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Brick, Stories We Tell & Les Misérables
Monday, December 31st, 2012—FilmBrick (USA 2005, Mystery), Writer/Director: Rian Johnson
Stories We Tell (Canada 2012, Documentary), Writer/Director: Sarah Polley
Les Misérables (USA 2012, Drama/Musical/Romance), Writer: William Nicholson; Director: Tom Hooper
Having seen so many great films in 2012—and with my movie excitement spiked thanks to the recent news that my short film, Bliss, got into the 2013 Vancouver Island Short Film Festival!—I’m determined to play a bit of catch-up and write one last film post before the New Year strikes. (At least in my time zone.)
Here are a few shortish thoughts on a few of the films that made an impression on me in the past few months:
I rented Brick after discovering Rian Johnson’s brilliance in Looper. Brick is his first feature, and also stars the stupendously talented Joseph Gordon-Levitt, so I was keen to pick it up. (The last-minute endorsement from my buddy, CG, who hailed it as being even better than Looper, didn’t hurt either.)
Brick is a high school detective movie that elegantly transplants the film noir genre into a crowd of teenagers and comes out the better for it. It casts Brendan (Gordon-Levitt), a brooding loner hell-bent on solving the mystery of his ex-girlfriend’s disappearance, as the detective protagonist, muddling through the regular adolescent challenges such as eating lunch alone, crashing sinister mystery parties and de-coding cryptic messages scrawled on crumpled bits of paper.
The movie triumphs by treating its subject matter with all seriousness. It never makes a punch line of the ludicrousness of mom offering milk and cookies to the gang of villains, or the vice-principal standing in as a corrupt official. Brick is also triumphant because of a stellar performance by Gordon-Levitt and a brilliant, poetic screenplay by Johnson. The script’s lyricism (and occasionally enigmatic dialogue), and the tone Johnson cultivates through his direction, gives the film a special quality that sometimes reminded me of a less trippy Mulholland Drive.
On to Stories We Tell. I saw this at the ByTowne in October, and always meant to write about it because it’s absolutely fantastic. Definitely my favourite Sarah Polley film so far, which is saying something, given that it comes after Away From Her and Take This Waltz.
Her latest work documents an unusual family discovery in her adult life: that she was the product of her late mother’s affair, and that the man who raised her isn’t her biological father. Interviewing the characters involved, including her siblings and two fathers, Polley takes an honest and highly intelligent approach to reveal the often contradictory versions of events that each player came away with, and to expose the fact that the stories we tell others and ourselves inform, and therefore sometimes distort, how we see the world.
By presenting these conflicting versions of events rather than marrying them in the editing room to create a single “truth,” she takes us behind the scenes, so to speak, giving us insight into the wonderful world of film and how it can be used to weave a story all its own. She further plays with the medium by intercutting remarkable recreations of her mother’s story (so convincing that I didn’t immediately realize they were recreations), and brings it all home with one last little reveal at the very end. Beautifully done.
Most recently, I saw Les Misérables, dubbed by my sister-date as “the best movie I’ve seen in a long time.” My grandparents took me to see the stage musical many years ago, and I wish they could have seen this film adaptation; I think they would have loved seeing it.
Tom Hooper, the skillful director behind The King’s Speech, really knows how to let his stars shine. In Les Misérables, the esteemed musical set in 19th Century France, he gives them the freedom to be creative in their delivery, occasionally speaking or choking out lyrics rather than singing each note to perfection.
There’s been some backlash to this approach. Critics and musical fans have said that it takes away from the songs’ grandeur. If that’s true, I’m not sure it’s a bad thing. The interpretations of these songs certainly aren’t traditional and aren’t always pretty, but I think they pack a lot more emotional punch than do the more presentational versions I’ve heard. And this is an adaptation for film, a medium that allows for much more intimacy and emotional subtlety than the stage. It isn’t meant to serve primarily as a showcase for the music.
To me, Hooper’s approach to the songs works in the same way Christopher Nolan’s character exploration works in the Batman trilogy (see The Dark Knight), or Daniel Craig’s cerebral take on James Bond works in the latest installments of the franchise. They’re powerful and moving because they relate on a more human level than other campier interpretations.
Of course, allowing the acting to shine through the songs would only work with an excellent group of actors. So that’s what Hooper lined up. The entire cast is solid, but a few standouts include: Samantha Barks as Éponine; the blond imps Isabelle Allen and Daniel Huttlestone, playing young Cosette and the little French rebel Gavroche; Helena Bonham Carter and Sacha Baron Cohen as the innkeepers; and Anne Hathaway as Fantine—her I Dreamed a Dream is crushing, a truly stunning piece of acting.
There you have it: the year in review. Sort of. Three very different films, all very worthwhile. Feel free to let me know which movies you recommend for 2013 and beyond!
Happy New Year. I hope it brings wonderful things.
Bliss to debut at Vancouver Island Short Film Festival
Saturday, December 29th, 2012—NewsI just got the wonderful news that Bliss, the short film I wrote, directed and produced, will have its world premiere at the Vancouver Island Short Film Festival on February 1, 2013. It was one of only 14 films selected for the two-day event (another on the program is The Kissing Booth, a short film directed by Bliss editor and Kickass Canadian Matt West). What a fantastic way to wrap up the year. Thank you again to everyone involved!!
WIDE OPEN: A Canadian Perspective set to launch for 2013 Kickass Canadians CARE Canada fundraiser
Tuesday, December 11th, 2012—NewsThe details are out for the upcoming February 10, 2013 fundraiser, WIDE OPEN: Kickass Canadian Photographs for CARE, at Wall Space Gallery. Please have a look, and I hope to see you at the event!
Thank you to all involved, including our primary sponsors: Andrew Morrisey, Broker, Re/Max Metro City Realty Ltd., and Brad Rollo, Owner, Bramel Developments Inc.
KickassCanadians.ca gets Honourable Mention from CTV’s Question Period
Sunday, October 28th, 2012—NewsThanks to Kickass Canadian Kevin Newman for calling out KickassCanadians.ca on his weekly CTV show, Question Period. The website was highlighted in the ‘Honourable Mention’ segment on today’s episode. Much appreciated, Kevin!!
Looper, Bruce Springsteen’s Wrecking Ball (live) & If There Is I Haven’t Found It Yet (live)
Monday, October 22nd, 2012—FilmLooper (USA 2012, Action/Sci-Fi/Thriller), Writer/Director: Rian Johnson
This is a sort-of film post, about a few recent experiences that have really hit home or opened new doors in my mind.
The most recent is last Friday’s Bruce Springsteen concert, the first show on the autumn leg of his Wrecking Ball tour. It’s not really film-related, unless you count his beautifully mournful title track to Darren Aronofsky’s The Wrestler, or the haunting Streets of Philadelphia—neither of which were played at the concert, but both of which made waves for bringing added power and depth to their respective films. (The recording’s a bit rough, but I love this live version of Streets of Philadelphia from the 1994 Academy Awards.) Still, I can’t seem to stop thinking about it, so I guess for me that translates into being unable not to write about it.
I don’t know if I have words to fully capture the magic of seeing Springsteen perform live with the E Street Band, but I’ll try a few and see where that gets us.
I hadn’t been to a major concert since seeing Tim Robbins and the Rogues Gallery Band at last summer’s Bluesfest, and before that, not since my teens. So, that in and of itself made Springsteen’s show a rarity for me. I don’t think it needed the boost, though. Feeling the energy of the crowd, and knowing they’d been brought together by one man’s incredible talent and spirit, was profoundly moving. (As my sister said: “Can you imagine being in a room with this many people and knowing they’re all in love with you?”)
That electricity was alive throughout the entire three-plus hours Springsteen was onstage. No opening act, just the band and Bruce charging the stage, and Springsteen getting into it with his harmonica. And then his guitar. And his magnificent voice. He made me love songs I’d only liked before, and blew me away with some of my favourites from his collection.
There’s something transformative about watching a live performance by someone like that—someone who’s so very good at what they do. Even his cheers to the crowd were perfectly on pitch. He’s so comfortable with his instruments that he can play kneeling back onto the stage, arms outstretched. And he’s so at ease with his adoring fans that he’ll let them strum his guitar, or grab hold of his body, or even crowd surf him from one stage to another.
Maybe he’s comfortable letting them touch him because he has already touched many of us so deeply. It must be staggering to hear thousands of people singing along to the words you wrote, humming the notes you assembled. Springsteen seems to have held onto a deep appreciation for his fans; he often closed his eyes and beamed as the audience eagerly chanted out his lyrics, or after a particularly energetic song, relishing the opportunity to perform.
It was amazing to hear such a wonderful mix of instruments, from bass to accordion to keyboards to saxophone to violin, and to get to watch the parts they play in each composition. The songs took on a life that can’t be captured in an audio recording. And Springsteen’s interaction with the crowd is something I’ll never forget. At one point, he hoisted two kids onstage and handed over the mic so they could sing and egg on the E Street Band. One woman requested that he play Queen of the Supermarket, which he did solo, beautifully; another held up a sign that read “Dance with me, it’s my 25th birthday!” and wound up in his arms.
The concert was easily one of the most special experiences of my life; I still shake my head in wonder that one person can hold such talent and creativity.
Which brings me to the second recent experience I want to cover here, one that happened a couple weeks before the Wrecking Ball show. I saw the movie Looper. I’m not going to get into the film too much, other than to say that it’s the most clearheaded film I’ve seen about time travel and that I recommend it highly. The reason I’m including it here is that it cemented my growing interest in its star, Joseph Gordon-Levitt. I never saw his sitcom 3rd Rock from the Sun, so I began discovering him gradually once his movie career took off. Every time I saw him perform, regardless of whether or not I liked the film (and I almost always did), I was amazed by his depth and range.
Looper, which features a fabulous performance from Gordon-Levitt as a young man Joe named (to Bruce Willis’ older version of the same Joe) who assassinates people from the future, sealed the deal on my interest in the actor and got me curious enough to do a little digging. In no time, I came across HITRECORD, an “open-collaborative production company” Gordon-Levitt founded to bring artists of all kinds together to share and create. (I also quickly discovered that the actor has many other talents to his name, including writing and singing.)
I’m so impressed and inspired by his efforts to stimulate art and create connections. Having discovered his website shortly before seeing Springsteen’s show definitely fed into my appreciation for the concert, and the power art holds to unite people.
A couple weeks further back, I was fortunate enough to see Jake Gyllenhaal in the Broadway play If There Is I Haven’t Found It Yet. Here’s another outstanding American actor with incredible depth, who not only knows how to work the camera but also possesses a magnetic stage presence.
I admit that Gyllenhaal is the reason I got a ticket to the show. But he certainly isn’t the only reason the production is worth seeing.
It would be easy to go on about If There Is I Haven’t Found It Yet. The play is written by British playwright Nick Payne, and, within the inner turmoil of a family, manages to exemplify and explore the damaging effects we have on our environments—within and outside the home.
George (the excellent Brian F. O’Byrne) is obsessed with protecting the planet from global warming, at the expense of the happiness of his wife, Fiona (Michelle Gomez), and daughter, Anna (Annie Funke), who is badly bullied at school and dangerously unhappy in life. Terry (Gyllenhall) is George’s clueless and confused younger brother, who blows through their home like some gale force, a much-needed disruption that makes it very clear something is wrong in the family’s world (and beyond).
The production features minimalist set design, including a pile of props that actors pull from as needed, and a really cool water effect that starts the play out with a curtain of “rain,” and provides a convenient moat into which the actors toss furniture and other bits throughout the show—the residue of their messy lives polluting the world around them.
If There Is I Haven’t Found It Yet explores some interesting issues, and, as I said, easily warrants a longer write-up. I’m including it here because it was part of a string of recent events or discoveries (there are others, but these are three at the top) that deepened my awareness and appreciation of some pretty impressive artists. It’s always exciting and somewhat surreal to see very well known actors perform live, and watching Gyllenhaal onstage hammered home the fact that he’s a force to be reckoned with. (If you get the chance, the play runs through December 23, 2012 at the Roundabout Theatre Company, one of New York’s few—and leading—not-for-profit theatres.)
Discovering HITRECORD was an eye-opener, not only to how awesome Gordon-Levitt is, but to what wonderful, collaborative things are going on out there, particularly in the digital world. It reminds me of some of the ideas explored in Kickass Canadian Clarke Mackey’s book, Random Acts of Culture: art is important; art is communal; art is not just for the talented few—it’s for everyone.
And then there’s Bruce. I’ve loved so much of his music for a good two decades or more, been lost in his poetic lyrics and hypnotized by his sound. I can’t wait to explore his older tunes, which remain undiscovered to me. And to see where all this creation, all over the world, will lead.
“Well, there’s another dance; all you gotta do is say yes.”
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For PBo—stay healthy, always.
Northwords (feat. director Geoff Morrison)
Sunday, October 7th, 2012—FilmNorthwords (Canada 2012, Documentary), Writer: Joel McConvey; Director: Geoff Morrison
The gifted filmmaking team behind The National Parks Project has done it again. After digging deep into the natural world of 13 national parks in each of Canada’s provinces and territories, they’ve now struck gold in one particular spot—northern Labrador’s Torngat Mountains National Park.
Northwords is an exceptional documentary that follows esteemed CBC Radio host (and Kickass Canadian) Shelagh Rogers and five of her favourite authors on a literary expedition to one of Canada’s most beautiful and remote spaces. Her writerly companions are Joseph Boyden, Sarah Leavitt, Rabindranath Maharaj, Noah Richler and Alissa York. Each has been tasked with finding the words to capture their experience in the north. Shelagh herself is gathering stories for her radio show, The Next Chapter.
While the artists absorb the area’s rich culture, staggering landscape and moving history, the crew—led by Kickass Canadians Joel McConvey, Geoff Morrison and Ryan J. Noth—documents the experience. The result is a remarkable and very rare take on the north, presented by people with extraordinary depth and insights who truly connect with the place.
I had the pleasure of interviewing director/producer Geoff Morrison for my podcast, Keeping Up with the Kickass Canadians. You can also read his thoughts on making Northwords and on what he most hopes viewers get from the project.
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Northwords won Best Documentary at the 2012 Banff World Media International Pilot Competition. It has its Toronto premiere this October 11 at Planet in Focus, and its broadcast premiere October 25 on CBC’s documentary channel. Following its television debut, Northwords will be available at FilmCAN.org, where you’ll find links to the five writers’ e-books and Shelagh’s radio documentary.
Proud to partner with eco-store terra20
Saturday, September 15th, 2012—NewsSage Words, my writing business, is very proud to be teaming up with eco-store terra20. Their amazing flagship store is in Ottawa, at 2685 Iris Street, and I’m looking forward to seeing many more locations pop up around the country. Thanks to the terra20 team for such a lovely shout-out! (Thanks also for carrying the wonderful Ecoholic books, by Kickass Canadian Adria Vasil.)
Solid GOLD recognition for KickassCanadians.ca
Thursday, August 30th, 2012—NewsSports psychologist and author Dr. James Afremow featured me and KickassCanadians.ca on the inaugural blog post of his new website. He also asked me to write a short piece on Kickass Canadian Glenroy Gilbert, which will appear in Jim’s upcoming book, GOLD MEDAL MIND: How the Best Athletes Think, Train and Thrive. Thank you very much, Jim! I’ll post news about his book when it’s available to buy.
In the Family
Saturday, July 7th, 2012—FilmIn the Family (USA 2011, Drama), Writer/Director: Patrick Wang
I owe a big thank you to BD—the person who kick-started this film blog—for recommending In the Family. Actually, she emailed me from Vancouver, where she saw the film a few weeks ago, and told me I HAD to see it and then write about it. Just following orders…
I saw In the Family today at Empire Kanata because its writer, director and star, Patrick Wang, was in attendance for a Q&A after the screening. What a treat that was. He self-financed and is self-distributing the film, and is so genuinely enthusiastic that he follows the movie everywhere it plays. He also emanates the same warmth and compassion that flows throughout the film, making it very clear how In the Family came to be such a human and touching piece.
The movie covers a lot of ground, and that likely has to do with the fact that, in writing the script, Wang says he wasn’t always sure where it was going; he let the process take him where it wanted to take him. So to zoom in a bit for you, the film’s focus is on Joey (Wang), his partner Cody (Trevor St. John) and their six-year-old son Chip (Sebastian Banes). Chip is the biological son of Cody and his former wife, who died during childbirth. But he’s raised by Cody and Joey, both of whom he calls “dad.”
The main action starts up when Cody dies in a car accident, and Joey’s role in his life—and in Chip’s—comes into question. Cody’s will is years out of date, and he and Joey, being a gay couple in Tennessee, never legalized their union. So Cody’s worldly possessions are left in the care of his sister, Eileen (Kelly McAndrew), who takes it upon herself to appropriate Chip, leaving Joey to wrestle with the complexities and legalities of what defines a parent.
That’s the thrust of the film’s drama. But In the Family shines its light on many other societal nooks and crannies. It explores the insidious inequalities gay couples face, even when they’re “accepted” by the family; subtly touches on racism (Joey is Asian); and beautifully examines how so much more can accomplished through communication and understanding than through hostility and aggression.
Even more than that, In the Family looks at life the way we really live it. One of the noteworthy aspects of the film is its pacing and length. It’s just 10 minutes shy of three hours—a running time that’s kept it from several festivals and theatres. The movie got that way because of its patient, lingering exploration of its characters and their lives.
During the Q&A, Wang said he hadn’t planned on such a measured pace, but after seeing the dailies, he fell in love with the flow and knew it was right for his film. As a result, we’re left with a lasting, impactful look at real life. Because we’re privy to those slow-going, regular workaday conversations, or the quiet joy of two people falling in love—without the maudlin score—or the beautiful, quirky nuttiness of kids being kids, we’re invited in to the most intimate moments of Wang’s characters’ lives, be they funny, heartbreaking or simply ordinary.
In addition to lingering shots and a tempered camera, Wang makes some interesting choices with his framing. At times, the camera watches the action from outside, or from a noisy hallway, leaving conversations to go on without us. Wang also obscures our perception by showing only torsos of his characters. Sometimes, they move into frame and we see their faces; other times, they stay just out of full sight throughout the scene.
I asked Wang about some of those aesthetic choices, and he said he’s in love with the idea of mystery, of leaving something up to the audience’s imagination. That is, after all, how we go about real life; we don’t always get the full picture.
In the Family is remarkable because it bravely explores topics that aren’t given their due, and does so in an unconventional way. Wang says he turned down prospective funders because they wanted to turn it into “every other movie.” In the Family is most definitely not that.
What it is, though, is an extremely impressive debut film. (Wang cut his acting and directorial chops on the Boston theatre scene.) The idea for In the Family came to him when he saw two dads playing soccer in a park with their child. As he observed the family, he wondered about their life and what led them to where they were on that day.
Wang brings that same curious, insightful eye to his film. He lets us watch, imagine and discover, sharing his observations with us and inviting us to explore our own.
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After completing its 18-month international tour, In the Family is now available on DVD through Amazon and Netflix. For the film’s latest news, ‘Like’ the In the Family Facebook page and follow @inthefamilyfilm on Twitter.
BD, thanks again for another awesome movie recommendation. And GOOD LUCK in Colombia! (BD will play for Team Canada in the Flying Disc/Ultimate Frisbee division at the 2013 World Games in Cali, Colombia.)
Moonrise Kingdom
Friday, June 22nd, 2012—FilmMoonrise Kingdom (USA 2012, Comedy/Drama/Romance), Writers: Wes Anderson, Roman Coppola; Director: Wes Anderson
Moonrise Kingdom is a wonderfully odd film about wonderfully odd characters. It’s sprouted from the visionary mind of Wes Anderson, the director behind the fabulous Fantastic Mr. Fox and a batch of other live action films about misfits and oddballs (The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, The Royal Tenenbaums). With Moonrise Kingdom, he’s outdone himself.
In his characteristically colourful style, set to an imaginative, pitch-perfect score by Alexandre Desplat, Anderson tells the peculiar story of Sam (Jared Gilman) and Suzy (Kara Hayward), two unusual New England youngsters who fall in love in the 1960s and run away together—the only way to go when you’re 12 years old and the whole world’s against you. The pair is pursued by a medley of quirky, idiosyncratic characters, including Scout Master Ward (Edward Norton), his troupe of Khaki Scouts, Suzy’s parents (Frances McDormand and Bill Murray) and Captain Sharp (Bruce Willis).
You have to watch Moonrise Kingdom to appreciate its special brand of whimsy. It’s a lovely portrait of strange and beautiful people, each with embarrassing foibles and hilarious perspectives, all delivered in perfect deadpan. Pure movie magic. See it to believe it.
