Watched a few movies. Last night I started John Q, but couldn't finish it until today for various reasons. I also watched Shaft and Random Hearts.
These are all just movies I grab randomly from my dad's collection.
John Q:
I liked it, but I wasn't blown away. I felt it was pretty linear, and wasn't as potent as I think it wanted to be. But maybe I've become jaded, by watching so many movies. I've seen a lot of plots, man. I've seen too much.
Anyway, I did not like two of the decisions made in this movie. The first? Showing the car crash of the woman at the beginning of the film. It's like saying 'here's the heart! Remember this? This is important! Don't worry everyone, it'll work out!' Really, I didn't want to know that it would all work out. I wanted to be pissed at the hospital, to hate the world, to be fed up with bureaucratic bullshit, to rebel against the system. I wanted to hate the administration, the insurance companies, the doctors and everyone that seemed to be in the way of a boy and a new heart. But I could never really get that invested, because I knew that crash was important.
Still, I wanted to punch that hospital administrator in the baby. I know I was supposed to hate her, but this was a kind of vehemence I don't think they anticipated. I was just glad she was not on the screen for too long at a time. The small redemption of putting his name on the list was just not enough for me. And I liked that.
James Woods was hilarious as the doctor. He wasn't supposed to be, but I'm so used to having his voice attached to Hercules and Family Guy that it really took me out to actually... see him. And I have seen him in other things, which makes it all the more ridiculous. I did like his character, though. Even if he was responsible for the other thing I did not like about this film.
The suicide plot. 'I'm going to kill myself, and you're going to put my heart in his body'. I did not buy into it. It's not that I wanted the doctor to put up more of a fight against the idea, but... I don't know. The various reactions from the hostages just did not feel right. I just couldn't suspend my disbelief that far, for any of them.
Haha, Ray Liotta played an ass hole. Is that... really very surprising?
Shaft:
Not much to say here. I thought it was cool, but not cool enough. Like, Shaft is this licensed badass, right? So... why wasn't he more badass? I didn't think this John Shaft, Samuel L. Jackson's character, lived up to his uncle's theme song. Sure, he played some funny tricks on people and had some great stunts, but I felt like I wanted more. He seemed to be on the losing end of the game more often than not, and that's just not that badass in my book.
Christian Bale was great as the baddie, though. It's interesting, watching someone play a racist. He was pretty downplayed in it, save for his scene where he bashed the dude's head in. Oh, and in the jail cell. Yeah, that was pretty awesome. I would not want to mess with that white boy: he can keep his damn shoes.
Random Hearts:
It felt pretty long. The pacing was deliberate, but it still dragged on in places. I did like how the story was developed for the first half an hour or so. I wasn't actually keeping time, but the way it would cut between the cop, the politician, and the plane. I liked how the stories met, and the plot went on from there, though their becoming an item was not very subtle or... interesting. It felt like it had to happen.
So it did.
And that's all she wrote, for now. Getting dragged away, against my will.
Friday, August 15, 2008
[Journal] Top Six Answers on the Board
Ah, I'm dying for this summer to be over.
I mean, I've been having some fun. Had some great moments. Love my friends and my family. But come on. Enough is too much: I want to get back to school. I miss Ashland, and the campus and the newspaper. I miss going to movies whenever I want, and how renting from Blockbuster was as simple as crossing the street. I want to walk every where again, and I want to go back to a place where there is no fast food save one Wendy's.
The first half of this summer moved so quickly. Half a week in and I was at the theatre, reading for Hamlet and As You Like It and finding all my At Home buddies again. I got the parts I wanted in both shows, and had an amazing time playing them. I really did, and I miss it so much! I love acting, and I know I can't do it at the college, so it's going to be tough going a full year without it. I want to know where ACTC is going, and what it's got planned. I want to be more involved with it, if I could, because I love it so much.
If I had to choose, I'd go ahead and say Rosencrantz was my favorite role this year. I loved Phoebe and, by the end there, I was really getting into playing her, but with Rosencrantz I had a much more profound journey. That's cheesy to say, but it's totally true. The more I played him, the more I came to know his decision making process, and his relationship with Guildenstern and how it differed from the one I have with my own twin. I think playing them as brothers was a surprising, revealing little trip for me, and made it that much more enjoyable. Rosencrantz's thoughts on Hamlet really struck me, as he moved from being a childhood friend to an enemy.
I'll have to find some time to write all about these thoughts of his. I'm a bit too scattered for it now, but I had an idea about writing a short story for Rosencrantz. It would be from our Hamlet, the way our play turned out, from my perception of Rosencrantz and his interaction with everyone else in the show. Of course, I always say I want to write things, but I never actually get to the writing part.
While I was in the shows one of the equity actors for this year, Shaun, spoke to me and my friends Victoria and Nick about the progress we've made since the start of Midsummer two years ago. He played Lysander in that show, and was not in the following season, but returned for these two shows much to all of our joy. He's this naturally happy guy that's just generally sweet, and a hoot to be around and work with. I remember this as one of my favorite moments through the whole rehearsal process, save some really hilarious times, because it was so... I don't know. It was something to take pride in, and I don't have much confidence so it was more than welcomed. He told us he was amazed with how far we had come, and that ACTC was doing what he, and I to be honest, imagined it should. We were learning, growing, and becoming more confident in not only ours roles and abilities, but ourselves and our friendships. He said that we should be proud of ourselves, and I just wanted to hug him. Of course, I remember most clearly when he turned to me and spoke to me about the changes from when I just started playing Helena in year one to this third year, and how much progress I had made. I'm pretty sure it's not true, but it was such a delight and an honor to hear him say it that I think it'll be one of those memories I'll look back on just to reassure myself that I must be doing something right.
My best friend and I have been 'hanging out' a lot. I use quotes because she lives a bit too far from me for us to physically hang out, so we talk on the internet a lot. I mean. A lot. We have recently gotten into the habit of watching Family Feud on GSN and playing along, as a two man DYNAMO, whenever it's on. Almost, anyway. The 7:30 time slot is a bit too early in the morning for either of us. We are hilarious. I mean, I'm usually laughing out loud whenever we play, making the other people in this house wonder what the hell is wrong with me.
That's a whole lot of win, right there. Full of win. By the way, we're playing AS I write this. No joke. There's a family called 'the Greenhouse's'. Hah.
We're also playing Tetris on Facebook. It is eating my soul.
I like talking to Chelsea about my writing and ideas, because she really gets me. And she has a passion for the process, though it needs a bit of reviving, so she understands where I get stuck and the motivation behind the choices I make for my characters and the plot. I've got this story in my head that I've shared with her, and only her, and every time we talk she helps me develop something new. It's pretty cool, because I've never written anything of my own invention before, nothing worth the time and effort anyway, and it's exciting, terrifying, to be starting something like this now.
Now another thing I've come to appreciate this summer is how far Chelsea and I have come. We've been best friends since the sixth grade. That's a... pretty long time. And I know we've changed, and I can see how. It's weird, and thrilling, because I think we're pretty awesome. With my twin it's different. We have grown up together for years, and I had never been away from her long enough to see any real change. It's hard to notice it, when you're moving at the same pace, watching it every day. But then I went to school, grew up a bit, and came back to find I was, in fact, far different. And it wasn't limited to just myself, who I had become, but how different I was from my twin now. It's almost unbearable, and I think the longer I have to stay here and dwell on it the worse it'll get. We argue so much now, it's ridiculous, and a lot of it is petty and leaves me wondering why I even bothered to fight back.
A matter of pride, I suppose. I want to have some left when I go back to school.
I really appreciate my friends, too, for hanging out with me and just being cool people. I've had a ton of fun with Will, at movies and gatherings, as well as all the other people from my cast. They're what I refer to as 'the regulars', when I'm talking to someone unfamiliar with ACTC. Will, Victoria, the Nicks, Sean, and Kasey, though the lattermost is a new and most welcomed addition to the crew for me. There was Rob Addison, but he left again, and I know not when I might see him again. Alas. Alas. These are just the people I feel the most comfortable around, and like hanging out with. I know I'm a really difficult person to be friends with, and that I'm more likely to be a bitch to someone than be nice, but they seem to put up with me and we have a lot of fun. They're good people, you know? Just good people, and it's an honor and blessing to know them.
Even though some of them are not old enough to go drinking with.
Ah. Drinking.
Okay. I am not a boozer. I have no tolerance, and will probably pass out at the mention of hard alcohol. But I do like beer. A lot. And so what? I've never had more than one at any given time, and I drink when everyone else has gone to bed, so as not to upset my mom, brother or twin. They're all 'no drinks at any time, ever', which is fine for them but just does not work for me and my dad.
One day I'm going to go to Boston and play a Family Feud drinking game with my best friend, and it will be hilarious.
I know I mentioned Tropic Thunder in passing, but I freaking loved that movie. I'll write a lot more on it later, when I have the chance to see it again, but good lord. It was great.
In other news, I have to have my wisdom teeth pulled this coming Tuesday. That's terrifying to me. I mean, really, legitimately terrifying. I'm an anxious person by nature, but this is a whole different kind of fear. Because I can't get out of it, and I've heard some stupid stories that are stuck in my head. Everyone tells me it will be fine, but really, it does not sound all that fun. I have to be awake, all four are coming out, and one is really close to a nerve. It's this one that's coming in sideways pushing up under the tooth that's already there. That one is going to be fun.
It's going to be an experience, anyway.
It was kind of funny, though. I was at the dentist's and they were telling me about the procedure. I was trying my best to look cool and attentive, but the dude paused, looked at me funny and said 'you'll be alright!'. Apparently, according to my twin, I wear my emotions on me sleeve and I'm becoming increasingly unaware of it. Maybe that's why I suck as an actor!
I've had that note a couple of times, too. 'Your energy was way off'. This happens after a bad day, and I'm just dragging my feet through a performance. I never noticed until the director or someone in my cast tells me, because I'm actually trying pretty hard to either cover it up and pretend I'm normal, or ignore it. Neither tactic works, apparently, and I hate that I can't tell. I'll fix it, though, because I like this acting thing I don't want to be that kind of person. It's a let down and it's not fair to anyone else. I mean, really, what the hell do I have to be moody about? When I think about it, my life is pretty sweet.
Writing is way distracting. I'm going to need to stop, so I can effectively play some Feud. It was just nice to get some of this out. Notes, if you will, or something like that.
I mean, I've been having some fun. Had some great moments. Love my friends and my family. But come on. Enough is too much: I want to get back to school. I miss Ashland, and the campus and the newspaper. I miss going to movies whenever I want, and how renting from Blockbuster was as simple as crossing the street. I want to walk every where again, and I want to go back to a place where there is no fast food save one Wendy's.
The first half of this summer moved so quickly. Half a week in and I was at the theatre, reading for Hamlet and As You Like It and finding all my At Home buddies again. I got the parts I wanted in both shows, and had an amazing time playing them. I really did, and I miss it so much! I love acting, and I know I can't do it at the college, so it's going to be tough going a full year without it. I want to know where ACTC is going, and what it's got planned. I want to be more involved with it, if I could, because I love it so much.
If I had to choose, I'd go ahead and say Rosencrantz was my favorite role this year. I loved Phoebe and, by the end there, I was really getting into playing her, but with Rosencrantz I had a much more profound journey. That's cheesy to say, but it's totally true. The more I played him, the more I came to know his decision making process, and his relationship with Guildenstern and how it differed from the one I have with my own twin. I think playing them as brothers was a surprising, revealing little trip for me, and made it that much more enjoyable. Rosencrantz's thoughts on Hamlet really struck me, as he moved from being a childhood friend to an enemy.
I'll have to find some time to write all about these thoughts of his. I'm a bit too scattered for it now, but I had an idea about writing a short story for Rosencrantz. It would be from our Hamlet, the way our play turned out, from my perception of Rosencrantz and his interaction with everyone else in the show. Of course, I always say I want to write things, but I never actually get to the writing part.
While I was in the shows one of the equity actors for this year, Shaun, spoke to me and my friends Victoria and Nick about the progress we've made since the start of Midsummer two years ago. He played Lysander in that show, and was not in the following season, but returned for these two shows much to all of our joy. He's this naturally happy guy that's just generally sweet, and a hoot to be around and work with. I remember this as one of my favorite moments through the whole rehearsal process, save some really hilarious times, because it was so... I don't know. It was something to take pride in, and I don't have much confidence so it was more than welcomed. He told us he was amazed with how far we had come, and that ACTC was doing what he, and I to be honest, imagined it should. We were learning, growing, and becoming more confident in not only ours roles and abilities, but ourselves and our friendships. He said that we should be proud of ourselves, and I just wanted to hug him. Of course, I remember most clearly when he turned to me and spoke to me about the changes from when I just started playing Helena in year one to this third year, and how much progress I had made. I'm pretty sure it's not true, but it was such a delight and an honor to hear him say it that I think it'll be one of those memories I'll look back on just to reassure myself that I must be doing something right.
My best friend and I have been 'hanging out' a lot. I use quotes because she lives a bit too far from me for us to physically hang out, so we talk on the internet a lot. I mean. A lot. We have recently gotten into the habit of watching Family Feud on GSN and playing along, as a two man DYNAMO, whenever it's on. Almost, anyway. The 7:30 time slot is a bit too early in the morning for either of us. We are hilarious. I mean, I'm usually laughing out loud whenever we play, making the other people in this house wonder what the hell is wrong with me.
That's a whole lot of win, right there. Full of win. By the way, we're playing AS I write this. No joke. There's a family called 'the Greenhouse's'. Hah.
We're also playing Tetris on Facebook. It is eating my soul.
I like talking to Chelsea about my writing and ideas, because she really gets me. And she has a passion for the process, though it needs a bit of reviving, so she understands where I get stuck and the motivation behind the choices I make for my characters and the plot. I've got this story in my head that I've shared with her, and only her, and every time we talk she helps me develop something new. It's pretty cool, because I've never written anything of my own invention before, nothing worth the time and effort anyway, and it's exciting, terrifying, to be starting something like this now.
Now another thing I've come to appreciate this summer is how far Chelsea and I have come. We've been best friends since the sixth grade. That's a... pretty long time. And I know we've changed, and I can see how. It's weird, and thrilling, because I think we're pretty awesome. With my twin it's different. We have grown up together for years, and I had never been away from her long enough to see any real change. It's hard to notice it, when you're moving at the same pace, watching it every day. But then I went to school, grew up a bit, and came back to find I was, in fact, far different. And it wasn't limited to just myself, who I had become, but how different I was from my twin now. It's almost unbearable, and I think the longer I have to stay here and dwell on it the worse it'll get. We argue so much now, it's ridiculous, and a lot of it is petty and leaves me wondering why I even bothered to fight back.
A matter of pride, I suppose. I want to have some left when I go back to school.
I really appreciate my friends, too, for hanging out with me and just being cool people. I've had a ton of fun with Will, at movies and gatherings, as well as all the other people from my cast. They're what I refer to as 'the regulars', when I'm talking to someone unfamiliar with ACTC. Will, Victoria, the Nicks, Sean, and Kasey, though the lattermost is a new and most welcomed addition to the crew for me. There was Rob Addison, but he left again, and I know not when I might see him again. Alas. Alas. These are just the people I feel the most comfortable around, and like hanging out with. I know I'm a really difficult person to be friends with, and that I'm more likely to be a bitch to someone than be nice, but they seem to put up with me and we have a lot of fun. They're good people, you know? Just good people, and it's an honor and blessing to know them.
Even though some of them are not old enough to go drinking with.
Ah. Drinking.
Okay. I am not a boozer. I have no tolerance, and will probably pass out at the mention of hard alcohol. But I do like beer. A lot. And so what? I've never had more than one at any given time, and I drink when everyone else has gone to bed, so as not to upset my mom, brother or twin. They're all 'no drinks at any time, ever', which is fine for them but just does not work for me and my dad.
One day I'm going to go to Boston and play a Family Feud drinking game with my best friend, and it will be hilarious.
I know I mentioned Tropic Thunder in passing, but I freaking loved that movie. I'll write a lot more on it later, when I have the chance to see it again, but good lord. It was great.
In other news, I have to have my wisdom teeth pulled this coming Tuesday. That's terrifying to me. I mean, really, legitimately terrifying. I'm an anxious person by nature, but this is a whole different kind of fear. Because I can't get out of it, and I've heard some stupid stories that are stuck in my head. Everyone tells me it will be fine, but really, it does not sound all that fun. I have to be awake, all four are coming out, and one is really close to a nerve. It's this one that's coming in sideways pushing up under the tooth that's already there. That one is going to be fun.
It's going to be an experience, anyway.
It was kind of funny, though. I was at the dentist's and they were telling me about the procedure. I was trying my best to look cool and attentive, but the dude paused, looked at me funny and said 'you'll be alright!'. Apparently, according to my twin, I wear my emotions on me sleeve and I'm becoming increasingly unaware of it. Maybe that's why I suck as an actor!
I've had that note a couple of times, too. 'Your energy was way off'. This happens after a bad day, and I'm just dragging my feet through a performance. I never noticed until the director or someone in my cast tells me, because I'm actually trying pretty hard to either cover it up and pretend I'm normal, or ignore it. Neither tactic works, apparently, and I hate that I can't tell. I'll fix it, though, because I like this acting thing I don't want to be that kind of person. It's a let down and it's not fair to anyone else. I mean, really, what the hell do I have to be moody about? When I think about it, my life is pretty sweet.
Writing is way distracting. I'm going to need to stop, so I can effectively play some Feud. It was just nice to get some of this out. Notes, if you will, or something like that.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Movie List!
Here's a list of all my movies. Or rather, the ones in my DVD case. I think three or four of them belong to my twin, my brother and/or my mom. Hahah. But MOST of them are mine. They're split up into groups of ten, in no particular order. They used to be split up by actor, but the more I watched them the more mixed up it got. Haha. There should be 129.
The Negotiator
Swimming with Sharks
The Ref
Pay it Forward
The Usual Suspects
American Beauty
Beyond the Sea
The
Outbreak
The Life and Death of David gale
Glengarry GlenRoss
A Time to Kill
Midnight in the
K Pax
Iron Will
Superman Returns
Blades of Glory
Conversations with Other Women
Brothers Grimm
Because I Said So
Welcome to Mooseport
Stranger than Fiction
Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black
Pirates of the
The Life and Death of Peter Sellers
Les Miserables
Swimming Upstream
Shine
Mystery Men
The Banger Sisters
Candy
Intolerable Cruelty
Finding Nemo
Ned Kelly
The Illusionist
Pirates of the
Moulin Rouge
Down with Love
Eye of the Beholder
Identity
Three to Tango
Big Daddy
Enchanted
Dogma
Galaxy Quest
Sweeney Todd
Must Love Dogs
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Big Fish
The Phantom of the Opera
Till Human Voices Wake Us
Jekyll and Hyde
The Heart of Me
American Splendor
Harry Potter and the Order of the
The Weather Man
Tenchi Forever
Tenchi the Movie 2: Daughter of Darkness
Tenchi the Movie: Tenchi Muyo in Love
Cowboy Bebop the Movie
Advent Children
The Prestige
Grilled
Tarzan
Mulan II
The Road to
Muppet
The Terminal
Pride and Prejudice
Crash
The Lord of the Rings: the Return of the King
The Lord of the Rings: the
X-Men
X2
Star Wars II: Attack of the Clones
Casino Royale
Duane Hopwood
Scoop
13 Going on 30
From Justin to Kelly
Much
Music and Lyrics
Liar Liar
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Insomnia
Winter Passing
Sense and Sensibility
Oxygen
Santa Clause 2
As Good As It Gets
A Merry War
Shopgirl
Tootsie
Flight of the
Quicksand
Love Actually
Little Shop of Horrors
Donnie Brasco
The
Nadine in Dateland
Max
Live from
Knocked Up
Last
Zodiac
Game 6
RV
The Stepford Wives
Strangers with Candy
The Faculty
Secret Window
The Oh in
Two Girls and a Guy
A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
Hail Caesar
Confidence
Meet the Fockers
Being Julia
Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus
Sleepers
Family Business
Less Than Zero
Air
[Movie Babble] Sweeney Todd
So here comes a ton of babble concerning Tim Burton's Sweeney Todd. I wrote it a while ago, but I never had a chance to post it anywhere. And now that I've watched it again... a few times... I thought I'd revisit it. It will be random, sometimes utterly fan-girl, and marginally incoherent. I promise rambling. But such are my thoughts, and of this movie there are many. So even if I complain or whine, I do it out of love. And off we go.
So, Sweeney Todd, then. A fantastic movie. One of the best I've seen in a theater all year. And that's not the twenty or so days that have passed since New Years, but rather since last January. That might be a lie, though, as I can very easily remember how much I enjoyed this one, while films I saw in the beginning of 2007 are all but lost to me. Oh well, I've said it now and I'll stick with it. Right. The movie itself.
It took an incredible amount of work, patience and begging to finally get to see this movie. I do not drive, and since I was home for winter break I was not within walking distance of a movie theater. I'll be buggered if I ever learn how the buses run, and even more so if I willing get on one. So I needed to secure myself a ride. But I'm not one to ask someone to drive me somewhere without asking them to accompany me, particularly a movie, and that's where my efforts were largely thwarted. No one in my house wanted to see this movie. No one. My mom, my usual ride, was off on a month long vacation to
I haven't forgotten about my first choice. The way movies usually work in my house is like this: my twin and I decide on a movie, on a show time, and then ask Mom or Dad to give us a ride to the theater. I don't feel bad about asking rides from my parents then, because my twin's company makes it seem more worth the effort on their part. What with the joy their time and gas money will bring their favorite daughters and what not. My twin normally just rolls with whatever movie I want to see at the time, except on the rare occasion when... she doesn't. Like with Sweeney Todd.
I suppose it's fair to say that I have somewhat of an... obsessive personality. I say it's because I love too much, but people don't tend to agree with me. I love movies, and I love actors. I get a real kick out of plays, specifically musicals, being made into movies and I get excited by the prospect of my favorite actors reaching outside their regular boxes and taking risky roles. Like, say, ones that require them to sing and dance. Really, who doesn't enjoy that? Unfortunately, when I get overly excited about something I tend to talk about it. A lot. And this grinds me twin's nerves to the point where she refuses to indulge me, and begins to loathe, with a vehemence I think a bit unfair, whatever it is I'm so giddy about. I can't really blame her. I probably am guilty of doing the same thing, when the situation is flipped, but I just don't notice.
So that's what happened. I could not convince her to go with me, after somehow managing to spoil it for her. She asserted that she had no desire to see it, ever. And that was that. All hope was lost.
Until my hero arrived.
My friend Will offered to take me, with a general interest in seeing the movie himself and not just to placate me. And we had a wonderful time, because two actors seeing a movie together can never be bad. We had this joke that said seeing it together was the most fun we could possibly have, and seeing it again would not compare. I went back to college and none of the theatres around my campus were showing it, so I could not test that theory. Will, on the other hand, went to see it again fairly soon after we did. But I'm not bitter. Not anymore, at least. Sweeney Todd started playing up here last Friday, and I saw the very first showing. My friend from French last term, Tyler, was there. Since this time I knew all the songs, I couldn't help but want to sing them and Tyler, having seen the movie four times and also an owner of the soundtrack, had no objections. We ended up singing A Little Priest and it was pretty much hilarious. I mean, we sang through the other songs, but that one... that one was gloriously fun. If I had the chance, I'd definitely perform that song in some kind of showcase... or on a street corner. Anything, really. Just for the hell of being able to perform Mrs. Lovett's part. Will can be my Sweeney Todd, if he promises not to betray me anymore, now that we're even.
Anyway, all this back story is largely... irrelevant. But my blog is my journal, so I wanted to write it down.
Now it's time to get to my thoughts on the movie. I'll talk actor/director stuff first, then I'll talk character/story... maybe. I should probably talk about the songs, too. I'm not so good with planning things out. But despite everything I say, I do love this movie and think everything about it is wonderful. Good or bad, it's all awesome. I really love movies that get me thinking and analyzing and generally obsessive. This movie did a very good job of that, to be sure.
Where better to start than with Johnny Depp? He is, after all, the title character and, ultimately, the driving focus of most of the advertisements and plugs. I was surprised by how little depth the Demon Barber of Fleet Street seemed to have, particularly because I've seen Johnny Depp in roles with much less potential for characterization that he expertly breathed life into. It's difficult to pinpoint why this character, then, seems to fall so flat. Sweeney Todd is just a little too two-dimensional for my tastes, especially because the character himself reads so brilliantly complicated. There might have been too much focus on his... complete devotion to revenge, and not enough subtlety to the things around him.
Does that make any sense?
What I mean is, I understand that Todd is supposed to be giving his soul to this quest for revenge of his, but he never quite manages to connect with any of the characters around him enough to make the closing sequence, that ten minutes of climax at the end, seem as potent as it should have been. Sure, he got to stab Turpin, but when he realized how betrayed he was by Mrs. Lovett... I don't know, it wasn't as deep and cutting as it might have been. Should have been, in my opinion. Maybe I'm too picky. After I saw it the second time I did notice these little moments of connection, particularly between Todd and Lovett, that might have been enough to establish some deeper emotion between Todd and his new, broken family. Like when he puts his hand on her leg during By The Sea, even to take it away a moment later, or when they have a brief moment of looking into each other's eyes after she asks him what Lucy looks like, and before Anthony bursts in to, once again, ruin things.
But all this is not to say Johnny Depp did not do an amazing job. Because he did, really. It was a risky, difficult role and he attacked it with gusto and a healthy helping of pure talent. Even if he sort of... acts his way through his songs some times, to compensate for, you know, not being a Broadway singer. Which is fantastic, and as far as I'm concerned preferable, to belting and impossibly long notes. Plus, I know I just said Todd didn't have as much of a connection to anyone as I would have liked, but Johnny Depp's chemistry with Helena Bonham Carter is explosive, and really adds to their great comedic moments. The two are hilarious together, especially as these twisted, devilish and sinister characters.
Hey, that looks like a segue to me.
Helena Bonham Carter, then. Incredible. And surprisingly so. Let me briefly explain the process of 'need to see this movie' as it built up over some months. My best friend and I discovered that Sweeney Todd was being made. Sweet. Johnny Depp and Tim Burton? Awesome. Wait, now Alan Rickman is going to be in it? Gotta see it. Hey, look! It's out! Notice the extreme lack of concern for any other characters or actors. So I'm sitting there, having given Will a serious warning about the strange noises Alan Rickman would invariably draw from me each time he graced the screen, and something amazing happened. Mrs. Lovett was introduced, and I suddenly had a brand new reason to be excited about watching the movie. She was amazing. And nothing short of it. Just amazing. I thought she brought so much to the character of Mrs. Lovett, even if her vocal ability was not what might have been expected for the role. Maybe I'm completely biased now because I think her talent is unlimited, but I think she did a fantastic job with one of the hardest vocal roles in the whole show. And how about her comedic timing? Both in song and out, she had some really brilliant moments of delivery and blocking that made me laugh out loud.
I think Mrs. Lovett, to me, is a character much like Lady Macbeth. Even though the men that warrant the titles, Sweeney and Macbeth, are the focus of the show, it's the women that drive the action, and articulate the devious plans that eventually end in ruin. It's those women that have all the control, really, even if the men are more powerful. Lovett, in this case, is this devilish mind. She's smart, crafty, and particularly amoral. She defines her own laws of ethics and principals of conduct, and guiding Sweeney Todd carefully toward his goal while never missing an opportunity to bend the situation to her own whims. Her overarching goal is to be as close to Todd as possible, to draw him to her and hopefully develop the hopeless love she has for him into something more tangible. She states ever so plainly in 'Wait' that half the fun is, in fact, to plan the plan, and I think that line speaks volumes for her overall deception of Todd as far as his wife is concerned.
With that side trip into character-land done, it's time to return to actors. I mentioned Alan Rickman earlier, but I think it's time to bring him up again. He was great. That's... really not very fair to say, as he is always great and it's like pointing out that he's... a human, or something. It was fun watching him sing. Even if it was just two songs... but he was perfectly creepy as Turpin. Timothy Spall was just as perfect as Beadle Bamford. Really. Could anyone else have played him? In every scene Spall was in I could not help but feel slightly disconcerted, uncomfortable by the looming threat of him doing something creepy, gross or a grotesque mixture of both. Which was exactly what the character was there to do.
Who else was in this flick? Sacha Baron Cohen in what has to be one of the only roles... worth watching him in. And he's pretty damn good as Adolfo Pirelli. Er. David? Anyway. There were the two kids that played Anthony (Captain Interrupt-something-important) and Joanna (Mistress I'm-a-plot-device). But... they did not do anything to really capture my attention or in anyway distract me from the 'main' characters, so I opted to not care about them. Sure, they sing well, but something tells me they weren't the 'best' in the audition pack, and that was on purpose.
You know who almost stole the whole damn show? The little boy that played Tobey (Or... Toby. I guess.) Ed Sanders, as IMDB so graciously informs me. He was brilliant, in a charming, young kind of way. I'm not generally predisposed to enjoy the performances of children actors. This slight irritation with kids doubles when they have to sing, and I have to listen to it. But Ed was incredible. He really was. I fell in love with him about as hard as Mrs. Lovett did Tobey.
Tim Burton did a good job with this flick. How passively condescending is that? What I mean is, it was damn great, and it was hard to miss just who the director was. The opening sequence was similar to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Except... you were following unappetizing blood through the inner workings of chair, oven and sewer, rather than unappetizing chocolate through the inner workings of fantastical candy factory equipment. It was funny to hear/read so many reviewers saying the movie was gory. Sure, he slit throats and dead bodies rag-dolled down from the barber shop into the oven room, but the blood wasn't particularly realistic, was it? It was kind of silly, in a way, to see the different ways the blood escaped the body, depending on how important the character was. And also, those falling bodies? The first one in the second 'Joanna'... was pretty hilarious. Will called me a terrible person when I laughed each time a body hit the floor. He might be on to something with that one. My point is, I think people were taking the look of murder a bit too seriously, and missing the point of the act itself. You know, from a plot/character point of view.
[Movie Babble] A Murder of Crows
I watched a movie this morning called A Murder of Crows. It starred Cuba Gooding Jr. as a disbarred lawyer battling his conscience after publishing a late friend's book under his name. Oh, plagiarism. Anyway, the book grabs him a lot of success in no time at all, which is all quickly taken from him when it is revealed that the gruesome murders depicted in this story had actually occurred. So off he goes on a quest to figure out all the details of this impossible situation he now finds himself in.
Yeah.
Okay, right from the get go I knew this was a set up. The moment the old man appeared, looking very much like a young man in old man make up, I knew what to expect. Plus, the constant narration practically beat me about the skull with all it's 'subtle' hints at the suspicious old man and his strangely convenient death.
Plus, I know a little bit about literature, so when the name Christopher Marlowe pops up, I know to be on the look out for foul play. Two seconds later we get Gouthe the police officer and I check out. Faust. Yeah, that's a hard one to catch. Oh, and how about the really convincing biker out fit this dude dons in order to get the book signed and send it to that real copper? So real, I totally didn't know it was a plot point.
Oh, look, the acting professor is the baddie. Is there potency in his talking about Macbeth when Gooding Jr. rolls around to figure it all out? I'd imagine so, but I was so far from enjoying myself at this point that even a mention of Shakespeare, which usually tickles me to no end, was not enough to drag me back. Besides, he already referenced Shakespeare with his 'kill all the lawyers' crack.
I guess what really bothered me about this flick was how it failed at being subtle. It looked and felt like it wanted to be a thriller, that it was supposed to be suspenseful and interesting, but then it goes about and gives you every single thing that might have, played a different way, been surprising and fun. As I was watching I find myself thinking 'this would probably be a good book', because books can get away with that kind of crap. People forget details they read, and it takes longer than two hours (unless... you're a fast reader, I guess) to get through the complete story and digest all the information thrown at you. When it's presented in a visual form, as most people are visual learners, it's much more difficult to be obvious and subtle at the same time. This movie was just obvious.
And some of the ridiculous things the narration said... I can't even go there.
But besides all that bitching about plot and writing, it wasn't that well acted, either. I'm pretty much indifferent when it comes to Cuba Gooding Jr.. I know he's good, and I've seen him in a few other things, but I never felt compelled to make a statement about his ability in definitive terms. This film was not, I imagine, one of his better portrayals. The character felt flat, and I was never invested in his journey. Maybe I was just mad at the writing, but the longer the story went on, the more unsympathetic the character became. That's the opposite of what they wanted to happen.
Tom Berenger shares the cover with Cube Gooding Jr. ... and isn't much better in the movie. The only other movie I've seen him in, or remember seeing him in, is The Gingerbread Man and I can't recall if I liked him there. I know I didn't here. I mean, I get that the character was written that way, but did he really have to be so spectacularly cliche? He was a stock investigator, with nothing unique or interesting about him to make him worth watching. He did not stand out above any of the other cops on screen, which was just a bummer. He tried, of course, with his sarcasm and his rough attitude, but it didn't do much. It was actually pretty satisfying watching him get shot in the middle of that shitty line of his.
It's kind of funny that this is the movie that gets to be my first post on here. Ah, well. There will be better ones, I'm sure.
Yeah.
Okay, right from the get go I knew this was a set up. The moment the old man appeared, looking very much like a young man in old man make up, I knew what to expect. Plus, the constant narration practically beat me about the skull with all it's 'subtle' hints at the suspicious old man and his strangely convenient death.
Plus, I know a little bit about literature, so when the name Christopher Marlowe pops up, I know to be on the look out for foul play. Two seconds later we get Gouthe the police officer and I check out. Faust. Yeah, that's a hard one to catch. Oh, and how about the really convincing biker out fit this dude dons in order to get the book signed and send it to that real copper? So real, I totally didn't know it was a plot point.
Oh, look, the acting professor is the baddie. Is there potency in his talking about Macbeth when Gooding Jr. rolls around to figure it all out? I'd imagine so, but I was so far from enjoying myself at this point that even a mention of Shakespeare, which usually tickles me to no end, was not enough to drag me back. Besides, he already referenced Shakespeare with his 'kill all the lawyers' crack.
I guess what really bothered me about this flick was how it failed at being subtle. It looked and felt like it wanted to be a thriller, that it was supposed to be suspenseful and interesting, but then it goes about and gives you every single thing that might have, played a different way, been surprising and fun. As I was watching I find myself thinking 'this would probably be a good book', because books can get away with that kind of crap. People forget details they read, and it takes longer than two hours (unless... you're a fast reader, I guess) to get through the complete story and digest all the information thrown at you. When it's presented in a visual form, as most people are visual learners, it's much more difficult to be obvious and subtle at the same time. This movie was just obvious.
And some of the ridiculous things the narration said... I can't even go there.
But besides all that bitching about plot and writing, it wasn't that well acted, either. I'm pretty much indifferent when it comes to Cuba Gooding Jr.. I know he's good, and I've seen him in a few other things, but I never felt compelled to make a statement about his ability in definitive terms. This film was not, I imagine, one of his better portrayals. The character felt flat, and I was never invested in his journey. Maybe I was just mad at the writing, but the longer the story went on, the more unsympathetic the character became. That's the opposite of what they wanted to happen.
Tom Berenger shares the cover with Cube Gooding Jr. ... and isn't much better in the movie. The only other movie I've seen him in, or remember seeing him in, is The Gingerbread Man and I can't recall if I liked him there. I know I didn't here. I mean, I get that the character was written that way, but did he really have to be so spectacularly cliche? He was a stock investigator, with nothing unique or interesting about him to make him worth watching. He did not stand out above any of the other cops on screen, which was just a bummer. He tried, of course, with his sarcasm and his rough attitude, but it didn't do much. It was actually pretty satisfying watching him get shot in the middle of that shitty line of his.
It's kind of funny that this is the movie that gets to be my first post on here. Ah, well. There will be better ones, I'm sure.
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