How to make it in ...

movieisaw:

Plot: A man named Pi retells the story of when he and a tiger were stranded at sea after a shipwreck to a writer seeking a story.

Review: Life of Pi was fantastic. Not just because of the story, which is heartwarming and enjoyable but also because of the ambition and the themes that Ang Lee is trying to present. Life of Pi can be viewed as Ang Lee’s view on movie making and story telling in general. But that’s discuss the film first.  The story is simple in plot if not in execution. A boy and a tiger are lost at sea.  At the beginning, there are also a zebra, a orangutan, and a hyena are also on board but the tiger and hyena quickly make feasts of them until the tiger does the same to the hyena.  Ang Lee fills the film with great imagery and some of the best use of 3D that I have ever seen. The 3D is to immerse you into the world instead of having things pop out at you to pull you out of the film. The cinematography is truly something to behold and it makes you realizes that we may be wasting CGI’s abilities with what we are doing with it now.  But more than that in the first half, where we see Pi getting his name, gaining his three religions and growing as a boy does Lee fill each frame with such beauty, without giving a cliche’d version of India, that you could watch the film with the sound off and still get an enjoyable experience with it. Pi’s real name is Piscine Molitor Patel after a swimming pool in France and the way and why of him changing his name is a great introduction to the character and a great example of Pi’s refuse to lay down and be wronged which will come back later. The acting is also well done and Suraj Sharma never lets you remember that you are watching what is basically a computer screen. You believe him and care about him even when Pi is unlikable, which as a boy who is searching for himself is more often than not.

For the theme and what it has to do with filmmaking. Spoilers follow: The theme is told you at the beginning of the story: A story that is so incredible that it will make you believe in God. It is meant to be a story of faith and hope as Pi is tested again and again. This story is a bit heavy-handed (although not as much as one would think) and it becomes clear that the Tiger, named Richard Parker, is God and the sea is his test of faith. But of course the film is meant for families and for what it’s worth a well done story is worth being a bit heavy handed.  The theme is good and at least is able to raise questions about religion and God and why things happen that a lessor director may not have been able to touch. But where does the second theme come in? Well again MAJOR SPOILERS at the end he tells the writer what happened after he was found.  When trying to tell his story, the officials don’t believe him so he tells another story where the other animals were in fact his mother and two other crew members who Pi  in turn killed and eat to survive. In this story Pi, himself was Richard Parker and uses the tiger as a way to deal with the guilt and shame of his actions. The movie never tells you which story is true but Pi presents it as: Which story do you prefer? explaining that in each story Pi is punished suffers and survives so the way Pi was changed is the same, only the horrors are different. Again a bit heavy handed but it does bring in a second theme or question that Lee wants the audience to ponder. This one is about story telling and in a lot of ways film making. There is always that thought when a movie is made about a true event especially a dark one of why is there a need to tell the story and really even movie or creative work this question should be asked. And this film gives an answer of sorts, story tellers tell stories because they want to help you understand their thoughts or their beliefs as well as what the story is literally about. Such as Pi with his story of faith. And they embellish or even change the story to help prove or strengthen their point or answer. It’s to help the listener or viewer understand what they are trying to say without realizing it. It’s why stories need to be told and why we still search out stories. It’s the most important thing that a story teller must know if he is to be creative. And Ang Lee manages to tell it in a story of tiger because sometimes the tiger is looking at the moon and sometimes he’s looking at all of the universe.  

Don’t miss this film.  

Trivia: The Piscine Molitor swimming pool in France is in fact a real place and has been classified as a French monument historique. 

movieisaw:

Plot: Two girls bond over their lack of money by starting a sex call line after being forced to move in with each other. 

Review:  This is a tough review.  It was pretty forgettable and it was one of those comedies that focuses so much on the plot that it forgets to put in jokes. In fact the main plot of the sex chat is actually the worst part. There are some good scenes like one with an employee with ulterior motives but on the whole the movie doesn’t focus so much on the logistics of the chat line and reduces it to different montages that slows the movie down. In fact by the third act, they have completely forgotten the chat line which would have been fine if they didn’t spend so much time on it. What the film does very well is the relationship between the two girls. Lauren Miller and Ari Graynor have great chemistry and they present a good and more importantly different type of friendship between two girls. It’s not trying to be a male relationship and it’s not just one based on plot, it feels real and that’s unique.  I really believed them to be friends and that alone made me stick through it.    

Trivia: Lauren Miller is also the writer. 

Overview: Meh

movieisaw:

Plot: A couple get more than they bargained for when they find themselves at a hippie commune. 

Review:  I did not expect to like this film at all. I don’t find Jennifer Aniston a good actress and she has ruined many a movie for me. Plus the plot seemed so cutesy and terrible. But it came on Cinemax and I gave it a chance. Boy was I wrong. This movie is pretty damn funny. It’s not the best movie in the world but it is an entertaining 2 hours. It manages to both embrace and make fun of the earth movement and it feels like everyone is having a good time and you feel as you are part of the fun.  I say give this film a chance if you even like Paul Rudd a bit. 

Trivia: Aniston and Rudd have known each other for 20 years. 

Plot: A group of girls rob a store to get money for spring break but once they get there they get in some trouble which is when a criminal by the name of Alien bails them out of jail but not of trouble. 

Review:  I think there are two different expectations for what this film will be.  The first is a fun, sexy, hangover type film starring beautiful Disney starlets. The second is some kind of film that has a message and is trying to get it across with it’s story.  I think both of these are wrong.  Let’s say this from the start, the film is quite addictive if you let yourself be hooked by it but also it is very hard to be hooked in this film. This is a Harmony Korine Film through and through and uses everything from time jumps, to framing changing, to repetition of dialogue to pointless scenes which makes it hard to enjoy. As a matter of fact even after I got into it, there were points where I was ready to give up on it and maybe that’s the point to take you to the brink.  But if it’s not the fun party time it’s advertised as, why isn’t it a satire or message film? Because I don’t think it’s trying to say anything.  The film isn’t realistic or silly enough to go one way or another and even though it hints at culture wars, the vapidness of this generation or the no consequence of party people it also never gives any kind of answers or raising any real questions. Korine is holding up a mirror but not to society, to Korine’s society and instead of going outward he goes inward for his themes and plot. This gives you a very intriguing look into Korine’s mind but also not much more. We aren’t see how teens today deal with crime or culture but instead how Korine thinks teens react to this.  And that’s okay, because that’s what he is trying to do.  So he succeeds in everything but meeting our expectations.  And I applaud him for it.  Although Korine is really the star of the film, James Franco as Alien turns in a classic performance and pulls out a character that I didn’t think he had the talent for.  It’s a 180 for him and he is amazing.  The girls range from very good (Selena Gomez) to dreadful (Vanessa Hudgens) but that may be in some small part to the improvisation and aimlessness of the script more than the actresses’ abilities.  But Gomez stands out and if she picks the right choices in the years to come is fated to be the next big thing. So I liked it. But if you are looking for a fun time or a look into a different side of American culture, you will have to keep searching. 

Trivia: This is my review from Movie I Saw blog but I wanted to use another poster cause I mean.. Look at this poster! 

movieisaw:

Plot: Bruce Wayne comes back to Gotham City to team up with Officer Gordon to become Batman. 

Review:  Listen I wanted to like this book.  The origin of Batman is one of my favorite stories and the original comic was pretty good. But damn, I hate to say this but: Nolan did it better. Now I know Batman Begins draws heavily from the original comic and the original comic is the staple of Batman’s origin stories. The problem with this movie is that it comes after the Dark Knight Trilogy, and the new 52, and the Year One Graphic Novels so this movie comes off feeling boring and uninspired. Although it was lose-lose because it’s not like they could change anything. I think this was one case of not knowing why this was made. Skip this one. 

Trivia: The original novel was written by Frank Miller. Back when Frank Miller didn’t suck 

movieisaw:

Plot: Three friends find a time rip in their british pub and must travel through time to find their way back home. 

Review:  This movie wanted so hard to be Shaun of the Dead. The only problem is that it’s just not very funny. Sure Chris O’Dowd had some great moments but he’s naturally funny. The script itself isn’t funny and about halfway through they just kind of give up on jokes and play it straight. Which isn’t great because the premise while a bit clever, quickly loses it’s originality.  Another problem with this and other time travel films is that it is just too predictable.  There were no surprises and this is made worse with the appearance of Anna Faris, why add her if her character isn’t going to be important. Really by the middle, I was quite bored and wanted to just get to the end and in a film that is less than 90 minutes that doesn’t bode well. 

Trivia: This movie hasn’t been released in the US but you can see it on HBOGO or HBO.