The whole idea behind the film, “Forev,” is wasted youth, or youth wasting away and just waiting to be rolled over and swept away. That’s pretty much how the characters in this movie often feel like. Not always, but it’s a tendency. When you’re right in the thick of being young, you can feel quite lost and that can bring on some loopy choices. Why not marry your next door neighbor since he’s just as lonely as you are and he seems pretty cool? Life has brought Sophie (played by Noël Wells) to this conclusion. And, oddly enough, her neighbor, Pete (played by Matt Mider) is into it.
The original 1960 “Ocean’s 11” is a curious thing. We all think we know the story. Going back to that original movie, it’s quite a blast from the past, a remarkable study in the popular tough guy mythos, and solid entertainment that still packs a punch. At this point in their careers as leading men, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Peter Lawford, were at the respective ages of 45, 43, and 37. They were not “young” anymore. Much of what happens in this movie, despite being light entertainment, is a contemplation of fading glory and death. I’m not sure, but if the creative team had wanted to push a little further, they could have pursued a more nuanced edge. As it is, this is a gem that finds some room for subtlety.
Steve Coogan takes a glorious step backward and comes out smelling like a rose in “Alan Partridge.” It is incredibly hyperbolic to say this but Steve Coogan revisiting his preening parody of David Frost is akin to Charlie Chaplin, in middle age, revisiting the Little Tramp. Yes, quite hyperbolic indeed. But then again, Alan Partridge inspires just that sort of overreaching. You’ve never heard of Alan Partridge? Well, there are plenty of people who have, let me tell you. If you are a young British comedian today, Alan Partridge is the gold standard. Many years ago, I am sure, Mr. Coogan was more than ready to put some distance between himself and his famously goofy talk show host character. Here in the States, even Garry Shandling wishes to move far beyond “The Larry Sanders Show,” another wildly successful satire on talk shows. Coogan, however, found a way to return to the abyss and say something new, and funny.
“No Clue” is a sly mix of comedy and noir. Comedy is a funny thing, isn’t it? And noir might be an even funnier thing, to get right, that is. So, to mix the two, and be sly about it, is pretty impressive!
If you are interested in an intriguing movie based on a work in comics besides “The Amazing Spider-Man 2,” you will want to see “The French Minister.” This comedy could be your window to offbeat political satire and French comics all rolled into one.
“Mr. Peabody & Sherman” is the latest postmodern revamp of a modern classic that delves deep into the psyches of characters that were never meant to be analyzed. The original animated TV show is already a pretty subversive treat. Originally broadcast from 1959 to 1964, it simply presents the adventures of a dog and his boy without question. This latest mashup of old and new, from DreamWorks, sets out to answer all those questions about this most unusual dog and boy relationship and turns out to be one sharp and funny movie.
There’s a very cool, even flawless, indie movie, inside of “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.” This is a major motion picture, so the beautiful moments in this film must allow for the tentpole to go up and lure in the biggest audience. The CGI effects are great but they can get carried away as in one extended scene involving Walter Mitty and his boss duking it out, moving as if powered by jets, down midtown Manhattan. CGI is notorious for providing mixed results or downright duds in the humor department. There’s also a crowd pleaser daydream sequence involving a parody of “Benjamin Button” that, while funny, is jarring in its being out of place. But not to worry because, at its heart, this is a movie full of exquisite comedic timing, led by Ben Stiller as Walter Mitty, the ultimate daydreamer, and Kristen Wig as Cheryl Melhoff, his coworker and the object of his affection.
The secret to this movie’s success is in all its fine understated moments. There are many of them. And they’re very funny and touching. Those first opening shots of Walter at the subway platform on the phone with a rep from eHarmony are some of the best moments of comedy you’ll find anywhere. Audiences have already seen them in trailers and laugh each time they see them. And when they see them again in the movie, they laugh that hearty laugh from anticipating something they know to be good. By the time we reach the conflict between Walter and his boss, Ted Hendricks (played by Adam Scott), the plot has tightened up and has to ride out some unfunny edge. Mitty has been a longtime employee at Life Magazine. But the venerable magazine has reached its last print issue. The cover will be graced by a photo from its most legendary photographer, the mysterious Sean O’Connell (played by Sean Penn). That is if Mitty can find the missing negative.
At this point, once the chase is on to find the missing negative, the movie is entering its most dangerous territory, predictability. Based on James Thurber’s classic short story, the script by Steve Conrad (The Pursuit of Happyness) leans heavily in the feel good camp but there are ways to have your cake and eat it too. Cake, now that I mention it, plays an important role in this movie. It’s Walter’s mom, played by Shirley MacLaine, that makes the best pineapple upside-down cake in the world. It’s so good that it can charm Afghan warlords. If that sounds like a plot out of an old Flintstones cartoon, that would be a fair assessment. But as syrupy as this hero’s journey can get, the actors can ride out those rough spots. Stiller and Wig together carry this comedy in for a safe and funny landing.
As with any worthwhile comedy, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty has a meaningful core, once you pare away the big budget excess. Stiller is compelling as a man trying to find himself. On his journey of self-discovery, he must track down a larger-than-life enigma in order to find the answers he seeks. If Stiller and company had wanted to edit down their way to a more precise expression of what Walter Mitty meant to them, they could have done it. For a movie that takes a more substantial route with a somewhat similar plot, you’ll want to check out Steeve Coogan and Judi Dench in “Philomena.” But that’s comparing apples to oranges. Mr. Coogan made exactly the sort of movie he was after. And Mr. Stiller made exactly the sort of movie he was after.
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty goes into wide release on Christmas Day.
Patrick Moote is a talented young man who thought he had a big problem. He thought his penis was too small. So, he goes on a journey of self-discovery and we get to go along with him in the documentary, “Unhung Hero,” which releases on DVD and iTunes on December 10, 2013. Does size matter? On a logical level, of course not. But director Brian Spitz and actor/comedian Patrick Moote are on a quest to explore the deep insecurities we all face in a crass and overstimulated world glutted with porn and unrealistic expectations.
Matthew Johnson is the director, co-writer, and starring actor in a film not without its controversy, “The Dirties.” It is a film about a school shooting which makes it vulnerable from the start. However, it navigates its subject with a level of self-awareness that gives it a sense of honesty. In other words, this is not a movie out to make a fast buck. What keeps it real is Matthew Johnson.
It is Columbine that springs to mind when Johnson is asked about what compelled the making of this movie. It is the issue that he had to confront when he was in high school. How do you address that horror, and all the others before and since, and avoid preaching in favor of making of art? What this movie does is use the dynamic of a documentary for all its worth.
Instead of the old traditional Hollywood route, and its hyperreality, “The Dirties” uses the found footage genre to tell a simple and direct story about bullying and school violence. A balance is struck between incorporating actual high school students and schools with the actors. The result is understated, down-to-earth, and very believable.
Matt (Matthew Johnson) and Owen (Owen Williams) are two misfits struggling to survive high school. Maybe they will find satisfying revenge from their bullies through their film project. Early on, we peg Matt as the overzealous one and Owen as the passive follower. We already know that this will not end well and that it is most likely going to focus on Matt. What will be Matt’s breaking point? As Johnson points out, “The Dirties” begins where most stories like this end. We actually get to learn something about the Matt character.
The following interview took place October 11, 2013. Matthew talks about the complex issue of bullies, the sweet pursuit of obscure references, Lena Dunham, mumblecore, Quentin Tarantino, Sacha Baron Cohen, and a glimpse of what lies ahead. As for what lies ahead, that seems a quite proper place for a young talent in search of the truth.
Click below for the podcast interview:
Phase 4 and the Kevin Smith Movie Club are proud to present THE DIRTIES. Winner of the 2013 Slamdance Grand Jury Prize for Best Narrative Film.
Synopsis: When two best friends team up to film a comedy about getting revenge on bullies, the exercise takes a devastating turn when one of them begins to think of it as more than a joke.
Director: Matt Johnson
Starring: Matt Johnson, Owen Williams
Screenplay: Matt Johnson, Evan Morgan
Available In Theaters and On Demand as of October 4, 2013
Miley Cyrus’s twerking at the VMA Awards gala event this last Sunday is a bit of pop culture that’s hard to digest but might be devoured by a movie like “Spring Breakers.” In this movie, we find Selena Gomez, playing the role of Faith, in a much more acceptable expression of youthful rebellion. It could be interesting to get director Harmony Korine’s take on Miley Cyrus. Most likely, he would not be passing any judgment. He would probably be fascinated by the spectacle and how it might work into a story. That is the sort of thinking behind “Spring Breakers,” which recently became available for home entertainment.
