Taking Care of Business.

A review of Get Low.

There are certain pleasures in life, like soaking in a hot, relaxing bath until your fingers are prune-y, that you don’t always make time for, but when you actually do, you never regret it. Seeing Get Low is one of those pleasures. Get Low, written by Chris Provenzano (story and screenplay), C. Gaby Mitchell (screenplay) and Scott Seeke (story) and directed by Aaron Schneider (Oscar winner in 2004 for the short live action film Two Soldiers), is the epitome of what an independent film should be: an affecting, original, character-driven story that doesn’t require the distraction of car chases or massive CGI to entertain the viewer. Get Low is memorable for its unique characters, its atypical setting, its remarkable performances and the overall high level of creativity and craft with which it is executed.

Set in 1935 in East Tennessee, Get Low is based on the true tale of legendary hermit Felix “Bush” Breazeale (Robert Duvall) and the funeral party he threw for himself while still living. Get Low explores how the much-feared and reviled Felix planned and executed the shindig at which he raffled off his sizeable parcel of land. He finds willing accomplices in his strange endeavor to “get low” aka “get down to business” in the fiscally savvy Frank Quinn (Bill Murray), owner of Quinn Funeral Homes and Frank’s honest, good-hearted apprentice, Buddy (Lucas Black). As part of Felix’s journey to reconcile his life, he encounters and must make peace with Mattie Darrow (Sissy Spacek), a woman from his past, and Reverend Charlie Jackson (Bill Cobbs), among others.

While Get Low presents Felix as a typical mean old coot, a role he is all too happy to play to the general public, the beauty of the film is in peeling back Felix’s layers to reveal his unexpected back story. Get Low refreshingly refuses to spoon feed its audience. Instead, it utilizes the kind of detailed storytelling that requires the viewer to pay close attention. (A word of warning, however, that close attention must also be directed to the sound, as some dialogue is softly delivered and easy to miss.) Such attention is rewarded by a cleverly written, beautifully shot, skillfully directed, intimate film. The ambling pace and drawn out revelation of Felix’s history may feel a bit slow at times, but this is probably more due to the hyberbolic, hyperactive expectations of cinema that pre-fabricated movies like Clash of the Titans and Transformers have engendered in us. In the viewing of Get Low, patience has its virtues.

Among those many virtues are the strong, entertaining performances of the entire cast. Robert Duvall is heartbreakingly hilarious as Felix. As written, the character is singularly unique, and as brought to life by Mr. Duvall, he is engaging, infuriating at times and even charming at others. Bill Murray is pitch-perfect as the proprietor of Quinn Funeral Homes. Mr. Murray conveys more in a wordless moment than some actors can in an entire performance. His timing, both comic and dramatic, is impeccable, and he skillfully balances Frank’s self-interested and altruistic tendencies with subtlety. Sissy Spacek elevates an already top-notch cast -- her Mattie’s presence is warm, her soul so sad. Lucas Black’s Buddy is described by Frank as the “heart of Quinn Funeral Home,” but he could also aptly be described as the heart of the film. Buddy is a character who could have been cloying in his earnestness, but instead, Mr. Black underplayed him, making him someone you want to spend more time with on the screen. Finally, if Buddy is the heart of the film, then Bill Cobbs’ Charlie is its moral center, but without being preachy (remarkable for one playing a reverend) or self-righteous. Mr. Cobbs gives a memorable, biting performance.

Get Low is the kind of movie that reminds you that filmmaking is an art. It’s a film that nicely weaves together moments of humor with moments of darkness. So get ahead of the curve in this year’s Oscar prognosticating and jump into the darkness of your local theater to see Get Low when it opens (on July 30, 2010). Join me in sending a message to the “greenlighters” of movies to make more of this kind of film: (To paraphrase Felix Bush): “No damn trespassing [on our intellect.] Beware of mule.”

Seminal Issue.

A review of The Kids Are All Right.

My take on The Kids Are All Right (“TKAAR”), written by Lisa Cholodenko (Laurel Canyon, High Art) and Stuart Blumberg (The Girl Next Door, Keeping the Faith) and directed by Lisa Cholodenko, can aptly be compared to my feelings about the Obama presidency thus far: it was eagerly anticipated and highly touted, but, likely because expectations were so high, it failed to live up to the hype. While there are a fair number of elements to enjoy, appreciate and even admire, overall, the experience of seeing TKAAR, like the experience of being led by the Obama administration, isn’t all it was cracked up to be.

TKAAR tells the story of a long-married lesbian couple, Nic (Annette Bening) and Jules (Julianne Moore), who have two teenagers, Joni (Mia Wasikowksa) and Laser (Josh Hutcherson) and the disruption to the harmony of their family caused by newly-18-year-old Joni’s decision, at younger brother Laser’s urging, to seek out the sperm donor who “fathered” them. The donor, Paul (Mark Ruffalo), is more than happy to make contact with the kids and tries to establish a relationship with each member of the family, who respond with varying degrees of receptiveness. The drama plays out over the summer before Joni is to leave for college. The summer is fraught with tensions and fears over what growing up and moving on means for everyone, which are only exacerbated by the introduction of interloper Paul.

TKAAR is a smartly written, sharply directed film with rich, flawed, multi-dimensional characters. It captures the growing pains of a family wrestling with the adolescence of not only its children, but also its marriage, in a realistic and heartfelt manner. TKAAR does a particularly good job of depicting the struggle, through Joni, of a kid on the precipice of adulthood trying to differentiate herself from her family unit and overcome the anxiety wrapped up in leaving the proverbial nest. Joni’s dramatics feel a bit over-the-top at times, but then again, so do most teenage girls.

Less successful is the portrayal of the stagnation of a long-term marriage. From the first scene, Jules felt like she was another of Nic’s children (which was likely due in equal parts to the way the character was written and the way Julianne Moore chose to play the role), and given how whiny and self-indulgent they both were, it was difficult to see what made them ever work as a happy couple. There were moments during the film when I consciously wondered who I was rooting for, because none of the characters were likeable. For me, this was the central weakness of the film. I enjoy watching flawed, complex characters, but my personal preference is to have a character to get behind. For the most part, Joni was that type of character and occasionally Nic was as well, but Jules became so frustrating to watch that she was no longer funny.

There is, however, a great deal of humor in the film. TKAAR successfully uses levity to lighten the load that the heavy themes impose. And the performances are tremendous. Annette Bening is terrific as Nic; she truly inhabits her role and made me love her in the end despite her flaws. Mark Ruffalo disappears into his portrayal of Paul and made a very selfish, unlikeable character entertaining to watch. Both Mia Wasikowska and Josh Hutcherson made their teenage characters relatable, sympathetic and layered. The weakest link was Julianne Moore’s Jules, also the most difficult character to capture. Jules is a free spirit who hasn’t quite grown up and there were scenes where Ms. Moore achieved authenticity in her performance and other scenes where Jules felt more like a caricature, as though Ms. Moore was playing at her rather than playing her, which made it much more difficult to relate to Jules.

In the end, the movie for me paralleled Ms. Moore’s performance -- it was strong in parts, but just didn’t always hit its mark. I have mixed feelings about TKAAR. It’s the kind of movie that I feel like I’m supposed to love, but didn’t. What I do love is that a movie like TKAAR, an independent film with a smart script that has a point of view, is being made (especially in this summer schlockfest we are in the midst of). TKAAR is certainly far more worthy of viewing than at least 90% of what’s at the box office right now. The higher my expectations for a film, the higher my standards are. So I encourage you to check it out TKAAR and other indie films for yourself. Because just like with the Obama administration, there’s always hope that the next thing will fulfill, or even exceed, our expectations.

Lotso Good Buzz

A review of Toy Story 3.

There are some things you can always count on: You will always spill something dark and sticky on white pants; you will always be hungry half an hour after eating Chinese food; and you will always, always leave the theater smiling (and probably humming) when you go to see a Pixar movie. Toy Story 3, written by Michael Arndt (Little Miss Sunshine), John Lasseter (Cars, Toy Story 2, Toy Story), Andrew Stanton (WALL-E, Finding Nemo, Monsters, Inc.) and Lee Unkrich (Finding Nemo, Monsters, Inc., Toy Story 2) and directed by Lee Unkrich, continues Pixar’s unblemished streak of original, clever and downright moving films.

Set about ten years after Toy Story 2 (which approximates real time, as it was released in 1999), Toy Story 3 continues the story of Andy and his toys, following the consequences for all of them of Andy’s imminent departure for college. Because Andy must pack up his entire room to make way for little sister Molly to move in, Andy is confronted with the difficult decision of what to do with toys that no longer plays with, but which still hold a great deal of sentimental value. And by the same token, his toys, corralled as always by steadfast leader Woody, must survive a dangerous adventure into the unexpectedly hostile territory of a local daycare center. Themes of duty, loyalty and selflessness play prominently amidst the amusing hijinx of old favorites Buzz Lightyear, the Potato Heads, Rex, Slinky Dog, new friends Ken and Chatter Telephone and many, many others.

I should provide a disclaimer, in case you couldn’t already tell, that I am an unabashed lover of Pixar movies. As far as I’m concerned, Up was the best film of 2009. I think that the artists and writers at Pixar handle story and character better than just about any filmmakers -- including both animated and live action films. Toy Story 3 is yet another example of their ability to create sophisticated stories that entertain at multiple levels and appeal to children and adults of all ages. There are great callbacks, winks and nods to adults and some of the funniest “potty” humor -- which will appeal to both sixty and six-year-olds.

The vocal talent employed for every character is outstanding. Tom Hanks and Tim Allen infuse Woody and Buzz with warmth and heart and inhabit them, never allowing their own personas to overshadow the characters. Newcomer-to-the-franchise Ned Beatty is terrific as Lotso, as is everyone new (Michael Keaton as Ken, Timothy Dalton as Mr. Pricklepants) and old (Don Rickles as Mr. Potato Head, Estelle Harris as Mrs. Potato Head, Wallace Shawn as Rex, John Ratzenberger as Hamm, etc. etc. etc.). The animation is vibrant and exciting. In particular, the specificity of the movement and detail of the Ken and Barbie dolls was impressive. However, I will note that I saw the 3D version and don’t know that my visual experience was significantly enhanced by it; the 2D version should be just as enjoyable (especially given the sky high price for 3D movie tickets).

Toy Story 3 should also be just as enjoyable for someone who has never seen the first two movies in the Toy Story franchise as for someone who has. While I’ve seen both films, it’s been many years since I’ve watched either and it did not detract from my movie-going experience. Toy Story 3 is more than just a fun movie, it shares important lessons about sticking by your friends, doing for others and knowing when to let go. Only the most cynical will not be made a little bit misty by the end of the film, but it’s not a sadness that weighs upon the heart, rather, a recognition of a shared experience that resonates. You are only depriving yourself if you choose not to see Toy Story 3; is the first must-see movie of the summer, if not the year.