2/5 stars
Mr. Scrap (Morgan Freeman) opens the brutal and bloody Million Dollar Baby (2004) by describing the connection between a trainer and his fighter, how everything in boxing is backwards, and the strength and heart it takes to savagely beat another human being senseless. This movie is a plethora of contradictions, the major one being the statement that Hilary Swanks’s character is a fighter boxing aside – Maggie Fitzgerald (Hilary Swank) tells her mama on an unpleasant and, the audience senses, typical visit, “I’m a fighter, mama”– a statement tragically unsupported by her actions and attitude toward the end of the movie.
The main characters, Frankie (Clint Eastwood) and his lady boxer Maggie Fitzgerald (Swank), who he was at first unwilling to train because she’s a girl and too old at 31to break into the sport, are on a journey towards fulfilling Maggie’s dream of becoming a professional boxer. Maggie is from the epitome of a white trash family. She grew up in southwestern Missouri in the tiny town of Theodosia, where her 312 pound mother still resides along with her sister who cheats on her welfare by pretending one of her babies is still alive, where her daddy died, and where her brother will return once he gets out of prison.
Frankie owns a boxing gym and trains fighters. He has a questioning, if not angry, relationship with God. He goes to Mass everyday and receives every letter he sends to his estranged daughter back in his mailbox labeled “return to sender.” Maggie walks into Frankie’s gym just after his latest protégée has left him for a manager who will get him a title fight, and though he at first refuses, he begrudgingly starts training her with the gentle prodding of Mr. Scrap, who recognizes a little bit of himself in Maggie.
Predictably, Maggie turns into Cinderella, the underdog who knocks out fighters in the first round and makes it all the way to a championship fight with Billie the Blue Bear (Lucia Rijker), a former prostitute and the East German champion. Blue Bear is a reputed dirty fighter in the ring, and in the pitch of the fight, with a single cheap shot, takes away Maggie’s dreams and ability to box. The rest of the movie is a deteriorating of Maggie’s and Frankie’s lives.
It is in this last third of the film that everything that is built up in the beginning is completely torn down. Mr. Scrap says that “boxing is fighting beyond endurance” and in boxing “instead of running from the pain, like a sane person would do, you step into it.” Maggie thinks that because she can no longer pursue her passion, life is no longer worth living, even though she is still alive and in control of herself. She draws a parallel between her situation and her daddy’s dog. Axel, a German shepherd, loses the use of his hind legs and even though Maggie’s daddy is so sick he can hardly stand, he takes the dog out into the woods, the two of them singing and howling, then presumably shoots him, and comes home alone. Even though Frankie tries to convince her to go back to school and tries to find another path for her, she refuses and puts a burden on him that destroys what emotional sanity he had left.
Besides having the two halves not quite coming together, the film is filled with every worn out stereotype a sports movie could offer, from the underdog who’s a natural talent, to the compassionate, quiet friend who seems to have deeper insight into the lives of others than anyone in real life. Freeman’s Mr. Scrap is a transplanted Red from in The Shawshank Redemption, but when one has played God and the president of the United States, one already has all the credibility one needs. Working with seemingly worn out genres – the Western his most notable, and the other recent film Mystic River that takes on the murder mystery – is no great feat for Eastwood. Million Dollar Baby, like the others, is filled with great acting, cinematography, and directing. If only this film didn’t have the plot holes, then maybe it could live up to the hype of it being Eastwood’s masterpiece.
Eastwood successfully builds up the notion in the audience’s mind that Maggie has truly lost everything and that Frankie is being selfish by not doing what she asks of him. There is a fall out with the family, not a great loss, and Frankie, her father figure, is the only thing she has left. Frankie, an apparent Catholic, though an unhappy one, does not let his spiritual life or the advice of his priest get in the way of his definition of compassion. The resolution is disappointing in its betrayal of the heroine’s much talked about strength, though the decision is understandable.
Mr. Scrap draws the parallel that people who watch car accidents wanting to see bodies are the same people who claim to love boxing. It must be the same with boxing movies, especially the female version. It shouldn’t be pleasant to watch people destroy each other. Million Dollar Baby is hopeless in its message and its characters’ actions. Mr. Scrap says, “Everything in boxing is backwards”; yeah, so is everything in this movie.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Secret Window (2004)
4.5/5 stars
This is what all horror movies should be: psychologically thrilling without torture porn. Johnny Depp is amazing, as usual, and he definitely has some Jack Sparrow channeling going on. The interplay between characters is tense, but Mort’s (Depp) dialogue with his soon-to-be ex-wife and her boyfriend adds comic relief.
David Koepp (director) uses sound intelligently in this film. It’s how he builds the creepiness without overusing the dramatic base that so many horror movies use to show you it’s a scary part; if you turned the sound off, the camera angles and characters’ expression would still communicate the creepiness.
A must see for writers and not just because it’s based on a Stephen King short story.
This is what all horror movies should be: psychologically thrilling without torture porn. Johnny Depp is amazing, as usual, and he definitely has some Jack Sparrow channeling going on. The interplay between characters is tense, but Mort’s (Depp) dialogue with his soon-to-be ex-wife and her boyfriend adds comic relief.
David Koepp (director) uses sound intelligently in this film. It’s how he builds the creepiness without overusing the dramatic base that so many horror movies use to show you it’s a scary part; if you turned the sound off, the camera angles and characters’ expression would still communicate the creepiness.
A must see for writers and not just because it’s based on a Stephen King short story.
Friday, May 21, 2010
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009)
3/5 stars
I’m not sure what just happened. This story seems like something Heath Ledger, Johnny Depp, and director Terry Gilliam cooked up while baked, wrote down and, the next morning, put verbatim into a movie script. The cast, especially those playing the many faces of the Hanged Man, is incredible. The combination of Heath Ledger, Johnny Depp and Jude Law in one film is what attracted me to the movie. It’s unfortunate that Colin Farrell got the most screen time.
At first, this story seems like Across the Universe (2007) without the pretense of a discernable narrative and twice the drugs. The film teases at an underlying intelligence, perhaps literary references to Dr. Faustus or a clever combination of the Bible and Eastern philosophy. Dr. Parnassus seems to be a man selling the story of Jesus (though that’s not directly stated) with love and the imagination at the center of the universe, but he has a problem: gambling. He can’t resist when the Devil proposes a bet. This escalates into a race for who can gather five souls first; however, what those souls are being converted to is lost between the gondolas and a large Russian mother.
I’m not sure what just happened. This story seems like something Heath Ledger, Johnny Depp, and director Terry Gilliam cooked up while baked, wrote down and, the next morning, put verbatim into a movie script. The cast, especially those playing the many faces of the Hanged Man, is incredible. The combination of Heath Ledger, Johnny Depp and Jude Law in one film is what attracted me to the movie. It’s unfortunate that Colin Farrell got the most screen time.
At first, this story seems like Across the Universe (2007) without the pretense of a discernable narrative and twice the drugs. The film teases at an underlying intelligence, perhaps literary references to Dr. Faustus or a clever combination of the Bible and Eastern philosophy. Dr. Parnassus seems to be a man selling the story of Jesus (though that’s not directly stated) with love and the imagination at the center of the universe, but he has a problem: gambling. He can’t resist when the Devil proposes a bet. This escalates into a race for who can gather five souls first; however, what those souls are being converted to is lost between the gondolas and a large Russian mother.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Robin Hood (2010)
4/5 stars
The previews didn’t do a good job of showing where this movie fits into the Robin Hood story. This is a prequel to the Robin Hood legend, and I hope they carry through with a sequel with the same cast and director that shows some of the more well-known legends so that I don’t imagine Robin Hood and Marion as cartoon foxes (Robin Hood – 1973).
Prequels seem to be the new approach to these older legends and stories, there’s Robin Hood (2010), Alice in Wonderland (2010), and King Arthur (2004), with The Hobbit due out in 2012. Interestingly, the first three films turn the female leads into sword- or arrow- wielding warriors, or at least attempts to shed the delicate flower of femininity routine. King Arthur completely broke from the legends and turned Guinevere into a green forest warrior, something completely breaking from what little is known about society back then. Robin Hood does a much more convincing job of portraying English country nobility. Marion might well have been a step above a farm girl, out on her husband’s land tending horses and planting seeds.
The costumes and dialogue alone make this film fun to watch. The acting is, as expected, amazing; after all it’s Russell Crowe and Cate Blanchette, great duo. All the characters are well cast, but Kevin Durand as Little Jon and Mark Addy as Friar Tuck steal the show.
The previews didn’t do a good job of showing where this movie fits into the Robin Hood story. This is a prequel to the Robin Hood legend, and I hope they carry through with a sequel with the same cast and director that shows some of the more well-known legends so that I don’t imagine Robin Hood and Marion as cartoon foxes (Robin Hood – 1973).
Prequels seem to be the new approach to these older legends and stories, there’s Robin Hood (2010), Alice in Wonderland (2010), and King Arthur (2004), with The Hobbit due out in 2012. Interestingly, the first three films turn the female leads into sword- or arrow- wielding warriors, or at least attempts to shed the delicate flower of femininity routine. King Arthur completely broke from the legends and turned Guinevere into a green forest warrior, something completely breaking from what little is known about society back then. Robin Hood does a much more convincing job of portraying English country nobility. Marion might well have been a step above a farm girl, out on her husband’s land tending horses and planting seeds.
The costumes and dialogue alone make this film fun to watch. The acting is, as expected, amazing; after all it’s Russell Crowe and Cate Blanchette, great duo. All the characters are well cast, but Kevin Durand as Little Jon and Mark Addy as Friar Tuck steal the show.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Dawn of the Dead (2004)
3.5/5 stars
Despite the harassment the zombie movie genre gets, this film pays attention to detail and has memorable cinematography. If you’ve seen it, you’ll never forget the scene when the little girl opens the nurse and her boyfriend’s bedroom door. The acting is good and the characters consistent. The film isn’t so much scary as disturbing. If you agree to follow the rules in the new walking dead cannibal world (one being the characters don’t have any prior knowledge of zombies) there’s heartbreak, sympathy and hope.
Despite the harassment the zombie movie genre gets, this film pays attention to detail and has memorable cinematography. If you’ve seen it, you’ll never forget the scene when the little girl opens the nurse and her boyfriend’s bedroom door. The acting is good and the characters consistent. The film isn’t so much scary as disturbing. If you agree to follow the rules in the new walking dead cannibal world (one being the characters don’t have any prior knowledge of zombies) there’s heartbreak, sympathy and hope.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Couples Retreat (2009)
3.5/5 stars
This is a surprisingly adult film-—not like X rated, but in the sense that the relationships, the struggles and conversations feel genuine. The characters all well developed, albeit all seem a bit shallow. The situations are hilarious and believable. The writing is consistent and, unlike other comedies, all the themes are carried through to the end.
WARNING: SPOILER
The ending is too Hollywood. The couple you expect to break up, after all she’s 20 and he’s in his late 30s, is the only one that does. The couples with real problems make it through, at least for a little while. The final happy moments feel like the rosy glow after the honeymoon, but none of the couples have actually dealt with their problems.
In some cases, communication through fighting, a romantic weekend and make-up sex in the pool shed might revitalize a relationship, but in my limited experience (mostly in observation and having a parent who was a divorce lawyer) marrying a friend doesn’t always lead to true companionship. The relationship might be functional and comfortable, but it’s ultimately unfulfilling. The couple that admits they’re simply best friends suddenly has sex again. It’s nice to think that type of relationship is possible.
This is a surprisingly adult film-—not like X rated, but in the sense that the relationships, the struggles and conversations feel genuine. The characters all well developed, albeit all seem a bit shallow. The situations are hilarious and believable. The writing is consistent and, unlike other comedies, all the themes are carried through to the end.
WARNING: SPOILER
The ending is too Hollywood. The couple you expect to break up, after all she’s 20 and he’s in his late 30s, is the only one that does. The couples with real problems make it through, at least for a little while. The final happy moments feel like the rosy glow after the honeymoon, but none of the couples have actually dealt with their problems.
In some cases, communication through fighting, a romantic weekend and make-up sex in the pool shed might revitalize a relationship, but in my limited experience (mostly in observation and having a parent who was a divorce lawyer) marrying a friend doesn’t always lead to true companionship. The relationship might be functional and comfortable, but it’s ultimately unfulfilling. The couple that admits they’re simply best friends suddenly has sex again. It’s nice to think that type of relationship is possible.
Friday, May 7, 2010
Iron Man 2 (2010)
3.5/5 stars
Robert Downey Jr. plays Iron Man so well it’s hard to tell if (in the conversations, not the robotic parts) he knows a camera is there. I’ve noticed with superheroes (and Harry Potter) that they go through an emo period: Spider Man in Spider Man 3 (2007) and the Fantastic Four in Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007). However this doesn’t apply to Batman or the Hulk since they’re constantly brooding.
Stark’s self-involvement clouds any kind of onscreen chemistry between him and Gwyneth Paltrow; characters kept referencing Pepper Pots and Stark’s semi-relationship, but I didn’t notice any sexual charge in their interaction, the kiss seems, well, scripted. While this isn’t completely distracting--there’s obviously tension between the two as friends and colleagues if not romantically--it does rob the film of significant emotional tension.
If Terrence Howard had to be replaced, Don Cheadle was the man to hire. Along with him, the addition of Scarlet Johansson (possibly playing Black Widow, though it’s not said in the film if she is this costumeless super heroine) and Samuel L. Jackson bring a new level of intrigue, and build on the storyline that will eventually bring the Hulk, Iron Man, Captain America and Thor together in The Avengers (2012).
Robert Downey Jr. plays Iron Man so well it’s hard to tell if (in the conversations, not the robotic parts) he knows a camera is there. I’ve noticed with superheroes (and Harry Potter) that they go through an emo period: Spider Man in Spider Man 3 (2007) and the Fantastic Four in Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007). However this doesn’t apply to Batman or the Hulk since they’re constantly brooding.
Stark’s self-involvement clouds any kind of onscreen chemistry between him and Gwyneth Paltrow; characters kept referencing Pepper Pots and Stark’s semi-relationship, but I didn’t notice any sexual charge in their interaction, the kiss seems, well, scripted. While this isn’t completely distracting--there’s obviously tension between the two as friends and colleagues if not romantically--it does rob the film of significant emotional tension.
If Terrence Howard had to be replaced, Don Cheadle was the man to hire. Along with him, the addition of Scarlet Johansson (possibly playing Black Widow, though it’s not said in the film if she is this costumeless super heroine) and Samuel L. Jackson bring a new level of intrigue, and build on the storyline that will eventually bring the Hulk, Iron Man, Captain America and Thor together in The Avengers (2012).
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Pontypool (2008)
3/5 stars
Unique enough to not be your typical zombie movie, but enough corpses walking around to fit the genre. Having the whole story based in a radio station with most of the information and people-eating going on out of sight adds a creepiness that plain gore simply can’t achieve. The acting is tremendous and the characters well rounded, carrying you through the entire hour and a half.
WARNING: SPOILER
The premise for this movie seems like something the writer came up with while high: What if words had the power of disease? The concept is interesting, certain English words as the conduit for a virus and once those words are understood the listeners become raging cannibals. It’s a nice twist in the genre, but conceptually isn’t followed through to the end of the film. The last moments in particular are too ambiguous to give real closure.
Unique enough to not be your typical zombie movie, but enough corpses walking around to fit the genre. Having the whole story based in a radio station with most of the information and people-eating going on out of sight adds a creepiness that plain gore simply can’t achieve. The acting is tremendous and the characters well rounded, carrying you through the entire hour and a half.
WARNING: SPOILER
The premise for this movie seems like something the writer came up with while high: What if words had the power of disease? The concept is interesting, certain English words as the conduit for a virus and once those words are understood the listeners become raging cannibals. It’s a nice twist in the genre, but conceptually isn’t followed through to the end of the film. The last moments in particular are too ambiguous to give real closure.
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