Les Misérables

When driving to a movie theater, what do you want to see? A film or a theatrical production? My thought is that no matter what, you'd want to see a movie. Anyway Les Mis is great for what it is, basically a filming of the stage play.

A story seen in many different iterations, from original stage play to actual movie and finally to a filmed version of the musical. It has been done well in each version and I've seen all three. Easily the best one is this one. Only a few roles utilize the live singing to its full potential, but when it works, it shines incredibly brightly.

Starting with Anne Hathaway's singing of 'I Dreamed a Dream,' it is unparalleled by any other song in the movie. Powerfully sung and depressingly beautifully acted, she nails this song on the head and upped the ante for the songs later in the movie. Only matched by Samantha Barks' performance of 'On My Own.' This is what the live singing should be used for: emotional performances. The other performances worth noting are Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bohnam Carter. Adding the only humor to the story.

Aside from the singing, the acting was outstanding. Anguish, anger, and ambivalence abound throughout this dark and dreary musical. Hugh Jackman and Russell Crowe are stupendous as the two main characters, even though Javert appears much too "magically" in this film. However this is more the original story's fault. How, over such a span of time, is one man supposed to inadvertently run into the man he is searching for?

Much of the acting is exactly what it needs to be, depressing and desolate. It works very well throughout, but far too many of the actors are singing just outside of their range and it shows in their facial expressions. In a stage play if you're singing out of your range you won't get the job, so why does it work on the screen? I don't have an answer for that. It's almost painful at times to see the straining in the actor's faces, only from the singing, not because they are identifying with the words.

Aside from the strain in the actors' faces there is not much else wrong with the movie. It would have been much better had they made it more of a musical instead of an opera. The only difference being actual dialogue versus constant singing. I wish there would have been more dialogue, though I know the stage musical didn't have much, if any, dialogue, but instead of singing with an annoying simple melody is worse than stopping your singing to actually speak.

Overall, it's a good adaptation of the musical, but the director needed to make his mind up whether to make his own version of Les Misérables or to copy, almost directly, the stage musical. In this case he chose to film the stage musical.

7/10

Zero Dark Thirty

Zero Dark Thirty is a grim, detached portrait of the CIA manhunt for Osama bin Laden. Technically it is brilliant, utilizing its handheld camera to the peak of its potential. Professionally shooting the Seal Team 6 sequence impeccably, making it look like it could have come straight from a documentary.

First things first, I'm generally not the biggest fan of war movies. There are always exceptions, most recently with The Hurt Locker and, now again with Zero Dark Thirty. Two movies from Kathryn Bigelow. What I loved about Locker was how it became not about war or fighting, but a character drama about an adrenaline junkie and I was hoping for something similar here. Unfortunately much of the character development falls very short. Minimalistic interactions between characters give fleeting glances at what these people went through, where they came from, how learning new information affects their relationships with one another.

At its pivotal moment, Zero Dark Thirty is hollow. I go to the movies to see a plot with developed characters and relationships, not to just see a condensed ten-year news report, from what the CIA will share, of what happened. 

Jessica Chastain gives a decent performance, with a few cursory moments proving her acting ability. It's hard to truly put a word to her performance; how can you, when the majority of her time on screen is spent silently looking off camera. I felt more like I was watching a high schooler getting her senior pictures taken for much of the film. Brevity is probably the most appropriate term here. However, the moments where she holds nothing back are incredible and add much needed, albeit minuscule, emotion to the movie. Maybe that's the point. How calculating and cold you have to become to be in charge of something like this. Jason Clarke easily steals the screen when he shares it. Playing an interrogator who beats and tortures detainees, gives a brief glimpse at the humanity some people risked as a part of this manhunt.

One thing I was sure Zero would be is a love-letter to America. I was pleasantly surprised with a general worldly look at the hunt. Instead of focusing on only the United States, Zero Dark Thirty does an outstanding job reminding the audience that it was not just this country in search of Bin Laden, but that it affected the entire world. 

Where Zero Dark Thirty really shines is its development of information-getting techniques used throughout this hunt. The torture scenes were uncomfortable, but rightfully so. How can people be up in arms about torture methods exposed periodically during the war and the hunt for Bin Laden. They were dark, gritty, and felt real. Yes, there were parts that seemed excessive, but isn't that what happened in the real search? As a country the first thing thought to do was torture anyone thought could have an iota of information as to the whereabouts of Bin Laden. Later in the movie the interrogation techniques lighten up, but still hold the same power. 

Mark Bohl and the whole team working on the script had quite a task ahead of them when they began rewriting it after Bin Laden was announced dead. What worked very well was the final twenty-ish minutes of the movie, where Seal Team 6 makes the move into the compound. This sequence and its unabashed use of torture, when needed, are Zero Dark Thirty's saving graces. 

In the end I wouldn't be upset if it won best picture, but I really don't know that it will. Both Lincoln and Silver Linings Playbook were expertly crafted from top to bottom. My advice to you, don't take Zero Dark Thirty as pure fact or pure fiction, but how you take tequila, with a grain (usually more) of salt.

8/10

Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln had an extremely tumultuous career as President of the United States. The Civil War and emancipating the slaves, culminating in his assassination. He was a man of many stories and loved by many and this new (albeit early) frontrunner for Oscars nails it on the head.

Lincoln is far less of a biopic than it is merely a period drama of his accomplishments in the last months of the Civil War, but as a period drama it is stupendous. Take Steven Spielberg, Sally Field, Tommy Lee Jones, and the incomparable Daniel Day-Lewis and combine them and you will get one of the greatest takes on a president ever made.

Opening in true Spielberg fashion, we are tossed right into the middle of Civil War at its peak. After an opening similar to Saving Private Ryan we meet the man, Abraham Lincoln (Day-Lewis). With many people against him, the movie follows how he helped end the Civil War and free the slaves.

Want to know what it felt like to live during 1865? See this movie. The art direction, costume design, and dialogue is how I imagine it was during this time. 

Daniel Day-Lewis became Lincoln, as he does with most of his roles. It is incredible to watch. It feels almost like watching a play where Abraham Lincoln is playing himself on stage. Sally Field as his deranged wife is astounding. I believed her emotion and felt like she actually was going crazy from losing a child. Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Tommy Lee Jones are perfect in the roles they play. 

With an odd amount of humor, unfortunately not joining the movie until a good 45 minutes in, James Spader's character and his other cronies are hilarious and provide some uplift and laughter to an otherwise slow movie. Without them I probably would have fallen asleep.

As a period drama this is an awesome movie, but as always seems to happen, slow movies will get lots of Oscar attention. I'm not saying that it doesn't deserve the nominations, but as of right now I don't think it should win best picture. Day-Lewis and Field are definite front runners for Best Actor and Supporting Actress. It will be quite the showdown in these categories this year. I hope anyway.

9/10

Silver Linings Playbook

Before I start this, I know I seem to love every movie I see. This is a problem for a lot of people. One of the most often questions I get is "how do you not like a movie?" My response usually involves something about how I find the things I like about a movie and remember those. And for the most part I do like every movie I see, but nowadays it's even more true. Maybe it's because I know the movies I want to see and I don't settle for other movies or maybe it is because movies are simply getting better overall. 

Yes, there are still the awful movies (Twilight series among others), but I tend to avoid seeing those without any problem. Occasionally watching a bad movie is a lot of fun (see the Step Up series), but once you figure out how to spot the winners from the losers going to the movies is always an enjoyable experience. Silver Linings Playbook is almost a hidden gem only because of its limited release.

It has been receiving attention for awhile since it debuted at film festivals across the country, even some Oscar buzz. I was skeptical about the Oscar talks until I saw it for myself. This movie comes out of left field and just works.

When you take a mentally unstable person and another mentally unstable person and make them the main character of your movie (or book) you open the door for anything to happen. Bradley Cooper's character, Patrick, spent eight months in a mental hospital for various reasons that I will not mention here and Jennifer Lawrence's character, Tiffany, has her own issues as well. The two compliment each other perfectly.

The story is very relatable on many levels. Either you have come in contact with someone with mental issues like the characters or you have actually acted like the characters in the film (with or without the instability). It follows the ups and downs of bipolarity through the characters and the plot and it is great to watch. I feel that you really get a chance to understand the troubles of mental instability all while being able to laugh. There were very few moments where I wasn't laughing.

Cooper and Lawrence deliver one hundred percent. I believed both of their mental instability. Whether it was acting or just a regular actor's personality doesn't matter. They were both incredible. Definite Oscar contenders (first for Cooper and second for Lawrence and so far my favorites to win them, but Lincoln will probably change at least the Best Actor). Robert DeNiro is stupendous as the father set in his ways. Other than that most of the characters fall by the wayside since they have minimal screen time...With one exception: Chris Tucker. He was an huge addition to the humor and you'll understand if you see the movie.

Overall, this is a great movie for everyone. No matter who is watching he or she will definitely be able to find something to enjoy in Silver Linings Playbook. There are multiple meanings for many of the jokes and lines throughout this movie and you can read into them however you like. And therein lies the beauty of this film. I think this is an instant classic and a must-see. It will build Oscar buzz and hopefully take a few awards.

9.5/10

Argo

Movie posters can tell prospective viewers a lot about a movie. They let you know who is in the movie, the tagline, and often give hints to smaller details in the film. What does the poster for Argo tell the average movie-goer? All of the above, but on top of them one thing reigns supreme: Too. Much. Ben. Affleck.

Anyone who is a history buff (or saw a preview) knows that this story revolves around the rescue of six American diplomatic personnel trapped in a hostile Iran. Sorry, that should be rephrased, it revolves around the CIA operation, not the people, which is the major downfall of this film.

Overall, the acting is superb. Special mention to John Goodman and Alan Arkin for stellar performances in their roles. And for the small amount of time we actually get to see the six Americans they are impressive. They really wring out as much empathy as they can with the little screen time. Bryan Cranston has become more and more of a household name again thanks to his time on "Breaking Bad." Fans of his earlier work on "Malcolm in the Middle" may be happy to see a resurgence of his bumbling character Hal save for a few shining moments.

Then there's Mr. Affleck. It's true that his acting is good, excluding the atrocity that was Gigli. But it's also true his directing is better. (See Gone Baby Gone  or The Town and tell me otherwise). Here it becomes a story not about the operation or the six Americans, but rather Affleck parading around on screen, his character lying (and drinking) at every turn. It's certainly not a bad performance, but the one thing about it that really sticks with you is his ability to grow a great beard.

Being based on a true story Argo has a lot of things going against it (familiarity with the plot), but it does a good job of making it all feel novel and exciting. It builds tension well and keeps us on the edge of our seats for a large part of the film. But what good is a rescue plot if you ignore the development of the people who are supposed to be rescued? Exactly what happens in this film: little to no empathy for any of the supporting characters.

I will say that the amount of positive reviews Argo was receiving definitely affected my viewing, but either way I would have walked away feeling like I just sat through 120 minutes of watching Ben Affleck's beard grow while he chases down the necessities for his operation. If you enjoy history (or Affleck) see this movie. Otherwise it can wait until DVD.

6.5/10