I guess there's no end to this particular handheld camera franchise, as the fifth Paranormal Activity is set to come out in October. But why not, right, I mean these are really cheap to make and they're a huge return on the investment after just one weekend. I'm sure this one will be a hit too, especially with that horror hungry Halloween audience.
REVIEW: "Inside Out" (2015) Amy Poehler, Bill Hader. Dir. Pete Docter
The conventional wisdom is that it's been quite a while since Pixar knocked it out of the park. From about 1999-2010 they had a remarkable streak that consisted of some of the best animated films of the last decade, including Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Ratatouille, WALL-E, Up and the Toy Story trilogy, but since then it appears that creative output has stalled a bit. Brave was just an okay attempt at a female centered film for once, while Monsters University and Cars 2 were disappointing sequels instead of original story ideas, which had been the company's model outside of the Toy Story movies.
In that sense, Inside Out is something of a return to form, as Pete Docter (director of Up and Monsters Inc.) tackles an original, highly ambitious concept that challenges typical subject matter of a movie aimed at children. Here we're transported inside the head of an 11-year-old girl named Riley, where her emotions take the form of bright, multicolored creatures centered around her brain's headquarters as they navigate her reactions to the world around her. The emotions are led by Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (The Office's Phyllis Schlafly), Anger (Lewis Black), Disgust (Mindy Kaling) and Fear (Bill Hader). If each of those voice actors aside from maybe Hader sounds like they were tailor made for their particular emotion I'm sure that's not an accident. Riley is a mostly happy, optimistic young girl (since Joy's in charge of her brain after all), but falls into a depression when she has to move to San Francisco with her parents and becomes overwhelmed by the changes.
The idea of coping with change and the feelings that overcome you is disguised with a kind of mini-buddy movie that takes place in her mind when Joy and Sadness accidentally lose some of the core memories that make her happy and get trapped in the whirlpools of Riley's head as they try to make their way back to headquarters, leaving only the negative emotions in charge in Joy's place. It's a clever, highly imaginative idea that leaves room for all kinds of creativity as Joy and Sadness walk through the different rooms in Riley's brain (the Dream Productions factory is pretty cool for example, along with the literal "train of thought" and the room of abstract imagination). Think of it as kind of an Inception for kids, as a story like this necessarily comes with a lot of expository dialogue that has to explain what each new memory or room or thought whisp does to keep order in the human brain.
While I admired the effort and enjoyed the film, I don't think it falls into the category of Pixar's best. It's a movie that's based entirely on its ideas rather than attachments to its characters, as the emotions are all simply archetypes with no arcs of their own, and Riley herself is mostly controlled by them, so the idea of her or her parents being their own people is also an idea held at a distance. The ultimate destination of the story is also fairly predictable from the moment Sadness is ostracized by the other emotions as serving no real purpose (right, where can that possibly end up?) and Riley nearly becomes swallowed by her negative feelings. Frankly, the idea of a child being depressed by a move to a new city is alright, but if they wanted to go to deeper places involving emotions in children, my immediate thought was that this was an awfully safe choice, despite the challenging concept. For example, how about divorce as a topic for what might cause real sadness in a kid, and certainly has for so many? For all its attempts to be more serious in exploring these kinds of feelings, there's still a barrier in American animated films that refuses to allow them to dig too deep, and the only reason for that is the studio's ability to sell it. This is ultimately the safest possible way they could have gone when deciding to tackle this subject, which isn't to say it's not done well. But frankly, the first fifteen minutes of Docter's own Up hit the mark in even truer emotional fashion.
* * *
James Horner 1953-2015
Tragically, Oscar-winning composer James Horner died yesterday in a plane crash. He was flying his private plane in California when it went down, and he passed away at the age of 61. This man wrote so many classic, all time great movie scores that you're going to be shocked to realize how many of them you know- Star Trek II and III, An American Tail, Aliens, Willow, Field of Dreams, The Rocketeer, Legends of the Fall, Braveheart, Apollo 13, Titanic (his Oscar win and the best-selling movie score soundtrack of all time- and yes, the first one I ever bought), A Beautiful Mind, The Perfect Storm, The New World and Avatar, among countless others. If you can't remember the scores to some of these films, just look up a sample of the music to any of them- The Rocketeer for example, and you'll be stunned to remember how iconic most of them are. A truly great talent who will be missed.
I'm posting a bit of the score for Willow here, which I think is completely underrated. It's gorgeous.
Field of Dreams score:
Trailer for New Documentary 'He Named Me Malala'
Malala Yousafzai, the Nobel Peace Prize recipient of 2014, has had a remarkable survival story, after being shot by the Taliban and continuing to speak out for the rights of women at the age of 17. Now she's the subject of a new documentary directed by Davis Guggenheim, who made Waiting for Superman and An Inconvenient Truth, so that more people can continue to become familiar with her story. It opens on October 2nd.
Charlotte Rampling and Tom Courtenay Are a Longtime Married Couple in '45 Years'
This looks pretty good. It's kind of hard to tell what it's about from this trailer, but apparently Rampling and Courtenay are a married couple who find out that the person Courtenay was in love with 45 years ago has turned up dead. It was well received at the Berlin Film Festival in April, and Charlotte Rampling is a great actress (she was the best thing about the second season of Broadchurch this year), so it may be worth seeking out when it comes out on August 28th.
Movie of the Day: "The Godfather" (1972)
So, okay, I grant you this seems like the most obvious choice in the world for Father's Day, but sometimes those really are the best. Vito Corleone is our last movie dad, played by the one and only Marlon Brando of course, and what is there to say about him? He takes care of his family, that's what. He does whatever it takes for the family, because what other reason is there to do anything? I mean, if there's any movie father who's all about "the family" it's this guy. The movie kind of belongs to Al Pacino's Michael, who shapes up to take over his dad's place as mafia don, but Vito is where it's at, guys. He's irreplaceable, because he's the one who started it all in the first place. When it comes to movie dads, I have to place him number one, or else I'd be likely to end up sleeping with the fishes, right?
Original Trailer (yes, this is real- apparently advertizing for an epic crime saga in the 70's meant showing simply a slideshow for the film in order for people to take it really seriously):
REVIEW: "Love & Mercy" (2015) John Cusack, Paul Dano. Dir. Bill Pohlad
The new film Love & Mercy plays not as an examination of mental illness, but more as the portrait of a tortured genius, someone who heard sounds and voices in his head that no one else could hear. Those sounds spoke to him and allowed him to channel them into his art, in the way that artists of all sorts have described the manner in which their work flows through them, aching to be set free. The genius in question here was Brian Wilson, undoubtedly one of the great studio musicians of all time, who peaked in the mid-60's in his early twenties before succumbing to a breakdown that stole many years of his life from him, including whatever creativity he may have been able find during those years.
This new biopic about the Beach Boys co-founder and songwriter gives us two different slices of his life simultaneously. Director Bill Pohlad chooses to cut back and forth between Brian in 1966, when he was at his absolute creative and musical peak (during the making of Pet Sounds and "Good Vibrations"), and 1983, at his lowest point post-breakdown while under the total control of Dr. Gene Landy (Paul Giamatti) the power hungry psychiatrist who made himself Brian's legal guardian and micromanaged every inch of his life. Wilson is played by two different actors- Paul Dano as the young Beach Boy and John Cusack as the older, shattered version of himself. This is a technique that could easily be distracting, seeing as neither actor really resembles the other, but here it works seamlessly, as you essentially see Wilson as two different people because he really was at these points in his life. It also helps that Dano and Cusack are both wonderful in the part, giving a fully realized, detailed portrayal of Brian in each setting as we come to know him and how his mind worked.
Perhaps he benefits from the time his part takes place in (how could he not?), but Dano's young Brian Wilson at his creative peak is a true joy to watch, as we see and hear the inspiration behind so many of the classic tunes we know so well. Paul Dano can often be over the top and shrill in his performances, but somehow with this role he inhabits the softspoken, shy, yet musically inclined Wilson at a pitch perfect note. His occasional wanderings into the sounds in his head that he can't quite describe but knows how to direct are a great portrait of an artist at work in a way that few musical biopics ever show. The difference here is that Brian Wilson was never a performer but a true musician whose genius lay in the studio at a time when so many new things were being discovered. It's exciting to see him direct an orchestra to put two different bass lines together, bring dogs in for extra barking noises and casually wonder whether he can get a horse brought in too. His direction of his brothers and cousin in the making of the records leaves no doubt as to who the genius was (although I can't help but wonder how Mike Love feels about his portrayal in this film as the family member who keeps wanting to shut down Brian's inspiration while completely glossing over his own contributions as co-writer to many of the Beach Boys' biggest hits).
Dano gets the flashy era, but the 1980's Brian gets a respectful and superbly acted rendering of how he met his wife Melinda Ledbetter (Elizabeth Banks), who eventually acted as his savior in freeing him from the confines of the crazed Landy. Giamatti is excellent as the control freak, but it's a performance we've seen from him before, while Banks manages to create a subtly shaded character out of Melinda, who quietly realizes what's going on with Brian and Gene, as she observes and listens to what they both say when out of earshot of the other. She then does what she can to help Brian get out of his situation while at the same time knowing all along that he can only be helped if he decides for himself that he needs to get his life back. This is a movie that will likely make you appreciate the Beach Boys in a way you never have before- their music is so ingrained in our collective culture that it's odd to think of the group behind "Surfin U.S.A." as having a true visionary at the helm all along. But less so when you really listen to the lyrics of "God Only Knows" and the arrangement of "Good Vibrations" (which the film portrays the painstaking process of), and realize how much Wilson gave to the world and how tragic his subsequent decline really was.
* * *
BOX OFFICE 6/19-6/21: 'Jurassic World' Stays On Top; 'Inside Out' Sets New Record for #2
A massive weekend at the box office for the top two movies, as Jurassic World came off its massive $200 million opener last weekend for a $102 million second week, while Inside Out had to settle for "only" a $91 million opening, which is the more important news here, because that's a stunning number. Yes, it breaks Pixar's streak of #1 openings, but a $90 million opening weekend for an original movie (not a sequel in a franchise) sets the all time record, shattering Avatar's $77 million bow back in 2009. Pixar should be thrilled, as the film earned absolute rave reviews on top of it (98% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes), so I'm sure this is the first Oscar winner of the year, having locked up that Animated Feature trophy early. The question is if it could maybe get into Best Picture consideration, which no animated film has managed since the Academy had a flat ten nominees in 2010.
It's also the second biggest opening in Pixar's history, after Toy Story 3's $110 million debut six years ago. But Jurassic World has now amassed $398 million domestically, which means it's on track to finish well ahead of The Avengers to become the biggest movie of the year, and now I honestly wonder if anything else will top it in 2015. All eyes have been on Star Wars for that in December, but I'm not so sure it's a guarantee, given the traditional box office pattern differences between summer and holiday movies. It would have to play like an Avatar or Titanic to pull that off- we'll see if it can. Jurassic is also set to become the fastest movie to hit $1 billion worldwide in just a few days. The rest of the top five was rounded out by Spy, San Andreas, and the new Sundance opener Dope, which pulled in just $6 million on an odd decision to put it in wide release.
Top 5:
- Jurassic World- $102 million
- Inside Out- $91 million
- Spy- $10.5 million
- San Andreas- $8.2 million
- Dope- $6 million
In limited release, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl continues to disappoint, with a struggling platform release, while Love & Mercy has pulled in $7 million so far and looks healthy as it expands. Overall it's been a somewhat disappointing year for specialty releases, with only Ex Machina (set to cross $25 million soon) as the most successful run of the arthouse films so far, and the only one to get over $12 million. Next week it's Seth MacFarlane's Ted 2, which will no doubt be a hit, as the wildly popular first one grossed over $200 million a few years ago. See you then!
Movie of the Day: "Boyz N the Hood" (1991)
Our next movie dad this week is Furious Styles (Laurence Fishburne) from John Singleton's 1991 classic Boyz n the Hood, who does everything he can to teach his son the lessons he needs to stay out of trouble in the rough neighborhoods of South Central L.A. A young Cuba Gooding Jr. is his teenage son Tre, who's conflicted about what path to follow with the limited options presented to him, but his mother (Angela Bassett) has sent him to live with his father because she knows he's best equipped to help their son survive the streets. This is probably the most morally upright father on the list this week, actually (I noticed some of the others were charming rakes). But Furious is stern, capable and wise in departing his knowledge to his son, having lived through the tough life himself. This movie caused a big splash in 1991, earning John Singleton two Oscar nominations for Best Director and Best Original Screenplay.
Original 1991 Trailer:
Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg Reunite in 'Daddy's Home'
This looks like one of those that could be really stupid or really funny, but it's hard to tell which one from the trailer. I actually liked The Other Guys, Ferrell and Wahlberg's last movie together, but that was Adam McKay, Will Ferrell's longtime collaborator, and this one is directed by a guy whose last two movies were Dumb and Dumber To and That's My Boy, so....yeah that doesn't bode well. It's coming out Christmas Day.
Lily Tomlin is a Feisty 'Grandma' in New Buddy Comedy
Okay, Lily Tomlin looks awesome in this, and I have to see it even if the character of the shit-talking grandma has become something of a new cliche in recent years. I already know she can do it better than a bunch of other actresses. Plus, it's from Paul Weitz (writer-director of About a Boy) and got major reviews out of Sundance. Just from the trailer, I'm thinking Lily Tomlin could easily be in for some serious Oscar buzz (they love the cranky old lady role and Tomlin's a legend who hasn't had a starring vehicle in 27 years).
Movie of the Day: "The Royal Tenenbaums" (2001)
Gene Hackman shines as Royal Tenenbaum, the patriarch of a family he abandoned years earlier, only to return and try to worm his way back into the lives of his ex-wife and adult kids (Ben Stiller, Luke Wilson and Gwyneth Paltrow). Filled with Wes Anderson's dry humor and bit characters, this movie is probably still my favorite entry in the director's canon (although Grand Budapest comes awfully close to topping it), because I just can't get enough of Hackman's sketchy and sleazy Tenenbaum. He pulls cons left and right, but he doesn't apologize for who he is, and you have to admit you'd probably get a kick out of hanging out with him if he was your dad too. Sure he's a liar and a cheater and a thief, but hey- he's also Gene Hackman in a tailor made role for his particular charms, which is the only reason this character works. I still can't believe he wasn't nominated for an Oscar for this.
Original Trailer:
