Capsules for 2008

Capsule reviews for movies released in the U.S. in 2008. Includes all the movies of 2008 I've seen that I did not write a full review for.

Be Kind Rewind
Director: Michel Gondry
Rating: 10/10
I love the recent Michel Gondry movies because they have mostly to do with the very primal urge to create and the creative process itself. Dave Chappelle's Block Party gave insight to comedy and stage performance, as well as documented the organizing of a spontaneous event; while The Science of Sleep highlighted how having a strong artistic side is equal parts joy and frustration, as it tends to correlate to having a social handicap. Gondry's latest movie, Be Kind Rewind, is more direct and simple -- it's an ode to finding one's creative side and the joys of being able to share one's creations with others. The movie's story is typically, eccentrically Gondry-esque: when Jack Black gets magnetized and erases all the VHS cassettes in the video store Mos Def is tending, they decide to recreate the movies by re-enacting them themselves and recording them. To their surprise, their versions, which they say are "Sweded," turn out to be hits in their little community and soon everyone wants to be a part of the process. The movie's definitely a fantasy in that creative enthusiasm isn't necessarily so infectious, but, with its wacky premise, it's already asking the viewer to run along with it. And if you do, you could get swept up in its scrappy, construction paper spirit. This movie is for anyone who's ever created their own movies, songs, books, and comics from whatever they could obtain, and it imagines a world where such creations are eagerly embraced. In this YouTube age, Gondry may be on to something, but I think it's more accurate to eschew the randomness that YouTube largely exposes, to understand a disciplined creative process (watch how the main characters direct their scenes, even in their nutty, desperate ways), and to revel in the concoctions that emerge. (added 7/11/2008)

Encounters at the End of the World
Director: Werner Herzog
Rating: 8/10
Encounters at the End of the World is the latest entry in Werner Herzog's line of investigative documentaries, wherein the filmmaker checks out people living unfamiliar and/or challenging ways of life and observes, documents, and comments upon his discoveries. These movies are often philosophical, investigating what drives people to go where they go and do what they do, especially if what they do wouldn't be perceived as "sane" or "normal" to your typical city-dwelling civilian. In this case, Herzog visits Antarctica and uncovers the special relationship the continent has to the men and women who live there. As usual, many fascinating observations can be made, such as a common thread that ties together the people who move to the icy south -- most of them don't fit well within the rules of civilization, and Antarctica becomes a kind of escape, a haven for them. For those who believe the continent has nothing but penguins, surprise comes from finding a "banal" settlement, as Herzog puts it, in the form of McMurdo Station, which has the amenities of a small town. This is contrasted with the natural wonders Herzog does indeed happen upon there; he once again makes image-gathering a priority, and here he adds to his collection of unique and alien sights and sounds. But mostly the film has a soft lament for this remote world, which is steadily losing its claim as one of the only locations on Earth that man has left little to no footprints on. While understanding what draws certain people to Antarctica, he shows how the population there, even as it consists mostly of scientists and explorers, adds to its natural evolving impermanence. Even the continent at the end of the world -- cold, remote, dangerous, and forbidding -- can not resist the erosion brought about by man's time on this planet. Seeing the movie becomes a method of understanding, of putting into perspective, our place and limited privilege on Earth. (added 7/11/2008)

My Blueberry Nights (2007; released in U.S. in 2008)
Director: Wong Kar Wai
Rating: 6/10
Wong Kar Wai puts Norah Jones on a trip across America in My Blueberry Nights, his first English-language film. The resulting movie is rather endearing, but also pretty corny. Much of the reason for this comes from the character concepts, starting with Elizabeth (Jones), who's simply a green soul who needs a little life experience under her belt. That's all right, but she runs into a former romantic (Jude Law) now settled with running a cafe; a jilted man (David Strathairn) who drinks his nights away while hoping that his wife (Rachel Weisz) will see him with loving eyes again; and a poker player (Natalie Portman) who's primary self-touted strength is in being able to read people. These are little life stories, but they feel quaint, almost dusty. Wong brings as much of his trademark to the table as he can, starting with his shot selections (e.g., characters off-center looking off to the side of the screen that they're in; shots through windows; use of clocks) and a rich, saturated color-palette (surprisingly all photographed by a new cinematographer, Darius Khondji, in place of Wong's usual partner-in-crime Christopher Doyle). The visuals are luscious but also labored, especially in the overuse of stuttered slo-mo, grasping for wispiness or profundity, one or the other. Maybe it feels less smooth because this technique is being applied to an actual linear story; usually, Wong's rich imagery is enhanced by his wandering narratives, and vice-versa. A straight script loses the director's elliptical appeal. Just the same, My Blueberry Nights offers enough of Wong's signature, particularly his preoccupation with the importance of timing and chance to form weight in temporal relationships, to make it a soft, sweet viewing -- consider it Wong lite. (added 8/1/2008)

Shine a Light
Director: Martin Scorsese
Rating: 7/10
Regardless of what Shine a Light is covering -- it happens to be a recent Rolling Stones concert (part of the "A Bigger Bang" tour) -- the film is a whirlwind demo of technical proficiency. It's recommendable on camera choreography and seamless editing alone, as Martin Scorsese uses over a dozen cameras to cover all angles and every possibility of tracking. Mick Jagger effectively has nowhere to hide as we follow him up and down the stage, seeing the expressions on his face and catching every pointing-to-the-audience arm gesture he makes. The technique is utilized for conveyence of energy -- the movie aims to duplicate the considerable energy in the experience of being there at the concert, and overall it's successful. But what about the subject matter itself? Yes, the Rolling Stones are old, and, yes, they can still rock -- that much is evident. The film is an ode to their longevity, as Jagger and company dynamo their way through their set, and Scorsese intersplices old interview footage which generally serves as ironic commentary on how long the band has lasted, considering, right from the start, they've been ripe for a major disruption for decades. But other than simply being a defiant paean for the idea that old guys don't have to retire if they love what they do and have the energy for it, Shine a Light lacks the edge that should be associated with the counterculture rockers. The Rolling Stones continue to rock their back catalog and are now only concerned with putting on a good show for their audience (observant fans have noticed they've even cleaned up a few lyrics). That this is rather predictable and expected somewhat deflates the triumph in their longevity -- the Stones roll on, but now at a speed at which they're OK with gathering moss. (added 8/4/2008)

©Jeffrey Chen, 2008

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