For Friday: 6 Movies Every Human Being Needs To See

It’s movies again this week.  In particular, not summer blockbuster fare.  More specifcally, a few movies that help show us what it means to be human, and reflect back to us our selves – good and bad, courageous and fearful, honorable and less so.  One in the theater, five available on DVD.

The catalyst?  “Fruitvale Station,” which opens today.  The film won the Grand Jury Prize for dramatic feature and the Audience Award for U.S. dramatic film at this year’s Sundance Film Festival.  It tells the true story of 22-year-old San Francisco Bay Area resident Oscar Grant, who “wakes up on the morning December 31, 2008 and feels something is in the air.”  New York Magazine’s David Edelstein says “It will rock your world.”  In his New York Times review, A.O. Scott voices the tough questions this film asks: “How could this have happened?  How did we – meaning any one of us who might see faces like our own depicted on that screen – allow it?”  A must-see this weekend.

Next, “To Kill a Mockingbird,” the classic film based on the class novel by Harper Lee.  The performances, especially that of Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch, tug at the heart and mind.  This is a fine movie, in the highest sense of the word, showing us what it means to be tolerant, compassionate, wise and courageous.

Third, “12 Angry Men.”  Another classic, black-and-white film with outstanding performances, this time anchored by the legendary Henry Fonda.  “12 Angry Men” teaches how to build consensus among a group of people with differing backgrounds, biases, viewpoints and personalities.  “In 2007, 12 Angry Men was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being ‘culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant’.”

The next three belong to Steven Spielberg, who I believe has become the historical filmmaker of our time.  And I think we need one.  Someone who documents history, reminding us (because we need to be reminded), and in some cases teaching us, about what has taken place.  “Schindler’s List” and “Amistad,” so that we never forget – about The Holocaust and about the history of slavery in this country – so that they never happen again.  “Lincoln,” so that we understand the insight, strength, cunning and politicking required of one of the greatest U.S. presidents, in order to pass the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution (abolishing slavery) and to end the Civil War.  All three warrant repeated viewing, on occasion, so that we don’t forget.

For Friday: Three Movies You May Have Missed

It’s movies this week.  In particular, comedies.  Even more specifically, smart comedies.  Those you very well may have missed, because they’re small and smart.  One British, two American.

Each is mixed with just a touch of pathos.  Humor needs a backstory, needs some drama against which it can play.  It’s what makes the best comedies work.  If you’re looking for a good laugh this weekend, check out one or all of them.  I’ve linked to Rotten Tomatoes (online rental information included).  Get those kernels popped and enjoy.

First up, “The Trip” – Two friends make their way through the English countryside – eating, drinking, and driving – when one is hired to review restaurants for major British paper and invites the other along for company.  Watch it for the “imitation” scene, if nothing else.

Second, “Win Win” – “A beleaguered attorney and part-time wrestling coach who schemes to keep his practice from going under by acting as the legal caretaker of an elderly client.”  Paul Giamatti at his humorous best.  Bobby Cannavale, amazing.

Third, “The Savages” (not to be confused with Oliver Stone’s “Savages”, an entirely different film and not nearly as funny) – Adult siblings are forced together when it comes time to care for their ailing father.  Scathingly funny.

Music + Marketplaces = Money

“Without music, life would be a mistake.”  –  Friedrich Nietzsche

I read a fascinating (or at least I found it fascinating) article in The New York Times the other day, “Web Helps Musicians Sell Shares of Royalties.”  The piece chronicles the progress and potential of a service launched two years ago, The Royalty Exchange.  Per the company’s website, they are “the first efficient and transparent marketplace allowing you to sell all types of royalties from multiple industries including entertainment (music, books, TV, film), solar energy, oil/gas, intellectual property and pharmaceutical.”

Sticking with the focus of the Times article, that being music, The Royalty Exchange connects buyers of music royalties (investors) with sellers of music royalties (the royalty owners) via online auction.  When transacting in the marketplace, both buyers and sellers are charged a percentage of the deal.  By way of example, the piece features songwriter and producer Preston Glass, who needed to raise money in order “to embark on the next phase of his career — as a performing artist in his own right.”  Mr. Glass used The Royalty Exchange to sell a percentage of the rights to future income from songs he’d written, specifically when those songs are played on the radio or streamed online – as opposed to downloaded or sold on CD.  As the seller, he was able to define the terms of the sale, maintaining control of precisely which parts of his royalty income were to be sold.  The Times reporter also describes another, competing service, Lyric Financial, that provides royalty advances against future earnings. Musicians are charged a fee for the service.

As I learned from reading the article, the issues surrounding copyrights and ownership are complex, but not to the extent that they are insurmountable.  And, yes, the dynamics of building out both sides of a marketplace so that it becomes a dynamic, thriving thing can be tricky.  But…

After all of the negative news and dire predictions for the music industry overall, and individual musicians specifically, due to the rapid changes in the online world, it is encouraging to read about potentially viable options for revenue and funding of the creative enterprise.  And I am hopeful that creative business people will continue to find ways to use technology to develop new models that create value, rather than destroying it, so that musicians and other artists are able to continue to ply their craft and make a living doing so.

All of this nascent hopefulness for at least one aspect of the industry got me thinking about music, and the movies l love that are about music.  So, here you go: my top 5 picks for the best musical moments in movies about music.

Almost Famous – Tiny Dancer

Dreamgirls – And I’m Telling You

Hustle & Flow – Hard Out Here for a Pimp

Hard Day’s Night – Can’t Buy Me Love

Ray – Mess Around

What’s the Story “Morning Glory”? A Really Funny Movie, As It Turns Out

The reviews were mixed, at best.  The cast was stellar – Rachel McAdams, Diane Keaton, Harrison Ford, Patrick Wilson, and Jeff Goldblum.  And I was in need of a good laugh.  So I took a chance, and I’m glad that I did.

Morning Glory is one seriously laugh-out-loud funny movie.  There are so many witty one-liners – and no, they’re not all given away in the trailer – that you really do need to pay attention.  They sneak up on you, especially when it comes to Harrison Ford’s deadpan delivery.  Sometimes it takes a second to realize the smart humor in the line.

Forgive the small transgressions –  every good New York knows that Schiller’s Liquor Bar is not located on Madison Avenue and that rising stars do not attend job interviews at the Today Show in cocktail dresses and that television played just for laughs doesn’t always work – because even when things don’t quite pass the muster, you’ll still find yourself laughing.  And you’ve got to love a movie that has two strong female leads played by two top-notch actresses, not to mention three swoon-worthy male leads.

When the kids head to “Harry Potter” this weekend, I recommend that you check out Morning Glory.  Try it, you might like it.

“The Social Network” – Yes, It Really Is That Good

Image: ScreenCrave.com

Whip-smart dialogue, fast pacing, fantastic performances, a fictional account of a true story – one that examines the nature of friendship, trust, class, entrepreneurship, ambition – all of the necessary ingredients for a can’t-take-our-eyes-away-from-the-screen film.

Aaron Sorkin (The West Wing) wrote the screenplay and David Fincher (Se7en, Fight Club, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and soon, the American version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) directed.  They have created a mesmerizing tale of the birth of the company that did nothing short of change the way a half a billion people communicate and develop virtual relationships.  You know you’re watching a monumental event, even if it is fiction, and even if it is recent history, and the story, ongoing.

The cast is uniformly excellent:  Jesse Eisenberg as Mark Zuckerberg is beyond convincing; Andrew Garfield, as Zuckerberg’s best friend at Harvard, Eduardo Saverin, gives us a glimpse of what we can expect when he assumes the role of Spiderman; Rooney Mara, in what is a small role as Zuckerberg’s Harvard girlfriend, has our attention now that she is slated to take the role of Lisbeth Salander in Fincher’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo; and Justin Timberlake is a revelation (at least to me) as Napster founder, Sean Parker.

After seeing the movie, which I had been reminded was fiction by several reviewers, I was curious to know what was true and what was fabricated (or as close as you can get to these two poles), and I remembered that there was an article somewhere that claimed to get to the heart of the matter.  And I found it.  So, after you’ve seen the movie, read David Kirkpatrick’s Daily Beast piece, “What’s True in the Facebook Movie.”   Kirkpatrick is the author of The Facebook Effect: The Inside Story of the Company That Is Connecting the World. While researching the book, he interviewed Mark Zuckerberg, as well as the Facebook co-founders, Zuckerberg’s friends, and a number of executives; and he studied all of the documents to which he was able to gain access.   Fascinating.

If you’ve not yet seen the movie, get yourself to your nearest cinema.  It’s one that’s worth the price of admission.

“Tell No One” – An Excellent French Thriller

“A top-notch thriller.  So twisty you may forget to breathe.” – Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times

I just rented Tell No One (2006),  Guillaume Canet’s thriller based on the bestselling novel by Harlan Coben, for a second time, and I have to agree with New York Times reviewer Stephen Holden, “Vertigo meets The Fugitive by way of The Big Sleep … It was even better the second time.”   It won rave reviews, like that from Holden, as well as Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times. And it appeared on numerous Top 10 lists for 2008.

Here’s the story … Eight years after the murder of his wife, Margot, by a serial killer, pediatrician Alexandre Beck is still struggling to move on.   As the anniversary of her death approaches, two events throw his life, and what he thinks he knows, into turmoil.  First, Alex becomes the prime suspect when two bodies are discovered very near the property of his family’s country home.  Second, he receives an email with a link to a video of his dead wife, in which she appears to be alive and well.  In the email, he is instructed him to “Tell no one.”  The tension ratchets up as Alex tries to unravel the mystery of the video, and his wife, while evading the police whose investigation is narrowing in on him.  The whole thing is satisfying and surprising, right down to the final frame.  If  you like a taut, smart thriller, this is for you.

This got me thinking … there’s something about a good foreign thriller.  They’re less glossy and a bit grittier, but no less polished, than their American counterparts, even when based on an American book.  (See the Swedish version of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, based on Stieg Larsson’s bestseller, before Hollywood gets its hands on it.)  They assume their audience has a brain and wants to use it, even when watching a movie.  And, I think that the use of sub-titles actually makes the viewer pay closer attention to the narrative and action.  Once you get into the groove of reading them (usually about 10 minutes in), you’re not conscious of them, but you’re there.  There’s no leaving the room with the movie is playing … you’ll miss it.  More demanding?  Yes.  More rewarding.  Often, yes, as well.

And that got me thinking about other French thrillers, and other French films, in general.  I have a few favorites.  So, if you’re looking for a foreign film to rent this summer, once you’ve seen Tell No One, you might want to take a look at:

I’ve Loved You So Long (2008) – A woman attempts to rebuild her life after 15 years in prison.  It’s not what you think.  And Kristen Scott Thomas is phenomenal.

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007) – Director Julian Schnabel tells the moving, true story of Jean-Dominique Bauby, who suffers from locked-in syndrome after experiencing a massive stroke.  Beautiful visuals, a compelling, if tough, story, extraordinary acting … bring the tissues.

Flight of the Red Balloon (2007) – Juliette Binoche is a single mother, living in Paris and raising her seven-year-old son.  She is also a puppeteer preparing for an upcoming show.  The story feels real.  The cinematography – with long, sumptuous shots – is moving.  The red balloon becomes a character.  A small, under-seen film worth a viewing.

Cache (2005) – According to Rotten Tomatoes: “Though [director] Haneke’s film works first and foremost as an insidious thriller, it is also a powerful commentary on the urban paranoia and racism that continue to permeate modern society. Without using a score, and keeping his camera detached and static, Haneke nonetheless establishes a nearly unbearable level of tension. Not for the squeamish, CACHÉ remains a work of menacing brilliance, and was the winner of the Best Director award at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival.”

Swimming Pool (2003) – An edgy thriller in which nothing is what it seems.

8 Women (2001) – “Living in a house full of women can be murder.”  A lighthearted, country-manse romp with a who’s who line-up of French actresses.  Think Gosford Park, set in France, with women.

And there are two French films, released in North America in 2009, that I’ve yet to see: The Prophet (2009) and The Class (2008).  Both received excellent reviews.   They’re on my rental list.

Happy viewing.

“A Single Man” – Life in a Single Day

"A Single Man", based on the novel by Christopher Isherwood

It’s not often that I want to read the book on which a movie is based after I’ve seen the movie.  If I do take up both forms of entertainment, I read the book first, preferably some time before the movie is released, then see the movie.  Not so with A Single Man.  Having seen the movie, I can’t wait to read Christopher Isherwood’s book.  Here’s why.

A Single Man is directed by fashion designer Tom Ford.  Given this, one could reasonably expect the film to be visually stunning.  It is.  But it’s also so much more.

The film tells the story of one day in the life of English Professor George Falconer, a British ex-pat living in 1962 Los Angeles.  However, it’s not just any day.  It is the day at the end of which George intends to commit suicide.   His long-time partner Jim died suddenly in a car crash some months earlier and, suffering from unspeakable grief, George cannot find a good reason to go on living without him.  Over the course of the day, George prepares for the event itself, and for the necessary details that would be tended to afterward.  And he goes about his normal routine.  He sees his neighbors, teaches a class at the university, picks up gin at the liquor store, and dines with his best friend Charley (Charlotte), whom he has known since his London days.  Everything about this day is the same; and everything is different.

How Tom Ford has chosen to tell this story reflects his artistic sensibility.  How Colin Firth completely inhabits the character George is a marvel.  I’ve been a Firth fan since his Mr. Darcy days.   But here, in this role, he has never been better, as evidenced by his Academy Award nomination, among others.  Even tough-as-nails film critic Manohla Dargis praised Mr. Firth’s performance in her New York Times review.  In supporting roles, Julianne Moore (Charley), Matthew Goode (Jim), and Nicholas Hoult (Kenny, a student of George Falconer) are all excellent.  After seeing movie, I am eager to know how Christopher Ishwerwood created this world in words.

I won’t give up the ending.  Suffice it to say, the film is moving … by turns happy and sad.  As Colin Firth told Oprah, “it’s about falling in love with life again.”  And, perhaps when you’re getting out of bed in the morning, it will make you think: “Am. … Now.”

See it.

“The New York Times” Captures 2009’s Oscar-Worthy Performers

Are you a lover of photography, black-and-white and color?  Are you a lover of movies?  Really, really a lover … as in you know who Gabourey Sidibe is, are aware that ex-spouses Kathryn Bigelow and James Cameron are vying for the Best Director and Best Picture Oscars for their films, The Hurt Locker and Avatar, respectively, and that this year there are ten nominees for Best Film rather than the usual five?

If you’ve answered “yes” to most of the above, then you’ll want to check out  “7th Annual Great Performers in Film” in The New York Times Magazine. Vera Farmiga and George Clooney, Sandra Bullock, Woody Harrelson, Tobey Maguire and Jake Gyllenhaal, and more in, black-and-white.  Five young actresses who gave breakthrough performances in living color.  Backstage images from the “Golden Globe Awards.”  And life on the road with Jeff Bridges of Crazy Heart, one of my favorites from last year.

When you’re finished, you’ll be ready to pop the popcorn, pour the wine, and settle in to see them all live next Sunday.

I’m heading out now to stock up … just in case there’s another snow storm.  Stranger things have happened.

“Crazy Heart” – This Year’s “Wrestler” with a Happier Ending

If you’ve not yet seen the movie Crazy Heart, get it on your list.

There are several reasons I say this.  First, there are no great movies released in the dead-zone of winter, although I’ll likely queue up with the rest of America to see Valentine’s Day (half of Hollywood’s in it).  Second, and more importantly, Jeff Bridges has won all of the best actor awards not scooped up by George Clooney (for Up in the Air – another movie I’d highly recommend), and he’ll surely be an odds-on favorite to be nominated for, and quite possibly win, the Oscar.  The accolades are not undue.  Third, and for me shocking as I’ve never considered myself to be a country music fan, the music is fantastic, deep, soulful, and performed by the main man himself.  The songs are original and written specifically for the movie, no more than that, written specifically by T Bone Burnett for Jeff Bridges to play the lead and sing the songs in the movie.  Actually, Jeff Bridges and also Colin Farrell (I know, I know, but trust me, it works).

A brief synopsis without giving anything away: Jeff Bridges is Bad Blake, a washed-up country legend on the far side of middle-age who’s drinking his way through backwater gigs in the Southwest trying to get is career back on track.  While on the road, Bad meets Jean (Maggie  Gyllenhaal), a young single mother who interviews him for a local paper.  The movie unfolds at a leisurely pace, with low-key performances by the leads and songs that add richness to the story.

In his directorial debut, Scott Cooper has adapted Thomas Cobb’s novel into a film that will draw you in and move your crazy heart.

Do your heart a favor.  See it.

Finally … Some New Movies to See

I don’t know how you feel about the movies released the past six months, but for my liking there has been a dearth of incredibly moving or incredibly smart or incredibly funny or incredibly anything movies.  With that said, I did thoroughly enjoy Julie and Julia, but that had talented, ubiquitous Meryl Streep.

Now, at last, it appears as though this entertainment desert has given way to a film oasis.  Here are some that will see my movie-going dollar (roughly in order of release date):

An Education, Precious, The Last Station, Up In the Air, A Single Man, Invictus, The Lovely Bones, Crazy Heart, The Princess and the Frog, Avatar, Broken Embraces, Did You Hear About the Morgans?, It’s Complicated, Nine, Sherlock Holmes, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus.

I can’t wait to start eating my share of over-priced popcorn again.