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Planetback Movies

November 4, 2008

Movie of the Week: “P.S. I Love You” 2007

If you’ve seen a million movies, like I have, then after a while all you want is something a little different.
Different scores big points. Ever since “Pulp Fiction” shook up the way Hollywood tells movies it
seems almost every other movie unfolds in an unconventional style, showing us not exactly the
present, not exactly the past, but a hodge podge of both as the story unwinds. “P.S. I Love You” is
told in much this way, jumping around from now to then as we learn the life story and love story of
Hilary Swank and Gerard Butler, and it pretty much works. It also has the courage to start out with a
scene that’s very, very long. Too long, you begin to think for a while. But then you quickly realize why
the scene is so long, why you’re being hit over the head with these characters.

It’s a good thing we learn about them early on because we end up spending a long time with them as
“P.S.” is one of those films that make the people the story. It must have been a back-breaker for
Swank as she’s in just about every single scene and, if like her from the outset, or perhaps grow to like
her as time goes by, you’ll probably have a good time with her as she explores the joy of love and
endures the unexplainable pain of loss. One of the best scenes is where she confronts mother –
played by the always good Kathy Bates – and sobs and sobs, simply explaining how hurt she is, how
much it sucks that what happened to her happened. It just is what it is and don’t try to make it
something else, she nearly says. Come to think of it, it’s a lot like the great scene with Timothy Hutton
and Judd Hirsch in “Ordinary People” when Hutton says “Just let me feel bad about this!” Yes, let him
and let her. When bad shit happens sometimes you gotta just feel like shit yourself, you just have to.

Another quality part of “P.S.” is a character played by Harry Connick, Jr. who is thrown into Swank’s
life, keeps getting pushed out, and tries to fight his way back in. If women spend 90 minutes relating
to what Swank is going through or maybe what her friends and family are going through then Connick
gives us guys a few moments to pump our fists and say “That’s what it’s like for us.” I would have liked
a few more moments from him, but you can’t have it all. And if you do have it all, it doesn’t last,
another “P.S.” lesson. If you want to see a movie that gives some honest insight to loneliness and loss
and the universal quest for love and acceptance – while wearing a nice wardrobe in a cool New York
apartment – then “P.S.” is worth a look. It might not help you find love, but you’ll have fun while
looking. -- TK

November 19, 2008

Movie of the Week: Zach and Miri Make a Porno -- 2008

Do you know someone who can get away with saying anything? They say rude, vulgar, politically
incorrect, obnoxious things but, unlike you and me, they get away with it without getting fired,
slapped, admonished or dumped. And not only do they get away with making profane and
shameless comments but they usually make people laugh. That is probably exactly why they get
away with saying the things they do. Kevin Smith must be one of those guys. Or at least, he
creates that type of persona when he sits down to write screenplays and goes behind the camera
to direct his movies.

I met Smith many years ago and he was a very quiet, respectful guy but once the camera goes
on, once the creative juices get flowing, he lets it all go and the result is always a bit shocking,
even in today’s movie world and it’s also almost always very funny. For his latest movie, “Zach
and Miri Make a Porno,” Smith has cast his perfect leading man for his loquacious, lascivious and
potty-mouthed alternative persona: Seth Rogen. The 26-year-old Rogen is the John Belushi of
our time – obnoxious, bombastic and unbelievably funny. He’s sort of like a Tickle Me Elmo doll
who’s downed six beers and hasn’t been with a woman in far too long. In fact, maybe that’s a gag
in “Zach and Miri” and I just don’t remember.

The result of the Smith and Rogen collaboration makes “Zach and Miri” one of the funniest and
foul-mouthed movies you’ll ever see. It’s crude, rude and lewd – and I couldn’t stop laughing. But
what really makes Zach and Miri work what sets it apart, in my very, very humble opinion, from
other comedies that drop the f-bomb constantly or aren’t afraid to offend us is that “Zach and
Miri,” like “The 40-Year-Old Virgin,” really does have a heart underneath that thick, lubricious
skin. And the heart of “Zach and Miri” is Elizabeth Banks. No, I’m not going to give Banks the
disservice of saying how beautiful she is and how she provides the cuteness and sweetness that
this movie needs, even though all of that is true. Because while Banks is beautiful she is also
extremely funny and manages just as well as Rogen, if not even better, when it comes to being
nasty. There are moments during “Zach and Miri” when I was actually thinking that Banks might
be a little too pretty for her role, but that’s not fair. No doubt her looks helped her get into the
movies but it’s her acting that’s keeping her around (she’s popping up everywhere these days) as
she conveys both a confidence and vulnerability that make you forget about how cute she is and
that can’t be easy, even in a comedy.

The plot of “Zach and Miri” is given away in the title. And since you know what it’s about, you
know a little bit about what to expect. Yes, they jump into the raunchy end of the pool from the
very beginning and keep us swimming in it for an hour and-a-half. There are a few times when
the profanity becomes a bit too much though I confess I was less turned off by the swearing as I
was by the double-negatives. Most of Kevin Smith’s characters are a strange hybrid of horny kid
and Rhodes Scholar. They all are crass but actually pretty smart, a point Smith probably wants to
convey about himself. But “Zach and Miri” has one or two characters who remain below the belt
and far from the library. But I’m probably being unfair. They were funny, so I guess it’s OK.

While “Zach and Miri” make filth their plaything for more than an hour, the movie then takes a bit
of a turn and that, like Banks’ performance, separates it from the foul-mouthed pack. The
characters in Zach and Miri’s world regard sex and their sexual partners as nothing to be shy or
self-conscience about. They talk about sex, the prospect of sex, the memory of sex, genitals, and
bodily functions the way the rest of us might talk about sports or food. It’s nothing to them,
therefore it’s everything to them, preoccupying them constantly. Yet there comes a critical point
in the movie when sex is being employed in its crudest form that it actually begins to transform
some of these brazen bimbos. In a very strange way it wouldn’t surprise me if someone of
puritanical tastes likes “Zach and Miri” because, if they can last to this point in the movie, it
actually dares to make the point that sex really is something special. Or perhaps, it’s special
when the person is special. The characters in “Zach and Miri” are looking for constant pleasure
but they’re also looking for reassurance and would probably shyly admit after a few drinks that
what they’re really looking for is love…..maybe I’m wrong, but it doesn’t really matter. Because
with a comedy it’s the number of laughs that count along the way not where you find yourself at
the end. But finding yourself with someone who makes you smile, even when you’re not laughing,
is a pretty nice fate. -- TK

January 3, 2009

Movie of the Week: The Wrestler -- 2008

There are many terrific movies which vividly convey emotional pain but few films also make us feel physical
pain, almost literally. “The Wrestler” does this. The short explanation of the movie is that Mickey Rourke
plays a has-been professional wrestler who is trying desperately to hang on to his career and reclaim some
dignity. After years of beating up guys in the ring and getting beaten up himself his body is broken down and
about to give out. And for Rourke’s character, his body is his life. Not just because he’s a performer whose
craft is based on his strength, agility and looks but because outside the ring he has failed at everything that
he doesn’t need his muscles for. He has failed to be a good father, husband and friend.

And so, if the body is gone he will have nothing else which gives “The Wrestler” some of its most touching
scenes as we witness Rourke’s character, Randy “The Ram” Robinson trying to lift weights, tan his body
and maintain the 1980’s era facade of the modern day superstar who is as much glitter as he is gladiator.
Matching him in this pursuit is Marisa Tomei, another actor perfectly cast in her role as a stripper who is still
beautiful but knows the days of making a living off her body are numbered. They are two attractive people in
the twilight, Rourke dimmed by his personal failures, Tomei lessened by the harsh standards men have
regarding female beauty. One of the most beautiful scenes in the film is when we see the two of them meet
during the day, away from the brutality of the wrestling ring and saddening faux-carnality of a strip club. They
are just two normal looking people on a dreary day. And they look great.

Most of us will never know greatness or fame. All of us know heartache. And all of us grow old and look in
the mirror and say, “what happened?” And here’s where I’m supposed to write the line that when we do
look in the mirror and ask that question what we’re really asking is not what happened to our bodies, but to
our lives. Well yes, that’s probably true. But our bodies are pretty important, too. And “The Wrestler” is a
classic study in how much it hurts to have a body that lived better than it should have and is now grinding to
a halt.

Darren Aronofsky directs this film in a documentary kind of style that pulls off something quietly spectacular:
it shows the viewers things they have probably never seen before but makes them achingly familiar. And
Robert Siegel’s screenplay also endeavors into the courageous by not trying to give us dialogue ripped from
the pages of Shakespeare or a thesaurus but instead creates characters who speak the way we expect
them to but do so with a unique voice. The story is fiction but the people are real and so is the pain. Take
pity on those who once were great. Take pity on those athletes who hobble off the field to the roars of the
crowd. Take pity on the gorgeous women who no longer turn heads. Remember how beautiful they were.
Remember the moments they gave us. That’s what “The Wrestler” does. It dips into the moments and
sprinkles them with heavy metal music, cigarette smoke, perfume, beer and, ultimately, lonely silence. -- TK

January 17, 2009

Movie of the Week: Defiance – 2009

How many movies have been made about World War II? It’s almost impossible to know. A Wikipedia
entry tallies nearly 100 this decade alone. It’s a good bet we’ll never get tired of movies about that war, a
conflict so awful, widespread and incomprehensible – yet also heroic, inspiring and uniting – the stories
just never stop.

Having said that, I am not aware of any World War II movies which tackled the specific subject matter
addressed in “Defiance.” The movie starring Daniel Craig and Liev Schreiber tells the story of two
brothers in Russia who led the “Bielski Brigade,” a group who fought against the Nazis in World War II
and saved hundreds of Jewish people who were being persecuted and would have almost certainly
been killed if not for the Bielskis’ heroics. I’m a little ashamed to admit I knew nothing of the Bielski
Brigade before seeing the movie but in some ways ignorance was helpful as most movies are best
absorbed with a completely clean sponge. Just watch. And “Defiance” is worth watching. Probably
twice.

What makes “Defiance” so good – besides the piercing glares from Daniel Craig which tell you in no
uncertain terms that whatever this man is doing is serious business – is its pacing. This is war. This is
imminent danger every single day. The Bielskis and the people who join them are never a day, or
perhaps a moment, from being discovered as they huddle in the woods and try not to freeze or starve
while also trying to maintain order and dignity. And just like someone hiding in the trees – cold, scared,
desperate - director Edward Zwick never lets us relax for long before hitting us with death and conflict
both from outside and from within.

It is these internal conflicts the Bielskis go through which are the most honest, truthful parts of the film as
those who are resisting the Nazis – and fellow Russians who have turned on their countrymen - have to
struggle not to become as hateful and murderous as those who are after them. Could you do it?
“Defiance” throws this question at us, time and time again. And, courageously, it lets us see that the
answer is sometimes both yes and no. Imagine living in the forest in the middle of winter like an animal
and a member of an invading army which had driven you from your home and killed your mother, your
father, your friends and others was suddenly in your midst. Imagine the soldier from this invading army
looking as terrified as you have been for months or years. Imagine the soldier, unarmed and pathetic
looking, begging for his life, telling you he has a wife and children back home and he never meant to hurt
anyone but he was only doing what he was told to do, forced to do. Imagine your neighbors and friends
who have been living in the cold hell with you closing in on this defenseless man begging for his life.
What would you do?

I won’t tell you what happens, not only because I don’t like to spoil but also because in a sense, what
happens to this man’s life almost doesn’t matter, as horrible as that sounds. But for moviegoers, for the
vast majority of us who, hopefully, will never be in such a situation, it’s the question that matters more.
Because only in the question do we truthfully engage the conflict of hanging on to our humanity when life
is trying desperately to tear it from our cold, weak, hunger-plagued hands.

Like any movie based on true events we know what we’re seeing on screen cannot possibly be exactly
how it happened. But that doesn’t matter. “Defiance” is a movie with a beginning, middle and ending
and, as a movie, as a story, it engages us through the heart and the mind for two hours and then, as you
walk away from it – especially on a cold, winter night – it won’t let go of your heart or your head. It keeps
saying to you that some things must never leave us. -- TK

February 11, 2009

Movie of the Week: “Wendy and Lucy” – 2008

If you see “Wendy and Lucy” try and do so on an empty stomach. Know what hunger feels like while you’re
watching this movie. Perhaps it’s better that you see it alone, too, with possibly no money in your pocket. This is
not to suggest the movie needs outside help to convey its power. Actually what makes “Wendy and Lucy” such a
good movie is that it relies on practically nothing outside of the power of the story and the strength of its
characters. Was there a soundtrack in this movie? I don’t remember and – while music is great – it’s a good
thing to see a movie and not remember the music, it really is.

“Wendy and Lucy” is the story of a young woman played by Michelle Williams who isn’t having a whole lot of luck.
She is looking for a job and doesn’t have many allies besides her best friend in the world – her dog, Lucy. Anyone
who has ever been out of work can tell you that being jobless can be a vicious attack on one’s dignity and feeling
of self-worth. But while those things are very real the most difficult aspect of not working is that – unless you’re
extremely lucky – you’re probably not making money and are seeing what money you have disappear like quickly
melting snow. This might sound overwhelmingly obvious but what “Wendy and Lucy” pounds home in very
simplistic, real and thus extremely dramatic, tear-jerking terms, is that while someone who’s down on their luck
financially could use someone to talk to, or might benefit from spiritual guidance, it is not their self-esteem that
needs a boost, it’s their bank account. They need a job.

Michelle Williams’ character doesn’t have money but she doesn’t lack dignity. Rather, she is one of the more
dignified, three-dimensional characters you’ll ever see on a movie screen. We want to see Wendy succeed
because we not only care for her as a person but also, as the film goes on, we become increasingly intrigued as
to what this woman would be like if she were in a better situation. We’re also forced to contemplate how she
came to be in the situation she’s in. Who do you blame for your troubles? Who should Wendy blame? Perhaps
the only answer is it doesn’t matter. When troubles become your own, you have to confront them head-on and
make difficult, perhaps gut-wrenching, decisions.

Kelly Reichardt and Jonathan Raymond’s barebones script for “Wendy and Lucy” provides us with all that a movie
needs – realistic characters in a vital situation. And Reichardt’s direction seamlessly melds the characters with
their situation. We never think these people don’t belong where they are, even while we’re wishing they could be
somewhere better. We forget that Michelle Williams is Michelle Williams. This is to her credit – she’s great in this
one – but owes just as much to the story and the shots. Oh yeah, “Wendy and Lucy” has one more wonderful
thing – Will Patton. Do they give lifetime Oscars to outliers who are always weird and scary yet cool? They
should. – TK