Howl's Moving Castle (2004)

The only exposure I had to Hayao Miyazaki as a kid was watching 'Tonari No Totoro' over and over (in Japanese, without subtitles, on VHS) with my sister and having to figure out what was happening purely through the amazing visuals and sounds. Which I guess obviously indicates the magical appeal of film because ultimately it can be universally understood. So you can understand my slight disappointment in watching the English-dubbed 'My Neighbor Totoro' not too long ago and having a little of that magic doused out with the rather terrible English dubbing. Not that I don't laud Disney for attempting to and succeeding in bringing Miyazaki films to a wider audience. I think in this case though, just like any other foreign film I prefer to put on subtitles and try to view it the way it is seen in its home country.


Howl's Moving Castle features a girl named Sophie, who works hard to maintain her deceased father's hat business and, because she is a little plainer in features compared to her mother and younger sister, has low self-esteem. However she attracts the attention of Howl, the eponymous young wizard who saves and takes care of her in a chance encounter. This encounter breeds jealousy in the Witch of the Waste, who curses Sophie into an old woman (which is when the movie really starts), who then leaves her home to search for Howl and a way to lift the curse. Sophie meets a slew of colorful characters on the way - a mute but friendly and helpful scarecrow she dubs Turnip-head, the fire demon Calcifer that runs Howl's castle, and then of course Howl's castle itself (not that it is sentient), which personally was really a treat for me to see a magical, shape-shifting behemoth of a piece of architecture playing such an incredible role in what's probably my #3 of Miyazaki's films (1 and 2 being Spirited Away and Tonari No Totoro).

Enough talking now. This is why I don't really do film posts anymore...!

and summer begins...

UNNNNFH so incredible. I mean, I'm so excited I can't sleep! More on that later, in the meantime, go see X-Men: First Class (if you are a fan of the X-Men, comics, and/or James McAvoy in general, along with other people of course). Marvel Studios, you're doin' it right!

Hanna (2011)

Joe Wright, director of Pride and Prejudice and Atonement, bounds into new territory with action-thriller Hanna, starring Saoirse Ronan as Hanna, a teenager who's been raised in the woods by her ex-CIA father (Eric Bana), who has trained and educated her all her life as a deadly assassin. Though this sounds slightly preposterous, Saoirse Ronan is so convincing and powerful in this role that any shadow of a doubt is instantly removed as soon as the film begins. Overall the casting is just excellent - Cate Blanchett as the sinister CIA agent Marissa Wiegler is the terrifying 'wicked witch'-like character and a worthy and interesting antagonist. I would describe the look and feel of the film as a modern day action thriller with a fairy tale twist. Many motifs such as the woodcutter in the forest protecting his daughter, the young girl thrown into the world battling the elements trying to find her way home, the evil witch and her henchmen determined to find her, yet all of these elements are nuanced, and add depth to the story. The variety of unfamiliar locations makes the film extremely visually stimulating, and clever camerawork makes the story iconic and memorable. I haven't been this excited about an action film since Kill Bill or the Fifth Element, whose leading ladies definitely remind me of Hanna. Last but not least, the score by the Chemical Brothers is engrossing, but never distracting, and weaves into the story perfectly, making it whole. I loved this film so much I'd pay to watch it again, and again. Definitely one to watch in theaters while you can...

The Iron Giant (1999)

I remember seeing previews for The Iron Giant in theaters as a kid and not being too enthusiastic about a movie of a boy who makes friends with a robot. So I never saw it. Then over the years I'd hear things from friends, mostly guys, about how the Iron Giant was probably one of the last best animated films of its kind, before animated films as we know them today, 3D in the style of Pixar and/or obviously digitally rendered pictures. The thing about Pixar is that the films they create have a deeper meaning to them, on top of amazing visual effects and a solid story. The interesting thing about the Iron Giant is that it was one of Brad Bird's first pictures as a director, and it definitely falls into the more meaningful animated films category with the message 'You are who you choose to be.'

The story starts in the fictional town of Rockwell, Maine with Hogarth Hughes, an alienated nine year-old who lives with his widowed mother, who struggles to make ends meet, often working late nights at a restaurant. Hogarth finds the alien robot one night, who is confused and unsure of where he's from, but friendly and peaceful after Hogarth saves him from an entanglement of power lines. They learn to communicate, and take great pains to hide from government officials with the help of Dean McCoppin, the local beatnik and junkyard proprietor. The giant finds happiness in his newfound friendship with Hogarth, but soon learns of the uglier sides of humanity. After a gentle moment with a deer in the woods, minutes later it gets shot by hunters and dies. The giant learns of the gravity of guns, and death. Upon discovering that he essentially becomes a giant gun when provoked or attacked, the giant is torn with the existential question of if he is 'evil' or 'good.' I stop here now with the exposition for fear of giving everything away. The film deals with these heavy issues but still manages to be funny, hilarious at times and of course heartfelt. Absolutely a film I would force a kid I care about to watch instead of the kooky shit that's out there right now... I'm glad I watched this film, 12 years after its release because it's gold, and everyone ought to see it.

Winter's Bone (2010)

Winter's Bone (dir. Debra Granik) is one of those films that needs to steep in your thoughts before you truly realize its power. Set in the Ozarks of Missouri, it stars Jennifer Lawrence as Ree Dolly, a beyond-her-years 17-year old looking after her two younger siblings, as her mother is mentally/emotionally incapacitated, and as her father, a meth cooker/dealer is missing, though required to appear in court. Since their father put their house up on bail, the need to find him becomes ever pressing as Ree questions his old cohorts and other people in town in her determination to have her family survive. And here comes the arsenal of genuinely terrifying 'redneck' characters. Amazing performance by John Hawkes who plays Ree's uncle Teardrop - a man who is basically the epitome of the dregs of society, yet underneath the menacing, violent exterior shows a glimmer of a heart of gold, to help his niece. Also Dale Dickey, who plays the matriarch of the local crime lord (?) who threatens Ree when she comes around asking too many questions. It has been a while since I noticeably cringed and feared for a character because of the unpredictable nature of the ones surrounding her...

And Jennifer Lawrence sets a new precedent for a female heroine - unflinchingly determined, compassionate and driven by the need to survive, she sets the mood and tone for this slow-burning, haunting film.

The King's Speech (2010)

The King's Speech was fantastic. I feel like it's quite late to the game to give a real critique, but I loved all the performances given by Helena Bonham Carter, Geoffrey Rush, and Colin Firth. Colin Firth melted into his role, so much that I wasn't even thinking this was the same guy who played Mr. Darcy, or the cuckolded lovesick fool from Love Actually, etc. (I haven't seen much of his meatier roles :X). The cinematography and excellent usage of wide-angle shots to make the audience feel the crippling discomfort of Albert or 'Bertie's' anxiety when speaking had a completely immersive effect. Most of all, I loved how I really cared about everything that happened, how I could feel sympathy, compassion, frustration and triumph for all the characters involved. Really uplifting and inspiring.

Unknown (2011)

Did you enjoy 2008's Taken with Liam Neeson? If so you probably thought Unknown would be of a similar caliber - slightly ludicrous but so full of action and badassery therefore unforgettably great. Liam Neeson is a total badass as usual, but the story had too many plot twists to make it enjoyable. Too much of a 'Hitchcock' flavor and no one can do Hitchcock but Hitchcock. I did immensely enjoy Bruno Ganz's character Jurgen however. I didn't realize until the film was finished that I had seen him in Wings of Desire a few months ago so seeing him again, older but still brilliant was so amazing. It reminded me of Edge of Darkness - it could have been really cool if not for the tiring absurdity, yet with the addition of certain memorable characters it wasn't a complete waste...

I Am (2011)

'I Am' is a documentary (well, more like personal non-fiction film) by Tom Shadyac, director of such screwball comedies as Ace Ventura, Liar Liar, and more recently Bruce/Evan Almighty. After he suffered a personal crisis, Shadyac asked two questions: 'What is wrong with the world? and What can we do to fix it?' Shadyac went on to sell his multi-million dollar homes and most of his belongings, realizing that money was not making him happy. He set up interviews with world leaders, scientists, philosophers and poets to discuss the human race and its tendencies and how basically love is the answer to healing the world. Or something like that. The message gets a bit muddled when interspersed with Shadyac's own story, which isn't AS compelling as the anecdotes presented. The film is cheesy and feel-good at times, but a nice perspective of one man's now-changed views and ideals. On a production note, it is very impressive that the feature was made with only four people, and some of the insight given was incredibly thought-provoking.

Cedar Rapids (2011)

Cedar Rapids is very much a 'love letter to midwestern insurance.' The story centers around Tim Lippe, played by Ed Helms, an insurance salesman from Wisconsin, who has never left his hometown, is 'pre-engaged' (his own words) to his former third grade teacher, and plays everything in his day-to-day life by the book. He is sent to 'metropolitan' Cedar Rapids, Iowa as a representative for his company at the annual Cedar Rapids Insurance Convention where he experiences life and perspective-changing adventures. He meets and befriends several other insurance agents played by Isaiah Whitlock Jr., John C. Reilly and Anne Heche, who all show him how to push his boundaries a little and enjoy life, and as he grows he begins to shed some of his naivete yet still act upon his principles.

Something I enjoyed about the film was that it didn't play to the cliches of Midwestern culture. The characters were very well delineated, and the actors portraying them were all fantastic as well. Director Miguel Arteta (Youth In Revolt, The Good Girl, Chuck & Buck, The Office), said he finds something beautiful in the instance of meeting someone who afterward will always be your friend, and emphasized his fascination with films of people who are extremely damaged and then somehow learn to confront their problems and make themselves better. The film is, as far as I know, honest, poignant and straightforward, but manages to be funny and enjoyable too on top of all that.

Sanctum (2011)

'Sanctum' is an independent Australian film that was funded by Americans, bought by Universal Pictures and of course, executively produced by (who else?) James Cameron. Based on a real-life underwater cave-diving incident experienced by writer/producer Andrew Wight, it's a fairly typical throwback to the high-stakes adventure drama, where inevitably a crew of cave divers, some highly experienced, others fledglings, get blocked in by the water flooding the caves from a freak storm, and so the only way out of the cave is to dive deeper, 'following the river' until it leads out to the ocean. With lots of melodrama and crappy dialogue the film is rather mundane, but it is a sight to see for the underwater camerawork. I am being a little unfair as I'm tired but determined to finish writing this out, so I'll attempt it again. For the first half of the film I couldn't stand the characters - the 17 year-old main character Josh (played by Rhys Wakefield) first appears having run away from the Esa Ala cave system to escape his cold, overbearing 'cave-manic' father Frank (Richard Roxburgh), to meet up with the financier of the expedition Carl (Ioan Gruffudd) who left the expedition partway to bring his girlfriend Victoria (Alice Parkinson) back from the States. The stereotype of the pompous, arrogant, self-entitled American businessman is deeply overplayed and was actually distracting. But anyway, I felt myself not caring about the any of the characters' predicament once they found themselves trapped in the cave. Only when Frank's nature as a caver (caver?) really began to show did the film begin to redeem itself a bit. Be warned, some of the scenes get claustrophobic (especially in 3D) there's some grisly deaths and some language. At one point I ripped off my 3D glasses, put my fingers in my ears and shut my eyes, but otherwise it wasn't too bad. The director, Alister Grierson came off as a really cool guy, and was self-admittedly a little nervous in front of our large class (cute!) and it was apparent he was very passionate and involved in the entire production. It's funny because, since I liked him, I hated the film a little bit less. Sanctum releases in Australia Feb. 3rd and in the U.S. Feb. 4th.

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009)

Terry Gilliam's 'The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus' closely resembles a fairy tale, centering on ambiguous morals, a deal with the devil, and of course, the power of imagination. Set in the modern day, the 'Imaginarium' is a traveling show featuring Doctor Parnassus (Christopher Plummer), his daughter Valentina (Lily Cole), sleight-of-hand expert Anton (Andrew Garfield), and Percy (Verne Troyer), the Doctor's loyal confidant. Doctor Parnassus has the wonderful gift of revealing and guiding the imaginations of whomever enters the Imaginarium, though at a terrible cost. Having challenged the Devil, or Mr. Nick (Tom Waits) centuries before, he gained eternal life as he had won over 12 souls with the power of stories and imagination, before Mr. Nick won his through the temptation of desire and addiction. However, when Parnassus falls in love with a mortal woman, Mr. Nick grants him youth, but any resultant child from the union will belong to Mr. Nick once they reach the age of 16. The stakes are raised again as the wager is now 5 souls before Valentina's 16th birthday - whoever reaches 5 first gets Valentina. When the troupe saves a hanged man (Heath Ledger, Johnny Depp, Jude Law, Colin Farrell) who is revealed to be a disgraced philanthropist, changes occur within the show and the troupe, as well as the dynamic of the last wager.