The Clock family are four-inch-tall people who live anonymously in another family’s residence, borrowing simple items to make their home. Life changes for the Clocks when their daughter, Arrietty, is discovered.
Most everyone knows the general story of Mary Norton‘s ‘The Borrowers’. A family of really small people, in this case four inches, lives in the confines of a nomral families home, making a living off of borrowing their things. It was made into a movie here in the U.S. in 1997 with John Goodman and Jim Broadbent. Well in 2010, Studio Ghibli decided to give this story a go. In 2011, a UK dubbed version was released, and that is the version that I will be talking about, but it also came out with American actors voicing it this past weekend on February 17th.
A young man is rocked by two announcements from his elderly father: that he has terminal cancer, and that he has a young male lover.
After seeing Big Fish and Moulin Rouge, I always make sure to keep up with Ewan McGregor‘s work. He tends to do non-blockbusters, and usually movies with some heart. So when I saw a him in a movie written and directed by Mike Mills with Christopher Plummer co-starring, I jumped right on ship. Unfortunately, I was not able to make it out to the city to see it in theaters, but I am just now able to get a good copy of it. Let’s begin!
McGregor plays Oliver, a graphic artist who has just lost his father Hal [Plummer] to cancer a few months ago. He is sort of a loner now, but finds a relationship with Anna, a French actress played by Mélanie Laurent. Her lifestyle makes for many similarities with Oliver. Throughout the film are scenes of Oliver with his father after coming out and being diagnosed. There are also portions in which McGregor narrates pictures of things from certain times, and each time they do it different connections are made, giving a really nice flow to the movie.
The movie is about relationships, and if you don’t believe the characters, you won’t believe what the movie has to say. The acting in this movie is exemplary. Plummer giving probably the best performance of the movie, and one of the better ones I’ve seen this year. But McGregor and Laurent also perform wonderfully. It is a great ensemble who work very well together.
The film shows love in all its forms, whether it be between man and woman, a man and a man, a parent and child, or man and dog. But love is a complicated thing, and its complications are also shown. The story that is told is whole and complete. We aren’t given false hopes or pessimistic outlooks. And the end of the film, we are left satisfied, and agreeing with the film’s name.
It’s not really a film that I think I will watch more than once, as there is nothing really enticing or unique about it. It is a just a very sound little movie that is good for a watch by most anyone.
My Rating
3.0/4.0 – A charming film about relationships, be it between man and woman, man and man, father and son, or man and dog. With delightful performances from Christopher Plummer and crew, Beginners is a good film with a whole story that leaves you satisfied and hopeful.
The film centers on a contemporary married couple, charting their evolution over a span of years by cross-cutting between time periods.
Blue Valentine is a movie that has a lot of interesting tid-bits that I learned about before seeing it, or having an interest in seeing it, that helped to generate my curiosity. First off, it was almost rated ‘NC-17’ for its nudity and sex scenes, but was eventually changed to an ‘R’ rating. There is also a lot of interesting things about writer/director Derek Cianfrance‘s writing and creating this movie, like the male lead’s appearance being based on himself, and certain methods of improve added into the acting. But I think the most interesting part lies with Michelle Williams. While the movie was being made, the tragedy that was Heath Ledger‘s death occurred, the two being in a relationship and having a daughter. Out of respect for her, Cianfrance halted production for several months. This became her comeback movie, and she received an Acadamy Award nomination for leading actress. An event like that must lead to a powerful performance, so why not check it out?
The film is pretty well summed up, presentation wise, by the summary above. Different parts of Dean [Ryan Gosling] and Cindy [Williams]’s lives and relationship. Like most all relationships, there are highs and there are lows, and we witness both. Through these ups and downs we are treated to the same thing, and that is the on-screen chemistry. The performances by both Gosling and Williams are really quite superb. Williams clearly had a lot to draw from on an emotional level, and Gosling must just be damn good. IMDb says that these two spent a month living and “aging’ together, doing things together and “learning how to argue”. I’ll easily say that such an experience paid off.
The story itself isn’t really anything new, but it is well thought-out and paced, with enough time to have the scenes set in and have some depth before switching between the time line. We are shown things that contribute to the relationship, and nothing that is really too trivial or ambiguous. That being the case, however, there really isn’t too much that will surprise you, especially if you know the nature of relationships.
In the end, you are left feeling for the characters and almost wish you could see what is to come next, which is a bittersweet kind of thing to be left with, but I love it.
The technical aspects of the film didn’t really jump out at me, which is not necessarily a bad thing for a romance/drama. I’m a soundtrack guy, though, and this one didn’t catch my ears as other movies have. Nothing bad, though, just not great.
My Rating
3.0/4.0 – With extremely strong lead performances from Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams, Blue Valentine is a story about an all too common style of relationships and their highs and lows that most any of us can relate to, especially when the actors make you feel for their characters.
Beautiful Boy is a story that most every person that I know personally is going to have additional connection with, and in this day and age, a lot of others will too. It is a film that offers insight into something that a lot of us have probably not really thought about.
We are introduced to a Bill, played by Michael Sheen (Underworld, Frost/Nixon), Kate, played by Maria Bello (A History of Violence, World Trade Center), and their son Sam, played by Kyle Gallner. We are given the hint at marriage troubles, but nothing is flat out said. Sam is away at school, and we can see that he is struggling with something, as he is on the verge of tears when he calls his parents, who know nothing of his troubles and only offer standard college parent advice. The following morning, all over the news are reports of a suicide shooting spree at Sam’s school. Later that day, Bill and Kate are met by police at the door, bearing the bad news. But there is more; Sam was the shooter.
The film continues to show Bill and Kate’s struggles as they try to live after an inexplicable tragedy.
Sheen and Bello really hold down this film, their emotion, sadness, confusion, frustration, and fright are palpable. They are playing a role not ever done before, and it gives one possible example of what such lives would be like, and its not pretty.
The movie itself is sort of frustrating, as for the parents, answers won’t be found for why such a thing would/could happen to them and their child. We are also left without answers, to questions like “Did we do something wrong?” and “Was there something we didn’t do?”. Director and co-writer Shawn Ku presents these questions, but no real conclusion is drawn. I do like the usual camera style of such personal movies, a hand-held-esque shot.
It is hard not to call it predictable, because it is not a story that is supposed to have twists or unexpected things happen. You should know that going in, because the story is really a straight shot. Once you understand the premise, you’re pretty much given the whole movie. It ends with a glimpse of happiness, but only a bitter one.
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I know that some people reading this could have issues with what message is sent in this movie, whether it be that people that perform these school shootings should have our empathy, or that all kids that are quiet and un-involved are capable of such things. If you do decide to watch this movie, I ask you to try not to take too much away from it, and approach it with an open mind. It is, after all, only a movie, designed and aimed to entertain us and allow us to feel differently than we normally would. I really did enjoy the film, and I would recommend it even to people who know this kind of tragedy as well as I do.
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My Rating
3.0 / 4.0 – Beautiful Boy is a different viewpoint on an unfortunately common event, school shootings, and their effects on the parents of the culprit. Although it goes along how everyone probably thinks it does, the movie presents it in a good fashion.
When an alcoholic relapses, causing him to lose his wife and his job, he holds a yard sale on his front lawn in an attempt to start over. A new neighbor might be the key to his return to form.
I know that most every movie-goer is interested in the dramatic side of Will Ferrell. He was pretty damn good in Stranger Than Fiction, which wasn’t actually too dramatic, but it was definitely different from what he has built a career out of, and it was definitely good.
Ferrell’s character is not the usual angry, violent alcoholic, but rather the decent guy who has the wrong priorities. Clearly the role has its complexities. The story [written by director Dan Rush], from what I have read, does justice to the short story that it was written after, but it is not really as well done as you hoped it would be, and what I think it could have been, leaving the role Ferrell plays a little less stellar, but nonetheless, he was excellent. I still think his career-starring dramatic role is ahead of him, however. He’ll find that role someday.
Side note: Rebecca Hall, who plays the pregnant neighbor to Ferrell, is just adorable, and is very drawing in most all of her performances I’ve seen. People should really take notice to the name.
Again, the story is a little lackluster, but it is a hopeful one, a story that most everyone can take something away from, which is always a very pleasant thing to find at the end.
The production is simple, and the soundtrack follows suite, but it all fits together in a nice little package.
My Rating
3.0/4.0 – Despite a somewhat underwhelming yet powerful story, Will Ferrell delivers a very promising and noteworthy dramatic performance that should be the opening of the door to hopefully a future classic role.
3.0/4.0 – A charming film about relationships, be it between man and woman, man and man, father and son, or man and dog. With delightful performances from Christopher Plummer and crew, Beginners is a good film with a whole story that leaves you satisfied and hopeful.
Bob's Movie Reviews 