Wednesday, July 3, 2013
The Avengers
(If you need an IMDb link for this, then I can only say: we're glad you finally got out of your coma!)
Big Hollywood films have become like, well, pretty much anything else out of the US.
Let's compare this film with any fast 'food' chain:
It gives you what you want, it's a quick fix. You're hungry/desperate and in a moment of weakness you decide to spend your money on it, knowing it's not a good idea, but also thinking: 'Well, what else can I do?'
You get your fix. You get full from that sweet, sweet corn syrup and additives and non-animal meat, or your ears get full of super HD true-to-life 23-D super-surround bass experience. Your eyes are full of super computer-generated stunts and your brain gets fooled into thinking that A: you've eaten all the food you needed for today or B: you've got your art-fill for the day.
But you haven't. You've just ingested empty calories and empty mindless shit.
You get lots of good actors, lots of bad actors people have seen somewhere or other and lots of hot actors, so that everyone can find a reason to go see a piece of absolute drivel.
The money is spent on said-actors and visual effects, while no money goes to the screenplay, because God forbid the story would make sense in any way whatsoever.
Your brain gets bombarded by loud noises and flashy colors and Scarlett's tits and you think you've just had a good time. But you haven't. It's like a Super Menu: You're happy for about 10 minuets, then the nausea and the diarrhea set in. Sad thing is, just like after a bad hangover -when you tell yourself you'll never drink again- well, a week later you're back at the multi-super-duper-cineplex to puncture your eardrums, spend 20 bucks on popcorn and fool yourself into thinking you're watching something entertaining.
Because when you spend more than 10 bucks on anything, you feel it has to be good. So you watch 'The Avengers' and think it's entertaining because the loud noises, the explosions, and/or Scarlett's tits gave you a raging hard-on. But the fact is: it's all fake (the jury is still out on Scarlett's mammary glands). They're getting paid more money you'll ever make in your entire life to pretend like they give a shit. Meanwhile, the studios are charging you more money you can afford so you can pay the people who don't give a shit about you and treat you like children by dangling something shiny in front of you, just so you can paw at it while gobbling down subpar popcorn (and if it's a 3D film, then this is quite literally true).
It's time to wake up and smell the fake butter! There are 2 more shitty sequels of this shitty shit. And you're all gonna flock to it because you're gonna think you have to because you'll see 28 commercials a day for it, see billboards in the streets and pictures on the sides of buses and your favorite fast food joint will have the picture of the big-titted/drug-recovering actors (who wouldn't be caught dead in a fast food place since crack's healthier than the so-called burgers they sell) on the extra-large cups of sugar-water you'll be buying.
Now, just to be clear, I am not blaming the actors. Most of them I like, all of them I understand. If someone told me: 'I'll give you millions to not act and wear a funny costume,' I'd be the first to take the money. I blame us. The public. We get brainwashed so easily. We don't want acting, we don't want a story. We want to be... ooooh... 'entertained!' And that, apparently, means loud noises, tits, and guns. If on top of that it could be 3D, so we could get a massive headache and make us feel as if we'd just drank 15 cocktails, without the giddy feeling we'd normal get, we're even happy to pay extra!
Fair enough. I guess. But don't start slagging off the WWE (which was the WWF before panda lovers went ape-shit) as soon as you get back home and feel the need to be morally-superior to somebody. We're all morons.
Some need oiled-up men full of steroids, pretending to be superheroes, to fight one another to some insane rock music. While others watch WWE. To each his own.
I know, you're thinking: 'But so what?! If we're entertained, who cares?!' Well, that's what brainwashing is all about! You're not entertained, you're being made to THINK you're being entertained! And if you're truly, honest-to-God entertained by this, well then, here's a rope. Hang yourself and be a dear Darwinian for us all, won't you, pet?
Put on any rock album you own. Play it REALLY, REALLY loud. Then do anything while listening to this. You'll think you're entertained. 'Oooh, I vacuumed to The Rolling Stones' "Sympathy for the Devil." Chores are fun!' 'Hey, I just removed fluff from my conjoint twin's belly button while listening to "Kashmir." Awesome!'
We're all fucktards. And Hollywood are the fucktard puppet masters.
I know it's based on a comic book, which proves that selling-out is nothing new. But as a 'screenwriter' (if I drink enough I sometimes fool myself into thinking I am one), if someone said: we'll give you 1000 dollars (because, really, that's the most a screenwriter's been paid in Hollywood. Ever.) to write something
commercial, I'd be all over it! Zorro, Wonder Woman, Teo Roosevelt (you need some American patriotic bullshit, always), Pif the dog (to draw in the overseas market) and Beyonce (because she wants to be in a film again and Jay-Z's threatened a producer) are in a superteam of superheroes and they supersave the world against the superbad guys (played by a stereotyped Russian, a stereotyped Somali dude and a stereotyped Iranian. Or Iraqi. Or Turk. Some kind of Middle-Eastern darkie).
Don't get me wrong (or do, what the fuck do I care at this point?!), I enjoy being entertained, I just don't enjoy being taken for a retarted horny, 5-year-old, marmoset.
Explosion! Tits! So-called repartee! Boom! Woohoo!
No. Sorry, but: no.
I did enjoy the 'Iron Man' films, by the way. I don't know why, but I did (NB: at the time if this writing I still haven't seen the third installment), but when you mix everything into one pile of goop, you get... well... goop.
It's like: I love Nutella, and I love Lagavulin and I love steak and I love ice cream. Mix all four and you got a problem.
Then again, coming to a Hollywoof multi-mega-cineplex near you: A new snack! 'Filet mignon with its single malt chocolate ice cream sauce. Why go to a fancy restaurant when you can eat in the dark and trick your brain into thinking you're being entertained?!'
I'm gonna induce vomiting and flip through the yellow pages to find a lobotomy clinic now. Because I won't be able to cope with the PTSD this film has induced.
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Gangster Squad
First of all, I should say that I liked this film way better when it was called 'The Uncouchables' or 'LA Confidential' or even 'The Magnificent Seven.' Or 'Ocean's 11.' It tries really hard to be cool, and sometimes -but oh so rarely- it is.
So: it's about cops setting up a squad to kill a bad guy. I was sure that the first who was going to die would be the one showing a conscience and who has a family and who is given a chance not to join the squad. I was, of course, totally right. If that spoiled it for you, then you have no foreshadowing abilities or you've never ever seen a Hollywood film. Ever. And if 'Gangster Squad' is your first Hollywood film ever, I am sorry for you. Truly.
But hey, back to the cool things: truth is, give me Tommy guns and I'm happy. Seriously, the couple of good moments involve Tommy guns. Because: 'Fuck! Tommy guns! Awesome!'
The slow-motion scenes look great, too but let's face it: that's what slo-mo does. As 'South Park' demonstrated, even making coffee in slow motion looks kind of cool.
Now, let's talk about the elephant in the room. The non-acting elephant...
I'm not sure what all the hooplah about Ryan Gosling is. He acts like a shy Marlon Brando wearing a wax mask: you can't really understand what he says for his whispering and he never really shows any emotion. Seriously, even in a speeding car shooting at another car, he's got the expression people have when ordering a burger from the drive-thru.
I know women will answer: 'He's so dreamy, you're just jealous! He's a cutie.' To which I say: 'Fine.'
But when we say the same shit about women, don't you dare tell us we objectify you! Women are as horny and deviant as men are. You talk about Ryan, I'll talk about Kylie and life goes on, ok?
Anyway, it's not fair what I just said. He's got two emotions. There's the slight smile as in 'I'm trying to look friendly/I'm hitting on a girl/I've just farted in my pants/You just said something hilarious/I just said something hilarious/I'm happy to be smoking.' And then there's the deadpan as in: 'My best friend just died/I am driving/I need to shoot someone/My lover has left me/You said something intriguing/I have explosive diarrhea/I shouldn't be smoking.'
He looks like an 18-year-old who won first prize in the 'star in a big hollywood film' contest. It's like he doesn't really know what he's doing there and neither do the other actors.
We need a film with Gosling, Keanu Reeves and Ryan Phillipe: the 3-paralyzed-faced brothers. Seriously, get the Farrely brothers on this! The role of the father would of course be played by Stallone.
So that takes care of Gosling, now on to the 'dialogue.'
Was it written by an intern or something? Or a bunch of lethargic badgers? Here are some examples, you tell me:
'This is war, people die.' 'I'm sorry I can't believe you'd say something like this.' Neither can I! How did they come up with this? Did they flip open a book of clichés and write down the first thing they landed on?
How about this:
'I can't figure out your angle!' or 'I'm looking out for you, trust me.' 'No, I don't trust you.'
These are just a couple of stilted lines that jumped at me. But they're all terrible. The way I felt hearing these lines is the way I imagine I'd feel if I bought a breast of chicken, let it sit in the sun for a week, then cover it with chili powder and eat it raw. I'd feel nauseous as fuck. The only difference is that thankfully with the chicken I'd probably die and wouldn't have to listen to such horrible dialogue again.
But, hey, I just got a tag line for the film: 'Gangster Squad: You'll Be Nauseous as Fuck!'
'Gangster Squad: Salmonella For The Ears.'
As far as the 'playful banter' goes, well... fuck. When Gosling first talks to Tomato, which is how he first calls Emma Stone's character -which perfectly fits her acting skills and charisma- anyway, when he first talks to her you can tell they were going for a Capra-style Wilder-inspired playful banter. But it really isn't and it's just awful. Getting an ice-pick shoved in your ear must be more pleasant that hearing these two trying to act cool.
The last time I saw less chemistry between two 'living entities' was when a fat pug (so, a pug) was running around trying to fuck a crippled pigeon. I understood there was an end-goal for one of them, but I also knew that no matter what was about to happen, it would be a lose/lose situation for everyone involved.
But at least it was more natural than Wax-Face and Red-Vegetable pretending to like each other.
Emma Stone, by the way, looks way too 2013 even though she's trying to act cool and classy and retro. She's not. At all. She looks too young, too short and so not glamorous. Sure, in real life, Cohen's squeeze might have looked liked her, but if you're going for accuracy, how about hiring a fatter, older Cohen?
Speaking of Mickey Cohen...
Penn looks like he's a character from 'Dick Tracy,' which is a film I really like. It also has Tommy guns in. And pretty much the exact same montage sequence. And story, for that matter. Cohen is Big Boy. Brolin is Tracy. The other cops are just dicks.
Also, 'Dick Tracy' is based on a comic book, so if all the bad guys are over the top, it makes sense and a guy shooting two Tommy guns is kinda fun and cool. But everybody knows this is totally impossible! The recoil on these was insane! Come on! So, in 'Dick Tracy,' it works. In this film, it's just silly.
There's also a bit of 'Bugsy' in Penn's Mickey (that sounds like a very dirty sentence). Is Penn a Warren Beatty fan? Shit, who isn't?! Plus, they have Madonna in common. Shit, who doesn't?
There's also a bit of De Niro's Capone. So you know, on paper it looks good: A bit of Pacino, a bit of De Niro, a bit of Beatty. But come on, it's Sean Penn! He usually does his own thing!
I really hope he acted in this to make lots of money to finance his next film, because that's what he did with 'Carlito's Way.' Except that was a De Palma film with Pacino and it was great. So, let's hope something good will come out of this shit: a new Penn film!
Quick side note: Who told Ribisi to act with his arms and hands? Seriously? Did he think this was a silent film or something? Did L. Ron Hubbard, from beyond the grave, urge him to act this way?
All this is unfortunate, because the topic is great: LA in the 50s, mob, etc, etc. But it feels like a bunch of dudes playing pretend and filimg it. I realize that's exactly what every film ever is. But if it's well done, you can't tell the people are acting and you get immersed in the story. With this film, you don't. Even the one liners are delivered in a way that makes you think: 'Wait. Was that supposed to be funny or tragic?'
You know who's gonna die within a minite of meeting them and when they do, you expect the 'good guys' to look at the sky and scream 'Noooooooo!'
I'm surprised the guys shotting Tommy guns weren't giggling with glee (like I would be). Have I mentioned I think those guns are pretty cool?
I really wanted to like this film. When I first saw the poster and the trailer, I had a little orgasm. LA, the 50s, the mob, Sean Penn being a bad ass. It could have been great, or at least quite good, but the dialogue was so horrendous and the story such a cliché and a rehash of better films that I wonder why the hell they even bothered making this film.
Seriously: people make fun of Hollywood because of films like these. Also, it shows Parker and Daryl Gates as two awesome LAPD dudes. Sure. After all, they're two of the most racist cops in LA, but hey, let's make them heroes, because why the fuck not.
At the end, during the pointless voiceover, because of course there's be a pointless voiceover at the end of this film, when we see Brolin looking at his badge, I told myself: 'Oh, please don't throw it into the ocean, don't throw it into the ocean!'
Then he fucking chucked it into the ocean. Because if you want to quit the LAPD, you just throw your badge into the ocean. You want to carry a non-conform 6-shooter on your beat? And you're Hispanic? Hey, yeah: okay, sure! This is LA, where everything can happen! Even, unfortunately more often than not, crappy films like this one!
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Killing Them Softly
IMDb Link
The problem with directors and writers (or worse: a writer/director) who want to be cool is that they start to copy Tarantino and Guy Ritchie. You get long, long, looooong conversations that do not advance the plot in any way, but you can almost hear the writer's groan of pleasure as he jacks off all over the page. Dialogue for the sake of dialogue is cool maybe once or twice. But in every fucking scene? It's not as bad as 'Death Proof,' but it ain't far off. If you only look at the scenes pertaining to the actual plot, the film's maybe about 20 minutes long. But it's padded with screenwriter's cum.
Sure, it's trying to show that the characters are tri-dimensional and all that. But no, it's just boring.
The actors are mostly really good. I am a big Richard Jenkins fan and I also enjoyed the whole 'Sopranos' reunion with all those actors. I was disappointed by Pitt who seems to be imitating Colin Farrell most of the time, acting with this eyebrows and his hands, especially in the beginning. He does get better after a while, but not much. At least he's gotten better since 'Cool World.'
Haha, I'm being an asshole. I am actually a fan of the guy. Really. I'm not being sarcastic. Shit, I'm still sounding sarcastic aren't I? But really: I'm not. And I've entered a never-ending loop, so it's time to move on to the next paragraph.
The film tries to be art-housey, so I've been told. I am guessing that's because it so fucking heavy-handedly parallels the mobsters with what's going on in American politics and its economy. The opening titles worked. But when pretty much literally every scene has Obama or Bush speaking in the background, or worse still: right smack in the foreground, you can't help but scream at the screen: 'I got it, already. Beating a dead horse! Time to move on!' It's trying to be deep by spouting clichés about America, but it's not, really it's not.
We know it's a society based on - and obsessed with - money. No surprises there, bubba.
Then there's the music. It's amazing, yes. But again it draws so much attention to itself that it feels less like a movie and more like a very expensive (and expansive) mixed tape.
Then there's the 'Goodfellas' vibe. Sure, there's Liotta and there's a great reference when you hear that he 'didn't fold under questioning.' But then you got Gandolfini being all Pesci with a waiter. That's like: meh. Why be Pesci when you could be Tony? And by the way, what purpose does Gandolfini's character have in this film? Can anyone tell me? Does he represent regret, how Pitt's gonna turn out? Yawn. At least it's Gandolfini, so that's cool.
I wanted to like this film, I did. There were some parts I enjoyed. The beating of Liotta was painful to watch, in a good way, thanks to the sound design. The fucked-out-of-his-mind on heroin was also pretty cool and from what I've heard pretty damn accurate. The hit scene is beautiful, if I can use such a verb. Reminded me a bit of 'Raging Bull,' but it was great, especially the bullet casing hitting the rain drops (don't misunderstand that conjunction, by the way. I love 'Raging Bull.' I was merely trying to say that too many movie references or homages or whatever get boring quickly). The other hits are also nicely shot and realistic and painful to watch(ish).
So, no: I didn't really like this film, unfortunately. I didn't totally hate it. Okay, the beginning I didn't like, the drawn-out dialogue I didn't like, but it is very nicely shot and the music is cool and the actors are cool, too.
I am sad(ish, again) to be harsh because I am truly a huge big great humongous fan of 'Chopper' and 'The Assassination of Jesse James' which are two very underrated and very amazing films.
But I guess the director decided to sell out or be clever or got pressured to do something more 'commercial.' Or he ran out of ideas. Or I don't know what.
It's not the worst film I've seen in the last few months, but it was a huge disappointment and now I'm gonna watch 'Chopper,' because ultra-realistic stabbing is just what I need right now.
Monday, February 18, 2013
Seen in 2012
It was a relatively slow year in terms of film watching, but here are the films I watched in 2012...
Illégal
Moneyball
Answer This!
Johnny English Reoborn
La Roue
Les Mythos
The Artist
Within Our Gates
Sherlock Jr.
Dirty Girl
R.I.F.
The Skin I Live In
Itineraire Bis
Les Biens Aimés
Killer Elite
The Girl With A Dragon Tattoo
Intouchables
Toast
La Nouvelle Guerre Des Boutons
Higher Ground
Polisse
Fireflies in the Garden
A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas
Tinker Taylor Soldier Spy
The Descendants
The Double
Bienvenue a Bord
Beur Sur La Ville
The Help
Hugo
The Sunset Limited
Puss in Boots
Gone in 60 Seconds (1974)
J Edgar
In Time
The Kid Stays In The Picture
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
The Whistleblower
The Iron Lady
Warrior
Cat Run
A Dangerous Method
Bienvenue a Bord
Columbus Circle
Young Adult
Carnage
Poulet aux Prunes
My Week With Marilyn
L'Exercise de l'Etat
On Ne Choisit Pas Sa Famille
The Man From Earth
The Sitter
Brassens: La Mauvaise Reputation
I Melt With You
The Rum Diary
Melancholia
A Separation
Mon Pire Cauchemar
The Prince and the Showgirl
Roadie
This Must Be The Place
The Muppets
Battleship Potemkin
Habemus Papam
Abduction
Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol
Les Lyonnais
Bag It
The Iron Giant
L'Art d'Aimer
Bancs Publics (Versailles Rive Droite)
Les Adoptes
L'Ordre et La Morale
Onibaba
Rampart
Les Tribulations D'une Caissiere
In the land of blood and honey
Haywire
Shame
Nuit Blanche
Des Vents Contraires
The Divide
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
The Last Rites of Joe May
Contraband
The Grey
Gregoire Moulin Contre l'Humanite
Une Vie Meilleure
Parlez Moi De Vous
Reuniting The Rubins
Une Nuit
17 Filles
Hollywoo
The Woman in Black
Toutes Nos Envies
50/50
Punishment Park
The Diary of an Unknown Soldier
The Forgotten Faces
10 Jours en Or
This Means War
Safe House
Les Grands Ducs
Sleeping Beauty
La Delicatesse
La Verite Si Je Mens 3
Une Vraie Jeune Fille
The Inbetweener Movie
L'Amour Dure Trois Ans
Bad Ass
Gone
La Banquiere
La Tete en Friche
Dans La Tourmente
Un Jour Mon Pere Viendra
Copie Conforme
21 Jump Street
L'Assaut
A Little Bit Of Heaven
La Cicatrice Interieure
Coriolanus
Wanderlust
Seeking Justice
La Mer A Boire
Jeff Who Lives At Home
God Bless America
Baraka
Les Infideles
A Thousand Words
La Vie D'Une Autre
Jesus Henry Christ
The Perfect Family
Tiny Furniture
De l'Huile Sur Le Feu
Margaret
Get The Gringo
Finding Bliss
Being Flynn
La Fee
A L'Aveugle
Casa De Mi Padre
Dabbe
Magicians
Friends with Kids
Budz House
L'Oncle Charles
Meeting Evil
38 Temoins
The Big Year
Quarantine
Lawless
The Dictator
Lockout
Holy Flying Circus
Comme Un Chef
Sur La Piste Du Marsupilami
Bernie
The Most Dangerous Man in America
Sea No Sex and Sun
Plan de Table
Depression et des Potes
Cloclo
Radiostars
Game Change
Le Prenom
Maman
Page Eight
Men in Black 3
Dark Shadows
Hysteria
Moonrise Kingdom
Hatfields & McCoys
Kill List
The Babymakers
Detachment
Cosmopolis
Salvation Boulvevard
Darling Companion
The Five-Year Engagement
Mr. Nice
Le Grand Soir
Peace, Love and Misunderstanding
Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted
The Woman in the Fifth
The Hunger Games
Safety Not Guaranteed
Quand Je Serai Petit
Un Bonheur n'arrive jamais seul
The Campaign
The Uninvited
The Watch
The Ambassador
The Dark Knight Rises
Skyfall
Girl in Progress
The Expendables 2
Ted
Savages
Paris-Manhattan
Mains Armees
The Amazing Spiderman
Butter
Impardonnables
Hope Springs
Thurgood
Seeking a Friend for the End of the World
2 Days in New York
Looper
Liberal Arts
Killer Joe
10 Years
Seven Days in May
Magic Mike
Dark Horse
The Odd Life of Timothy Green
Trouble With The Curve
Vanishing Point
Lay The Favorite
Arbitrage
Illégal
Moneyball
Answer This!
Johnny English Reoborn
La Roue
Les Mythos
The Artist
Within Our Gates
Sherlock Jr.
Dirty Girl
R.I.F.
The Skin I Live In
Itineraire Bis
Les Biens Aimés
Killer Elite
The Girl With A Dragon Tattoo
Intouchables
Toast
La Nouvelle Guerre Des Boutons
Higher Ground
Polisse
Fireflies in the Garden
A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas
Tinker Taylor Soldier Spy
The Descendants
The Double
Bienvenue a Bord
Beur Sur La Ville
The Help
Hugo
The Sunset Limited
Puss in Boots
Gone in 60 Seconds (1974)
J Edgar
In Time
The Kid Stays In The Picture
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
The Whistleblower
The Iron Lady
Warrior
Cat Run
A Dangerous Method
Bienvenue a Bord
Columbus Circle
Young Adult
Carnage
Poulet aux Prunes
My Week With Marilyn
L'Exercise de l'Etat
On Ne Choisit Pas Sa Famille
The Man From Earth
The Sitter
Brassens: La Mauvaise Reputation
I Melt With You
The Rum Diary
Melancholia
A Separation
Mon Pire Cauchemar
The Prince and the Showgirl
Roadie
This Must Be The Place
The Muppets
Battleship Potemkin
Habemus Papam
Abduction
Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol
Les Lyonnais
Bag It
The Iron Giant
L'Art d'Aimer
Bancs Publics (Versailles Rive Droite)
Les Adoptes
L'Ordre et La Morale
Onibaba
Rampart
Les Tribulations D'une Caissiere
In the land of blood and honey
Haywire
Shame
Nuit Blanche
Des Vents Contraires
The Divide
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
The Last Rites of Joe May
Contraband
The Grey
Gregoire Moulin Contre l'Humanite
Une Vie Meilleure
Parlez Moi De Vous
Reuniting The Rubins
Une Nuit
17 Filles
Hollywoo
The Woman in Black
Toutes Nos Envies
50/50
Punishment Park
The Diary of an Unknown Soldier
The Forgotten Faces
10 Jours en Or
This Means War
Safe House
Les Grands Ducs
Sleeping Beauty
La Delicatesse
La Verite Si Je Mens 3
Une Vraie Jeune Fille
The Inbetweener Movie
L'Amour Dure Trois Ans
Bad Ass
Gone
La Banquiere
La Tete en Friche
Dans La Tourmente
Un Jour Mon Pere Viendra
Copie Conforme
21 Jump Street
L'Assaut
A Little Bit Of Heaven
La Cicatrice Interieure
Coriolanus
Wanderlust
Seeking Justice
La Mer A Boire
Jeff Who Lives At Home
God Bless America
Baraka
Les Infideles
A Thousand Words
La Vie D'Une Autre
Jesus Henry Christ
The Perfect Family
Tiny Furniture
De l'Huile Sur Le Feu
Margaret
Get The Gringo
Finding Bliss
Being Flynn
La Fee
A L'Aveugle
Casa De Mi Padre
Dabbe
Magicians
Friends with Kids
Budz House
L'Oncle Charles
Meeting Evil
38 Temoins
The Big Year
Quarantine
Lawless
The Dictator
Lockout
Holy Flying Circus
Comme Un Chef
Sur La Piste Du Marsupilami
Bernie
The Most Dangerous Man in America
Sea No Sex and Sun
Plan de Table
Depression et des Potes
Cloclo
Radiostars
Game Change
Le Prenom
Maman
Page Eight
Men in Black 3
Dark Shadows
Hysteria
Moonrise Kingdom
Hatfields & McCoys
Kill List
The Babymakers
Detachment
Cosmopolis
Salvation Boulvevard
Darling Companion
The Five-Year Engagement
Mr. Nice
Le Grand Soir
Peace, Love and Misunderstanding
Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted
The Woman in the Fifth
The Hunger Games
Safety Not Guaranteed
Quand Je Serai Petit
Un Bonheur n'arrive jamais seul
The Campaign
The Uninvited
The Watch
The Ambassador
The Dark Knight Rises
Skyfall
Girl in Progress
The Expendables 2
Ted
Savages
Paris-Manhattan
Mains Armees
The Amazing Spiderman
Butter
Impardonnables
Hope Springs
Thurgood
Seeking a Friend for the End of the World
2 Days in New York
Looper
Liberal Arts
Killer Joe
10 Years
Seven Days in May
Magic Mike
Dark Horse
The Odd Life of Timothy Green
Trouble With The Curve
Vanishing Point
Lay The Favorite
Arbitrage
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Seven Psychopaths
IMDb Link
Let's imagine more than three people read this and it becomes a big thing and they decide to quote me on the poster, well, that's what I'd say: 'A whacky, crazy, fun, funny no-holds-barred roller coaster ride.' (send the check to my Turkish bank account, thank you). Or, more to the point: 'Fuck, yeah, motherfucker!'
Yes, it's fun and entertaining. I giggled like a Japanese pre-teen spotting Martin Cloon at the airport.
First, thanks to my friend for telling me about this film. I can see why he liked it. A dog owner goes ape shit. Because if anyone kidnapped his dog, he'd go ape shit, too (and he'd be right, I'd be right by his side loading his guns and piercing eye balls with barbed wire and what not). Plus the main guy's girlfriend is called Kaya. Shit... I think I've cracked some kind of code!
Anyway... This was a priavte joke for, like, 3 people, so let's move on...
If you don't get a little bit hard (or wet or whatever your incilnation/biological set-up is) whenever you
see a new actor pop on screen like a star-studded whack-a-mole, then there's something wrong with you (and if there is indeed something wrong with you, sorry, no offense, it was just a manner of speaking). Really, you see some guys show up on screen and you go: 'Oh! That's so and so' and you start clapping (well, you wanna anyway) and then you see some guys and you go: 'Oh, him. Yeah. He's famous. Whatever. Not a fan.' But then that guy gets shot in the head and it's awesome. You also have Colin Farrell giving his eyebrows a rest (for the most part) and Christopher Walken doing the best Christopher Walken impersonation ever. I don't mean that in a completely bad way... One minute he's all about one-liners, doing his shtick, but then he gets quiet and it makes you shit your pants. In a good way. I think. My dry cleaner agrees.
Woody is all bad ass and kinda cool. Then it takes just one line and you go: 'Dude, not cool. You gotta die now.'
This is not only a film gloryfying violence, it's also a metaphor, a parable, or a whatever about violence in films. The main character is a screenwriter and I'm usually not a fan of this, but here it works. He is anti-clichés, but writing about psychos. His friends, who are all psychos, want to help him write it. They're all for the violence, he's not. So they berate him and help him anyway. But it's also about real-life (well, in the movie world) psychos.
This is going to sound insane when you think about all the awesome people in there, but you know how you can tell this is a cool film? Because Kevin Corrigan is in it. That's right, I've just said that.
Meanwhile, the movie references go left and right... Dude's talking to his reflection and his last name is 'Bickle.' Another dude's last name is Kieslowski. There's also a bit of 'A Fistful of Dollars,' because come on: shoot out in a cemetery! And some 'Paris, Texas,' because: desert and Stanton.
One thing I didn't quite understand, and let me be clear that it didn't bother me, is why two of the main character girlfriends are black. Also, why not? Sure. But I have to say I thought there was going to be a connection (and that wouldn't have been too cool). Is it just because I've been brainwashed by Hollywood
and my little white world feels threatened by the fact that two different white dudes have black girlfriends? I sure hope not. Let's move on...
I'm surprised there was no mention of 'Dexter,' though... a killer killing killers... (that's a fucking band name right there: The Killer-Killing Killers. Although the abbreviated form might not go down too well...) Also, the opening was fun because of who it is and what happens, but I have to say it felt a bit too Tarantino-y.
The only problem with his film is that you giggle so much (and when I say 'you,' I mean 'I') and, in your head (or, you know, texting your friends) you go: 'Walken's da man!' 'Rockwell's da man!' 'Woody's da man!' 'Waits' da man!' 'Harry Dean's da man!' 'Željko's da man!' (But, Željko, dude, come on: eat something, you're looking thinner by the day, this worries me! And I'm not even being sarcastic here, I truly like you, man!)
So, it's an entertaining film, and you can see the cast is thoroughly having fun, just like in 'In Bruges.'
I have to say, I loved the following lines: 'She's possibly not a cunt.' 'What are we? Making French movies now?!' 'You can't let the animals die in a movie, just the women.' And they're all from Rockwell's character. Hells yeah. On top of that, he's got some of the best anti-(or possibly pro-)Irish lines.
Now I wanna see: The Magnifient Seven against the Seven Psyhopaths after they fuck up the seven dwarfs and talk about 'Se7en.' Is that too much to ask?
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