Newman has not done a score for Sam Mendes, being replaced in Away We Go by rookie Alex Murdoch. It also marks new and first time collaborations with cinematographer Ellen Kuras (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Blow), editor Sarah Flack (Marie Antoinette, Lost in Translation), and production designer Jess Gonchor (Burn After Reading, No Country for Old Men). Mendes was thinking outside the box, but he made some really solid choices, and the elements of Away We Go fit together almost perfectly.
The folksy soundtrack blended very well with every scene in the film. Alexi Murdoch performs most of the songs (if you haven’t heard Orange Sky in like 46 movies, you live under a rock). George Harrison and The Velvet Underground help to round it out with the scenery and character development.
Dave Eggers (A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius) and wife Vendela Vida wrote the clever, entertaining, and emotional screenplay, the first for both of them. Eggers has had a lot of success as a writer, and if Mendes’ camera presence isn’t apparent, Eggers’ character presence definitely is. The characters are all a little off, a little crazy, but none of them are over the top or out of place.
The screenplay would’ve have got off the ground, though, if not for the amazing choices in casting. Krasinski and Rudolph look like an odd couple, almost amusing when walking side by side. But I actually believed that the two of them were really, completely in love. Allison Janney is manic to the point of comedic annoyance, but her performance is tempered by the depressive, drunk ramblings of her husband, played by Jim Gaffigan. Toni Collette was originally slated to play Burt’s longtime family friend LN, a hindu-buddhist-progressive-continuum-bed-lunatic, but had to back out, and Maggie Gyllenhaal more than filled her shoes. The whole time she’s on screen, you’re laughing, but also put off because her character is serious.
My only complain really is the character of Burt. Though Krasinksi is great, the character doesn’t feel consistent. In most scenes he is timid and soft-spoken, in others he has a boisterous sense of humor, and then he’ll get defensive to the point of yelling. It isn’t a huge thing, but there were several moments in the film where I was very aware it was John Krasinski on screen, not just a character.
Overall, this film is a great way to start off the summer. It has just as many laughs as it does intense emotional moments. Unlike Revolutionary Road, however, the couple never falters in their relationship, and you actually walk away feeling really good. This may not get nominated for an Oscar in 2009, but I don’t really care, and I don’t think Sam does either.
Final Grade: A


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