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. 

Shaun of the Dead Review

        I’m back. It’s almost crazy to think that we’re almost done with this decade. A lot has changed that’s for sure. In case you haven’t been following me for a good while, every January is when I talk about a franchise. Typically varying with a trilogy, series, or sequels of films that I’ve already talked about. Most of them are mixed and some that I talked about are beloved in a sense that it’s interesting to see how a story continues in a sequel or series. This year I’ve decided to spice it up by talking about an unorthodox trilogy. By unorthodox, meaning that there’s nothing really connecting them aside from the cast and director having a hand in making the film. 

1. Shaun’s Zombie Odyssey

        I feel that the film came at a time when the zombie sub-genre was at its peak with the release of 28 Days Later. Whenever a genre is popular, you have the obligatory parody where it mocks genre by pocking holes at the overall story and plot. It’s rare to execute a parody where it pays tribute to the sub-genre while also being hilarious when having the characters deal with something as serious as a zombie outbreak. This was also the time when the parody movies where in a decline with the overabundance of the “Movie” Movies. 

        The name itself is just perfect as a comedic parody of the movie. Additionally that it’s not just a basic zombie movie but a character driven one where the main guy has his name plastered on the title and poster. It’s ironic since he’s not buff or just covered in blood and guts, but a basic guy who’s trying to survive alongside his friends and family. And that’s the kind of thing that the film has going for it, being ironic while also being a movie about an everyday guy being confronted with something that disrupts his usual day in the life. 

        We follow Shaun, as he lives with his friends Ed and Pete in the English neighborhood. Shaun is a bit of a slouch who puts up with Ed’s uncleanliness and not being a good boyfriend to his girlfriend Liz. We see how his life is as uneventful as it is as an electronic salesman. Shaun lacks being able to take the lead and try to have any authority in his life. I just love the moment where Shaun goes about his day when getting his drink at a corner store. All the while being completely oblivious to what’s happening around him. 

        What I admire about the film is that the characters play it completely straight when we see the outbreak progressively get worse. Shaun is totally oblivious as he’s a slacker that it’s only worried about himself and his girlfriend. Like we slowly get moments in the background of people coughing or just being attended to by the paramedics. There are moments where we get scary stinger sounds but it mostly contrasts with something ordinary that spooks Shaun or is just not ordinarily scary. 

        What makes the film work is Shaun. Just him being completely oblivious with the zombie infestation with him thinking it’s just a regular day is perfect. We really do get the same shot of him going to the store, albeit with damaged cars, zombies and the obligatory running survivor. It’s both him and his friend that try to learn how to beat the zombies with conventional tools that make the comedy work. Like, the whole film works like a sort of film a couple of friends make but making it engaging and believable. 

        Might also talk about the zombies and the juxtaposition of regular people. I love how from the very beginning there’s really not much difference between the living and the reanimated. I love the montage that was used to show the people existing in a zombie like state of utter boredom or contentment. It harkens back to George Romero’s Dawn of the Dead by having a not-so-subtle statement how regular people going about their lives as a zombie. Albeit this one takes it to a ridiculous degree of absurdity. The kills are great too as both Shaun and Ed start off small to kill them. Then it really ratches up as the best kill doesn’t involve the zombies but Shaun’s girlfriend’s male friend as he gets ripped to shreds. 

2. Edgar Wright

        This will be the third film that I’ve talked about that Edgar Wright directed. He’s not so much a mainstream director but one where he has a particular style when it comes to making his movies. He’s an auteur for the most part and a very niche one since most of his craft doesn’t cater the mainstream but is something different for anyone that is curious. This isn’t the first film that I’ve watched of his, but this is the one where he made a name for himself due to it’s success and surprise. 

        If you were to really understand how and why the film is executed in a way, it is that it’s editing helps flow the story more. When we follow Shaun, the edits click when he puts his clothes on or doing something. How it’s cobbled together makes it more interesting and intense with how much the zoom snaps to something ordinary like a faucet handle. More so that there’s a lot of background details that sell just how bad the situation is. To the point that both characters don’t explicitly point that a couple is still kissing outside a pub. All the while they don’t notice that the couple are zombies. 

        One more thing that must be addressed is the overall character arc that Shaun goes through during the whole ordeal. We see him as a lackadaisical guy where he’s a slacker to a lot of people. His girlfriend’s friends don’t even think that he’s good enough for him. We feel for him since he doesn’t have the pushback to stand up for himself. Amid the outbreak is where we see him take control. Just his whole elaborate plan along with the editing perfectly lines up with Shaun’s thinking. With the ending of the film, it perfectly aligns with what he’s been needing in his life. 

3. Overall

        Edgar Wright’s Shaun of the Dead is one of the best comedy/horror film ever made. 

The Life of Chuck Review

        Talk about a year where Stephen King has multiple adaptations on both television and film. The films were both hit and miss while the HBO show focusing on Pennywise has drawn acclaim by adding more to the mythology of the clown. I think a typical day for King is him extending his arm and opening his hand to get the residual checks of his works. His work is adaptable, given to the right hands where it’s one of the best horror films and the best dramas. The latter is mostly overshadowed by the scarier stuff, but when it lands it lands on the dot. The Life of Chuck is one of the most underrated films of the year and I’ll even say it’s one of the best King adaptations. 

1. Who is Chuck?

        I will say that it’s very rare for me to pick up the book and read in preparation for the film release. The story which is part of a few unpublished novellas by King is part of a collection called “If It Bleeds”. This specific novella is roughly 100 pages long and it’s probably the easiest read that I’ve done for the author. To be clear, I’m not going to do a compare and contrast, just judging the film on its own merits. Also this is the first film that I’ve seen of Mike Flanagan, but we’ll talk about him in a bit. 

        Much like the book, the film is broken into three acts. Albeit told in reverse, as we see the world ending and getting to see who exactly Chuck was when he was alive. It’s kind of interesting to have the film start in the end since we’re following this one character as the whole world is slowly falling apart. Natural disasters and everything, but what’s peculiar is that he and others are seeing ads that are honoring Chuck. I just love how Chiwetel Ejiofor’s character Marty is perplexed by the ads but is trying to ignore all the disasters happening. 

        I feel that in some way the first, well third act is like a suspenseful disaster movie where all the characters are just dreading the end. Like, we see what’s going on and it’s impactful when the internet and general electricity just goes out. To me it makes sense to have this is be in a non-sequential order since it would be a downer to have everything just end. As the third act continues, we do get a glimpse of Chuck breathing his last breaths as his cancer kills him. 

        The other acts are just as good and are a bit more upbeat than being a total downer. We see Tom Hiddleston portray Chuck in his adult self. I think out of all the three acts I like the middle one due to seeing Chuck making a difference. Through dancing as he matches the beat of the local busker who sees him and tries to drum up her gig. Overall I didn’t think I would ever see Hiddleston dance to the beat. More so that he brings in a stranger to dance with him and it just makes the scene better. 

        I might as well talk about what’s going on with the movie before talking about the last, well first act. Given everything that we know, Chuck is just a regular guy. There’s no ability or shining gift, like he’s just a bifocal wearing dapper kind of guy where he takes the initiative to dance. With no second thought, he just does it as he invites a woman who’s never met him to dance to complete the busker’s gig. To me, it’s about living his life to the fullest since he does it for the good time and that he changed the attitude of the woman. 

        The final act is where we see Chuck in his youth as we see him living with his grandparents. As well as where he found his gift of dance. I love the chemistry between the kid and his old folks. Especially when Chuck is with Mark Hamill when he gives him sage advice on how to look at life through a different lens. One mystery aspect that is included is that Chuck is forbidden to enter a section of the house. To the point where Hamill gets upset at him but comforts him when he unintentionally scares him. 

        The whole dancing moment is great as we see young Chuck learning how to dance and when it all leads to the school dance where he owns the floor. It’s all great especially when he gets a peptalk from his dance teacher to take the initiative. To me, it just shows how Chuck is unique as he does the dancing in honor of his grandmother and when we get a glimpse of the ads where he honors his grandfather as an accountant. He doesn’t do those things for the honor of anything but as tribute of his life experiences. 

        One more thing before I move on, I really like how we get glimpses of the images that happens in the first act. Like Marty, we see him as a middle school teacher but he appears in the school dance as he congratulates Chuck. More so that everything that Chuck sees appears in the beginning of the film. To the point that as we see the world ending, everything where Chuck is situated in the ICU is normal. Chuck’s world is ending and it’s really a unique way to show death without it being too on the nose that the entire world in general is gone as one significant person is gone.  

2. Mike Flanagan

        As I mentioned before, this is the first time that I’ve seen anything by Mike Flanagan. Nowadays, you can think of him as the next Frank Darabont or the late Rob Reiner. In a sense where he has adapted multiple Stephen King stories to film. He has a certain style when it comes to horror. Especially as he has contributed to Netflix’s shows such as The Haunting of Hill House and The Fall of the House of Usher. Anyways, he doesn’t go for the typical scares but let’s the prelude play out before the horror stuff happens. 

        With this film, it’s interesting where the focus is on the character. It’s a character driven story where we learn a lot about the guy without seeing a typical day of him when he’s older. I think it was wise to show us his influences play in the end, to tie up the loose ends of why he danced with a stranger. I like that it’s a story where it feels passive since we see how it plays out backwards, but Chuck is active as he takes the initiative to be a better person. To the point where he gets a glimpse of his future, but decides to still live his life. 

3. Overall

        The Life of Chuck is a severely underrated film of this year, and it’s one of the best King films to come out.