Movie Rant: Should Some Movies Be Exempt from Serious Film Criticism?

When I got together with a friend of mine a couple of weeks back we felt like watching an older film -- something light and fun, nothing heavy. Neither of us had seen Benny & Joon (1993), nor did we even know the premise. But, it had a young Johnny Depp so we figured it couldn't be that bad.

The premise: Benny (Aidan Quinn) has lived with his younger sister, Joon (Mary Stuart Masterson) ever since their parents died when they were young. Although Benny and Joon are old enough to live in their own separate apartments, Benny continues to live with his mentally ill sister both as a protective measure and out of necessity (or so he thinks). When Benny loses a strange bet to one of his friends, he is forced to bring an eccentric young man named Sam (Johnny Depp) into his household. Uncomfortable expressing himself through words, Sam instead makes his feelings known through brilliantly imitated routines from old Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton films. When Sam and Joon form a romantic bond, Benny starts to experience jealousy about his sister's growing independence from him.

While reading up on the film afterward I noticed that audiences and critics alike were pretty divided about their opinions. Some took it for what it was -- a sweet little distraction that was never meant to be taken as high quality cinema -- while others lambasted it as an empty and contrived film that reduced mental illness to a trivial character trait. Film critic Desson Thomson of The Washington Post commented on Rotten Tomatoes: "Riddled with insufferable contrived zaniness ...it deals as deeply with mental illness as The Sound of Music explored the genocidal advance of the Third Reich." Yikes, I say. It got me thinking about film criticism and how, every once and awhile, it's simply okay to thoroughly enjoy a film without damning it for not being high-calibre cinema. I completely disagree with Thomson's comment and it made me think about films that I may have reviewed in the past that I maybe shouldn't have taken so seriously and criticized so harshly.

Joon (Masterson) and Sam (Depp). 

For the record, I loved Benny & Joon. Really, really loved it. It's one of those fun, light, feel-good movies that leaves you feeling better about everything. Yes, the script is a little sugary at times and, sure, it does overdo it on the quirkiness factor. However, I think there are certain movies that should get a pass when it comes to hardcore film criticism. Movies like Benny & Joon don't profess to be Oscar-calibre masterpieces packed with worldly insight into great matters. It's entertainment; a distraction that just so happens to have really lovely performances from the whole cast (especially Depp, who was nominated for a Golden Globe for his role). As Roger Ebert said in his favourable review of the film: "The movie suggests that love and magic can overcome mental illness and, at least for the length of the film, I was prepared to accept that. Much of the credit goes to Depp, who takes a character who may have seemed unplayable on paper, and makes him into the kind of enchanter who might be able to heal Joon." Here's Ebert, arguably the most famous film critic working today, and he responded favourably to Benny & Joon, despite its numerous flaws.

The audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes is at 85%, which is incredibly positive. The critical rating is lower, at 73% -- but that's still not too bad. Overall, it would seem the majority of people enjoyed the film. That being said, I'm sure everyone will agree that it's not exactly anywhere near one of the greatest films over made -- but it did what it set out to do; entertain.

I know there are a lot of people out there who hate film critics and think they shouldn't exist. I know people personally who say that it's one of the most useless occupations because it ultimately has little influence as to whether or not a person winds up seeing a certain film. While this may be true to a certain extent, I'm of the opinion that all art forms should be fairly criticized so that they can be discussed and studied. How else will we learn to form opinions, share our ideas and talk about popular culture without art criticism, in all its forms?

So, I guess my question to you is: Should some movies be exempt from serious film criticism? Or, if not exempt completely, should they be rated differently than certain higher quality films?

Movie Review: Super 8

Super 8 (2011)
Directed By: J.J. Abrams
Starring: Joel Courtney, Elle Fanning, Kyle Chandler and Ron Eldard

This film has been hyped as E.T. meets The Goonies -- and this is precisely one of the biggest problems with Super 8, the big budget blockbuster produced by Steven Spielberg and directed by Lost creator, J.J. Abrams. It's trying to be too many things at once and, ultimately, the end result is one big mess of a film.

Set in a fictional Ohio town in 1979, the film opens with the revelation that young Joe (Joel Courtney) has lost his mother in a freak accident at her place of work. Four months later, he's slowly moving on with his life and preparing to enter a kids short film contest with his three best buddies, led by "director" Charles (Riley Griffiths). Using Super 8 technology to film a zombie movie, the boys recruit Alice (Elle Fanning) to play the lone female role in an attempt to add a little emotional depth to the film. Joe and Alice aren't supposed to hang out together, though, as Joe's father, Jackson (Kyle Chandler) blames Alice's father, Louis (Ron Eldard) for his wife's accident. But the two feuding father's are inevitably thrown together when Joe, Alice and their friends witness an epic train crash in the middle of the night and get caught up in the government's cover-up of a really messy, loud, unseen creature.

The first half of Super 8 is enjoyable and holds a lot of potential -- but it just never delivers on the thrills it promises. The film is enveloped in nostalgia and, if nothing else, Abrams paid great attention to detail when it came to the setting and overall atmosphere. It felt like those 1970s Spielberg hits like Jaws and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. And, with the exception of a couple of modern words kids weren't likely saying in 1979 ("douche", anyone?), Super 8 is ultimately an homage to those classic summer blockbusters from back in the day. It would seem that everything would be headed in the right direction for this to be the major hit of the summer. However, Abrams tries to make Super 8 too many different things at once and, unlike Spielberg, he's unable to pull it off successfully.

Chandler, Courtney, Fanning and Eldard in Super 8.

One of the biggest disappointments is the "big reveal" of the creature that is terrorizing this small Ohio town. The whole first half of the film leaves you anxious to find out what exactly this creature wants and what it is capable of. Abrams builds tension by not letting the viewer know what direction the movie is headed in. But, once we hit the halfway mark, all of that goes downhill. Not only are the viewers left knowing very little about the creature, but when you do actually get to see it, you're likely going to wish that you hadn't. It's a combination of really laughable CGI and one of the worst "kid meets creature" scenes you are ever likely to see. Abrams doesn't pull off emotional cheese quite like Spielberg and Super 8 suffers because of it. The whole second half of the film, specifically the final 20 minutes, are painful to watch. The end result is that it's less of an homage to monster flicks and Spielberg epics and more of a major disappointment.

Unlike other uneven Hollywood blockbusters, watching Super 8 steadily decline in quality as the film progresses is harder to watch simply because it had started off with so much potential. There's a really, really great film in there somewhere, but it gets lost and muddled by a script that wants to be too many different things at once.

The strongest feature of the film? The cast. Newcomer Joel Courtney is a wonderfully natural young actor and he's more than capable of carrying the entire film on his tiny shoulders. It's safe to say we'll be seeing more of him in the future. Then there's Elle Fanning, an incredible actress and arguably the best performer under the age of 18 working in Hollywood today. She's all natural grace and charisma and her portrayal of Alice is that of a young woman on the verge of becoming an adult -- she still retains her childlike wonder while channeling her anger, frustration and loss as well as any adult would. The other young child actors are all excellent, especially Riley Griffiths as the bossy and hilarious director of the zombie flick. Kyle Chandler and Ron Eldard do the best they can with their two underwritten roles as the father's of the main protagonists (you keep hoping to see more a connection between Jackson and his son, Joe, and Louis and his daughter, Alice). It almost seems like a waste that such a talented group of kids, gifted with great comic timing and emotional maturity, should be wasted on a film like Super 8.

In the end, there are both positive and negative attributes to this summer thriller -- it's just a shame that there is more of the latter. It's just further proof that a solid cast can't save the ill-conceived script of a movie with an identity crisis. It's a mess of M. Night Shyamalan proportions.

FINAL GRADE: C+

30 Day Movie Meme: Day 23

Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis as Daphne and Josephine

Day 23: FAVOURITE COMEDY FILM


I've written about this 1959 classic a bunch of times already. My obsession with this film has continued, unabated, for more than a year now -- ever since I watched it twice in one week and wondered why it had taken me so long to watch it in the first place.

Sure, it may not constantly have laugh-out-loud moments and it may not be to everyone's personal tastes, but Some Like It Hot has one of the cleverest scripts to ever come out of Hollywood, thanks in large part to director Billy Wilder and co-screenplay writer I.A.L. Diamond. It's so ahead of its time it's unbelievable.

The film is an absolute farce, with a broad sense of humour that revolves around a simple plot involving two musicians who witness a Mob murder and go into hiding by dressing as women and joining an all-girl touring musical band. It has a manic, high-octane energy -- everything feels as though it's moving in fast forward. Devoid of any dull moments, Some Like It Hot is as intelligent as it is hilarious. The jokes are whip-smart, the social commentary is sharp and the starring cast of Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis and Marilyn Monroe are all impossibly perfect in their respective roles. The most startling thing about the film is that, to this very day, it remains as fresh and relevant as it was in 1959.

Marilyn Monroe as Sugar.

How many films of the 1950s and early-1960s openly challenged traditional gender roles and sexuality the way Some Like It Hot did so effectively? The first time I watched it I was blown away by the fact that it even managed to bypass the rigid Hollywood Motion Picture Production Code censorship guidelines. With it's jokes about gender identity, sex and Jack Lemmon's character openly embracing and revelling in his new life as Daphne (even going so far as to accept a marriage proposal from the millionaire Osgood Fielding III), it's amazing that the film even went on to become a monster hit in 1959. Hollywood executives were left reeling, but the film remains a classic -- one of those genuinely superb films that actually deserves the laurels and praise of being labelled a 'comedy classic.'

Some of my previous entries about Some Like It Hot:
(1) 30 Day Movie Meme Day 16: Favourite Quote
(2) Hollywood Tidbits: Some Like It Hot Part I.
(3) Hollywood Tidbits: Some Like It Hot Part II.

Movie Review: The Hangover 2

The Hangover 2 (2011)
Directed By: Todd Phillips
Starring: Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Justin Bartha and Ken Jeong

Have you seen 2009's The Hangover? If so, than I can assure you that you can go through the rest of your film-loving life without having seen The Hangover 2 without missing a thing. Both films are so identical that the only real differences are the location (moving from Las Vegas to Thailand) and the groom-to-be (now it's Ed Helms' nice-guy dentist, Stu).

The "Wolf Pack" is reunited for the upcoming nuptials of Stu (Ed Helms) and his bride, Lauren (Jamie Chung). Originally from Thailand, where most of her family still resides, Lauren prefers the wedding to be located in her home country, so Stu gathers together his closest friends and relatives to make the trek overseas. After the Las Vegas debacle two years ago, Stu prefers a Bachelor Brunch -- no alcohol, just coffee and eggs. But, when a campfire get-together with his pals Phil (Bradley Cooper), Doug (Justin Bartha), Alan (Zach Galifianakis) and the bride's 16-year-old brother, Teddy (Mason Lee), takes a turn for the worse the gang finds themselves lost in Bangkok with a drugged up Mr. Chow (Ken Jeong, reprising his role from the first film) and a cigarette-smoking monkey as their only companions.

There's not much to say about this film, a literal rehash of the 2009 surprise blockbuster hit. Clearly nothing more than a summer cash-grab by studio executives, The Hangover 2 has few laughs and, more than anything else, leaves the viewer with a severe case of deja-vu.

Although the film has a couple of funny moments, for the most part the script contains only a barrage of swearing and a couple of cringe-worthy racist and homophobic remarks. The first half of the film moves forward at a rapid-fire pace; however, by the second hour the plot drags and you just want the guys to get Stu to his wedding on time so everyone can move on. Although the film isn't quite as atrocious as some critics have claimed (Peter Howell of the Toronto Star, for example, gave it only one star in his review), it's definitely no match for its much funnier and much more original predecessor. More than anything else, it's a disappointment.

Sometimes it's best to leave well enough alone, especially when considering the fact that The Hangover was embraced by critics and audiences alike -- a rarity for comedy films, especially ones with a premise involving drunk, immature men in their 30s. Alas, that's not Hollywood's style. Instead, they must beat a joke to a messy pulp, making all the money they can in the process, before leaving it alone and moving on. And that's a shame. With the monstrously popular opening for The Hangover 2 this past weekend (the film pulled in nearly $85 million in only its first four days of release), the inevitable third chapter is likely already in the works. It's safe to predict that it will be set in another yet another exotic location, featuring a new groom (Alan, perhaps?) and identical antics will ensue.

FINAL GRADE: C+

Five Reasons Why I Love: Vertigo (1958)

I recently re-watched the Alfred Hitchcock classic Vertigo for the first time in a couple of years. I'd forgotten how much I absolutely love this film! I decided to look up some comments by various reviewers from over the years and, while the majority reacted positively to the film, others blasted it as overrated and self-indulgent, which I felt to be a little harsh.

There always seems to be a great debate among movie fans: Which film was Hitchcock's masterpiece? Was it really Vertigo or was it Psycho, Rear Window or North By Northwest? Although I've always been partial to Shadow of a Doubt myself (I think it's his most underrated and overlooked film), but I believe that, after this recent re-watch, Vertigo was truly his masterpiece. All of his films are excellent in their own way, but I always end up coming back to this 1958 classic.

Five Reasons Why I Love Vertigo


1) The Film Noir Elements: Sure, it may not technically be classified as a film noir (although some have argued it can fit into the genre), but it plays out like a colourful homage to one. It has a whole lot of psychosis rolled into just one film. Mumbling, bumbling Detective John Ferguson (Jimmy Stewart) is an absolute mess and has this strong, overriding desire to "save" a seemingly unattainable woman (Kim Novak in the role of the femme fatale).

2) The Style: The aesthetically pleasing colour scheme is rich and vibrant -- and the focus on the bright greens and reds work really well in contrast to the dark, moody atmosphere of the film. Despite the sunny and cheerful colours, something sinister is always lurking beneath the surface.

3) The Supernatural Subplot: Before the second half of the film does a complete about-face in terms of plot, the first half plays like a creepy little supernatural thriller, complete with the ghostly possibility of the spiritual possession of Novak's character.

4) The Far-Fetched Plot: Some naysayers have criticized Vertigo by saying it has a meandering plot that ultimately serves no purpose. But, what some refer to as "slow-paced", I call a meticulous build-up of tension and suspense -- something that was Hitchcock's specialty. Yes, the plot may be improbable and far-fetched but, really, when was a film noir ever based in reality and gritty authenticity?


5) Jimmy Stewart & Alfred Hitchcock Together Again: The Master of Suspense and nice-guy Jimmy Stewart paired up a few times over the years, but never more successfully than in Vertigo. This is arguably Hitchcock's most nerve-wracking film. With its supernatural atmosphere and slow-burning tension, he envelopes you in the mystery. Stewart plays against the grain, as the neurotic, needy former detective suffering from an acute case of acrophobia. When the woman he desires turns out to be unattainable, he reveals his mental instability by moulding and shaping Novak's character to resemble the other. Stewart arguably did most of his finest work under the tutelage of Hitchcock.

Some Reviews I Read
-Penelope Houston's review from Sight & Sound, 1959.
-Mark Acherman's review from PopMatters, 2006.
-Roger Ebert's review from RogerEbert.com, 1996.

Movie Review: Bridesmaids

Annie (Kristin Wiig) and Lillian (Maya Rudolph).

Bridesmaids (2011)
Starring: Kristin Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Rose Byrne, Chris O'Dowd and Jon Hamm
Screenplay By: Kristin Wiig and Annie Mumolo
Directed By: Paul Feig

This movie is being sold as "the female version of The Hangover." However, it's not as crass and vulgar as the 2009 buddies comedy and places more emphasis on the relationships between the characters involved -- and I think most people will consider that a good thing. Bridesmaids is a good enough film to stand on its own without the help of comparisons to The Hangover. 

Bridesmaids is a fresh and funny take on your average female-bonding flick, which is a welcome change. It's a genuine comedy, not a romantic comedy (although there are elements of romance in the background). There is no sad, 30-something "spinster" woman who spends the entire two hour running time mourning her lack of a boyfriend while forgetting/ignoring all the other great things she has going on in her life (because, apparently, all women do is dream about their wedding day). Kristin Wiig (who co-wrote the script) set out to make a character-driven film about female friendship without falling into tired stereotype traps. Her character may be a little sad -- but sad in a completely charming, likeable and relatable way. 


Annie (Wiig) has a lot of loose ends in her life -- a series of failed commitments have prevented her from ever finding success. Her attempt at running her own bakery backfired, leaving her strapped for cash and having to resort to a job as a sales girl at a jewellery store. On top of all that, Annie's strange British roommates, Brynn and Gil (Rebel Wilson and Matt Lucas), want her out of the house and she's in a dead-end, "no strings attached" relationship with Ted (an uncomfortably creepy, albeit awesome, Jon Hamm). The only respite Annie has from her unhappy situation is her lifelong friendship with Lillian (Maya Rudolph). However, when Lillian reveals that she's getting married and asks Annie to be her maid-of-honour, it forces her to come out of her shell and relate to the "other" women in Lillian's life. The engagement of her closest friend upsets the constancy of Annie's life and she must learn to come to terms with all the changes that come with it. While planning the wedding, Annie must learn to cope with the eclectic group of Lillian's bridesmaids -- the voracious sexual appetite of the groom's sister, Megan (Melissa McCarthy), the timidity of Becca (Ellie Kemper), the brashness of busy working mom, Rita (Wendy McLendon-Covey) and the overbearingly irritating, rich and beautiful "new friend", Helen (Rose Byrne).

The script doesn't give Annie a clear goal -- there are a variety of issues she must combat and, ultimately, her end goal is to simply survive everything involving her personal life and Lillian's wedding. The antics that ensue, which range from the gross to the charming, allow Wiig to show off her comedic chops which, up until now, has only been used in secondary-character roles. A wonderful comedic actress, Wiig plays Annie in such a refreshingly honest (and awkward) way that it's impossible not to root for her. However, she doesn't completely steal the show, letting her co-stars share in the glory, especially the hilarious McCarthy, who plays Megan with such egoless abandon that she almost completely steals the spotlight. Despite all those loose threads in Annie's life, the script throws in one more situation for her to tackle -- her growing affection for a nice-guy Irish cop named Rhodes (Chris O'Dowd). Although some may consider his role unnecessary to the outcome of the film, Rhodes allows Annie to show a softer side to her personality and the chemistry between Wiig and O'Dowd make the whole Annie-Rhodes subplot a welcome addition to an already bloated plot.

Bridesmaids is an incredibly entertaining film that proves that women can be just as funny as men. Despite it's multiple plot threads, it manages to always come back to its main focus -- Annie and her hilarious awkwardness. It's an interesting hybrid of a film, part female-bonding flick, part quirky romance and part gross-out comedy. But, in the end, it's thoroughly enjoyable.

FINAL: B+

Movie Review: Kiss of the Spider Woman

Molina (William Hurt) and Valentin (Raul Julia).

Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985)
Directed By: Hector Babenco
Screenplay By: Leonard Schrader
Based on the Novel By: Manuel Puig
Starring: William Hurt, Raul Julia and Sonia Braga

"The nicest thing about feeling happy is that you think you'll never be unhappy again."
~Luis Molina (William Hurt)

A few months back, I read Kiss of the Spider Woman on the recommendation of a friend who is obsessed with both Manuel Puig's novel and the 1985 film adaptation. If she hadn't suggested I pick up the book I would have remained unaware of this powerful ode to friendship, heroism and love -- it's all as intriguing as its title.

The movie grips you right from the opening frame -- a woman, sitting in a bathtub, covered in bubbles -- while a man's voice softly narrates her actions. And so begins the film adaptation of Argentine author Puig's famous 1976 novel, Kiss of the Spider Woman. Screenwriter Leonard Schrader and director Hector Babenco were allowed a lot of open interpretation when it came to the style and visuals for the film. Puig's novel is sparse, in every sense of the word -- there are no descriptions of the prison cell or even the physical appearances of the two central characters. The novel is structured much like a play, devoid of a traditional narrative voice or any unspoken thoughts -- we only know what the characters are actually saying out loud and they tend to say things in short, concise sentences. This allows for more open interpretation than your average novel or film as to the true meanings and motivations behind the characters' actions.

Set sometime during the 1970s in Argentina, Kiss of the Spider Woman focuses on the blossoming friendship between two cellmates -- the openly homosexual window-dresser, Luis Molina (William Hurt), and a Marxist journalist named Valentin Arregui (Raul Julia) who is willing to risk his life and endure torture for a political cause. To keep Valentin's mind distracted from his concerns for his fellow political prisoners, Molina describes films he'd seen prior to his arrest; most of which are pulp movies that Molina doesn't recognize as blatant Nazi propaganda. While the majority of the film is set in the prison, there are scenes of the pulp movies Molina narrates to Valentin interspersed throughout, as well as flashbacks into both of the mens lives -- where we meet Valentin's girlfriend, Marta (Sonia Braga, who plays three roles in the film, including Leni Lamaison, the character in the Nazi propaganda film, and the titular Spider Woman) and we witness Molina's unrequited love for Gabriel (Nuno Leal Maia), a waiter he meets at his favourite restaurant.

The simplicity of the prison setting is overshadowed by the complexity of its two central characters. It's a study in relationships, specifically the gradually growing affection between Molina and Valentin. Despite their obvious differences in both personality and opinion, (and the hint of treachery that surrounds them) the film slowly brings the two men closer and closer together as more of their past and personal beliefs are revealed to one another.

When, near the start of the film, Valentin belittles Molina's constant desire to talk about frivolous films ("Your life is as trivial as your movies!"), Molina calmly points out that people sometimes deal with tough situations differently ("Unless you have the keys to that [prison] door, I will escape in my own way, thank you"). The realization that the two men must depend on one another for survival is what, ultimately, brings them together.

As Molina, Hurt gives one of his finest performances (he earned an Oscar that year for Best Actor). One of the remarkable things about his performance was his ability to make the audience view Molina the same way Valentin does as the film progresses. At first Molina does appear to be nothing more than a flamboyant man who relies on pulp movies as a desperate means of escapism. By the middle of the film, after the revelation of his biggest secret, Hurt portrays Molina as a man slowly being torn apart by both his decisions and his growing affection for Valentin, thus gaining audience support and sympathy. By the end of the film the viewer realizes, along with Valentin, that Molina is anything but frivolous as was initially thought. A deeply conflicted man, Molina is in over his head. One scene, in particular, stands out -- Molina talking on a pay phone to an unknown person. The audience can't hear the voice on the other line, but we know the news is bad because Molina's face slowly drops in devastation. It's Hurt's finest (and most emotionally powerful) moment in the entire film and it was expressed with very little dialogue. Playing the sometimes harsh and brutal Valentin, Julia gives a wonderful, subtle and restrained performance. His chemistry with Hurt is palpable and, as the film progresses, we witness Julia instil Valentin with a controlled, yet passionate, fire for both politics and Marta, the love of his life.

Kiss of the Spider Woman is a remarkable achievement -- it's not an easy task to adapt Puig's novel into a film. This complex character study was, thankfully, put into the hands of a director like Babenco who knew how to interpret the story on the big screen. And, luckily, actors like Hurt and Julia were brought in to convey the characters' motivations perfectly.

You know it's the sign of a powerful film when, days after viewing it, you find yourself still thinking about it.

FINAL GRADE: A-

Valentin (Raul Julia) "meets" the Spider Woman (Sonia Braga).