Tag Archives: passion blog

In Bruges

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“In Bruges” is an eclectic mix of dark humor, gun slinging action, unconventional romance, and twisted drama with a few oddball fantasy scenes thrown in – probably the only way to go about the story of two London-based hitmen sent to vacation in Bruges, Belgium while their boss attempts to clean up their latest job, which after a horrible turn of events, results in the death of an innocent young boy.

The phenomenal cast includes some of the best actors in the business, all of whom play their characters without fault – Colin Farrell as Ray, the perpetual pessimistic screw-up who can’t even seem to adequately fulfill his career as a hired killer; Brendan Gleeson as Ken, his wise, otherworldly partner who just wants to enjoy a much-needed vacation; Ralph Fiennes as Harry, their raging, psychotic gangster hell-bent on enforcing  his rules onto his murderous employees; and Clemence Poesy as Chloe, the beautiful and snarky actress who Ray falls for. (Or for those not so good with names, that’s Alexander, Mad-Eye Moody, Voldemort and Fleur Delaceur).

The acting is not the only stand out point of the film. The cinematography manages to highlight Bruges as the magical European city that it is, focusing on its historical architecture and beautiful canals, as well as provide a dreary background for its sad, tired, and confused characters. The charming script of “In Bruges” is also to be praised, easily seguing from edgy suspense to horrifying dread, all while somehow managing to keep the film light (or as light as a film about the murder of a child can be) and filled with multiple laughs.

Perhaps the biggest feat to applaud “In Bruges” for is its ability to keep a triage of characters, who otherwise would be considered despicable in real life, so likable that the audience is continually rooting for them to not only escape their doomed fates but also find their own happiness. This accomplishment can be shared with the film’s smart writing as well as the applauded performances from the cast.

“In Bruges” is so smart and charming, it is one of the rare movies I could find myself watching again and again – and for that it receives 4/5 stars.

Like Crazy

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To be honest, the main reason I wanted to watch the romantic drama “Like Crazy” was because I really liked the song that plays during the trailer as the backdrop to scenes of a couple walking around dreamy Los Angeles together holding hands (for the record, Ingrid Michaelson’s “Can’t Help Falling In Love,” one of the greatest covers of all time).

However, soon into the movie it is discovered that those whimsical scenes of the main characters, college student Jacob and London transfer Anna, are a bit deceiving.  The couple meet and fall madly in love when Anna is in California studying abroad, but when she refuses to leave Jacob and return home after her student visa expires upon graduation, she is deported and their futures are thrown into a state of messy unknowing.

“Like Crazy” is not your typical romance film in that it is completely realistic – not every relationship’s problem can be resolved in two hours and not everything works out perfectly just because a love for someone is strong enough to be turned into a Celine Dion ballad. It is clear that Jacob and Anna love each other very much, and the audience falls in love with the almost too-good-to-be-true couple themselves. However, being twenty-somethings just out of college trying to find their place in the world – on top of being an entire continent apart for the majority of the film – Jacob and Anna just can’t seem to find the right timing. Eventually the two split and date other people, only to reunite, only to split again, and so on and so on, as Anna struggles to regain her visa.

Even with the spot-on script, “Like Crazy” could have become another cheesy Lifetime movie if the acting wasn’t of equal caliber. Luckily, Jacob and Anna are portrayed by two of the finest young actors working today, Anton Yelchin and Felicity Jones. The intensity between the pair is so strong that watching their interactions feels less like watching a movie and more like prying through someone’s window. As an added bonus, pre-“Hunger Games” Jennifer Lawrence makes an appearance.

“Like Crazy” is definitely one of the most memorable love stories from the past decade, and it sticks with you in ways “The Notebook” or “Dear John” wishes it could. I rate it 4.5/5 stars.

Zodiac

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While “Zodiac” is a pretty popular movie in comparison to the others I’ve reviewed on this blog, it’s still something that many people haven’t heard of, despite it’s all-star cast including Jake Gyllenhaal, Robert Downey Jr. and Mark Ruffalo.

“Zodiac” follows the eye witness accounts of the currently unsolved murders conducted by the Zodiac killer, who terrorized San Francisco and harassed much of its media during the 1960s and 70s. Jake Gyllenhaal portrays Robert Graysmith, the author whose book the movie draws much of its information from, who was a cartoonist and the San Francisco Chronicle during the time the Zodiac was frequently sending taunting and threatening letters to the newspaper. Graysmith became obsessed with finding the killer and cracking the cyphers that accompanied many of his letters, all but one of which remain unsolved to this day.

It is upsetting that this movie does not get as much attention as director David Fincher’s other films and that the 2007 awards season was none too kind to it, because it is truly as deserving as “Fight Club” and “Se7en.” There is so much to applaud about “Zodiac.” The casting is near perfect for every single role, no matter how big or small. It’s no surprise that Gyllenhaal and Downey Jr. deliver fantastic performances per usual, but even the actors with one scene and only a few lines find a way to stand out.

However, the best point of the movie is the cinematography. The film is shot almost entirely digitally, and the result is stunning. The opening scene, of a fireworks show over the nighttime skyline of San Francisco, reels you in immediately and from then on the establishing shots, specifically a time lapse sequence showing the building of the Transamerica Pyramid, make it impossible to look away.

There are murder scenes in “Zodiac” that could be considered very gruesome to some. However, watching the killings and ongoing investigation take its toll on the investigators, detectives, reporters and victims, all of whom are very much real people who are still alive today, is much more upsetting. The film creates suspense, horror, comedy, creepiness, excitement and even anxiety, but the overwhelming feeling that can’t be shaken is its realism.

There are many good things to say about “Zodiac,” but the highest praise is something that I don’t say often – it’s a movie I could watch again and again. For that, it receives 4.5/5 stars.

Cropsey

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As I was searching for ways to waste my time over break, I stumbled upon the documentary “Cropsey.” Having heard the urban legend of the escaped mental patient with a hook for the hand who lived in the woods my entire life, I was instantly interested. I expected a creepy retelling of one of the ghost stories that kept me awake at night whenever we went camping. Instead, the story I watched was much more disturbing.

“Cropsey” was filmed by two Staten Island-natives with the goal of discovering the origins of their favorite childhood tale. The two ended up realizing that the tale had in fact come true, in the form of convicted child killer Andre Rand, a mentally disturbed individual who supposedly kidnapped children all over Staten Island and murdered them in the woods behind the abandoned mental asylum where he was squatting. The documentary explores Rand’s backstory, the kidnappings and the search for the killer, and Rand’s eventual trials and convictions.

The filmmakers do a very good job in remaining neutral with the case and conducting expansive and detailed research. It feels as though everyone living on Staten Island at the time of the kidnappings is interviewed – investigators, family members, friends, witnesses, the search team, reporters and neighbors offer their insight as to what really happened. Despite the majority of these people believing the culprit to be Rand, interviews conducted with those who knew the man before he became the center of a tragedy make the case that Rand was given an unfair trial.

While the tale of the murders are disturbing enough by themselves, “Cropsey” adds to the creepy factor of the urban legend through a soundtrack worthy of a slasher flick and suspenseful scenes in which the filmmakers search through the abandoned asylum and for contact with Rand himself.

Despite being a documentary, “Cropsey” is certainly a horror film. But unlike “Paranormal Activity” or “Saw,” the villain is a real person and he is living right next door.

I give it 3.5/5 stars.

This Is England

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Mass unemployment, the Royal Wedding, the Falklands War, ska and Mod, Thatcher’s Britian, New Romanticism, skinheads – welcome to 1983 England.

“This Is England,” a drama film released in 2006, documents this period of social and political revolution through the eyes of Shaun, a 12-year-old boy who has recently lost his father in the Falklands War. On the way home from a schoolyard fight where he was defending his father’s honor, he highly impressionable and troubled youngster runs into a group of skinheads who take pity on him and invite him to join their group. Shaun finally finds friends, romance and a place where he feels welcome in the group of disenchanted youth, but the skinheads splinter once Combo, an older member, returns from prison. With Combo being as charismatic and convincing as he is sociopathic, violent and racist, Shaun grows to see the new skinhead leader as a mentor. As a result, he begins to lose touch with many of the other less nationalist members, his mother and members of the community.

Racism and mental instability aside, the characters in “This Is England” remain relatable in their struggle to find their place in the world and deal with the numerous blows that have been handed to them in their young lives, particularly Shaun who has difficulty connecting with anyone following the loss of his father. Even Combo avoids falling into the caricature of a raging, homicidal neo-Nazi by revealing his own insecurity, regret and loneliness in a few key scenes in the film’s climax, similar to Edward Norton’s character in “American History X.”

Overall, “This Is England” is not your average skinhead story, coming-of-age tale or comedy-drama. The film is an interesting character study and insight into the subculture of early 80s England, infused with enough humor and heart to balance out its serious subject matter. I give it 4/5 stars.

Funny Games

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My first chance Netflix selection was “Funny Games,” an Austrian psychological thriller released in 1997 that has since received an American remake starring Naomi Watts. The film follows a family of three who are held hostage in their lake house by two young men, Paul and Peter, who torture the family under the premise that if they are still alive after 12 hours, the family will “win” the game.

Despite its premise, the movie itself is not overly gory, with most of the violence taking place off screen and much of the torture actually being psychological. “Funny Games” instead derives its horror from the suspense and anticipation that Paul and Peter build by calmly bickering with one another and holding aimless conversations as the family waits in fear for their unknown future.

Overall “Funny Games” seems to be a fairly average home invasion story for the majority of the film, with the exception of Paul repeatedly breaking the fourth wall to address the viewer through winks, smirks and discussions of audience expectations. While this unconventionality may bother some viewers, the challenge to the audience provides originality to what would have been a typical, forgettable thriller.

In fact, Paul’s encounters with the viewers are the main highlight of the film, as the family themselves seem too unrealistic even for a horror movie (at one point, the mother picks up a cell phone after being tortured for several hours and asks if she should call for help). “Funny Games” is far from your predictable horror movie, and I recommend it only to those who enjoy inventiveness and do not mind having any and all expectations for a typical movie being completely ignored and turned around. Overall, 3/5 stars.