I went Across the Universe for this?????

Across the Universe basically boils down into a collection of music videos that the audience is supposed to feel emotionally attached to. The only problem is the spoken dialogue is awful, the songs restrict the story and make it way too hokey, and the interpretation of the Beatles’ music is all over the place.

Everything about this movie feels awkward, from the gay romps to a nipple slip that comes from nowhere. Across the Universe tries to run ten different directions at once and fails miserably in every attempt. The film never finds a voice, floating all over the place in a pointless attempt to unite all the characters, which culminates in a rooftop performance that oddly mirrors some band in history.

I’m all for a good musical number, heck I’m a sucker for any movie that spontaneously breaks out in song, but combining Grease and Moulin Rouge doesn’t work.

The only good thing about the movie is the cameos by Eddie Izzard and Bono, and the musical performances by Martin Luther. All three men steal every scene they’re in, and Luther is responsible for all of the best music numbers.

I’m only bringing this movie up because I recently saw it after my school played it, and because it was nominated for an Academy Award for Costume Design. I hope to god the film loses so no one in the future can say, “The Academy Award winning film, Across the Universe.” It’s bad enough that people can throw, “Academy Award nominated,” before the title, because it could create a false impression about the movie.

NEVER EVER SEE THIS MOVIE. If you love the Beatles don't let the soundtrack fool you, because this is a waste of time.

Daniel Day Bleeds Oscar Gold

There Will be Blood revolves completely around the larger than life landscape scenes and the larger than life performance of Daniel Day Lewis.

Lewis portrays Daniel Plainview, a self-proclaimed oilman. His drive knows no limitations, as he overcomes physical injury and sheds emotional attachments to achieve the level of wealth he desires. Daniel Plainview may seem like a complicated character, what with his relationship with his son (Dillon Freasier), his battles with town preacher Eli Sunday (Paul Dano), his charming façade, and the inner demons that he reveals to a man masquerading as his half-brother (Kevin O’Connor), but it his drive that is his sole motivation in life.

It is hard to quantify what Lewis brings to the film, but the mere fact that Director Paul Thomas Anderson (Magnolia; Boogie Nights) didn’t plan on making the film without Lewis begins to address his importance.

Blood is a rollercoaster of emotions as you go from the highest of highs, as Daniel and his adopted son and partner H.W. accidentally strike oil, to the lowest of lows, as Daniel abandons his son. But the film is not without laughs, such as when Plainview, an atheist, accepts initiation into the Church of the Third Revelation. Even the end of the film, which is deeply disturbing, left me stifling chuckles.

Every member of the cast shines when placed in a scene with Lewis. Lewis’ immersion into his character makes every other character more believable and real. Watching this movie I never thought, “Wow, this is great dialogue,” because it never felt like I was watching something scripted.

A lot of good things can be said about the rest of the cast, but the breakout performance belongs to Dano. Dano, who played the brooding youth of Little Miss Sunshine, excels as Eli Sunday, the thorn in Plainview’s side. The relationship between Eli and Plainview is by far the most entertaining aspect of Blood.

The only part of Blood that isn’t in keeping with the quality of the whole package is the movie’s score. The score is all over the place, coming at you with pseudo intensity when you least expect it and serving only to make the viewer wonder if there’s something going on during an empty desert scene that they’re missing.

The ending of the film, which takes place sixteen after a majority of the action, feels a little out of place, but the film ends with such a bang that it’s worth it. This is a movie that needs to be scene in theaters, and I’d strongly recommend finding a theater that has the self-respect to air this commercial failure.

Oscar Watch: Lewis is the front runner for Best Actor. Blood will be a top contender for Best Picture, Director, and Cinematography along side of No Country for Old Men.

Reactions to Oscar's nominations

I go to a lot of movies, but I have never seen all the films nominated for the Best Picture Award by the Academy in any given year. This week the nominations were released for the 80^th Academy Awards, and my record is still intact. I’ve seen Juno (loved it) and Michael Clayton (not impressed), and I plan on seeing There Will be Blood (my first Daniel Day experience since Last of the Mohicans) before the envelopes are opened on February 24^th. I’ll end up renting No Country for Old Men this summer because I never had a chance to see it in theatres, but I have no desire to see Atonement and probably never will. For the entire list of Oscar Nominations click here.

Based on the movies I’ve seen and a general gut feeling I have, I don’t have any big problems with this year’s nominees in the categories I care about, which are Best Picture, Best Animated Feature, Best Actor and Actress, Best Supporting Actor and Actress, and the awards for writing. This year’s nominations were reasonably predictable, and of the few surprises there were, none were more upsetting to me than the snubbing of The Simpsons Movie in the animated feature category.

I say predictable, because typically the Academy ignores comedies, actions movies, and movies that were a commercial success in general. The nomination of Juno for Best Picture is definitely a step in the right direction when it comes to comedies, but it’s a throwaway mention because it probably doesn’t stand a chance against the two heavyweights in the division, There Will be Blood and No Country for Old Men.

Juno also received an Original Screenplay nomination, which is a category that has constantly bugged me since the 40 Year Old Virgin was ignored when it should have been nominated. I’m not sure the Judd Apatow script was worthy of winning, but it was a revolutionary comedy that broke new ground with the melding of heart and cheap laughs, and was worthy of having its originality recognized. This year I thought Superbad was worthy of a nomination in the Original Screenplay category, for many of the same reasons American Graffiti was nominated twenty-five years ago. Superbad created real characters in relatable situations, and seamlessly blended them together with exaggerated characters to create a script that was funny, touching, and akin to the masterpiece that is American Graffiti.

My other big writing beef came with the exclusion of Aaron Sorkin from the Adapted Screenplay category for his work on Charlie Wilson’s War. I have seen none of the other films in this category, and that may mean I’m less than qualified to complain, but Sorkin wrote a script that was funny, educational, and entertaining. Critics will be critics, but at what point do we stop punishing movies for having a big budget and big name stars?

This point speaks directly to a film like The Bourne Ultimatum, which basically has no chance of ever being nominated for anything besides Editing. Bourne is the product of an Oscar nominated Director (Paul Greengrass), an Oscar nominated Writer (Tony Gilroy), and four Oscar nominated actors (David Strathairn, Albert Finney, Joan Allen, Matt Damon). I understand that action movies aren’t the most respected genre, but it’s possible to differentiate between a good action movie and a bad action movie the same way you differentiate between a good drama and a bad drama. Live free or Die Hard and Rambo may not be deserving of recognition, but the Academy shouldn’t let stereotypes limit the movies it chooses to nominate.

I’ve always been a big fan of the Academy’s tendency towards honoring an actor’s strong body of work for the year. Two years ago this philosophy was embodied by George Clooney win in the Supporting Actor category for Syriana. Clooney’s performance may not have been worthy of a win, but his work with Good Night, and Good Luck that year probably led to Clooney winning one of the three categories he was nominated in that year. In any other year Philip Seymour Hoffman might have benefited from the same practice, what with his performances in Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead, The Savages, and the film he was nominated for, Charlie Wilson’s War. Unfortunately for Hoffman this year the Supporting Actor category is especially strong, with Javier Bardem the current favorite to win.

The only other change I would have liked to see was J.K. Simmons (Juno) replacing Casey Affleck (Assassination of Jesse James) in the Supporting Actor category.
Well those are my immediate thoughts, and I’ll have more as it gets closer to the big night (if it actually happens).

I'm Here, but I'm a little Confused

My second ever trip to the Saratoga Film Forum occurred on Thursday with the viewing of the Bob Dylan biopic, I’m Not There. I’ll get to the movie in a second, but first I want to deal with the Film Forum itself. In a previous blog post I lambasted the Film Forum for having the excitement and diversity of the Republican Party, and now I want to scale back my earlier comments.

On Thursday night I was one of eight kids from my graduating class, and it might have been nine kids except I’m not positive about one girl. Granted, four of the kids had been unaware I’m Not There was playing at the Film Forum until the night before when I told them about it, but this definitely begins to demonstrate the overarching potential of the Film Forum. It also points to the fact that the Jesse James film had a narrow audience, and that broader films can attract bigger crowds. I’m not saying the Film Forum should appeal to the lowest common denominator of society, but instead it should serve as a tool to lift up society, which it could start doing if it did a better job advertising its existence and what is playing.

Now that I got that off my chest I need to admit that I didn’t love I’m Not There. I get what the movie was going for, as it explored the various aspects of Bob Dylan’s personality that defined him, but the general lack of continuity hurt the overall viewing experience. It’s nice to see how the various sides of Dylan complement each other, and while at points they’re woven well, some scenes are cut together poorly and ruin the flow.

Of Dylan’s different personalities the most enjoyable are those portrayed by Cate Blanchett, who received a supporting actress nomination from the Academy, and Marcus Carl Franklin. Blanchett represents Dylan after his electric guitar performance at a Folk Festival, and captures Dylan’s rebellious and antagonized persona of the time. Franklin’s portrayal is even more interesting, as he brings to life Dylan’s early folk background and innocence. Franklin is also the only star of the film to show up on the Soundtrack, with an excellent rendition of “When the Ship Comes In.” I found myself nodding off during the late Heath Ledger’s performance, but I did love the introduction of his character. He is playing an actor portraying another one of Dylan’s personas, who then comes to represent Dylan’s failed first marriage and Dylan as a celebrity.

This is not an easy movie to sit through if you’re not a Bob Dylan fan, and even then you better be a real fan that appreciates the full body of his work. The director is obsessed with Bob Dylan, and he made a movie for people obsessed with Bob Dylan. When I think back about the movie I can recognize its simply beauty and brilliance, but I can’t shake the feeling that I was bored to tears during the movie, which my dad can attest to since he checked multiple times to see if I was awake. That may not sound like a ringing endorsement, but I’m glad I saw it, and I’d recommend it for anyone who wants to go for an interesting ride.

Juno is a Must See!

I have a low tolerance for cuteness in a movie. I’m not talking about what you find in chick flicks or a moment of levity in a drama, but the cuteness that generally dominates indie films. It’s not that I don’t enjoy it, but that I feel used and dirty when I succumb to cheap ploys and gimmicks.

In recent memory the worst offender of being artificially cute was Little Miss Sunshine. I could stomach it all until the end of the movie when the family dances on stage in a moment of solidarity with the film’s adorable female lead. At that instant I threw up all the phony moments, enduringly optimistic scenes, and folksy charm that I had been struggling to swallow throughout the movie. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy the film, which I did, but the example is supposed to illustrate a tool indie films are prone to relying on.

I bring all this up say that where Little Miss Sunshine falls flat on its face, Juno rises up to overcome the indie tendency for schmaltziness. Juno is a fun movie that tackles serious issues without getting bogged down with any message, and instead focuses on people and their interactions.

Juno is about the unplanned pregnancy of 16 year old Juno MacGuff (Ellen Page), and her decision to give up her child for adoption. Juno is unlike any girl I’ve ever met, and for the sake of full disclosure I need to admit that like her partner in baby making, Paulie Bleekr (Michael Cera), I love her. She’s head strong, hilarious, and loves punk rock, but doesn’t dress like it. Her only flaw as a character is that she’s too perfect, spurting banter and philosophy that seems injected at points merely for screenwriter Diablo Cody to show off how funny she is, except that you don’t care because you’re enjoying the movie too much to get hung up on such details.

Critics have called this Ellen Page’s coming out party, and I’m going to have to agree and predict she’ll receive an Oscar nomination for this film. In any given scene she can be courageous and strong willed, while remaining fragile and unsure of her next step at the same time. The movie deals with her character’s early entrance into adulthood as she deals with adult issues, and Ellen Page does a tremendous job bringing the audience along for the ride.

Juno also benefits from a particularly strong supporting cast, which is important for the character Juno, who finds strength from the people in her life. Jennifer Garner is especially compelling as the potential parent for Juno’s baby, and contrasted with her onscreen husband (Jason Bateman), she reaches new heights as an actress with this chance to parade emotion and intensity. Another interesting aspect of the movie is the new depth Michael Cera has brought to the character he has been perfecting since Arrested Development. He’s not a bumbling moron that got lucky without a condom, which would have been a disservice to the female lead, but instead he’s a complicated character that acts and reacts appropriately.

I wouldn’t say that it’s a flaw of the movie that none of the characters in the film are caricatures of what we expect in the instance of a teenage pregnancy, but I would say the constant displays of rationality by all the main characters is strange. This fact could be why the movie has played so well with the country as a whole, in that it deals with issues, abortion and teen pregnancy, which are so often painted as black and white, and are so often argued from the extremes that it’s easy to forget the people living in the middle who actually deal with these issues.

The movie concludes with a duet between Juno and Paulie, which could have caused me to gag in any other film, but it doesn’t feel forced and is easily digested. The duet is also in keeping with the excellent music throughout the film that adds to every scene without causing a ruckus.

Juno may have been the best movie of 2007, and as such I’d adamantly recommend seeing this movie.

What a Way to Spend a Morning!

I can't imagine a better way to spend a Tuesday morning than the hilarious romp that is The Blues Brothers. Sure, I could have slept until noon today or watched Bud Selig testify before Congress, but i wouldn't have the same sense of fulfillment that i feel now as I'm watching the closing number in the movie where the band plays "Jailhouse Rock" while in prison.
SNL has failed miserably in subsequent attempts at turning five minute skits into full length films, but it definitely got it right on the first try with The Blues Brothers. Maybe the movie is so good because it feels like a SNL skit with all the perks of the big screen, whereas other attempts have gotten bogged down developing stories.
Blues Brothers is a simple movie, and it's simply hilarious. Cars crashing is funny, and you've got tons of it. Nazis dying is gratifying, and you've got that. Tons of A-List musicians in hilarious cameos (intentionally and unintentionally), like when Ray Charles shoots a gun at a potential shop lifter in his store. Top notch musical performances by those same musicians, as well as stellar musical numbers by stars Dan Akroyd and John Belushi.
This movie is absolutely hilarious, and anyone who says it is outdated or just one joke repeated over and over again has no sense of humor. Or maybe they do, and I'm just a simple man who is easy to please. If you like to giggle, love to laugh, and want to see a fat man do a cartwheel than watch The Blues Brothers.

Must See Strike TV!

Unless you’re a reality television junky the prospects of scripted entertainment not returning to television until next fall has you freaked out. Besides reading books or throwing down serious cash at the movie theatre, where will we find our entertainment? Sure, you could browse the internet to find amusing videos like this youtube clip, but with my suggestions you won’t have to spend hours watching bad clips for that one big payoff.

Maybe I’ll be just reiterating stuff you’ve heard before and ignored, but look at the strike as a chance to expand your horizons. Everything I recommend won’t be gold, but hopefully you’ll find a nugget or two that will help weather the storm.

The first thing you need to do in order to make it through this television drought is to hit your movie rental stores. You’re going to need to stock up for this dry season, so be prepared to shell out two to three dollars per DVD.

The first show I’d recommend is Extras. The entire series just became available on DVD, and it’s definitely worth renting. I went through all the twelve half hour episodes that make up the series in about four days, and capped it off with the ninety minute extra special series finale on the fifth day. The show chronicles the career of acting extra Andy Millman (Ricky Gervais), as he goes from a nobody to a sitcom star. The other main characters are Millman’s agent, Darren Lamb (Stephen Merchant), who is absolutely hilarious, and Millman’s best friend and fellow extra, Maggie Jacobs (Ashley Jensen), who keeps the show grounded The show is riddled with cameos that are absolutely hilarious, such as when Daniel Radcliffe announces that he’s, “done it, intercourse wise.” If you’ve ever seen any version of The Office and hated it, than Extras probably isn’t for you. If, on the other hand, you’re a devoted follower of The Office, than Extras is the perfect fit to fill the void.

If you need something to fill the void left by Heroes, and want something to compliment Lost, than its time to try Battlestar Galactica. Don’t let the fact that Battlestar is a Sci-Fi channel original scare you away or lead you to underestimate the show. This show is a legitimate drama, and is entertaining with numerous twists and turns, while not becoming overly complicated like Lost. But it’s not just the writing, because Battlestar has a respectable cast, which is headlined by Edward James Olmos and Mary McDonnell. Your viewing experience starts with a three hour Battlestar movie that kicks off the series, and from there the first 33 episodes are available on DVD.

. If you’re a fan of Law and Order: SVU or Without a Trace, than now is the time to start renting The Wire. The show is depressingly real, but it’s also really entertaining. The first four seasons are available on DVD, with the fifth and final season currently airing, but start from the beginning to achieve optimal enjoyment.

If you don’t want to tryout DVDs than your options are limited, but there is still hope. Psych and Monk both returned to USA on the 11^th, and new episodes air every Friday. Psych is a cute comedy about a fake psychic detective, and Monk is an equally cute comedy about a detective with OCD. Breaking Bad debuts the 20^th on AMC, and has been met with promising reviews. Breaking stars veteran television actor Bryan Cranston (Malcolm in the Middle), as a terminally ill chemistry teacher that decides to try his hand in the crystal-meth game. Lost returns at the end of the month, with eight episodes scheduled for release. A few other shows like 30 Rock and My Name is Earl have released new episodes in 2008, but don’t expect many more and just enjoy what the networks have to offer.

There are countless other shows available on DVD that I could recommend, but I’ll just rattle of a quick list with my rationales...

· All three seasons of the emmy winning comedy Arrested Development. Arrested is one of the five funniest shows I’ve ever seen, with writing and acting unmatched by anything on television today.

· The first three seasons of Gilmore Girls. With Rory still living at home the show still had pop, and had yet to become a caricature of itself.

· The first three seasons of Scrubs. The current version of Scrubs is not funny, and an embarrassment to those first three years that were hilarious and moving.

· The first four seasons of West Wing. The show without Sorkin was boring, but with Sorkin it was tight, funny, and made me cry from time to time.

· Sesaons three through ten of The Simpsons. Sure, new episodes are still available, but they pale in comparison to these eight seasons that are really strong.

The Prolonged Death of Jesse James

On Thursday night I had my first ever experience with the Saratoga Film Forum. It was definitely unlike anything I had ever tried before, and while it freaked me out a little, I’ll be going back again this week to screen the Bob Dylan film, I’m Not There.

At six bucks a pop for nonmembers the Film Forum is a good deal, but the setup doesn’t exactly cater to the youth of Saratoga. I was easily the youngest person in an audience where the average age was about 48. It’s good to have an outlet for these types of films that don’t get played in Wilton, but the Forum should do a better job advertising to encourage a more diverse crowd. I mean a bunch of old white people in a room is great and all, but some flyers around town and at the high school would be a good idea.

A little dinner at Bailey’s, and then an artsy intellectual flick is a solid and cheap date for any youngster looking for romance. But, there’s always the chance you catch a movie like The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, and your date is looking for the exits one hour in and you’re on your way to no kiss, no hug, and no second date.

Yes, it is a beautiful movie, but oh my god is it boring at points. I understand that every movie isn’t just wham bam thank you ma’am, and it’s possible that this movie just flew right over my head, but I’m pretty smart for a dumb person and I just didn’t get this movie. I’m not alone in my opinion of this film, which was met with high regard by some, and disdain by others.

If Assassination was supposed to speak to modern themes of a celebrity culture, than it was speaking in another language. Because the movie doesn’t really speak to the hype of Jesse James (Brad Pitt) and the air of excitement around him, so much as it deals with one person’s obsession. If Robert Ford (Casey Affleck), and his infatuation with James is supposed to touch on society’s obsession with celebrities, than the movie fails because Ford just comes across as an aberration, and not the norm. Ford is a just boy that becomes disillusioned with his idol, and kills him because of his own broken fantasies.

Affleck has received praise for his performance, along with a Golden Globe nomination, but I think it’s the performance of Sam Rockwell, as Charley Ford, which is worthy of accolades. While Affleck simply portrays a brooding child, Rockwell’s Charley is a deep and unnerving character that steals almost every scene. Even with Brad Pitt, Rockwell’s performance helps you understand Jesse James, and why he is feared, loved, and misunderstood.

The secondary characters carry this film, and a cameo by Sam Shepard is especially compelling. I’m not really sure why Mary Louis Parker signed on for less than ten lines of dialogue as the wife of Jesse James, except that maybe she had misguided hopes of accepting some award as part of an ensemble cast. This movie is definitely pretty enough, and parts of the movie are strong and enjoyable, but these factors don’t outweigh the pace and style, which make this movie a disappointment.

If Assassination was tightened up it would have more mainstream appeal, but as it is at 160 minutes it appears that the director never intended to sacrifice his vision for a big payday at the box office. Maybe this movie never would have had an audience regardless, what with the failure of such films as 3:10 to Yuma, which would indicate that there’s no audience for any kind of Westerns.

She's Probably Not the One

I am constantly searching for a good chick flick to enjoy, and throughout the course of my travels I’ve experienced everything on the spectrum. I’ve seen chick flicks that masqueraded as sports movies (Field of Dreams, Pride of the Yankees, Jerry Maguire), chick flicks pretending to be action films (Romancing the Stone), chick flicks for the working woman (Devil Wears Prada, American President), chick flicks for supposedly real women (Something’s Gotta Give, Bridget Jones’s Diary), chick flicks for the sports bra inclined (Bend it Like Beckham, League of their Own), chick flick from John Hughes (Sixteen Candles, Pretty in Pink), chick flicks that took me a second to realize were chick flicks (Knocked Up), and chick flicks with Hugh Grant (Love Actually, Notting Hill). There are probably more categories and subsections, and maybe some less offensive names, but I’m a guy writing about unknown territory so expect it to be a little crass and ignorant.

Most recently my search has led me to watch She’s the One. The film was released in 1996, and is from writer, director, and leading man Ed Burns. Burns plays Mickey Fitzpatrick, a cab driver who falls in love with one of his fares, Hope (Maxine Bahns), and marries her within twenty-four hours of meeting her. The other central character is Mickey’s brother, Francis Fitzpatrick (Mike McGlone), who is in a failing marriage and having an affair with his brother’s ex-fiancé, Heather (Cameron Diaz).

The movie starts out cute enough, as we’re introduced to the brothers’ relationship with their father (John Mahoney), which revolves around him calling them girls and giving advice from the 1950s. These guys aren’t sexist, they’re just old fashioned and not crazy about the 19^th amendment. From there the movie moves on to equally cute talk about vibrators and sex with old men, except that after thirty minutes it stopped being cute and started wearing on my nerves.

The most interesting character is Heather, who Burns ruins by constantly trying to label. In part it’s done to illustrate how the brothers only see a one dimensional person, who was just a hooker in college, while Burns is trying to prove she’s obviously so much more. Unfortunately Burns ends up writing her as just a hooker later on the film, so the character loses her edge and depth that Diaz brought in the beginning of the film, and becomes the one dimensional character that Burns had tried to prove she wasn’t.

She’s the One has some interesting stylistic elements, such as the integration of amusing flashbacks, but they’re not used enough. Unfortunately, at only ninety-six minutes the movie feels like I wasted three hours. The last hour drags on forever, as the movie rehashes themes of brotherhood and the idea of a relationship being a partnership over and over again, only to conclude nothing. The movie tries to bite off more than it can chew by trying to tackle these issues, which is almost impossible since it’s attempting to address real problems with phony people.

If you’re a die hard Ed Burns fan I’d say try on Brothers McMullen for size before you commit time to She’s the One. Overall I’d recommend skipping She’s the One, and instead watching Good Will Hunting. Good Will Hunting does a better job dealing with brotherhood, and the relationship between Minnie Driver and Matt Damon is far more realistic and endearing than the central relationship in She’s the One. For the record, I'd say Good Will Hunting is one of those chick flicks that sneaks up on you before you realize it's a chick flick.

Daily Show: Take 2

It turns out my harsh review of Jon Stewart and his new show, A Daily Show, may have been premature. After watching Stewart's second night on the air I think the veteran anchor may still have some juice left in the fake news business. I wasn't blown away by his interview, which was still a test for him to show how smart he could be, but the first two segments were respectable.
Tuesday night marked the return of the correspondent segment, with John Oliver, a WGA member, provided a report on the strike. I don't know what ramifications this may have, what with Oliver crossing picket lines and whether or not other correspondents will follow, but last night it was worth it. Even the opening segment was amusing, and while Jon struggled at points he did a respectable job carrying the load.
This isn't an endorsement of A Daily Show, but I would acknowledge that there are shades of The Daily Show in this new show without writers. I think the show will continue to be hit or miss, so don't bother staying up to see it live. Catch the show at eight the next night when there's loads of other stuff to flip to in case it starts stinking again.

Return of Late Night Television: Sort of....

The first television shows to be effected by the strike were officially the first shows to return with new episodes. Late night television has been airing reruns since early November, and with the return of Comedy Central’s late night lineup all the late night shows are back and running.

One show was back earlier than others. December marked the return of Last Call with Carson Daly without writers, and if this is news to you it’s because you weren’t aware there were shows on at one thirty in the morning.

The mainstream shows of late night returned on January 2^nd. Late Show with David Letterman and Craig Ferguson’s Late Late Show both returned after Letterman’s production company struck a deal with the writers that would allow them to go back to work. The Tonight Show and Late Night were not able to reach such a deal because of the way they’re produced, which meant that NBC’s late night lineup returned without writers in an effort to combat CBS.

In this first week ratings have been up for Late Show, Late Late Show, The Tonight Show, and Late Night, as curious fans returned in mass after two months of reruns. So far The Tonight Show and Late Night have been winning their time slots. It’s too early to tell whether this trend will continue, but recent number slides by The Tonight Show and Late Night would indicate that people originally tuned in to see how these hosts would do without writers and that the novelty is wearing off.

It would seem that the Late Show and the Late Late Show may begin to see benefits from the strike, since those shows have writers and will attract high caliber guests that wouldn’t be seen on NBC crossing picket lines.

In the week since late night has returned I’ve sampled all the late night programming except the Late Late Show (Ferguson hasn’t been funny since he left Drew Carey), ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! (yeah he’s funny, but there’s only so much time in the day), and Last Call with Carson Daly (even I have standards).

Letterman’s Late Show returned to business as usual, except for the addition of a grizzly man beard on Dave, which he shaved on the air Monday, and the occasional, “union approved” joke. If you liked Letterman before, than you’ll be pleased with the quality of show he’s currently producing. Things aren’t so rosy with his competitor over on NBC.

The Tonight Show is struggling with Jay trying to carry the load all by himself, except for the help of his wife who approves his jokes and who he assigns the blame when his monologue bombs. Jay’s jokes lack their general polish, and his observational humor sometimes feels more like dinner conversation fodder than food for thought. His guests have been far from A-list, but the show has benefited from expanded time getting to know Jay’s personality, which is what wins over those older viewers and keeps him ahead of Letterman. Question and answer segments with the audience will be popular for another week or two, but after awhile it becomes apparent that Jay may be charming enough, but he’s not funny enough to keep viewers as he helms his one man show.

Conan O’Brien’s Late Night hasn’t suffered the same way as its lead in. The show is definitely different, choosing to fill time with Conan playing guitar and spinning his wedding ring rather then pull the Walker Texas Ranger lever, but it’s still really entertaining. The one precursor to such an exclamation is that if you didn’t like Conan before, than you definitely won’t like him now in the expanded version. Late Night now revolves solely around Conan’s quick wit and showmanship, both of which are top notch and keep the show funny. Maybe after a month or so Conan will start to wear on my nerves the way he does for some already, but for now I like the fact that he just bursts into his own rendition of “Blue Moon of Kentucky.”

Comedy Central’s lineup returned a week later and is suffering from the writer’s strike. The quality of The Daily Show was definitely lacking, as the middle segment that usually involves a correspondent story was absent because of the writer’s strike. This meant the show fell solely on the back of Jon Stewart, and after his first night without writers I don’t think he’s up to it. I’ve never been impressed by Stewart’s interviews, which are generally the weakest part of the show and have now been expanded into two segments. Over the past year I’ve basically turned my back on what was one of my favorite shows because Stewart was becoming a know it all and was generally off putting. Stewart isn’t funny enough to adapt his show the way Conan has, he doesn’t have the personality to carry his show like Leno, and he doesn’t have the writers Letterman’s got to make up for his own shortcomings.

The Colbert Report reemerged as if almost nothing had changed, except for the pronunciation of the show’s title. The Colbert Report has always revolved around the character Stephen Colbert had created, and that’s why it should be able to survive without writers. The absence of writers does mean the disappearance of the popular segment, the “Word,” but it also means more Colbert. The Colbert character is hilarious whether on Meet the Press, conducting interviews, or just explaining why he’s against the writers. Again, if you didn’t like Colbert before, than you’ll probably hate him now, but if you were a devoted fan of the Colbert Nation before you’ll want to tune in to new episodes.

Late night television has always been about people welcoming a host into their bedroom and taking part in an intimate relationship. That’s why personality matters so much in the late night game, and why the absence of writers on certain shows may not affect what people watch. Just because Letterman has better jokes and better guests may not lead people to abandon Jay in his time of need. On the other hand, college students will probably play Halo 3 before they turn to mainstream late night for entertainment if they decide to abandon Comedy Central. It’s hard to predict where people’s tipping points will be with regards to when they decide to change the channel or just choose to tune out, but it should be interesting to watch.

In case you really miss the writers, and Letterman’s don’t cut it for you, I’d recommend watching the best of The Larry Sanders Show on DVD. This was a show that ran for six seasons on HBO during the 90s and revolved around fictional late night host Larry Sanders (Garry Shandling). The guests are real, and better yet you get to see and hear what happens after the cameras stop rolling. The show is brilliant and brings out amazing performances from Rip Torn and Jeffrey Tambor.

"The Wire" is electric in its final season

The Wire, much like Detective James McNulty (Dominic West), is up to its old tricks again. The Wire has constantly reinvented itself, focusing on new drug crews, city politics, dock workers, failing city schools, and now in its fifth and final season a deteriorating city newspaper.

The story picks up about a year after a mayoral election and the promise of a new day, along with the uncovering of twenty-two bodies in various houses on the west side of Baltimore. The mayor has since failed to fulfill his promise, instead having to use the city’s rainy day fund to cover a fifty million dollar gap in the school system’s budget, which has the left the police force in disarray and the twenty-two homicides unsolved. But this is all just more of the same for creator David Simon’s Baltimore, which can’t catch a break.

The latest failed institution, the media, suffers from the same problems that plague every other institution in Baltimore on the show. They’re fundamentally flawed, and thus doomed from the onset. Just like the police force, the school system, and even the drug dealers, the newspaper is corrupt and addresses core problems with stop gap measures that hold the dam for a moment, but lack foresight and understanding of the real issue at hand. The police force fudges its numbers for better arrest results, the schools teach to standardized tests, the drug dealers don’t see beyond their corners, and the newspaper writes stories that are all flash and no substance in order to win awards and increase circulation. In the previous four seasons any one that has challenged the status quo has either been destroyed or given in, and city editor Gus (Clark Johnson) appears to be this year’s martyr.

Every episode of The Wire is ripe with social commentary, but it’s also entertaining. The dialogue has a nice pitter patter, which never tries to be funny or show how smart it is, but seems to succeed in both areas every time. The show is littered with compelling and likable characters that make the show enjoyable, and in many cases relatable. These are not Jerry Bruckheimer characters, or one dimensional Law & Order faces that you see for years without ever real knowing.

The Wire is probably the greatest ensemble show ever, and its only downfall is that there are so many well developed characters that don’t get enough screen time. In some episodes a favorite character may only get a few lines, or no face time at all, and that doesn’t even include the secondary characters that disappear for multiple episodes.

David Simon has developed such an intricate tapestry, and it’s amazing to watch as he pulls one string and see how the whole picture changes. Yet, even while faces change and time passes, nothing really changes in Baltimore. When it’s all said and done the cops are still making street arrests, the drug crew ranks are being constantly replenished, and The Wire is still one of the best dramas ever on television.

Dennis Lehane: Crime Fiction book reviews

Dennis Lehane is the author of Mystic River, which was widely viewed as one of the best books in 2001. The movie adaptation was also met with critical acclaim, and was a commercial success too. I enjoyed the movie, but found it too depressing to try again in its printed form.

When the film adaptation of Lehane’s Gone Baby Gone came to theatres I decided to try the novel before the movie could scare me away. The result was a four hour reading session on Christmas Eve, which ended at three in the morning after having finished the book in one night. Shortly after that I read Lehane 2003’s novel Shutter Island, which I finished around four in the morning because I was too scared to stop without a conclusion.

Both stories are entertaining, and they’re far from carbon copies of each other. Lehane does not fall into the rut of other authors who find a comfortable niche and just run with it. Both are set in a fictionalized Boston, but the two stories take place about forty years apart. Gone covers some of the darker sides of Boston, and Island is set in a mental hospital for the criminally insane on a small island off of Boston.

Gone is the fourth installment of Lehane’s two recurring characters, Patrick Kenzie and Angie Gennaro. Kenzie and Gennaro are private detectives hired by the aunt of a missing girl to supplement the police search for her. The two partners, who are also lovers, are perfect compliments of each other. Gennaro takes the case hard, as she deals with her desire to have a child, which is hampered by what she knows about the world and what this case shows her about people. Kenzie holds his emotions in, and has no false hope about the promise of mankind.

It’s the secondary characters in Gone that are the most interesting. Helene McCready, the mother of the abducted child, is generally apathetic about her missing child, which is only superseded by the fact she doesn’t like having something taken that belongs to her. Detectives Poole and Broussard are in charge of the case, and seem to be working in cohesion with the hired help. Poole and Broussard are the most amusing characters in the story, and perhaps the most complicated characters, with Broussard undergoing a chilling transformation and subsequent breakdown.

The story seems a little surreal at points, as the Boston everyone knows is replaced by something akin to Frank Miller’s Sin City. It’s not that it’s hard to believe this story could happen, but it’s the way Lehane just sort of hits you in the face with it, which makes it hard to digest. Gone may be a little too preachy at points, but it raises important questions, and is an entertaining read.

Island is set in 1954 and follows U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels, who with his new partner Chuck Aule has been assigned to Shutter Island to find a missing mental patient. Daniels is dealing with the recent loss of his wife, an event that left him with migraines and very vivid dreams that haunt his sleep. As a hurricane ravages the island, Daniels struggles to handle these debilitations.

From the onset of the investigation nothing seems to fit right. The missing patient has done the impossible and vanished from the island. Questions arise about the facility and staff. And with every clue the Marshals uncover, it seems they’re moving further and further from the truth. Then, as if written by Agatha Christie, the hurricane traps the Marshals on the island, except now they have reason to fear to believe they’ll never get off the island.

Island feels different from other Lehane stories, in part because of the setting, but also for the lack of investigation into the human condition. This seems a little odd since the story occurs in a mental health facility, but the novel glosses over any deep soul searching, and provides depth only to Daniels character, while leaving everyone else rather two dimensional. With the conclusion of Island you can understand Lehane’s approach, and while it ensures for a very entertaining read, it’s not as good a book as Gone Baby Gone.

I would definitely recommend Shutter Island if you’re looking for a chilling thrill, and I would recommend Gone Baby Gone for someone in search of an excellent crime drama. Also, depending on the writer’s strike, 2009 could see the release of Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio’s adaptation of Shutter Island.

National Treasure 2: Searching for Fool’s Gold

A movie with Helen Mirren, Jon Voight, Ed Harris, Harvey Keitel, and the underappreciated Bruce Greenwood is sure to warrant critical acclaim. But, for some reason I don’t see the cast of National Treasure: Book of Secrets walking down any red carpets. That’s not to say Book of Secrets won’t make a load of money, because it will, having already brought in $150 million after two weeks in theatres.
The film is a sequel, and follows the basic formula of the first movie. Benjamin Gates (Nicholas Cage) is still looking for treasure that will bring honor to his family name. Riley Poole (Justin Bartha) is still tagging along for comic relief and tech support. Abigail Chase (Diane Kruger) is still providing sex appeal, and that’s about it.
The old villain was replaced by Mitch Wilkinson (Ed Harris), who tries to bring depth to the generic bad guy role and does a poor job in his tear jerker moment. Also late to the party was Emily Appleton (Helen Mirren), the mother of Benjamin Gates, who is delightful in her interactions with x-husband Patrick Gates (Jon Voight).
It would be pointless for me to delve into the plot beyond saying it has something to do with the assassination of President Lincoln and a lost city of gold. The action ranges from plausible (yes, Benjamin Gates would wear sunglasses when it’s sunny outside), to the ridiculous (a book of secrets), to reaching the point of Bruckheimer fantasy land (using the President’s love of history in order to ditch his secret service detail and kidnap him).
These plot points wouldn’t be so unbearable if it didn’t seem like the lead was just going through the motions. Cage phones in his performance with lackluster indignation, failed attempts at charm, and sincerity akin to my reaction when my mom requests that I take her seriously. The one highlight for Cage is when he’s pretending to be drunk and starts talking in a British accent. Harris is ill-suited for his role, and while Voight and Bartha are winsome sidekicks, the most enjoyable seens focus on the family interactions.
I wasn’t expecting Raiders of the Lost Ark when I went to see this movie, but I was hoping Book of Secrets wouldn’t lose all the juice of its predecessor. There are virtually no moments where you stop and enjoy the conspiracy that’s being laid out, and that’s from someone who has faith in everything Dan Brown writes. This movie may or may not be worth a trip to the theatres, but it’s definitely something to watch when it comes to USA or some other cable channel in two years.

Charlie Wilson's Winning War

Charlie Wilson’s War is basically a toned down version of a West Wing episode, and that’s probably why it’s such a good movie. Comparisons arise from the fact that the movie was written by West Wing scribe Aaron Sorkin, and the movie benefits from his fast-paced and comical dialogue, which makes complicated issues accessible to a large audience.

Tom Hanks plays the title character, a Democratic Congressman from Texas, who appears at ease sitting naked in a hot tub with two strippers that are doing cocaine. Charlie Wilson is a booze hound and a womanizer, and uses his position of power to enable those desires. But while he appears disengaged, he has a keen understanding of what’s going around him and what it will take to win. Hanks plays the middle aged playboy with a certain twinkle reminiscent of his oddball character in The Ladykillers.

Charlie Wilson is not an idle member of the House of Representatives, which is why after seeing a piece about the Mujahideen rebels fighting the Soviets in Afghanistan he moves into action. Wilson’s interest picks up steam through the efforts of Joanne Herring, portrayed by Julie Roberts, who brings certain realities about the conflict to light for the first time to Charlie. Julia Roberts’ performance is over the top as the Texas socialite, but not in a good way. Her relationship with Hanks is a little unbelievable, never more so than when a teary eyed Charlie talks to Joanne on her honeymoon.

With a renewed vigor Charlie decides to use his position on the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee to aid the Mujahideen rebels, but he’s unsure of how best to broach the situation. With the help of CIA operative Gust Avrakotos, played by Philip Seymour Hoffman, Charlie brokers a deal to arm the Mujahideen rebels. Hoffman is hilarious as the righteous CIA operative, and if he is not nominated for his work in The Savages or Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead, then he will surely receive recognition for his work in this film. The rapport between Hanks and Hoffman warrants making Charlie Wilson's Summer Trip with Gust.

The movie concludes with the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan, and Charlie’s futile attempt to securing funding for rebuilding Afghanistan in the wake of total devastation to the country’s infrastructure and its people.

This last note is what makes the movie politically relevant today, because the movie stands as a cautionary tale for what can happen when we up and leave a country that isn’t ready to stand on its own. The final quote of the movie, which implies that we brought the attacks of September 11^th on ourselves by not ensuring the end game, is a notion that holds some merit but is hardly black and white as the film frames it.

The dialogue has bite, the action moves steadily along, and the story is entertaining from start to finish. This might not be a movie that I’ll have to own on DVD, but it’s definitely worth a trip to the theatres.

"Michael Clayton" Movie Review

If you’re thinking about seeing Michael Clayton at the Saratoga Film Forum, I can’t in good conscious endorse such a decision. Unlike almost every other critic that reviewed Michael Clayton, I was not blown away by the film. I’m not sure what that says about my reviewing abilities, but I’m not going to let it faze me.

There’s no way around the fact that the film from writer and director Tony Gilroy falls short at almost every turn. The most glaring of these failures occurs with the most interesting character, Karen Crowder, played by Tilda Swinton.

Swinton is a talented actress, and delivers a chilling performance as a corporate attorney who will do anything to bring home a victory. The problem is that the audience never gets a chance to understand where this desire to win comes from. One can understand a certain amount of pressure when dealing with dollar amounts in the billions, but the film doesn’t explain her stake in the big picture and why she would be willing to have two people killed.

At just under two hours, this movie spends too much time watching people react, and the worst offender being a taxi ride with Clooney to end the film. Scenes like that exhibit the disconnect between the audience and the story teller, who assumes that viewers have some sort of unspoken bond with what’s happening on the screen. Why should I, a college student, appreciate what’s happening to some high-priced lawyer without a little bit of explanation?

The movie also fails to deliver much of an ending. The climax is played out in the beginning of the film in a flashback, and one would hope that when the film comes back to that part in real time the audience would be left with some added insight or see the pieces in a different way. Instead the climax only raises more questions that are off topic, and are never answered anyway.

The title character, Michael Clayton, played by George Clooney, is underdeveloped as well. From the beginning you can see that Clayton is a conflicted character, constantly solving problems for people who don’t really deserve help. The problem is that the character never really seems to undergo any transformation. He seems to know right and wrong from the beginning, and he’s clearly a man with established borders. So if this is the case, why should the ending or his consequent actions surprise anyone?

Sydney Pollack is mildly entertaining as a senior partner in Clayton’s firm, and the two corporate killers are terrifying. Tom Wilkinson will probably receive a supporting actor nomination for his portrayal of Arthur Edens, a corporate lawyer who sees the error of his way and loses his mind. Wilkinson is entertaining, and the movie benefits from every second he is on screen.

The movie isn’t a thriller. It is pretty ho hum, with the most chilling moment coming when a cop yells, “Freeze.” But it’s just a tease, because like most of the movie nothing is really happening. The movie is basically a tragedy, because it squanders such a promising cast.

If you’re going to watch a movie about a lawyer with a moral crisis, rent the 1998 film, A Civil Action, starring John Travolta. Travolta’s performance is a tier above an uninspired showing from Clooney.