A Movie Review: Fury

Fury. This movie tells the World War II tale of a Sherman tank crew led by Sergeant Don Collier (Brad Pitt). His team includes Boyd Swan (Shia LaBeouf), Trini Garcia (Michael Pena) and Grady Travis (Jon Bernthal). Their alternate driver was killed in action and they are assigned a trained typist, Norman Ellison (Logan Lerman).  This doesn't sit well with Collier, but he has to work with what he has.

The crew doesn't have much time to get Ellison up to speed.  The Allies at this point are assured of victory, but this has resulted in a desperate Germany that has its back against the wall and has decided to go out fighting versus surrendering.  Since the war is now in Germany, the Allies supply lines are extended. Making stands that will protect the supply lines are essential.  Having someone who doesn't wish to kill the enemy just won't due, especially when it puts American lives at risk.  Ellison is forced to take an action that ranks as a war crime (technically he didn't commit the war crime).
My one psychological problem with this movie is Ellison.  Could someone who is an office-level army grunt find it within himself to adjust to the battlefield as quickly as he did?  Within what is perhaps two days, he's off killing Germans without qualm.  I don't know.

I did enjoy watching the crew dynamics.  The crew is tight and Ellison is the outsider.  They give him a hard time, melding him in the best way they know how into an effective member of their crew.  There is also jealousy that results when Collier takes Ellison solo up to an apartment where eggs are exchanged for sex.  (I think there is a flaw in this scene.  I believe I saw 6 eggs exchanged; however, seven individuals are eventually eating those eggs.)  The other members of the crew show up to the apartment and are not that pleased with the situation.  Of course, two of the members had found their woman (perhaps three) so it seemed to me that Collier was simply trying to get Ellison some sex.

Part of me suspects that this movie tries to walk a tightrope in one respect.  I think we have a gut feeling that Germans, Japanese and Italians were not the only soldiers who committed war crimes during World War II.  Germans who surrendered are executed.  The one thing the movie won't do is showing potential rapes happening.  Instead, women are treated as temporary prostitutes where food is exchanged for sex.  Did rapes happen, I suspect so, especially by slightly mentally unstable individuals like Travis.

Do I recommend this movie:  yes, definitely worth your time.

A Movie Review: A Clockwork Orange

A Clockwork Orange.  Alex (Malcolm McDowell) is a psychopathic delinquent.  We meet him as he and his gang are off beating up a homeless man, getting into a fight with a rival gang and driving off to a random home where they beat up a Mr. Alexander (Patrick Magee) and rape his wife Mrs. Alexander (Adrienne Corri).  This all happens during one night of violence.

He has a falling out with his gang.  When they are in the middle of a home robbery, the police arrive.  As he runs out of the house, one member of his gang smashes a bottle across his face.  They then take off, leaving him as the scapegoat.

The woman dies and he is sentenced to prison.  There, he volunteers for aversion therapy.  If it works, he is promised his freedom.

This isn't a violent movie in the sense of violent movies we now see in the theaters.  We don't see faces blown apart with rapid gunfire.  It is violent in the sense that the movie deals with a violent society and we see folks being violated physically (including rape).

The movie also deals with the topic of free will.  Even if we are able to "heal" a person from their violent behavior, is it appropriate?  And even if one can take away a person's free will, does free will eventually re-assert itself?  Before being released from prison, Alex is put through a couple of test before an audience.  One test has a beautiful naked woman brought before him.  He becomes ill.  Then in the final scene, Alex's free will has returned and so has his original character.  That character would surely have molested that young woman and then taken the beating he no doubt would have gotten from the jailer.

Also, I think a theme in the movie is that prison is a way to protect society from improper behavior.  When Alex is released he ends up at the house of Mr. Alexander (via an unfortunate encounter with his former gang).  There isn't any initial recognition by Mr. Alexander, but he eventually realizes who Alex is.  He concocts a scheme to torment Alex.  So here we have a model citizen who when given the opportunity turns into a version of Alex driven by a desire for vengence.

Movie Review: The Children's Hour

The Children's Hour (1961).  Karen Wright (Audrey Hepburn) and Martha Dobie (Shirley MacLaine) run an all girls boarding school that caters to the upper-middle class.  The two have a relatively nice life.

They are best friends.  Karen is being wooed by Dr. Joe Cardin (James Garner), which causes some concern with Martha (that she will no longer be an important part of Karen's life).  Perhaps their one major glitch is that Martha's aunt, Mrs. Lily Mortar (Miriam Hopkins), also works at the school.  It is more of a pity hire, a person who must be tolerated.  She is a former actress who would be indigent if not for this position.  She's also a tad unstable or let's just say over-dramatic.

Though Lily might be just a glitch in their life, they do have a major problem.  The major problem is problem child Mary Tilford (Karen Balkin) who ranks right up there with the girl from The Bad Seed as one of the most evil girls in film history.  Mary is constantly disciplined.  In revenge, she puts together a rumor based on two facts:  Lily (being over-dramatic) calls the friendship between Karen and Martha "unnatural" and Karen and Martha often talk with each other in their separate bedrooms.  Though the word lesbian is never spoken, you know that this is the accusation that Mary spreads.  Within hours, all the girls are pulled from the school.

This movie might appear dated, but perhaps not.  Something like this could happen in 2014 at say a religious school.

Since this is a movie that was made in 1961, I'm not sure this should be considered a spoiler, but it is revealed that Martha does have "unnatural" feelings towards Karen.  And in the end, she commits suicide.  One could say that even though this movie argues against small town morals and gossip, it also takes an anti-homosexual stance in those final scenes.  I don't know the movie statistics, but I do believe that it is standard that individuals considered to have moral/ethical short-comings are the ones more likely to die versus those who live in virtue.  On the other hand, one could argue that the meaning of those final scenes is that Martha just couldn't handle the societal condemnation and this was her attempt to free herself.  The final scene of the movie is focused on Karen as she walks away from the funeral.  She ignores the others that are there, as well, perhaps there out of their own moral shame.  I think this is the key scene to debate.  What exactly does it mean?

Do I recommend seeing this movie?  Yes.

Movie Review: Love in the Afternoon

Love in the Afternoon.  This has to rank as one of Audrey Hepburn's worst movies.  I barely made it through the movie.  The most irritating moments in this movie were the musicians that constantly followed Frank Flannagan (Gary Cooper) around everywhere.  Though it is meant to be amusing, it just gets tiring after awhile.

Ariane Chavasse (Audrey Hepburn) is in college majoring in Music.  Her father, Claude Chavasse (Maurice Chevalier), is a private detective.  He is approached by a Monsieur X (John McGiver) who is convinced that his wife is having an affair with a middle-aged playboy, Frank Flannagan.

Ariane begins to track her father's research and becomes infatuated with Frank Flannagan.  She learns that Frank is having an affair with Monsieur X's wife.  She also learns that Monsieur X plans to take things into his own hands (he has a gun).  So she heads off to the hotel where she warns Frank about the impending danger.

Ariane and Frank then carry on a brief affair.  Then off he goes.  Do they eventually re-connect?

The major problem I had with this movie was the idea that Frank could woe Ariane.  If I did my math right, when this movie was released, Gary Cooper was 56 while Audrey Hepburn was 28.  That's a 28 year difference.  In reality, Frank looks 56 while Ariane looks like she is a 20 year-old college student, which makes the age gap look more like 36.  Of course, these romances do occur in real life, but it is not the norm.

Also, even though Frank is portrayed as a playboy via news clippings, it really never feels that way via his interactions with Ariane and his various other female lovers.  Instead, he appears to just be a well-mannered, wealthy individual who loves women, many that he probably shouldn't be wooing.  That hardly makes him a playboy in my mind (the women, yes; the lifestyle, no).

Unfortunately, for those Gary Cooper, Audrey Hepburn and Billy Wilder (director) fans out there, I think you can take a pass on this movie.

Down and Outlaws/Great White Buffalo/The Diamond Light at The Satellite

I was out of town for ten weeks due to work.  I did return on the weekends so I got to catch the occasional weekend music festival, but this was essentially my first time at a local music venue in a couple months.  Where did I decide to go?  I decided to head off to The Satellite.

Down and Outlaws.  This San Francisco band reminded me of Amnesia, a music venue up there.  The lead vocalist has a distinct pitched sound that gets the crowd dancing.  Of notice, their second to last song was beautifully improvised.  Pure rock.

Great White Buffalo.  Serious smooth rock beats along with earnest vocals had the gals standing right up next to the stage, singing the words to every song.  There was love in those eyes.  There was just this calm confidence throughout the 30 minute set.

The Diamond Light.  This band reminded me of a favorite band, The Lower 48, in terms of fashion.  The three band members came out in custom made suits.  And much like The Lower 48, they wore those suits with flair and tore into rock and roll.  Their sound blasts out like Marty McFly's head turning prom invasion.

A Movie Review: Gone Girl

Gone Girl. Nick Dunne (Ben Afflect) leaves his house and heads to a bar that he co-manages with his sister, Margo Dunne (Carrie Coon). The bar is owned by his wife, Amy Dunne (Rosamund Pike).  It is the day of his 5th wedding anniversary.  It doesn't take long to figure out that his marriage is on the rocks.  Nick and Margo quickly start blasting Amy.

Nick heads back home.  When he enters his home, he looks to the right.  A coffee table is smashed in the living room.  This doesn't look right.  He calls out for his wife.  There is no answer.  He quickly calls for the police.  Detective Rhonda Boney (Kim Dickens) and Officer Jim Gilpin (Patrick Fugit) show up.  Based on the evidence in the house, they declare Amy a missing person.

Via flashbacks we learn that Amy and Nick had a great three year run.  Then the aftermath of the Great Recession caught up with them and their marriage started a downhill trend.  Nick lost his job.  Amy's parents were very wealthy (part of the one percent), but they were in heavy debt and Amy's million dollar trust fund needed to get drained to cover that debt.  The last straw to there wonderful marriage was when Nick's mother came down with cancer.  They moved back to his small hometown, a situation that Amy just couldn't handle.    

The answer to what happened to Amy is answered by the middle of the movie, but that doesn't take away from the thrill of this movie.  Nick's character is complex.  He comes across as always being under control, but we start getting a different feel for him as the movie progresses.  He's prone to bursts of anger.  He has a thing for a hot young twenty one year old.  Amy, meanwhile, has subtle psychological issues, driven by her mother.  Her mother wrote a series of books called Amazing Amy that tracked Amy's life.  The problem was that Amazing Amy was way more successful than the real Amy was.

This movie has all the makings for a best picture nomination.  Great acting.  A story line that keeps you engaged.  And a nice toss to how society manipulates these situations.

My one problem:  There is a scene in the movie where Nick is in his house, getting ready for an interview.  Then there is another scene where he is at his sister's house.  Then we go back to where he is back in his house, moments before his interview.  I'm assuming that the scene at his sister's house is a flashfoward.  My problem is that this is the only time this technique is used and I think it causes a touch of confusion.  We're used to the flashbacks, but this one flashfoward seems out of place.  

 

A Movie Review: The Skeleton Twins

The Skeleton Twins. Maggie (Kristen Wiig) and Milo (Bill Hader) are twins. They’re known as the Skeleton Twins, driven by the fact that their father gave them toy skeletons when they were young. As the movie starts, they haven’t talked to each other in ten years. What brings them together is a hospital call. Milo has just attempted suicide in California. Maggie flies in from New York to be with her brother. She, in fact, was considering suicide when the call arrived. We also later learn that their father jumped off a bridge. There are some serious mental health issues within this family.

The complexities of this family just grow throughout the movie. We learn that Maggie and her husband, Lance (Luke Wilson), are attempted to have a baby. Well, only one of them is attempting to have a baby. The other, Maggie, is lying about this desire and is taking birth control pills. Meanwhile, Milo attempts to hook up with a former lover, Rich (Ty Burrell), who was his high school teacher at the time.

This movie feels like the comedic take on “August: Osage County.” Perhaps the big fail is that we don’t get to see Academy Award winning actresses going one on one. Add in a wacky mother, Judy (Joanna Gleason), and maybe this movie goes beyond “August: Osage County.” Luckily, we don’t have any incest going on in this movie.

Okay, sorry if it isn’t obvious, I’m not a fan of “The Skeleton Twins.” Yes, the acting is great. Yes, you do get drawn into the movie. My one minor problem with the movie throughout: you have Maggie trying to heal a mentally ill Milo while we all know that she’s just as mentally ill. My one major problem with the movie: the ending. You get this American feel good ending. Hey, I love the American feel good ending, but there is no way these two have even come close to solving their problems as the movie comes to an end and there is no way they deserve the American feel good ending.

Flashlights at The Crepe Place (Santa Cruz)

Flashlights.  I only caught the last couple songs.  As usually happens when I show up in the middle of a set, I ended up thinking:  I wish I had caught the whole set.  What can I say about the band:  high energy and fun.

 

PAWS playing The Crepe Place (Santa Cruz)

PAWS. They like things intimate, which worked perfectly in a location like The Crepe Place.  The crowd was pressed close, they themselves moved closer to the crowd.  That last sentence seems to contradict, but I think it works.

This band hails from Glasgow.  That's Scotland.  Yet, I couldn't help but think this band would be a big hit at The Smell (Los Angeles).  This band's music speeds you into hyper-energy.  Admittedly, in a tight space like The Crepe Place there wasn't much of a stage show, but when the bassist bangs his head against a hanging lamp and breaks a bass string (how often does that happen?) one can only imagine how awesome their stage shows must be at a larger venue.

For their last song, the drummer from Total Slacker set up his drum set and we got a thrill of seeing two drummers going at it.

They had fun with some puns.  Since The Crepe Place is a restaurant that serves crepes, they decided to come up with menu options such as The Crepes of Wrath.

Total Slacker at The Crepe Place (Santa Cruz)

Total Slacker. This past week marked five workweeks in the Santa Cruz area.  It took awhile, but I finally went out to explore the Santa Cruz local music scene.  The band I decided to see is Total Slacker.  They were playing at a local restaurant called The Crepe Place.  For some reason, the stage area reminded me of Casey's in Downtown Los Angeles.  Intimate, fashioned to make you think of a by-gone era and just off from the main dining area (or in the case of Casey's, the bar area).

Total Slacker is on tour, hailing from New York.  Their Facebook page describes their sound as slimegaze.  Elsewhere, it is described as garage pop and psychedelic rock.  I like psychedelic rock.  The band has a steady and prominent timed beat that seems to structure their sound.  And they have a cool fuzzy sound.

I was approached during a break between sets.  I was asked if I was taking photos for myself or someone else.  I replied I was taking photos for Total Slacker.  I asked if he happened to be the owner of The Crepe Place.  He said no and that he was just happy to see someone out doing photography in the Santa Cruz music scene.

          

My Movie Rankings: Summer 2014

Cream of the Crop -- Maybe even Oscar worthy.

Edge of Tomorrow
Begin Again
Boyhood
A Most Wanted Man

Solid -- They'll make you laugh, they'll hold your attention.

22 Jump Street
Chef
X-Men:  Days of Future Past
Dawn of the Planets of the Apes
Neighbors
Godzilla

Bad  -- Save your cash and your time.

Lucy
Maleficent

A Movie Review: Lucy

Lucy. Lucy starts her day in Taiwan with a bit of bad luck. A "friend" wants her to enter a hotel to deliver a briefcase. The briefcase is filled with a new powerful drug.  The individual she ends up delivering to is a powerful drug lord.  He decides that instead of immediately killing her upon delivery, he'll also use her as a drug mule.  A bag of the drug is put into her body.  The bag springs a leak and she overdoses.  Well, instead of dying from the overdose, the drug stimulates her brain to a much higher level.

I had problems with this movie.  I hated all the sidebars that indicates how Luc Besson views life.  For example, going back in time to view the first humans.  Or those moments when Lucy is interacting with her "friend" and we get inserts of an animal hunting for food in Africa.  Obviously, Lucy is the hunted.  Was this just a way to add 5 minutes to the movie so that you could get to 90 minutes?      

The Moth and the Flame at Tarfest

The Moth and the Flame. A tinge of the psychedelic presented by a band that looks like it would be very comfortable at a truck stop. Interestingly, they ended their set with a glorious melody driven song.