Overall a pleasantly enjoyable adaptation of the book. A lot of material had to be cut in order to make the movie a tolerable length (most of the Rita Skeeter plot disappeared, and Percy Weasley is completely absent). But, my first reaction was just a sort of amusement at how people imagine things differently. For instance, the “pensieve” (the container that holds Dumbledore’s thoughts) that I imagine is more of a space than a physical object. And somehow Dumbledore should be a bit softer around the edges.
The movie Primer was the Grand Jury selection at Sundance in 2004. It is a science-fiction film about a couple guys that invent a time machine. Unlike most current sci-fi, though, this movie is not about special effects. Instead, it focuses on the breakdown in the relationship between two friends as the power which the machine grants them requires increasing trust in each other. The movie is quite sucessful at entertaining the viewer, although I find it hard to imagine getting through the film the first time without being confused. The film is unlike most time travel stories because the characters are not traveling to the distant past or future, but to earlier the same day. Consequently, as we watch the story unfold from the perspective of one of the characters we also see events which occur simultaneously, or later, depending on your point of view. The puzzle almost requires two viewings to piece together, and I still haven’t decided on the precise sequence of events shown in the film.
What is particularly impressive about this movie, from my point of view, was that it was made on a budget of $7000 (that’s less than Alan and I spent on Gutter Falls!). That it was Mr. Carruth’s first film is evident in some places, such as spotty audio in various sections of dialogue. But, the camera work was as successful as anything I have achieved. I definitely recommend this one.
Phyllis and I went to a Q&A with Sofia Coppola today at the law school. To be honest, the novelty wore off a bit quickly because despite several people asking interesting questions, it seemed that Miss Coppola was entirely unwilling to enter into any particularly meaningful dialogue. Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoyed Lost in Translation, especially because I think it demonstrates that quirky, off-beat films can make money. But, she seemed to have no reflection on her own style other than that she works in a rather impromptu way, waiting for whatever inspiration strikes her and the actors while rehearsing on the set. She has nothing really to say about how her movies are influenced by her father’s work, or about what it is like being a female director in a Hollywood dominated by men in that role. I guess the most interesting thing was to find that she speaks with the same subdued, calm voice when addressing an auditorium of people that she used for the director’s commentary for Lost in Translation.
I love how the New York Times always tries to inject some literary analysis into their movie reviews. For instance, in the review of Batman Begins (which I plan to see this weekend) the Times reviewer Manohla Dargis says that:
What Mr. Keaton couldn’t bring to the role, and what Mr. Bale conveys effortlessly, is Bruce Wayne’s air of casual entitlement, the aristocratic hauteur that is the necessary complement of Batman’s obsessive megalomania. What Mr. Nolan gets, and gets better than any other previous director, is that without Bruce Wayne, Batman is just a rich wacko with illusions of grandeur and a terrific pair of support hose. Without his suave alter ego, this weird bat man is a superhero without humanity, an avenger without a conscience, an id without a superego. Which is why… with narrative economy and tangible feeling, [Christopher Nolan] stages that terrible, defining moment when young Master Wayne watched a criminal shoot his parents to death in a Gotham City alley, thereby setting into motion his long, strange journey into the self.
It just reads more like an english paper than a movie review, doesn’t it? I guess that’s why I like it. The review actually starts with this amusing section:
Near the big-bang finish of “Batman Begins,” the title avenger, played by the charismatic young British actor Christian Bale, scoops up a damsel in distress, played by Katie Holmes, and spirits her away to his lair. Watching this scene, it was hard not to think how nice it would have been if Batman had instead dispatched the infernally perky actress, whose recent off-screen antics have threatened to eclipse this unexpectedly good movie.
which reminds me that Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes got engaged yesterday. How gross— she’s my age for crying out loud!
I saw the final Star Wars movie this weekend and I must say that I enjoyed it. The dialogue was much less painful and the tone of the movie returned to that of the original trilogy. There is even a line which is pretty good in the context of epic stories: “So this is how democracy dies— to thunderderous applause”. (Ok, so it’s a bit trite, but I still like it). The script also finally has elements of things that modern audiences have come to expect from any good story: foreshadowing, mirrored themes, etc. Lucas quite effectively borrows/recasts shots from the original trilogy to remind us of where the story goes.
Hayden Christensen does not redeem himself in this movie— his performance remains unconvincing. In essence, he does not “sell” the conflicting emotions of a tortured man. I read an interview with George Lucas in Vanity Fair that Phyllis sent me in which Lucas says that to him, Anakin Skywalker is really a pathetic character. He was destined to be this almost demi-god (if you remember, episode I reveals that Anakin was a sort of “virgin birth”), but he is manipulated by the emperor and blinded by his love for Padme. In the end, he is nothing but a shadow of what he could have been, and essentially becomes the Emperor’s pawn.
I must admit, I would not have seen this side of the character without reading Lucas’s interview, because Hayden’s performance only displays this power-hungry youth with little wisdom and even less humanity.
Ok, enough criticism… Really, the action, story, music, and visuals are all quite good. So, go see it!
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