Norwegian Wood (Noruwei no mori)

First Hit: Amazing and extraordinary cinematographic shots in a long drawn out mediocre story.

From the very opening scene in the pool hall, to scenes in falling snow, to scenes in various dwellings, to scenes in the countryside this film captures some of the best pictures I’ve seen, on screen, in a very long time. It is too bad that the story didn’t hold up as well.

I’m sure that much of my ability to not engage in this story is cultural, however it didn’t help that this 133 minute film dragged on about how love isn’t necessarily returned by the person you love. It was expressed here in a different way. Naoko (played by Rinko Kikuchi) couldn’t “get wet” when she was with her long time (from childhood) love Kizuki.

Feeling despondent Kizuki commits suicide probably because he could get his girlfriend "wet". Their mutual friend Toru (played by Ken’ichi Matsuyama) is in love with Naoko. When she visits him on her 20th birthday she makes love to him and is wet. She is now so confused that she runs off to a center in the mountains to get well.

Her friend there, Reiko (played by Reika Kirishima), has been there for 7 years and is estranged from her husband and daughter. Toru meets Midori (played by Kiko Mizuhara) who has a longtime boyfriend but doesn’t really like him. She tells Toru that there may be a chance for them, but that because of her current relationship and that Toru is dedicated to Naoko it may take some time. 

So what we have is a lot of people who are with people they don’t want to be with and wanting to be with other people. The reality is that they are looking for a feeling within by looking outside themselves and this is confused by sex.

This story gets overly complex complicated resulting in time-consuming behavior of people refusing to let go of what they are holding on to and wanting something to be different than what is.

Kikuchi is convincing as the deeply saddened Naoko. Matsuyama is effective as Toru. Kirishima is good as Naoko’s friend and support in the retreat; she was especially effective in her last scene with Toru. Mizuhara was mesmerizing as Midori which a kooky reasoning as to what constitutes love for her.  Haruki Murakami and Anh Hung Tran wrote a very long script which needed trimming and additional focus. Anh Hung Tran did a stellar job of cinematography but he needed to tighten up this film.

Overall: The pictures were definitely worth watching, however the story lagged and felt uncommitted.

The OSCARS and Other Notes

It is that time of season again and although this year wasn't an especially great year for films, a couple of interesting and outstanding "out of the box films" caught my eye: "The Artist", The Tree of Life" and "Melancholia".

On the other side of the coin, I'm grateful that the Harry Potter series has ended as they became painful to watch. And the Sherlock Holmes film was also very bad.

Some performances I would have like to have been honored but weren't would include: Michael Fassbender in "Shame", Kirsten Dunst in "Melancholia", Charlize Theron in "Young Adult", Carey Mulligan  in "Shame" (cannot give enough credit for her singing "New York, New York" as though she was standing on the edge of a cliff ready to fall at any moment), Christoph Waltz in "Carnage", and Albert Brooks in "Drive". 

Given the selected honorees by the academy, here are my picks for some of the categories:

• Best Picture: "The Artist"

• Actor in a Leading Role: Jean Dujardin in "The Artist"

• Actor in a Supporting Role: Christopher Plummer in "The Beginners"

• Actress in a Leading Role: Michelle Williams in "My Week with Marilyn"

• Actress in a Supporting Role: Octavia Spencer in "The Help"

• Cinematography: "The Tree of Life" Emmanuel Lubezki

• Directing: Michel Hazanavicius for "The Artist"

• Film Editing: "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall

• Adapted Screenplay: "The Descendants" Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash

• Original Screenplay: "Margin Call" J.C. Chandor

To all of you: Thank you for coming to my site and reading my reviews. The number of views has grown tremendously over this past year. There are now over 550 reviewed films and it is fun for me to post and read your comments.

May this new year bring on better films with new ideas tested and old ones enhanced. I know I'll be there in the 5th or 6th row center ready to suspend belief into someone else's story.

May you

Be Well...

Michael

New Year's Eve

First Hit: I don’t know how Garry Marshall created such a vapid film about a great subject with great actors.

New Year’s Eve is a perfect subject and so many things can or don’t happen on that infamous night of nights.

Here we follow various people and their experience of this storied night. You’ve got Tess and Griffin (played by Jessica Biel and Seth Meyers respectively) in a race to win $25K for having the first baby of the new year against Grace and James (played by Sarah Paulson and Til Schweiger respectively).

You have Ingrid (played by Michelle Pfeiffer) who is a homely, afraid and not living her life. She breaks away, quits her job and hands her to do list to Paul (played by Zac Efron) who is a bike messenger. They climb on his scooter and he, being creative, finds ways to deliver all of Ingrid’s dreams in one night.

Then there is Kim (Sarah Jessica Parker) who works all the time and is very protective of her daughter Hailey (played by Abigail Breslin) who wants to be trusted to meet up with her friends. Kim tells her "no" but Hailey steals out of her room anyway and heads down town with Kim desperately following and trying to find her.

There is Laura (played by Katherine Heigl) a caterer preparing food for the most famous and luxurious New York New Year’s Eve party where the entertainment is being provided by her former boyfriend Jensen (Jon Bon Jovi).

Also there is Claire Morgan (played by Hilary Swank) who is in charge of the famous ball drop and who is linked to a dying Stan Harris (played by Robert De Niro). There are more many more stars in this movie but to be quite frank this is what killed the film. Too many actors vying for limited shallow parts having limited characteristics and story lines..

Biel had a couple funny lines as a pregnant wife. Meyers was mediocre as Biel’s husband. Paulson was the better pregnant wife as was Schweiger as her husband. Their story was more interesting. Pfeiffer was hard to watch as she played Ingrid too close to the chest. Efron was the best of all the actors and he made the film interesting. Parker was useless to watch and was uninteresting. Breslin was OK as the teenage girl wanting to experience her first New Year’s Eve kiss. Heigl was alright as the jilted woman. Jovi was more or less just being himself, a musician. Swank was in the worst role I’ve seen her in, in quite some time. De Niro gave the worst dying person act I’ve ever seen on film. His eyes were too alert and his actions too fast to be on his death bed. Katherine Fugate wrote a painfully soft, sophomoric, and generic script. Marshall’s direction shows he needs to retire. How can one direct so many wonderful actors (and there were more that I didn’t mention) into a wastefully sentimental uninteresting film.

Overall: This film goes for the easy sentimental story and in doing so made me wish it was over sooner than later.

The Artist

First Hit: An amazing film and a genuine joy to watch.

I’ve watched silent films before and although the acting can be superb the filming techniques of yesteryear are nothing like what can be done today.

In The Artist we get the best of both worlds. Although the director makes this film look and feel much like an old film, it also feels new, fresh and alive.

George Valentin (played by Jean Dujardin) is the silent screen matinee idol. He has a suave look, he is the hero of all his films, he gets the girl, and his dog is smart and a faithful companion. George’s home life is not good and he is very distant from his wife Doris (played by Penelope Ann Miller).

Doris sits around all day and draws mustaches and beards on pictures of her husband. She’s tired and bored. She is also put off by George’s suave arrogance which is noted when each time he leaves the house he gives a tip of his hat to the over life-size painting of himself hanging next to the door.

During one of his publicity conferences he runs into a young wanna-be actress named Peppy Miller (played by Berenice Bejo). Peppy finds herself as an extra in one of George’s films and they fall in love. In his dressing room he paints a mole on her right cheek and before you know it she is a star.

Studio head Al Zimmer (played by John Goodman) calls George into his office telling him he is going to start making “talkies” and George states that it will be a fad and he doesn’t want any part of them.

Subsequently, he makes his own silent film and it fails. The studio signs Peppy, makes and is successful with talkie films, and George slips into despair. He loses everything. All of this is in silence except for a dog bark and chair drag which come in a dream sequence.

The eloquence of the scenes, George’s smile, the magnetic chemistry with Peppy, all make this film magnificent in both the acting and its production values.

Dujardin is extraordinary as the silent film star. He lights up the screen with magnetic charm. Miller was very good as the stoic wife. Bejo is beautifully charming and a joy to watch. Her chemistry with Dujardin is palpable. Goodman is perfect as the old time bossy, yet soft, studio head. Uggie as The Dog was amazing. Michel Hazanavicius wrote the scenarios and minor dialogue and it was perfect. Hazanavicius also directed this film and he definitely deserves Oscar consideration.

Overall: This film will give the watcher a wonderful and intriguing look at what a good silent film was like.

Like Crazy

First Hit:  Wonderfully realistic acting about a fresh, lasting and true love between two young people in which "I love you Like Crazy” means something.

I’m a romantic at heart and this film worked at all levels for me.

The acting by most everyone in the film was good and was superb by the principals Jacob (played by Anton Yelchin) and Anna (played by Felicity Jones). They meet because Anna leaves a note on Jacob’s car. Their first date was perfect representation of what two somewhat bashful, thoughtful people would go through when they are learning who they are in front of another person.

The relationship builds and their inner connection grows as the school year goes on. This is represented by walks in the park, dinners and in bed. Her goal is to be a writer and his is to be a furniture builder and upon graduation they have some decisions to make. She is on a student visa from England and must go home.

However, she breaks the law and stays beyond the legal limit. She eventually leaves and goes home to England. When she returns on a tourist visa she is detained and sent back home. This event sets up the film discovering how they handle a long distance relationship:  Will they each take other lovers? Will their love last? Was their love real? Will they make it through the trials and tribulations of being separated by “the law?”

The answer to these questions is “yes”. The audience gets to see that even though they each take different lovers who may be prettier (better looking) than their partner, something is missing.

This film is about love, the power of love and two young people realizing it.

Yelchin is wonderful and exemplary as the creative furniture maker. Jones was outstanding as the girl who has found her partner and continues to reach out to make it happen. Jennifer Lawrence as Sam is Jacob’s work assistant and sometimes lover is good and is a perfect example of someone who may be prettier than the other woman but when the spark isn't there you know it. Charlie Bewley is really good as Simon, Anna’s neighbor who falls in love with her, is great looking but there is a connection missing. The scene where he proposes is heartbreaking. Alex Kingston and Oliver Muirhead are divine as Anna’s parents. Drake Doremus and Ben York Jones wrote this wonderful script while Doremus did a wonderful job of keeping the story on track and the film crisp.

Overall:  This was a wonderful love story which depicted thoughtful college age kids with thoughtfulness.