That late Stieg Larsson's posthumously publish novel The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was the start of a global pop culture phenomenon that would bring more notice to Sweden then Bergman and socialism combined. Investigative reporter Mikael Blomkvist and goth computer hacker Lisbeth Salander are a 21st century Holmes and Watson, though with a rather different personal relationship. The staggering success of the book made a film adaptation all but inevitable, and the Swedes stepped in to have a go at their national cultural property before Hollywood could. In quick succession Swedish producers would film the entire 'Millennium' trilogy and then Hollywood would start the same process. Now I have not read any of Larsson's books, I know them only by reputation, and its a good reputation, but I still came in knowing very little. Therefore I'm glade I saw the movies in the order I did, starting with the Swedish version and then moving on to David Finchers.
In the Swedish version you get the basic story, and its a kind of complicated story, and a good one, but in the American re-make you get that story with style. I was amazed how much more Fincher seemed to get into his movie in the same amount of running time, and how dynamic it was visually. I'm also grateful that he set it in Sweden, its such a Swedish story that I don't think it would work set anywhere else. The casting of the American version was certainly impressive, going with Christopher Plummer as Henrik Vanger is a yea moment, though it does make you question why not Max Von Sydow? Too obvious I guess. Stellan Skarsgård as Martin Vanger and Rooney Mara as Lisbeth Salander are probably better then there counterparts, certainly more memorable. The only casting that didn't quite work for me in the American version was Daniel Craig as Blomkvist. Now I like Craig, he is perhaps the only James Bond who you can see as someone other then James Bond, but Mikael Blomkvist is sort of the anti-James Bond so it seemed to me a little forced. I quite liked Michael Nyqvist's, Mikael Blomkvist because he was kind of doughy and looked like Paul Begala, which seemed right for the character.
The story's too complicated for me to want to go into but it bears up on repeat viewing, and even though I've seen two version you know there's much more in the book. Both versions are engaging, with intriguing characters and a freshness and energy throughout, I'm looking forward to more from both sides of the Atlantic.
The Girl with the Dragoon Tattoo (2009): Good
The Girl with the Dragoon Tattoo (2011): Great
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Iron Man 2 (2010), Thor (2011), Captian America (2011), The Avengers (2012)
A fortuitously timed EPIX Channel preview and a free ticket got me more or less up to date on my Marvel Comics movies last week (though I still haven't seen the 2008 Incredible Hulk reboot). Since the Marvel Comics cannon came under one production tent a few years ago a number of possibilities have opened up, including the production and release of one of the most teased and foreshadowed movies ever made, The Avengers. I've never seen anything like it in that here you have four different franchises converging, with each hero's own movie (or movies) providing the back story and set up for one big and impressively well done blockbuster. I thought The Avengers would be unwieldy, with just too much going on, but geek impresario Joss Whedon pulled it off marvelously. The pacing was right, everybody got their right amount of screen time, the four epic battles are three and half epic battles, Harry Dean Stanton has an audience pleasing cameo. It approaches the complexity of Watchmen, but with an aura reminiscent of Superman II, it's that kind of a seminal super hero movie.
In fact The Avengers was a lot better, for the most part, then the movies leading up to it, with the exception of the first Iron Man, which was really its own thing. It's certainly a lot better then the dismal, obligatory, Iron Man II, which served mearly as a bridge between the first one and The Avengers. That movie is on auto pilot, it just doesn't do anything interesting. Mickey Rourke was hot at the time having just come off The Wrestler, but like post Sideways Thomas Hayden Church in Spider Man III, its just like why?! Church was actually more interesting as Sand Man, Rourke's Ivan Antonovich Vanko/Whiplash had cool electro-whip weapons and that's about it, he was overshadowed by Sam Rockwell (who I usually like) mugging as Justin Hammer, an egotistical 'whinny little brother' type who just wants to surpass fellow weapons contractor Tony Stark in the public imagination. It's stuff we've seen before.
Thor however we haven't seen before. I've need paid much attention to Thor, I've never been much interested in Thor, but I was kind of impressed with Thor. Maybe this is do to my rather low expectations, but I enjoyed the movie, it certainly was different, and the mythology to me was a fresh one. Perhaps Thor's redemption arc from war happy man child to wise leader was too rushed, in fact it was, but you don't expect literary depth in a work like this. Natalie Portman's presence seemed kind of odd, she's certainly ubiquitas but as a super hero's man squeeze? Well V for Vendetta, but that wasn't the most healthy relations (see also Padme). Loki's interesting, he is a trickster, no mater what he does in these movies you can kind of see him getting away with it.
Captain America, I was kind of looking forward to it, my brother was a big fan of the now forgotten 1990 version. Heavy invocation of the WWII stars and strips aura, I thought it had a number of good scenes (the chase through New York I rather liked), and Chris Evans's Steve Rogers is a guy you can really root for (Hayley Atwell's certainly appealing as Rogers's unresolved love interest). The plots a bit confusing when it comes to the villain and his group. The story tries to stay grounded in WWII history more or less but I don't get how Red Skulls group works, are they still kind of working with the Nazi's at the end, are the Nazi's fighting them? Did Captain America always have an ethnically diverse group of comrades ala every World War Two movie, or is this new? Anyway I appreciate the corniness, and that it didn't overwhelm the film but rather added an extra period flair.
In the end I'm curious to see how things continue to develop in this new Marvelverse.
Iron Man II: Fair
Thor: Good
Captain America: Good
The Avengers: Great
In fact The Avengers was a lot better, for the most part, then the movies leading up to it, with the exception of the first Iron Man, which was really its own thing. It's certainly a lot better then the dismal, obligatory, Iron Man II, which served mearly as a bridge between the first one and The Avengers. That movie is on auto pilot, it just doesn't do anything interesting. Mickey Rourke was hot at the time having just come off The Wrestler, but like post Sideways Thomas Hayden Church in Spider Man III, its just like why?! Church was actually more interesting as Sand Man, Rourke's Ivan Antonovich Vanko/Whiplash had cool electro-whip weapons and that's about it, he was overshadowed by Sam Rockwell (who I usually like) mugging as Justin Hammer, an egotistical 'whinny little brother' type who just wants to surpass fellow weapons contractor Tony Stark in the public imagination. It's stuff we've seen before.
Thor however we haven't seen before. I've need paid much attention to Thor, I've never been much interested in Thor, but I was kind of impressed with Thor. Maybe this is do to my rather low expectations, but I enjoyed the movie, it certainly was different, and the mythology to me was a fresh one. Perhaps Thor's redemption arc from war happy man child to wise leader was too rushed, in fact it was, but you don't expect literary depth in a work like this. Natalie Portman's presence seemed kind of odd, she's certainly ubiquitas but as a super hero's man squeeze? Well V for Vendetta, but that wasn't the most healthy relations (see also Padme). Loki's interesting, he is a trickster, no mater what he does in these movies you can kind of see him getting away with it.
Captain America, I was kind of looking forward to it, my brother was a big fan of the now forgotten 1990 version. Heavy invocation of the WWII stars and strips aura, I thought it had a number of good scenes (the chase through New York I rather liked), and Chris Evans's Steve Rogers is a guy you can really root for (Hayley Atwell's certainly appealing as Rogers's unresolved love interest). The plots a bit confusing when it comes to the villain and his group. The story tries to stay grounded in WWII history more or less but I don't get how Red Skulls group works, are they still kind of working with the Nazi's at the end, are the Nazi's fighting them? Did Captain America always have an ethnically diverse group of comrades ala every World War Two movie, or is this new? Anyway I appreciate the corniness, and that it didn't overwhelm the film but rather added an extra period flair.
In the end I'm curious to see how things continue to develop in this new Marvelverse.
Iron Man II: Fair
Thor: Good
Captain America: Good
The Avengers: Great
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
City Island (2009), The Debt (2011), Dog Day Afternoon (1975), The Woman in Black (2012), Post Cards from the Edge (1990)
City Island
When I was in the hospital a couple of years ago recovering from a major car accident, I watched a lot of Reelz Channel (limited menu) and so saw a lot of reviews and promotional material on this movie. It was dirt cheap at Hastings and I figured I'd see it eventually, so I bought it, sat on it a number of months and just saw the other night. I really liked it, it exceeded expectations. It's one of those 'my family's crazy/quirky movies' and a well done one, not over ambitious, it knows what it is and succeeds because of that. It's well written, and well cast, and just enjoyable. I don't pay a lot of attention to Andy García but he's a real good actor, and Julianna Margulies has a good kind of ethnic part, and I love Emily Mortimer. Be advised of PG-13 sexuality, so its probably not for grandma. I'm gonna call it Great for what it is.
The Debt
The Debt is a re-make of a 2007 Israeli film of the same title. It has a very refreshing take on the espionage movie, the films three lead characters (Israeli agents all) live in close quarters in 1965 East Berlin working to apprehend a war criminal Nazi doctor now in private practice. First time agent Rachel Singer (Jessica Chastain) has a cover as the wife of David Peretz (Sam Worthington) with whom she develops feelings, but he's slow to reciprocate so scared and lonely Rachel spends a night of solice with ambitious agent Stefan Gold (Marton Csokas) by whom she becomes pregnant. Nazi doctor Dieter Vogel (Jesper Christensen) is apprehended but the attempt to flee to the west with the sedated man goes wrong, and the three Mossad agents take turns watching him in their cramped apartment, love triangle drama seething beneath the surface all the while. Well something happens with Vogel, its the cause of the titular Debt and flash forward thirty-some-odd years and the three former agents (now played by Helen Mirren, Ciaran Hinds, and Tom Wilkinson) have a reckoning coming. This can't help but remind one of Munich and it's just about as good. An unusually smart thriller and surely one of the best films of last year. Great.
Dog Day Afternoon
Perhaps both the ultimate bank heist film and hostage drama movie, and based on a true story no less. That's a good deal of what makes this film so interesting, it's so strange, yet true, well thinly veiled true. This is Al Pacino's character piece, and expertly directed as always by Sidney Lument. Sonny Wortzik is an emotionally scared, poor, Italian-American, Vietnam war vet with a wife and kids and a gay lover for whom he wishes to finance a sex change operation. He's a compelling figure, sad, determined, in over his head, idealistic, naive, a romantic, and doomed. I love the look of the 70's in film, and gritty New York is not one to disappoint. A good assemblage of characters, odd and interesting, John Cazale's in it, so how could it not be worth seeing. Also important for your film literacy. Great.
=======================================================
The Woman in Black
-Harry Potter looking for a more adult role.
-Kind of a want to be 'Hammer Horror' picture
-There are a couple of moments that take you by surprise but mostly a very fair work.
-This was my second Ciaran Hinds movie in as many days.
Fair
Post Cards from the Edge
-Loosely adapted by Carrie Fisher from her own book of the same name. The book is about addiction and rehab, and the movie is too, only in pre-production it shifted much of its form, becoming less free-wheeling and more concentrated on the mother/daughter dynamic.
- The mother/daughter pair very consciously and obviously evokes Fisher and her mother Debbie Reynolds, though of course plenty is fictionalized.
-Meryl Streep plays Suzanne Vale who is a more successful Carrie Fisher.
-Shirley MacLaine plays Doris Mann who is an even campier version of Debbie Reynolds.
-Pre-famous Oliver Platt and Annette Bening have bit parts.
-Film also has smallish roles for Rob Reiner, Gene Hackman, Richard Dreyfuss and Dennis Quaid, which is I guess a testament to how well liked Carrie Fisher is.
-Having seen the HBO production of Wishful Drinking first I feel I now have a very firm understanding of the Carrie Fisher wit and comic persona, her audio commentary was like Wishful Drinking II.
Good
When I was in the hospital a couple of years ago recovering from a major car accident, I watched a lot of Reelz Channel (limited menu) and so saw a lot of reviews and promotional material on this movie. It was dirt cheap at Hastings and I figured I'd see it eventually, so I bought it, sat on it a number of months and just saw the other night. I really liked it, it exceeded expectations. It's one of those 'my family's crazy/quirky movies' and a well done one, not over ambitious, it knows what it is and succeeds because of that. It's well written, and well cast, and just enjoyable. I don't pay a lot of attention to Andy García but he's a real good actor, and Julianna Margulies has a good kind of ethnic part, and I love Emily Mortimer. Be advised of PG-13 sexuality, so its probably not for grandma. I'm gonna call it Great for what it is.
The Debt
The Debt is a re-make of a 2007 Israeli film of the same title. It has a very refreshing take on the espionage movie, the films three lead characters (Israeli agents all) live in close quarters in 1965 East Berlin working to apprehend a war criminal Nazi doctor now in private practice. First time agent Rachel Singer (Jessica Chastain) has a cover as the wife of David Peretz (Sam Worthington) with whom she develops feelings, but he's slow to reciprocate so scared and lonely Rachel spends a night of solice with ambitious agent Stefan Gold (Marton Csokas) by whom she becomes pregnant. Nazi doctor Dieter Vogel (Jesper Christensen) is apprehended but the attempt to flee to the west with the sedated man goes wrong, and the three Mossad agents take turns watching him in their cramped apartment, love triangle drama seething beneath the surface all the while. Well something happens with Vogel, its the cause of the titular Debt and flash forward thirty-some-odd years and the three former agents (now played by Helen Mirren, Ciaran Hinds, and Tom Wilkinson) have a reckoning coming. This can't help but remind one of Munich and it's just about as good. An unusually smart thriller and surely one of the best films of last year. Great.
Dog Day Afternoon
Perhaps both the ultimate bank heist film and hostage drama movie, and based on a true story no less. That's a good deal of what makes this film so interesting, it's so strange, yet true, well thinly veiled true. This is Al Pacino's character piece, and expertly directed as always by Sidney Lument. Sonny Wortzik is an emotionally scared, poor, Italian-American, Vietnam war vet with a wife and kids and a gay lover for whom he wishes to finance a sex change operation. He's a compelling figure, sad, determined, in over his head, idealistic, naive, a romantic, and doomed. I love the look of the 70's in film, and gritty New York is not one to disappoint. A good assemblage of characters, odd and interesting, John Cazale's in it, so how could it not be worth seeing. Also important for your film literacy. Great.
=======================================================
The Woman in Black
-Harry Potter looking for a more adult role.
-Kind of a want to be 'Hammer Horror' picture
-There are a couple of moments that take you by surprise but mostly a very fair work.
-This was my second Ciaran Hinds movie in as many days.
Fair
Post Cards from the Edge
-Loosely adapted by Carrie Fisher from her own book of the same name. The book is about addiction and rehab, and the movie is too, only in pre-production it shifted much of its form, becoming less free-wheeling and more concentrated on the mother/daughter dynamic.
- The mother/daughter pair very consciously and obviously evokes Fisher and her mother Debbie Reynolds, though of course plenty is fictionalized.
-Meryl Streep plays Suzanne Vale who is a more successful Carrie Fisher.
-Shirley MacLaine plays Doris Mann who is an even campier version of Debbie Reynolds.
-Pre-famous Oliver Platt and Annette Bening have bit parts.
-Film also has smallish roles for Rob Reiner, Gene Hackman, Richard Dreyfuss and Dennis Quaid, which is I guess a testament to how well liked Carrie Fisher is.
-Having seen the HBO production of Wishful Drinking first I feel I now have a very firm understanding of the Carrie Fisher wit and comic persona, her audio commentary was like Wishful Drinking II.
Good
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