Her Review

        February is almost wrapping up. It feels fast when you have a month that has less days that the other eleven months. This is the shortest I’ve reviewed, so it feels that my output hasn’t been productive. I’m taking a break from the usual football movies and instead focusing on romantic films. No doubt that the connection between these two films I’ve talked about has a lot of overlap. Mostly behind the scenes inspiration, but the idea of having companionship in the oddest of situations. I think that’s why it’s called a situation-ship. Anyways, Spike Jonze’s Her is one of my favorite’s of the past decade. 

1. Theodore

        So yeah, this is the second time that I have watched this one. I haven’t seen it when it was released 13 years ago, but I distinctly remembered just how odd the premise was for a guy to fall in love with an AI. Seems like a punchline for today, but back then I can imagine it was a real stretch to sell this movie and to take it 100 percent seriously without any irony or self-aware. Especially with a director like Spike Jonze who makes films that aren’t what the general audiences expect but have some level of heart where I think he’s a big indie guy with a major studio backing him. 

        Just before I talk about the film, I should at least explain a bit more about Jonze. I’m pretty sure everybody’s first exposure of him is that he made some appearances to MTV’s Jackass. He co-created the series and starred in it. One of the comedic bits is when he’s in old makeup prosthetics along with Johnny Knoxville and just messing with the regular people. It’s interesting reading on him where he got his start recording BMX and skateboarders. To which he transitioned to making music videos to a variety of artists. 

        Later he would transition to the big screen with some hits like Being John Malkovich and Adaptation to name a brief few. He hasn’t made any more films, but I refer to him as a comet director where he would show up and release something then just disappears where he either releases a standup film or a documentary. I feel that he does a good job as an actor where he only pops up for a little bit, but he’s a serviceable guy with what he’s got. 

        Alright so let’s get down to it. We follow Theodore who is a writer who writes love letters to couples. Taking place in the not-too-distant future where technology advanced to a degree where everything is convenient for humans. You know it’s the future just how the people are dressed. And how the tech has that retro/neo look to them. Theodore is in a middle of a divorce and feels out of place with this shift in his life. He gets word of an AI operating system that can be tailored made to the user. 

        What follows is an unorthodox love story between a man and his AI companion. Joaquin Phoenix plays Theodore well where he’s an unassuming guy who just happens to have a lot on his plate emotionally. It’s a thing where we see him being very creative and eloquent when dictating love letters to couples. Albeit he can’t connect with anyone on an emotional level. Not for lack of trying, but one where he wants his ex-Catherine to be someone who she isn’t. One bit I like is that he remembers the memory’s of them together, but ultimately it transitions to his lonely self.

        The main highlight is seeing Theodore with his AI companion named Samantha. As I mentioned before, it must’ve been a tough task to just sell a major studio on this simple concept. I could see this movie working as a Fox Searchlight film, but from a major studio it’s a gambit right there. Part of the believability is that Samantha feels and sounds real. And I'm glad that we don't have a hologram of her, or a digital tangible reference of what she's supposed to look like. She is a program and we only hear her through Theodore's phone.

        As I was saying that the relationship is easily sellable. None of it feels like a say and respond kind of thing. Genuinely it feels like Phoenix and Scarlett Johansson are physically together which makes the chemistry gel so much. I can imagine that they shot the two of them together then have it be Phoenix on the phone with Johansson speaking to him via the ear bud. I could be wrong, but the relationship just works for this high concept film. 

        Part of it also is very introspective since this is Theodore’s story where he’s conflicted with finalizing his divorce and just wrestling with the idea of having a normal relationship with a thing that isn’t human. Like, we want him to be happy and we see him having moments with his friend Amy. At first it’s shown that they are mostly close friends, but Amy gives him so much attention when he’s having an internal crisis. 

        I think the best scene involving Theodore is when he’s having a blind date with a woman. Played by Olivia Wilde, the woman and Theodore immediately hit it off initially. Until she asks when to take things further, we see the crux of Theodore’s issues. His inability to be committed inevitably has the blind date go awry as the woman tears him down on his issues. It’s the human connection that is the center of the whole thing when you get down to it. And it’s ironic where Theodore makes a killing with his love letters but can’t take the initiative of following through what he’s dictating. 

2. Love and AI

        I feel I should elaborate more on the AI aspect since this is a sci-fi film. Johansson does a great job as Samantha the AI companion. The initial meeting between her and Theodore plays kind of awkward when he tries to rationalize his whole conversation. From there, it’s the highlight where Theodore instantly bonds with Samantha. Just them talking about their lives is interesting when Samantha doesn’t have a body and all of it is just information that is being fed to her digitally. 

        The moment when the two of them are at the boardwalk and just walking around people watching is really intriguing since Theodore easily bonds with her. To the point where their connection is on point with how any healthy relationship usually goes. And it’s not just sunshine and rainbows all the time, and I like that the film goes out of its way and shows the types of problems the two characters inevitably have. Theodore getting upset at Samantha for her “human” quirks and for her questioning her initial programming to be something more. 

        This film has some philosophical stuff. Of course, I’m not going to delve too deep into it since that’s not what this whole initiative is all about. What I will say is that the film is introspective in a sense where Samantha helps Theodore overcome his faults. It’s one of those rare films where technology is a bad thing and not so much of a band-aid either. Instead, just them talking to each other helps Theodore be a more complete person since she has do something where he’s too hesitant to do. 

3. Legacy

        It’s funny to think that Scarlett Johansson appeared in two films where the directors’ works are about a distant marriage and an aftermath of a divorce. Ten years is what separates these two films and it’s just crazy to think that nobody at the time had the instant clue that it was a reactive response from Spike Jonze after Sofia Coppola split from him. More so that in film it’s rare to have two films tangentially connected. For one thing, both films are opposite just with how they are shot and the overall approach. You have Coppola’s that is grounded with realism whereas Jonze’s has a futuristic approach.

        While both films have that loneliness and companion thing about them. What makes them interesting is that the content reflects the lives of the creators who try to put it onto celluloid how and why their marriage fell apart. I doubt that we’ll have anything remotely close, but the topics that are featured in this film are slowly starting to make the rounds in the news realm. Just the idea of a guy or girl dating an AI is baffling, to the point of holding a wedding ceremony is downright crazy. Perhaps the movie was too ahead of the time, but it feels like a touchstone to an idea that just sounds too stupid to believe.

4. Overall

        Her is one of the best love films ever made, and one of the best films of the 2010s.

Lost in Translation Review

        Well it’s February again, we’re already one month down and so many movies to discuss. It’s a tradition where I talk about two romantic films to juxtapose a type of romance and love film. The difference being that the romantic one ends with the couple being together, and the love film ending with the couple not being together. In the name of love or some semblance of the sort. To me it’s like a compare/contrast thing and how two movies deal with a breakup and a virgin finally getting a love life. It’s the simplest basis of a story where a movie can do something interesting or creative plot wise. With this one and the next, the connective tissues between them is the creative leads. 

1. Bob and Charlotte 

        I think this is the start in Bill Murray’s filmography where he does something that was unorthodox. For a while, he was mostly a comedy guy in the late 70s and 80s. He made a name for himself with SNL which then prompted him to stardom with his multiple comedy hits. It’s tough to pin down his best one, but the one that most people are familiar with is Ghostbusters. Just to go further but I think this type of film where you have a comedy actor doing something dramatic is interesting. Murray’s not the first, but to me it’s something different where we have a guy not trying to be funny but be dramatic. 

        To begin with, we follow Bob who’s an American actor that’s getting work in Japan. While coming back from a shoot, he spots a young woman among the Japanese. Unbeknownst to him that Charlotte is dealing with an internal crisis of not knowing what to do with her life. Albeit, she’s married but wants something more. One would think that the movie would be seeing Bob try to score on Charlotte in a completely unknown land. Of course not, but I feel that the whole movie succeeds when we follow the unorthodox duo. 

        It’s the slow method of making her laugh since Bob sees her with her husband but not really contributing to a conversation. It’s just crazy to see Anna Ferris in a great film, and I’m not disparaging her in the least bit, but she could fire her agent if she wants. Anyways, from the get go we see that their friendship starts to fully blossom as we see the predicament that both characters go through. Bob is stuck acting for an alcoholic commercial while Charlotte is unable to find some sense of herself. 

        The chemistry between Murray and Scarlett Johansson is the best since it’s such an odd pairing that it doesn’t detract from anything. They just happen to vibe with each other when they’re at the bar and when the duo are exploring Tokyo. All of it is great since it feels realistic when they hang out with Charlotte’s friends as they sing karaoke and getting kicked out a bar just prior. It’s not full debauchery, but one where they get to live their life instead of being constrained with what they do. 

        If you watch all of it, there’s a sense that there’s really no plot when it comes to following Bob and Charlotte. You don’t have the typical moments where they kiss by accident or have a moment where they’re arguing which prompts them to not talk to each other. Even the trope of dumping their loves and embrace each other as the new lovebirds. There’s none of that whatsoever, we do however see that their lives could be better seeing how they’re far away from their actual spouses. I love how the whole point of the film is that they have to better themselves rather than pivot to somebody else. 

        While everything in the movie is great, I should at least mention the last moment in the movie before they say goodbye. It’s one of the film’s single highlight and probably the most talked about in some cinema circles. They hug while Bob whispers something to Charlotte but no amount of words are audible. Not even the subtitles feature anything, I tried. I think the point of the whisper was to echo back from what Bob told Charlotte when she quizzes him on his life. It could be that or something cynical. The whole point is entirely vague since having it be revealed would’ve dampened the movie since it could keep anyone guessing what he said. 

        To me, it makes me think that the film is predominantly about Charlotte’s life. And having Bob to do stuff with her and just to experience some semblance of life and the unorthodox in a place where they’re the seemingly only Anglos among the Japanese. While not entirely framed as such, I feel that it’s like an attempt to have someone enter into someone’s life and teach them somethings about life and experience a sense of normalcy in a mundane life. 

2. Sofia Coppola 

        I talked about her acting way back when I reviewed her Dad’s third Godfather film. Albeir  She’s been crucified enough with the criticism that as a director she’s not bad. Mind you, this is the first time that I ever sat down and watch a movie by her. While not totally artistic or tight like her father, what Sofia is make this idea of cultural displacement interesting with two seemingly ordinary people. And why not of all places Tokyo where everything is like in the U.S. but there’s a huge gap in language. 

        What I really like when talking about her shooting the film is how it just looks. She must’ve gotten some royalty to shoot anywhere in the city without having to close a street down. Like it’s got a real guerilla aspect where we have those moments when the duo are together and when we see them crossing a street while avoiding some cars that have stopped. It has that grit when we follow Charlotte as she visits a temple and exploring the various locales of Tokyo. Not of it feels fake but it feels that Johansson was teleported to see something that she has no idea what’s going on. 

        Lastly, I should at least tease the reason why I picked this film and next week’s film to talk about. It turns out that Coppola had been married to another director, but the marriage was rocky which prompted Sofia to write out the gist of the story. One could say that Sofia made this film to cope with her separation from director Spike Jonze. While he would ultimately make his own film alongside Johansson 10 years later. Both this movie and Jonze’s are like essential to understand how to see their perspective into their separation. 

3. Overall

        Lost in Translation is one of the best romantic films of the 2000s and one of the best films of the decade. 

The Worlds End Review

It’s really something to watch and talk about a trilogy. Mind you this isn’t like The Godfather trilogy or the Mad Max films. While all those have expanding narratives that make the characters a draw to watch. This one and the whole trilogy is unique where there’s no continuing thread or storyline. Just one director making three unique films that paid tribute to the films of the past in his own vision. Even rare is that the trio of films executed with their own blend of comedy and irony. The World’s End is the perfect cap off to a one of a kind trilogy. 

1. Pub Crawl

        As with the case with these films in the trilogy. There’s no connection between them as far as the story is concerned. If you’re one to take a peak at the trilogy, it’s safe to say that entries are their own different films. With this one, it feels like it takes some elements of Shaun of the Dead and does things differently. Replace the zombie aspect and input an alien invasion, as well as switching the character dynamics and you got something different. 

        You get a sense that in this one, it was probably a mutual choice between Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg to change Pegg’s character. The prior ones have him be the everyday man and the ideal police officer. It makes sense since those movies have him be the star and to be the audience representation of the everyday guy going through the wacky situations. This one, it somewhat feels personal, due to where we see Pegg’s character Gary in the film.

        We follow Gary as he’s a sad sack of a man. It’s established in the beginning of the film that he and his friends followed a pub crawl in their hometown. Most of them didn’t finish the 12-bar drinking odyssey, which prompts Gary to reunite with his friends to finish the trial. While I’ll talk about the gimmick for the film, I’ll elaborate on Gary’s character. As I stated a few sentences earlier, he’s a bit of a sad sack while his old friends have already grown up.

        He is dressed differently than his friends, as they each have professional jobs and just tolerate him to a certain extent. The main gist of his reignited journey is that he wants to recapture his youth and bringing his friends along. The feeling isn’t mutual right from the start where his friends have all grown up and went about their lives. What’s interesting is that in the beginning of the film, we are introduced to Gary and his friends when they were younger. 

        A nice touch is that the friends have a non-diegetic title of their names that have a style. Moments later when Gary reconnects with them and their names have a bland style that reflects their grown-up persona. The film has that element of reliving youth for Gary where he wants another try to his pub crawl. It all serves as a thing of closure for the character since it’s established later on that Gary had tried to kill himself since he hasn’t moved on like his friends. To me, it feels like a personal film juxtaposed with the alien invasion narrative. 

2. Invaders

        What better way to pay tribute to the films in the past by riffing on the alien invasion sub-genre. The first paid tribute to the revitalized zombie films and the second was Britain’s attempt to homage the past action police films of the US. The World’s End has Invasion of the Body Snatchers as the frame for the whole thing. Like the other film’s in the trilogy, the film flips itself when something weird happens. Such as when Gary fights a teenager in one of the pub’s restrooms. 

        The reveal that the youth is a robot was surprising. The violence basically has it setup where the invaders can have their heads and limbs removed forcefully. The best action moment is when the friends find Gary and engage in combat to stop the gang of Blanks. The Blanks are the name the friends dub the invaders. It’s all great with nearly all of them fighting and having the invaders squirt out blue blood, albeit not in buckets but in a classy way. Little did I know that it was initially setup as the gang goes back to their hometown. 

        I love how the threat gets progressively bigger when its revealed further that the whole town has been replaced. All of them have a hivemind approach where the gang tries to coast by them but get spotted. In a way, the aliens approach of taking over is what Gary wants. The aliens called The Network has created copies of it’s victims when they were younger. Gary tries to accomplish his quest all the while attempting to survive the alien invasion. Making it more engaging when his friends are slowly picked off. 

3. The Cornetto Trilogy

        So, after marathoning the trilogy for the past month is really something. In general, marathoning a film series is fun for me at least to see how a series or trilogy has come whenever I see the first entry. I can say that the redeeming value of this trilogy is that they’re all different. Most of the cast and crew are the same since Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg probably enjoy the camaraderie when it comes to making these films. I mentioned it when talking about Shaun, but the whole trilogy feels like something a group of friends make. Something akin to hanging out in a summer day. 

        They all have a connection when we focus on the characters being either slackers or too professional. Inevitably the main characters learn how to move on from being lackadaisical or too committed. Like their lives are the things that’s holding them back. All it takes is a zombie infestation, a secret society and aliens is what prompts the characters to realize who they are and change themselves for the better. All of it is personal, but it’s the execution of the ridiculous setup that makes the whole thing engaging. 

        One last thing that I’ll bring up before wrapping it up. I’m surprised that there were other trilogies from other directors that have no continuing stories. You have other works from directors John Carpenter and Damien Chazelle where there’s a “trilogy” per say. The only thing though is that they all have the same ideas and themes that make the films interconnected in a way. While I have yet to check out those films, this is probably unique where the releases have been met with unanimous praise. 

4. Overall

        The World’s End is one of the best sci-fi comedies and one of Edgar Wright’s essential viewing. 

Hot Fuzz Review

        My look into Edgar Wright’s Cornetto trilogy continues. After the success of Shaun of the Dead, it made sense for both Wright and Simon Pegg to continue with their collaboration. What’s interesting is in this film is that it’s not so much of a continuation of the prior film but it’s an entirely different film altogether. From what the director says, he wanted to make a cop film since the Brits didn’t have a tradition of making action/cop films like the Americans. So it made sense for him to create one that is a tribute the only way Wright can make. I would say that this is the best entry in the trilogy. 

1. Police Farce

        So yeah, this is a completely different film that pays tribute to past films that have cops in action situations. Right from the start, we follow Nicholas Angel who’s once again played by Simon Pegg. It’s established that he’s one of the best officers in the London Police, although he’s been transferred to a small community outside the city. While I’ll talk about the evolving story in the next tab, I got to talk about all the things that Edgar Wright did right with this one. The overall M.O. for the film seemed to be to try to make the whole police experience being comedically mundane and unbelievable. 

        The funniest part is the editing with everything Nicholas does such as opening the door, making a purchase and doing the seemingly ordinary task of police paperwork. All of it is executed in a way where there’s heightened tension such as doing the paperwork and mugshot taking as disarming a time bomb. It’s hilarious and authentic to the actual profession since mostly any media of the police never shows the actual paperwork that goes into the actual aftermath of the arrest. The comedy is perfect with the execution in the editing. 

        So back to Nicholas, you would think that he’s just a mindless drone that executes his job to the perfect T. He’s a very by the book person since he takes his job seriously where you have to admire his level of awareness when reviewing security footage. His character is very different from Shaun where Nicholas isn’t a slouch in the least bit. Albeit, continuing with the seeming tradition of putting in a relationship issue for the character. At the core, he’s the film’s straight man for the ridiculousness that he’s experiencing. 

        They gave him depth instead of him being a perfect example of a police officer. It’s the tiny moments that gives him more humanity since it makes sense to get an understanding why he chose to be an officer. When we see Nicholas and his partner at the pub, Angel is asked why he chose to be a cop. All of it is in line with who our main character is, he felt inspired by his family member and he feels good about delivering justice. In a way, he’s a biotic version of Robocop when you get down to it. 

        It has to be emphasized enough where for the comedy to work is to have us be with the character and just react to the other weirdness that he encounters when he gets transferred. Like, we’re with him in the long haul and just find it odd that the place that he’s been transferred is a seemingly peaceful town where Nicholas wants to do something that just be comfortable. That’s where Nick Frost’s Danny appear as an opposite to Nicholas. Frost’s character is very in tune with the action films of the past since he confides with his partner that he wants to be like him. 

        And I love how the duo ultimately become one where Nicholas arrests Danny thinking that he was a town drunk. That encounter practically sets up the new world that Nicholas has to live with. The whole town of Sandford is seemingly normal since there’s hardly any crime just random accidents that happen to people who object to the local neighborhood watch. The police force where Nicholas is reassigned is seemingly incompetent since the whole force laughs off the accidents as that. 

2. Genre Switch

        As I mentioned earlier, the way the movie is shot and edited is reminiscent of the action/cop films of the past. To the point that Danny has an extensive collection and is a plot point for Nicholas’ growth in the story. With the ridiculousness amped up by making the seemingly mundane task of paperwork thrilling with how it’s shot and edited. One other thing that is to be shown is just how the genre switches so easily. At the start of the film, Nicholas is established as the best of the best. 

        Later in the runtime, the way the film flows is a mixture of mystery and suspense since Nicholas is curious for the town’s seemingly calm nature. Part of it feels like a horror film since the people that interacts with Nicholas is mysteriously killed by a hooded figure. All of it is great since we see Nicholas examine the crime scene that doesn’t match what actually happened. Like, there’s no careless approach with the movie to not do any quick investigation, but having it where Angel is very perceptive. 

        While I won’t give away the twist of the film, its when the whole thing turns into a conspiracy. What I will say is that Timothy Dalton is charming as a conniving civilian. The former James Bond actor for the most part has played villains in his filmography. He can pull off the seemingly innocent person, but what immediately gives it away is that he’s not very sly when it comes to saying stuff that is threatening to someone. To me it’s interesting to have someone organize a neighborhood watch and have someone on the inside of the police force. 

        After everything is revealed, it’s when it turns into a straight action film. There has been complaints that the film feels slow since there’s multiple developments with what Nicholas has seen and experienced. Like, the action doesn’t quite ramp up in the middle. When it does, it’s completely worth it. And Nicholas is wielding multiple weapons and fends off the antagonists and it’s just great. You can’t go wrong with the shootouts and the blood squibs that are used. It’s a film that demands patience and rewards the viewer with what they wanted to see. 

3. Overall

        Hot Fuzz is in my opinion the best in the Cornetto Trilogy.