rationalandpsyched2 Reviews

High School Musical 3: Senior Year (2008)

From a different POV...

[6/10 · 30 October 2008]

First of all, I came out of an International Film festival and saw something so dramatic (Steve McQueen's phenomenal "Hunger") that I couldn't leave in my state of shell shock before regaining a happier mood.

I expected HSM3 to make me laugh and take me to another place. I expected something like Fame, or The Breakfast Club even... But the previews were better than the actual movie.

Nevermind that, what you REALLY want to know was, Zac Efron's performance- easily the most talented of all the HSM3 cast with the best singing and dancing abilities and most energy. THAT is what I needed to see. I felt that the scene with Gabriela and Troy making out at Stanford was REAL, not a rehearsed scene. They looked best when they were giving realistic performances. This movie would have almost been better with less staging, as the staging came off as confusing- a musical within a musical within a movie?

Another confusing element were the character focuses- Did Kelsey and what's-her-name's evil brother ever get together at prom, or was he just supposed to be the ambiguously gay ambiguously possibly evil brother that ALMOST taught a moral? In the end Zac, I mean Troy, didn't even get into Julliard, another confusing plot twist. (Maybe seeing HSM1 and HSM2 would explain more... but a movie has to flow on its own!)

The NATURAL settings, like the garden scene overlooking the valley, could have been utilized more as they were beautiful. Simple shots could have saved this movie from being an opiate for children of the AdHd generation. The obvious sound staging and bad sound mixing could have been a lot better, it would have kept the viewer's focus on the actors. (Note to Disney: they have this thing called pro tools now!).

The motion graphics, especially the yearbook sequence at the ending, were very basic and unoriginal. The HSM3 3d title at the end with the red curtain was poorly blended as well.

All in all the repetition was almost too much for me to take and I felt extremely offended by the stereotypes of women as damsels and princesses, a classic Disney sexism. I didn't learn anything or feel anything, other than when Zac Efron was looking at me through the silver screen!

Infamy (2005)

Finally had my mind blown!!

[10/10 · 30 December 2007]

I love this film so much, I show everyone I meet who knows anything about the culture, but you can learn a lot if you've never seen a graff film before or ever wondered what the people running the show were really like. This is not to say that this is the end all be all of graff movies, but it's a really good representation of some of the most INFLUENTIAL individuals still in the game.

Huge props to Pray and Gastman and the cameramen on taking the risk for their own film, I'm sure one or more investigations resulted from the making... Hopefully nothing too severe. It is a big deal for a writer to show their face, people must recognize.

This movie helped me understand more of what I love about graff so much, the HONESTY of the art form above all else.

It goes into daily life with each person not holding much back, esp. the openly PROUD/ strong/black/and homosexual earsnot setting an example to speak your mind, (which more people should follow), the personality traits/flaws of writers (Their egos, their gregariousness, impulses, non apologetic behavior, etc), their artistic motivations (whether it be in evolving their graffiti further, to their fine art to fashion to tattooing to sketching), what its like to live in a rough hood and be stereotyped (LOS ANGELES, NY, etc), dealing with other people's expectations including your peers and your parents)...

For a movie shot in a lot of illegal locations, the cinematography/lighting/technicalities was amazing. It takes BIG BALLS, great amounts of trust I'm sure, and a passion for art to make something like this... can't wait for the next project!

Hannah Takes the Stairs (2007)

Too much penis

[3/10 · 23 October 2007]

Hannah takes the stairs... what does that mean exactly? Taking the stairs would constitute doing things "the hard way", and that is exactly what she Hannah does whilst trying to "find herself"/and "relate".

From the beginning we can see that there is no budget here, they don't even try to hide it... not necessarily a bad thing, if it hadn't been so much like a movie I recently saw on youtube called "four eyed monsters", which belonged on youtube. I believe this belongs on youtube as well, for its amateurish almost-there-but-not-quite quality.

The zoom-ins to try to capture Hannah's emotion where all else fails are absolutely played-out and do nothing for the scene...

While it is nice to see "real people" sometimes instead of actors, in this case, it's not. It's nice that the guys in the movie are "cute in their own way", giving them a chance to pull the promiscuous blond-chick, based on their personalities for once. (Matt's hairiness and ass made me almost want to leave right then) Hannah's "I don't knows..." get old really quickly. Also, trying to end a movie on a happy note doesn't always work, in this case there was already a bad pattern established.

The only interesting character was Hannah's roommate, Rachel, and right when she started to develop we got cut off by another one of Hannah's escapades. Rachel seemed to be too mature or too aesexual to get involved with anyone at that point in her life, let alone the three men Hannah paraded around, and smartly so- the best thing Rachel does is just sit back and enjoy the show (or should I say train wreck). And for that, three stars.

Jump! (I) (2007)

It's an honor to write the first review!

[10/10 · 13 October 2007]

This documentary follows the best kids in jump roping, aged elementary through college- from five states to the Jump Rope nationals... and then to the world championships!

If you didn't know there was a jump roping world championship, then this movie is for you!

The kids/young adults involved are most inspiring, bringing fresh tricks and pro moves combined with break dancing/gymnastics/amazing double dutch skills/etc to elevate jump roping to a fresh and very artistic status. The most important goal of all though is to push yourself to new heights and share their tricks with each other.

Jump roping IS a sport, as you must be physically fit to compete with the best and teams must display a performance element as well. ] Not only was this movie educational in showing why the SPORT of jump roping should be an Olympic event, or at least a demo at the next Olympics, but very inspirational in chronicling the highs and struggles of up and coming jump rope champions, in particular two record holding girls named Emily and Tori.

There are a lot of climactic moments, and also moments of disappointment when a team has an "off day", which we all can relate to very well. The most serious ones eat, breathe, and sleep jump rope! We can all learn something about motivation from these kids.

The National Champion said that if he wasn't doing jump rope he may have ended up on the streets, and that the main goal of competitions is to spread awareness about jump roping, share tricks, and bring attention to its status as a sport while encompassing a high level of skill and performance element.

The audience at the competitions clearly enjoyed the routines as much as gymnastics, figure skating, cheer leading, etc.

As far as the shooting and editing goes, it did not at all come across as pretentious or preachy or anything like a reality TV show :) It had a really nice flow and a nice variety of shots which took you right into the action, in a documentary-meets-ESPN manner.

I hope that this unique sport will gain the attention it deserves through this documentary and that each one of these talented kids will one day be sponsored!

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007)

blink once for yes

[10/10 · 12 October 2007]

Waking up from a stroke is terrible, but waking up as someone else is even more shocking.

Jean-Dominique knew himself but didn't recognize the person he became after his stroke, which had left him with locked-in syndrome. He wanted to piece together what had happened to him and what he was left with, which allowed him to appreciate the fact that he was indeed still alive and surrounded by people who genuinely loved him. Locked-in syndrome might seem like the end all be all but Jean-Dominique had such a humbling and good sense of humor about it.

We become Jean-Dominique from the beginning, played wonderfully by Mathieu Amalric, in this point-of-view subtitled masterpiece, living our last days in a French hospital with only gorgeous rolling hillsides, countryside, beaches, and glaciers to look at. As the editor of Elle we can only expect a lifestyle of luxury and also not be surprised by the amorous affairs of such a charismatic figure.

He eventually started working on a book with one of his caretakers, Claude- by which the method of writing was that he dictated sentences with his one remaining eye to her. I believe that she grew to love him, and he may have perhaps loved her in a way as well (as we can see by some of what he dictates to her and the point-of-view shots of him frequently checking her out). The relationships that he formed with his caretakers as well as with the mother of his children, Celine, who still loved him despite what they had been through, were beautiful yet agonizing to watch.

Every time an airy tune started to play, we were whisked off into a sort of Jean-Do oyster-eating sexual fantasy or uplifting flash back, but then the music was abruptly cut off and we went back to being trapped again. (By last time this happened I was starting to anticipate it.)

I am impressed by Julian Schnabel's ability to allow us to become fully absorbed in Jean Dominique's life and not holding anything back, no matter how hard it may have been to watch. He did justice to Basquiat as well. I honestly don't think most Americans can appreciate this honest sort of cinema, but I hope that this will gain a wide release, or be distributed however Julian Schnabel would like it to.

I plan on reading Jean-Dominique's book now, as it seems to be a beautiful manuscript.

The Man from London (2007)

Don't blink! Or you might miss a shadow...

[6/10 · 11 October 2007]

In retrospect… I am a bit more appreciative now, at the time of viewing not so much.

My retrospect tells me there is a lesson here- "good things come to those who wait", I got that because Maloin didn't spend the money in the briefcase that he harpooned out, but in the end got a small monetary reward- I'm pretty sure that in the end he figured out that the "old guy" wasn't a cop, and thus changed the meaning of the briefcase altogether.

I am sorry but I do not remember the "old guy's" name, he had INCREDIBLE bags under his eyes- that is really the only reason I kept watching him.

A lot of the arduous black and white shots at the beginning were seamless, which was really awesome- but I guess made it a little harder to follow the plot and I really didn't know where I was in relationship to the boat that set up the beginning.

I really couldn't visually SEE what was happening at first, and I never blinked for a second. I put the pieces together only at the end, although I wish I had seen whomever was in the shed one last time because it would have allowed me to enjoy the irony of the situation more. The irony is that the whole wife spiel wasn't even necessary because Maloin was already fulfilling his destiny in returning the briefcase... But that scene served as a segue and an excellent example of good on-screen crying.

I enjoyed the deliberateness of the details- down to Maloin's money arranging and the way he picked up the bag of food, fabulous.

I wondered if people use pounds in Hungary, but I suppose it doesn't matter.

I think a lot of the problem for me was that there was too much distraction from the plot by the terrible dubbing. Not just the dubbing (which completely ruined Tilda Swinton's performance, she should have just learned Hungarian) but the post-production studio sounds, adding in the footsteps, etc. I hate this whenever it's too obvious, and it was way too obvious.

Sure, the noir plot was cool in theory- but the dialog translated terribly and the beginning was not built up at all in an effective way, causing me to completely not care what happened to any of the characters in the end, whatsoever!

Tilda Swinton and Maloin also had really no chemistry at all as husband and wife. It seemed to me that all the women in this film were helpless and angry except Maloin's daughter, who confused me with her lack of loyalty towards her father in the store but ultimately made me happy in the end because she was not a materialistic character, nor a beautiful Hollywood actress.

Lastly, there was a typo in one of the subtitles, shame on whomever proofread that, or didn't.

This was my first Tarr film in full (I don't think seeing clips counts), obviously something does not deserve excessive praise just because it's what's expected, but it also could have been a lot worse.

Chicago 10 (2007)

You already know what to do.

[10/10 · 10 October 2007]

If you can't always get real footage, create your own. Brett Morgen revisited the courtroom of the Chicago 7's 1968 trial as truthfully as possible, a lesson every film maker should take. Mr. Morgen paid full respect to the 7 revolutionaries (David Dellinger, Abbie Hoffman "a sort of rock star", William Kunstler, Jerry Rubin, Bobby Seale, and Leonard Weinglass) who went to jail for their "thought crimes". I asked myself, how many people do you know who would go to jail for what they believe in today?

In showing actual found footage, leading from the beginning of the democratic convention up until their arrest and sentence a year later as well as animation inside the courtroom, we see the power of the people at its best.

The use of animation was a new and maybe risky way to show the insides of the courtroom, some will hate it and some will love it, but to me it goes along with the reality of what happened in the park/streets/etc, vs. the surreality and of the courtroom. It also ties in to the fact that we usually just see a drawing of a courtroom, which is pretty dull in comparison to the use of animation here.

I can only assume that few will understand the use of motion capture (It's not rotoscope!), or be inspired to try it in their films, and less will see it as problematic in the film.

Regarding the authenticity of the courtroom scenes, those scenes were taken from actual transcripts and accounts. The radio phone calls Hoffman made relaying the trial were clearly real sound bytes.

Regarding the soundtrack, the only song that I had a bias against was Eminem's, but I was surprised at how well it actually did work with this film's ideals, (although in reality I have never felt like standing up and protesting after hearing an Eminem song). Maybe this film will give Eminem's work a new meaning :) who knows.

If you don't know the history or weren't around for this event, (as I wasn't), than you should definitely read up on it before or after seeing this film. Activism is a dying art!!!

...

I loved what Brett said in his Q+A- "Film making is my way of protesting", something to that extent. Right on.

Ken Park (2002)

Aren't you glad your mother didn't abort you?

[10/10 · 4 October 2007]

I was going to have chicken for dinner, but after seeing this film I decided to have hot dogs.

Larry Clark and Harmony Korine are amazing, I almost think this movie was too short, although it wrapped up nicely- I got so hardcore into the characters and plot that I could only just sit through the credits in wonderment.

It was perfect. I Come from a similar suburbia "utopian" paradise, where everything is so period no matter what year it is, (except the content/characters)- the yellow/green color balancing, the location, use of people who possess real inner beauty, and the "romance" in the situations are all so tangible.

The ambiguity was what allowed the viewer to impose their own experiences/thoughts onto the characters, such as what we see the characters do vs. what happened to them previously or what is going on simultaneously.

What tied these people together wasn't their home life, because I don't think any of them really knew exactly how bad each other's parents were, but their coming of age type innocence, which culminated flawlessly in the grand finale. (I always wanted to have a meaningful conversation during sex, don't you?)

I think it was a perfect ending, as we all know what happens when a chapter of our youth is over, and for the other two characters, they were really anomalies to me- (they completely rejected reality in comparison to the Utopians.)

Sometimes the actions of characters aren't explained but rather lived sort of spontaneously through highly sensitive study.

I don't want to give anything away, but damn Peaches (Tiffany Limos') scenes made me squirm the most, from the beginning photograph we know she's not an angel and the parallel between the control we have in our private SEX lives vs. the way our elders/authority figures/etc might see us is quite disarming, and to me, a little bit sad.

I guarantee that if you see the film it's because you want to out of some level of curiosity, not because you accidentally found it at Blockbuster.

Into the Wild (2007)

There is still beauty in this country :D

[9/10 · 6 September 2007]

I just saw this in Chicago at an advanced viewing, I did not read the book but I do remember seeing the event on the news.

The movie was epic- over 2.3 hours long, but there was never a dull moment. There were some risqué shots that I enjoyed, in particular one where Chris looks into the lens (which I think worked really well.) This film showed how beautiful this country is and how one person can be so in touch with that (makes you think about embracing life). Emile did a great job as Chris, dealing with a forked up home life is something almost everyone can relate to on one level or another. I think this movie will serve as an eye opener for a lot of people.

William Hurt was great, Catherine Keener was excellent, as was everyone else and the locals were very enjoyable to watch.

The music contributed by Vedder was awesome as well!

I definitely cried about... 4 times. The ending was so dramatic (because it was real and had to handle the final moments of a young man that we came to like). It seemed like the movie could have ended in several places, but overall I'm glad it decided to hit the 2.3 hour mark.

...

Afterward Emile did a Q+A where he pretty much talked about his experience being in Alaska, meeting Chris's family, acting with Sean Penn, made a joke about speed racer, etc. It sounded like a great time and it was clear that he was really enthusiastic about the project and proud of it.