Trash Humpers

January 8, 2011

Trash Humpers (2010) ****
Directed by Harmony Korine

My tweet:

Trash Humpers (2010)- Performance art that's a brutal condemnation of those choosing to consume hatred and live as hypocrites. **** out of 5

Other thoughts:

Harmony Korine has always been the kind of filmmaker that won't appeal to mass audiences. Though I hear Gummo and Julien Donkey-Boy are both tough sits, I can't imagine anything he has made or will ever make being as alienating as Trash Humpers, a movie that probably deserves to be described as performance art more than as a movie. It plays like the viewer has found an old VHS tape on the side of the road and watched it only to find seemingly incoherent acts of depravity. Yet, Harmony Korine isn't a filmmaker devoid of ideas whose only purpose is to shock an audience. He's unapologetically condemning those in America who promote hate while hypocritically cloaking themselves in normalcy and moral superiority.

Anyone who claims that Trash Humpers makes no sense is flat out wrong. Some characters are given the opportunity to ramble on, and almost always, these ramblings involve homophobic jokes and racial slurs. At one point, a man wearing a french maid's dress is reciting poetry while our three main characters, donning facial makeup to make them look elderly, throw firecrackers on the roof of what looks like a parking garage while cackling at his words. The next scene, we see that man lying in a pool of his own blood in the middle of a kitchen floor.

Harmony Korine has dealt with those people society sees as freakish in every film he has directed. One of my favorite movies of the decade is Mister Lonely, written and directed by Korine, which is the story about a Michael Jackson impersonator who goes to live on a commune with a bunch of other celebrity impersonators. It's there where he finally feels like he belongs, yet even that world is one of hardships and disappointments, especially for the Marilyn Monroe impersonator, played wonderfully by Samantha Morton. Trash Humpers spews venom at those people who would dismiss those who live in that commune (or anyone else for that matter) as less than they are.

The imagery speaks for itself in this regard. At one point, the elderly trio laugh non-stop at a chubby eight year-old boy attempting to shoot a basketball over and over again only to miss reaching the rim by at least a foot. As the title suggests, they have an odd fixation with garbage and garbage cans. They abuse dolls, while later in the film, the female elderly woman sings a real baby to sleep while tenderly strolling her in a baby carriage. They destroy televisions, pummel radios and defile mailboxes. All of this imagery clearly supports Korine's thesis that people who think they are better than he is need only look at the quality of their choices of consumption.

As a film by a filmmaker speaking out for those without a voice in our society, Trash Humpers works very well, though I doubt that anyone who needs to hear this message will seek it out and actually sit through it. Yet, as a work meant to offend and provoke, I don't think Korine succeeds quite as effectively as he think he has. Knowing the kind of film I was about to watch, I was on guard against being shocked, and as such, not once was I offended or really all that repulsed by what I was seeing. It's impossible to really engage with anyone or anything on screen, and as such, we're not witnessing human beings interacting with other human beings. Every character involved is as much of an object as the many trash cans that are utilized in unique ways. Therefore, it's all too easy to keep this movie and its message at an arms' length. Trash Humpers certainly has the audacity to be transgressive, but its execution sadly never quite gets there.

There are seeds of hate within the conservative revival that continues to dominate our nation. Fox News and Glenn Beck are winning daily in the ratings, and many of their viewers are elderly. Korine's not giving anyone a pass when he holds a mirror up to the freakishness of the beliefs by which bigots structure their lives. Of course, not everyone who calls himself or herself a conservative is a bigot, and Trash Humpers isn't aiming at those who can tolerate people different than they are. All I know is that I hope Korine never makes a documentary condemning the way I live my life. Though, if the objects of Korine's scorn in Trash Humpers are any indication, I probably wouldn't end up paying attention to his movie about me in the first place.

The (Pretty Much) Final Five Films from 2009 I'll See

January 8, 2011

Walt & El Grupo (2009) **1/2
Directed by Theodore Thomas

My tweet:

Walt & El Grupo (2009)- Should have been a short doc. This story showcasing three months is languidly stretched out. **1/2 out of 5

Other thoughts:

One of the things I needed Walt & El Grupo to prove to me is the benefit of "good will" excursions. It didn't. By the end of this documentary about the three months Walt Disney and friends spent in South America as World War II was in its early stages, there's a flimsy argument made that this trip helped deliver an image of South Americans as fun and friendly back to the United States while also showing those in South America that the United States truly cared about them and their interests. Another somewhat irrelevant point was made as well. After the labor strike at Disney following the success of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Disney himself was going through a very difficult time, and it was this trip which got him through, allowing him to continue one of the all time great careers in Hollywood history. I'm not buying the truth of either argument, especially because they're presented in the most one-sided way possible. This movie feels like something produced solely for the Disney family archives, showcasing Walt Disney as a singularly jovial ambassador finding glee within other cultures. Worse even than all the patronizing on display is the fact that this documentary is so damn boring, and this is coming from someone who absolutely loves learning about the history of film. Letters are read, and montages of photographs with Latin music are doled out. Little time is given to the cartoons that resulted from Disney's experiences on this trip, the most notable one being The Three Caballeros. There's not enough insight from the talking heads who mostly consist of children and grandchildren of Disney and his diplomatic posse. There's simply not enough importance for this stuff to work as a two hour long documentary. The subject matter of Walt & El Grupo is exactly the sort for which the short documentary genre exists.

Afterschool (2009) ***
Directed by Antonio Campos

My tweet:

Afterschool (2009)- Despite jejune moments and a cynical naivety, there are enough thought provoking questions to carry this film. ***/5

Other thoughts:

Afterschool is too much like Paranoid Park, and considering that Paranoid Park was my favorite movie of 2008, the fact that it's not nearly as good is especially troublesome for me. Campos employs experimental editing and cinematography in order to try and capture the hell that is high school. In that vein, Afterschool is also similar to Gus Van Sant's Elephant, another better film. All three films deal with young people responsible for brutal deaths, and with Paranoid Park and Afterschool specifically, these deaths allow adult audiences to connect with the elevated stakes with which all of adolescence is imbued. Again, had I not felt like I have seen this exact sort of thing before in Paranoid Park, I might have appreciated Afterschool that much more, considering the appropriateness of the allegory. Afterschool focuses on an angry and troubled young high school boy in a boarding prep school administered by adults that care only about the image of the school and not about the students. Herein lies another problem with Afterschool. The cynicism of the screenplay comes through all too loud and clear, making the characterizations of the adults especially naive. The boy must deal with his internal struggles with sex and violence while he's trapped in a world where he's experiencing both for the first time without being equipped to handle any of it. He's asked to edit a memorial video for twin senior girls who seemingly died of drug overdoses. To make matters worse, the boy was the only one in the room when they died. He deals with disappointment after disappointment until he finally acts out and we're left to wonder whether or not he's moved beyond the point of no return into a world where innocence is truly a thing of the past. There are enough interesting sequences at play that I do recommend the film on its artistic value alone, but I'm still troubled by the fact that Afterschool is biting off the innovations of Paranoid Park. If you're going to copy the blueprint of another film, at least match its quality. Next time, Campos better come up with his own voice. I think he has it in him.

(Untitled) (2009) ***
Directed by Jonathan Parker

My tweet:

(Untitled) (2009)- Well-acted with some great laughs, but it never really rises above the intellectual-lite that it parodies. *** out of 5

Other thoughts:

(Untitled) is a comedy that elicits huge laughs when the experimental non-tonal band plays a brutal, pretentious cacophony and calls it art. It's the sort of "art" that's so jarring and discordant that just about everyone will see it as worthless. Unfortunately, the rest of the film relies less on visual and aural gags, instead focusing on droopy dialogue and pseudo-philosophizing on the meaning of art to keep us invested and entertained. (Untitled) certainly isn't bad. It's just not nearly as smart as it think it is or needs to be to really sell the subject matter.

A Christmas Carol (2009) ***
Directed by Robert Zemeckis

My tweet:

A Christmas Carol (2009)- Classic story told well, but technology still washes out emotions. Too many chase sequences for Dickens. *** of 5

Other thoughts:

My biggest problem with Zemeckis' CGI follow up to A Christmas Carol is the fact that there are way too many chase scenes for a film based on a Charles Dickens' novel. When whole sequences are included just to show off 3D technology, then we know that a better job could have been done with the film's narrative. Though he's able to contort his face in impressive ways, Jim Carrey's vocal work is perhaps a bit too earnest for its own good, and the technology still leaves a lot to be desired especially if we're expected to care whether or not characters are actually emoting. Overall, though, A Christmas Carol is still one of the great morality tales ever written, and Zemeckis provides some truly gorgeous and frightening moments. There are better adaptations of Dickens' classic out there; however, this one (just barely) gets a pass.

Paris 36 (2009) ****
Directed by Christophe Barratier

My tweet:

Paris 36 (2009)- A wonderfully rich story with likable characters. Visually stunning. Historical metaphor doesn't quite work though. ****/5

Other thoughts:

Paris 36 is trying to be both a backstage drama and a political allegory for France right before World War II. As a look at a group of underdogs reviving a theater called Paris 36, this movie is really pretty wonderful; however, as a metaphor of politics and history, not so much. It's the story of an out of work father who loses custody of his accordion-playing son to his estranged wife. In order to prove that he can be a stable father, he attempts to revive a run down vaudevillian theater to its splendor. Of course, with no money, it's not an easy task. He's accompanied in his mission by some loyal performers who unfortunately have troubles of their own. Add into the equation the fact that the Paris 36 posse is not on the good side of a local Nazi who runs the town like the head of the mob, and the road to theatrical success is not an easy one to navigate. With everything awful going on in the world, though, people need escape, and thus, the charming staging of some of the musical numbers and the talent of the performers are enough to fill the seats slowly but surely. The song "Lion de Paname" was nominated for an Oscar, and though no single song stands out, this is a backstage movie that I prefer over both La Vie en Rose and Me and Orson Welles. Paris 36 deserves to find a bigger audience.

Pinocchio

January 2, 2011

Pinocchio (1940) *****
Various Directors

My tweet:

Pinocchio (1940)- Walt Disney's masterpiece. More sophisticated than Snow White. The high point of the entire animated film genre. *****/5

Other thoughts:

Pinocchio is quite possibly the best animated film I've seen, and it's quite possibly the best animated film ever made. After the monstrous success of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Disney used its table winnings and bet it all on animation, characterization, vocal performances, a score and a story all more sophisticated than its predecessor. It was a more naive time in Hollywood back then, and as such, the thought was that the box office will be even better if Pinocchio was of a better quality. Though not a financial failure, Pinocchio proved that this new concept of an animated feature film was not going to be endlessly profitable without a keen eye on market research. Considering that Disney workers went on strike due to unfair treatment by studio heads shortly after Pinocchio's release also helped check the arrogance of a bunch of young men high on the potent drug of the success of Snow White in 1937.

Snow White is a wonderful film, but its vocal work leaves a bit to be desired. Also, the animation of the human beings are too literal, which is still the case with the Blue Fairy in Pinocchio. Disney animators would film real life people and sketch animation on top of the film, resulting in a kind of primitive rotoscoping which makes the animation look way too stifled. This time around, especially when considering the characters of Geppetto and Stromboli, humans become true cartoons, and thus they feel truly part of the world of Jiminy Cricket, the wooden Pinocchio, Lampwick and Gideon. Pinocchio demonstrates a huge step forward technically, but it's also so much more fun to watch than Snow White as well.

The opening song, "When You Wish Upon a Star," sung by Cliff Edwards, is so majestic. While listening to his vocals, one can't help but be transported to a peaceful world full of dreams fulfilled. Then we're introduced to Jiminy Cricket, a wise cracking narrator who serves as our gateway into the world of Pinocchio. We love to be in his company, and we join him in his quest to guide the often gullible wooden boy to a life of virtue in order to prove that he's worthy of becoming a real boy. The opening sequence with the clocks sets the stage for the kind of spectacularly meticulous whimsy we'll see over and over again even among the movie's darkest moments.

The story structure proves to be more episodic than most Disney animated films, which makes sense considering that Pinocchio was originally written as a serial story in a children's literary journal in the 19th century. Venturing out from the safety of Geppetto's home, Pinocchio encounters foxes on his way to school, performs for Stromboli, escapes, visits Pleasure Island, ventures under the sea, gets swallowed by a whale and finally ends up back at home with Geppetto for the film's inspirational conclusion. Granted, this perhaps isn't Disney's most logically cohesive output, but like the great films of Miyazaki, the visuals and the characters are meant to be enough to keep audiences invested.

A handful of iconic sequences help propel Pinocchio to the pantheon of great animated feature movies, not the least of which is the clock sequence mentioned earlier. Pinocchio's performance of "I Got No Strings" is a darkly ironic one considering that he's at the mercy of the terrifyingly effective Stromboli while in captivity. The Pleasure Island scene is a deeply cynical look at the worst of humanity. So many are truly damned because of their lives without a conscience. In many ways, the movie Pinocchio is aggressively moralizing, but it's done not by condemning the viewer, but by emphasizing the dangers and effects of a life led astray. When the donkey boys are screaming in agony, it's enough to send shivers down our spines. Also, do scenes come more visually stunning than the sequences at the bottom of the ocean and inside the belly of the whale? Sixty years later, Disney/Pixar would perfect undersea animation with Finding Nemo, but this first attempt isn't too far off. Back then, Pinocchio's animators had to establish many rules themselves, and they didn't have the assistance of computers. The fruits of their labors are singularly astonishing.

Advances continue to be made in animation even today, so by saying that Pinocchio is the high point of the animated film genre, that doesn't mean that later films aren't more technically sophisticated. It does mean, however, that no other animated film in history is as visually striking and narratively sublime at once. Also, Pinocchio still feels virtually as modern today as it was back in 1940. Snow White is the greater historical achievement; Pinocchio is the better movie, hands down.

Best Films of 2010 So Far

January 2, 2011

Note: This top five is based on the 2010 releases that I saw up to and including Rabbit Hole.

2010 was an interesting year for film. I've only seen 50 so far, and I have over 100 more that have captured my interest. Many have decried this past year as a weak year for film overall, and despite the fact that I've seen some really excellent movies, I tend to agree. There were few films that really caught on with both critics and audiences alike.

The five best films out of the fifty 2010 releases I've seen at this point are all absolutely fantastic movies that I wholeheartedly recommend! Unfortunately, I'm not sure if there are all that many other excellent films remaining that I have left to see. I do hope so, but after following the critical response to the films of 2010 closely, I think I might have seen most of the best of the best that's out there.

Here are the best films of 2010 so far:

5. 127 Hours

James Franco gives a richly nuanced performance in Danny Boyle's tricky film about the true story of Aron Ralston, an outdoor enthusiast who gets his arm stuck under a rock in a crevasse. Eventually, he must do the unthinkable to survive, which probably makes you think that it's going to be a certain type of movie. 127 Hours is never simple and never conventional. It's frenetic and brilliant.

4. Carlos

At five and a half hours, Carlos delivers not only the heft but also the entertainment with this bloody biopic about famed terrorist dedicated to the Palestinian cause who was known the world over as Carlos the Jackal. As the title character, Edgar Ramirez is a wonder to behold, delivering a performance in many different languages that many have compared to some of the best work of Marlon Brando. Olivier Assayas' ambition resulted in one of the great movie going experiences of my life. Sure, by saying that, I'm primarily referring to the accomplishment of sitting through such a long film, but the fact that it's one of the best films of the year makes the memory that much sweeter.

3. A Prophet

Jacques Audiard's French film Un Prophete is magical in more ways than one. It's a prison gangster film unlike any other in either the prison or gangster film genres. It's the story of a teenager who rises up the ranks within the walls of a jail. Tahar Rahim's character Malik is a changed man by the end, and that transformation requires him to act in ways he couldn't even imagine before his arrest. A Prophet is a glorious achievement. It's not always easy to witness what we see on screen, but it's absolutely worth it.

2. The Social Network

Aaron Sorkin pens the best screenplay of the year, and I'm not kidding when I say that the dialogue within might be among the best in film history. David Fincher beautifully directs a cynical examination of the founding of Facebook and the disintegration of the modern relationship due to the ways we now interact socially through the internet. Anchored by a pitch-perfect performance by Jesse Eisenberg, The Social Network moves with such rapid fire energy that audiences are left breathless not only by the cruelty displayed but also by the momentum and energy of everyone involved in what I truly believe could become the movie of a generation.

1. Exit Through the Gift Shop

I've seen so many movies in the past few years that it's really something when one stays with me long after I see it. Exit Through the Gift Shop is a documentary that will not allow its audience to understand exactly what it's trying to do. In part, it's a fascinating look at the movement of "street art" which has become quite famous in the last few years. It's also a look at the accomplishment of an artist whose persona may have been fabricated for the film--or maybe not. Of course, we're left with larger questions exploring the meaning of art and our relationship with our own consumption. Be warned that if you see this film, you will be manipulated, but it might just open your eyes to ways you're manipulated in life that you never thought of before. Yet, even with all of its philosophical undercurrents, what helps make Exit Through the Gift Shop the best film of the year so far is the fact that it's the most entertained I was in the movie theater in a 2010 film. The sequence at the Disney theme park will have you on the edge of your seat. Exit Through the Gift Shop works in every way imaginable, and considering that it's available right now on DVD and Netflix Instant, see it!

Honorable Mentions:

Fish Tank, Greenberg, The Secret in their Eyes, Toy Story 3, Inception, Mother, Temple Grandin, Rabbit Hole

And the very worst film of 2010 so far is:

The Good Heart

Brian Cox gives it his all, but even he can't help this absolutely terrible one-dimensional excuse for melodrama. Written and directed by Dagur Kari, The Good Heart is the tale of a homeless man, played by Paul Dano in a terribly mannered performance, taken in by a cantankerous bar owner recovering from a heart attack. Dano is gentle and idealistic, while Cox is nasty and cynical. Their opposing natures change the other, and all the while, a duck lives in a cage inside their bar. Something happens because of that duck which had me wanting to throw my cat at the television screen. The dialogue goes beyond clunky, and the ducky twist at the end is among the worst endings of any movie I've seen. The Good Heart, though well-intentioned, is a cliche-ridden disaster.