REVIEW: "Blackfish" (2013) Dir. Gabriela Cowperthwaite
Blackfish is a searing indictment of SeaWorld and all that it stands for, and if this film gets the publicity and promotion that it deserves, it could strike a severe blow to the corporation that treats whales in wholly unnatural and inhumane ways with nothing but the profit motive in mind. The exploitative practices of this industry are downright barbaric- aren't human beings supposed to have progressed from this? The fact that we direct this treatment toward mammals with no human rights does not lessen the impact of the victims' suffering, who are highly evolved and intelligent living creatures.
Gabriela Cowperthwaite displays a fierce passion and advocacy for the rights of orcas to live in their natural habitat, and takes the time to document the brain and the emotional part of it that these animals possess, comparing them to dolphins in their intelligence and nearly human like in emotional capacity. Orcas develop familial relationships with other orcas in the wild, and children do not ever leave their mother's side after they're born. The whalers and the employees at SeaWorld practice various techniques and methods of ruling over these creatures that are antithetical to their natural way of life, even separating calves from their mothers in painful segments that will break your heart as you see them wail for hours, looking for their lost child.
Cowperthwaite draws testimony from former SeaWorld employees and whalers who explain what they did and the effects it had on the whales they were purportedly taking care of. They also testify to the outright lies they were directed to tell the public, covering up nearly a hundred incidents of whale aggression towards trainers over the last 20-30 years, expose the carelessness of SeaWorld regarding its employees' safety, and the unnatural process of breeding the whales themselves for artificial insemination. The focus of the documentary is one particular whale named Tilikum, who was abused as a calf by his trainer and treated badly by older whales, a process which served to shape him into an aggressive adult male, who had already attacked and killed one woman before being transferred to SeaWorld, who wanted the 12,000 pound whale for breeding purposes. SeaWorld never made the employees aware of Tilikum's history and continued to let him participate in training and shows which culminated in the death of another trainer, Dawn Beachum, in a highly publicized incident from 2010.
There is ample evidence presented in the film to suggest Cowperthwaite's thesis, that captivity makes naturally friendly orcas into frustrated, aggressive animals who are dangerous to humans, is right on the money. SeaWorld refused to be part of the documentary, and denies the mistreatment of the animals, along with covering up the records of violent incidents over the years, but this film is a provocative and morally outrageous accusation that raises serious questions about the rights of these whales and the ethics of the entire existence of these parks. As someone who's never been to SeaWorld, but always wanted to go as a child, I can say right now that I'd rather burn my money than set foot in the place after watching this film. Sprinkled throughout are the familiar commercials and promotional videos of SeaWorld selling itself as a happy place for children and families, where imprisoned and mistreated whales perform for human entertainment. In 2013, these ads read as ghoulish and it's time for the barbaric and devastating practices of these parks to end for good.
* * *
Movie of the Day: "Edward Scissorhands" (1990)
One of my favorite Tim Burton movies, I still think this character is one of the sweetest, saddest and most memorable out of all of his films. Johnny Depp again stars (although this was their first collaboration) in the lead, as the boy with scissors for hands, created by an old inventor Vincent Price (in a neat cameo) who dies before he can give him real ones. So Edward remains a type of humanoid, and when he finally leaves the old mansion where he lives he must interact with the suburbanites with whom of course, he doesn't quite fit in. It's still one of Johnny Depp's best performances, and Winona Ryder is good too as the girl he falls in love with. Even now, Tim Burton cites this movie as his most personal one, and it has one of the all time best Danny Elfman scores, the kind where once you hear the music it will forever be associated with the movie in your mind.
Original Trailer from 1990:
Tom Hardy to play Elton John in "Rocketman" Biopic
The Elton John biopic Rocketman, has cast Tom Hardy in the lead as the music icon himself. The movie's set to start shooting this year and is supposed to be an old-fashioned birth to present day kind of biography, as well as a musical extravaganza (Elton's supposedly re-recording a lot of his own hits for this, so I guess that means we won't be hearing whether Tom Hardy can sing). What do you think? Is he good casting for this? He's probably best known for Bane in The Dark Knight Rises, so he'll be totally unrecognizable from that, but he's already shown he can do all kinds of things (Inception, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Warrior). I can't wait to see what he comes up with.
TRAILER: "Captain America: The Winter Soldier"
The new Captain America trailer is here, coming out next April. Aside from how cool it is to see Robert Redford in a movie like this, it still looks a little generic if you ask me. And I have a feeling this is something that's going to plague Marvel films from now on, as they keep coming out with two or three every year.
Gotham Independent Film Awards Nominations
These indie awards have the honor of being first out of the gate this year in nominations, even if they aren't a big predictor of anything that will happen in the Oscar race, or even the Independent Spirit awards. Still, it's worth seeing what they deemed worthy this year. The criteria for the Gothams is having an American distributor and being made on a low budget. Looks like here's where 12 Years a Slave starts what's sure to be a big awards season run:
Best Feature:
- 12 Years a Slave
- Before Midnight
- Inside Llewyn Davis
- Ain't Them Bodies Saints
- Upstream Color
Best Actor:
- Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave)
- Matthew McConaughey (Dallas Buyers Club)
- Robert Redford (All is Lost)
- Oscar Isaac (Inside Llewyn Davis)
- Isaiah Washington (Blue Caprice)
Best Actress:
- Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine)
- Scarlett Johansson (Don Jon)
- Brie Larsen (Short Term 12)
- Amy Seimetz (Upstream Color)
- Shailene Woodley (The Spectacular Now)
Breakthrough Actor/Actress:
- Dane DeHann (Kill Your Darlings)
- Kathryn Hahn (Afternoon Delight)
- Michael B. Jordan (Fruitvale Station)
- Lupita Nyong'o (12 Years a Slave)
- Robin Weigert (Concussion)
Breakthrough Director:
- Ryan Coogler (Fruitvale Station)
- Adam Leon (Gimme the Loot)
- Alexandre Moors (Blue Caprice)
- Stacie Passon (Concussion)
- Amy Seimetz (Sun Don't Shine)
Best Documentary:
- The Act of Killing
- The Crash Reel
- First Cousin Once Removed
- Let the Fire Burn
- Our Nixon
Major snubs here for films that were considered eligible were Frances Ha, Mud and The Place Beyond the Pines, but they could still show up at other critics awards and the Spirits in the coming weeks.
Movie of the Day: "Sleepy Hollow" (1999)
The story of Ichabod Crane is given a Tim Burton spin, and he turns out to be the perfect choice to reboot the classic tale. Johnny Depp, in another one of his uptight, befuddled performances, is the police officer in 1799 who comes to town to investigate a series of mysterious murders, only to find out the town itself seems to be off its rocker. The story of the headless horseman is given new life and style in this movie, the art direction is eye-popping in typical Burton fashion, and Johhny Depp and Christina Ricci as Katrina make the perfect kooky couple. The film falls apart a bit in the final act (a recurring problem with a lot of Tim Burton movies), but it's stylish and spooky enough to make it well worth seeing this month.
Trailer:
TRAILER: "The Book Thief"
A late entry into this year's Oscar race, this film based on a best-selling novel tells the story of an orphan girl who goes to live with a German couple (Geoffrey Rush and Emily Watson) as WWII breaks out and they help to shelter a Jewish refugee. Seen by some as a children's film, but you know how the Academy loves that WWII subject matter. The movie comes out Nov 15th.
Happy Birthday Ang Lee
One of our best and most eclectic directors was born today. From period epics to forbidden love stories, hulks and visual 3D extravaganzas, the Taiwanese-born master has proven that he can tackle just about any subject on screen, but if you had to pinpoint it I suppose you could say that he connects to stories about emotionally closed off people entrapped by their surroundings. in honor of the two-time Oscar winner's birthday, here's a tribute that takes a look at my three favorite Ang Lee films:
1) Sense and Sensibility (1995) Emma Thompson, Kate Winslet
Still one of his best movies, this exquisite Jane Austen adaptation introduced Kate Winslet to the world and possesses one of the most heartwrenching happy endings you can imagine.
Trailer:
2) Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) Chow-yun fat, Michelle Yeoh
This crossover hit was a cultural phenomenon with some of the most amazing action scenes ever put to film, plus two butt-kicking heroines (Michelle Yeoh and Zhang Ziyi) in lead roles to boot.
Trailer:
3) Lust, Caution (2007) Tony Leung, Tang Wei
Kind of a divisive movie, but I think one of his best and most underrated, that explores the duplicitous relationship between a Chinese spy in World War II-era Shanghai and the sadistic government agent she is forced to seduce.
TRAILER #2: "Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues"
The new trailer for Anchorman 2! Coming out Dec 20th.
REVIEW: "White House Down" (2013) Channing Tatum, Jamie Foxx. Dir. Roland Emmerich
Roland Emmerich seems to have a thing for the destruction of U.S. monuments, often in the most epic ways imaginable. White House Down continues the ongoing cinematic attack on the White House, after this year's Olympus Has Fallen, and fits right in with all the summer movies that signaled apocalyptic, world-ending catastrophes.
Unlike Olympus Has Fallen, however, or even last spring's Man of Steel, Emmerich is a guy who's always in on the joke, and the same usually goes for the people in his movies, most of them never forgetting to crack wise every other second even as they're running for their lives. Or, in this case, as the president of the United States sticks his head out of a speeding limousine to shoot a rocket launcher at terrorists on the White House roof. Yes, that is as ridiculous as it sounds, and you better believe that Emmerich knows it. This is an extraordinarily silly movie and so incredibly over the top that I have to admit the ludicrous nature of events was consistently entertaining, if not for one second remotely plausible. But just because I wasn't bored doesn't mean I can recommend it.
What this movie wants to be is kind of a throwback to the '80s and '90s action movies where a human everyguy hero (rather than a super one) steps up and saves the day. In fact there are a number of direct nods to DIe Hard specifically, as Channing Tatum plays former marine John Cale who applies and is rejected for a presidential secret service position, only to be thrown into the job haphazardly when right wing psychopaths take over the White House and threaten the president while he's on a tour of the building with his daughter. Now he's got to protect the president and rescue his kid, while navigating his way around the invaders- so he's essentially in the Bruce Willis role, and for good measure they even get him into a wife-beater for half the movie.
Tatum is actually pretty good in the film, and he possesses a lot of charisma as he portrays a fundamentally decent, good natured everyman in crisis, and Jamie Foxx also does a good job underplaying as Obama-like president James Sawyer, who's peace plan to pull all our troops out of the middle east (talk about a liberal pipe dream) rattles the defense industries and their right wing allies, including those in Congress, who respond by taking up arms against the president. It can't help but draw comparison to our current political climate, even in this insanely exaggerated metaphor, but a black president under full blown attack by white supremacists and war crazy neo-conservatives is a scenario that's striving to make some kind of a statement, wouldn't you say?
But any underlying themes are never pushed very far, as this movie is mostly about explosions and watching every single part of the White House get destroyed, whether by bullets, fire, rocket launchers, missiles, exploding cars, you name it. It's ridiculously over the top and might be more of a guilty pleasure if it wasn't for that fact that everything looked so fake! And this really bothered me- the backgrounds in this movie are clearly phony- every time someone is outside you can see rear projection behind them, including driving scenes and fights atop the White House roof. It's so distracting that the only time you can't see it is when Cale and President Sawyer are inside the building trying to get away through the elevator shafts and basement tunnels. That's just poor filmmaking and there's no excuse for the effects being so cheap (and if Roland Emmerich, the director of Independence Day is known for anything, it's usually not bad special effects).
All in all, the cheap production values and insanely nutty plot turns (this is a movie where the office of the presidency actually gets handed off three times in one day) make this film hilariously awful and weirdly entertaining at the same time. Kind of a mixed bag, but is it worth it even for die hard Channing Tatum fans? Nah.
* 1/2
Movie of the Day: "Corpse Bride" (2005)
Tim Burton week continues with this underrated gem from 2005, a lovely little musical starring the voices of (who else?) Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter. Depp is Victor, a befuddled engaged man in Victorian-era Europe, who accidentally weds Emily, the dead corpse bride, when she rises from the grave after he unknowingly places his wedding ring on her finger. Gorgeously animated in stop-motion, this was a pure labor of love from Burton and works as a decidedly sweet romantic fantasy. With music by Danny Elfman, you should do yourself a favor and seek out this wonderful little movie as Halloween draws ever closer.
Trailer:
