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Reviews: "O Brother" And Others
You won't see a stranger, more inspired or more charmingly off-kilter movie than O Brother, Where Art You? from the blessedly weird Coen brothers (Fargo, The Big Lebowski, The Hudsucker Proxy.)
This one is making both best and worst lists of major critics, which isn't surprising, since it's utterly bizarre and responding to it requires a particular kind of humor and sensibility. It's title comes from a 1942 Preston Sturges movie, Sullivan's Travels. The opening credits announce that O, Brother is based on Homer's "The Odyssey," but this isn't a retelling of Odysseus's voyage so much as it is a jazzy riff on it, and on some good old-fashioned American "values," like the twin loves of God and country.
Set in Mississippi during the Depression, "Brother" follows three escaped and hotly-pursued convicts (George Clooney, John Turturro, and Tim Blake Nelson) as they set out to dig up some buried treasure before a new dam floods its burial place or the evil (possibly satanic) sheriff catches up to them. It's a much more good-natured trip than the one Odysseus took, though anybody who remembers the classic will have fun spotting all sorts of familiar characters popping up here, from muses to sirens to the cyclops (in the form of John Goodman.)
The Coen brothers are at their most unnervingly original here, and while they don't appear to be taking themselves seriously, they do have ambitions in this nostalgic portrait of (barely) pre-mass media, high tech, politically correct America, and of the Southern streak of moral and religious high-mindedness that still crops up in American politics and Washington debates over values, morality and culture. Clooney and his two dim-witted associates managed to stop off at a radio station to make a few bucks crooning and unknowingly launch a smash single. T-Bone Burnett deserves kudos too, for assembling a terrific old-time bluegrass/country soundtrack, some of it antique and some contemporary.
Clooney is edgy at first in this strange role, but eventually gets comfortable with it and is terrific as the undeterrable, brave (and yes, innocent) wanderer in search of his treasure and his lost family, getting past one hurdle after another on the way.
Be prepared for a movie that like Crouching Tiger is nothing like traditional Hollywood fare. Bravely inventive, it doesn't move in a straight line. It probably helps to have a strange streak if you go see this film; maybe leave your straight friends behind. But this holiday season, let's give thanks for the Coen brothers, for whom no character, major or minor, is anything less than memorable. Weirdos pop up from every direction all through this movie, including a brilliant Charles Durning as the foul-tempered governor who turns to pop culture to save his political career (a prescient commentary on conventional political hypocrisy and moral posturing about kids).
Crouching Tiger, which we mulled over in this space last week, is one of the most original movie in years, and it held up beautifully the second time around. (Though I offer a warning: you may find when some moviegoers are on unfamiliar ground, they laugh nervously during the eerie choreographed fighting scenes, which are a real surprise).
Unbreakable, also discussed previously here, also holds up as an amazingly dark, well- made movie, true to the superhero comic- book genre which inspired it. It might have Bruce Willis' best-ever acting performance, and it's one of those films that really captures the imagination.
As for the rest of the stuff at the megaplex:
I thought there was something off about Cast Away, even though most critics wet their pants over Tom Hank's Robinson Crusoe scenes. Perhaps it was the pointlessly sappy ending sequence, or maybe I couldn't quite get past wondering if there were still anyplace in the world where a human being could languish unnoticed for four years by people, boats, satellites or other machines (a consequence maybe of working for Slashdot).
Tom Hanks seems stuck in this kind of character, the decent, take-what-comes heroic everyman. Watching this movie -- at times beautiful, even wrenching -- I couldn't get the astronaut, the prison guard and the dutiful soldier out of my head, or remember exactly which one had wound up marooned in the South Pacific Island. If Fedex really had guys like this, we wouldn't even have to wait overnight. But the whole drama for Hank's character isn't really survival, it's getting back to Helen Hunt. For me, this was a monumental flaw.
Still, among it's high points was a nightmarish, skillfully animated plane crash that made you feel as if you were inside the cabin as it hurtled into the sea.
State and Main is David Mamet's biting Hollywood satire, a knowing and unsparing romp in which a beleaguered film crew tries to shoot a movie in what appears to be a hick Vermont town. The L.A. slickies vs. the gullible locals who are smarter than they appear is hardly a fresh idea, but Mamet's skewering of the film industry is great fun. William Macy plays the monomaniacal, manipulative and sleazy director with great enthusiasm.
What Women Want is a vehicle for Mel Gibson to break out of the action genre with the help of the aforementioned Helen Hunt, who really needs to play somebody -- just once -- who isn't in such deadly earnest. It's a solid B movie whose premise is that a macho male acquires the ability to understand women because he can hear their thoughts (a gift bestowed him after he is hit by lightning, perhaps a metaphorical message). To me, this idea is a bit creepy, but the movie was pleasant enough, like eating a vanilla ice cream cone. A painless way to kill a few hours, but it could easily go on the "can miss" list.
All The Pretty Horses is actor/director Billy Bob Thornton's game rendition of the terrific novel by Cormac McCarthy. This is an end-of-innocence, coming-of-age, buddy/road trip movie, the story of an unassuming Texas kid (Matt Damon) who heads to Mexico for some adventure in the late 40s, and finds plenty. The movie is beautiful but hollow; it has an epic feeling, but really isn't very dramatic. The end result is more pretentious than powerful. It's too long, seems to circle around forever without quite landing anywhere. It lacks the edge of the book and somehow, it's tiresome to be reminded all the time that we used to be a purer, simpler nation. We know. So what? Soda used to be a nickel and milk used to be delivered to your backdoor.
I liked Proof Of Life, the Russell Crowe adventure flick, a lot. This movie, about the exploits of an Australian "k & r" (kidnap and rescue) specialist sent from London to save Meg Ryan's husband from South American guerrillas who have kidnapped him and are holding him for ransom is restrained and realistic. The local scenes (shot in Ecuador) are beautiful, and Crowe, as good as he was in Gladiator handles the role of the last ethical hero perfectly.
Perhaps the worst movie of the season so far is Sean Connery's Finding Forrester, a insipid, politically-correct tale about a reclusive writer and a brilliant minority kid from the Bronx. The movie has about every dumb cliche regarding race, class and writing that you could stuff into a movie. Even Connery can't save this woofer, make it worthwhile seeing, or keep you awake for all of it.
So how do you think this season is shaping up? I'd say it's better than average. But notice the strange and atypical absence of natural disasters, war flicks or futuristic Armageddon movies full of computer-generated FX and evil geek programmers spying on us and plotting the end of the world. (Some of you may have already seen those great trailers for next summer's anticipated Spielberg blockbuster about an AI kid. That'll give us plenty to talk about.)
An English pic (of all things) called 'Billy Elliot' - a fantastic 1980's period piece about the son of a coal miner in Northern England during a miner's strike. He's in boxing class when a ballet class starts to share the gym space. He gets entranced by the ballet moves, and switches over (secretly, of course) to ballet class. It's a fantastic film - the characters are very unique, and the storyline is good, especially when set amongst the goings-on of the strike and police crackdown on the strikers. The soundtrack is fantastic (half of the songs are by T. Rex).
The actors (especially the kid who plays the title character, and the woman who plays his ballet teacher) are fantastic in their roles. Even the supporting characters such as Billy's best friend, and the teacher's daughter, are done quite well (and they have more than their share of odd moments to delight in).
I've been this movie twice already. When I came back from 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon', my first thought was, "It's very good, but it's no Billy Elliot'.
As for 'Dracula 2000' - typical Wes Craven - great idea, bad execution. If you're going to see Jeri Ryan (7 of 9 from Star Trek: Voyager) - don't bother, she's in it very briefly. The movie has an interesting backstory (about how Van Helsing captured Dracula), and also about a new origin for Dracula, but it just can't pull it off. Might be worth watching on TV for some of the interesting ideas, but I was disappointed because it could've been done much better. Some definite inspiration got ruined. *sigh*
You know, a lot of people eat Hostess Twinkies, but that doesn't make it the best food in the world. Heck, it doesn't even make it food.
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Don't like it? Respond with words, not karma.
I don't read comics much anymore, and it's hard to say what a good comic is. Insofar as the movie is concerned, I think the older idea of the Superhero seems to have inspired it, but your point about Marvel is very well taken..Makes me want to go out to get some and revisit the issue. Thanks.
jonkatz@slashdot.org
Why the giggles at all? The movie is so clearly not a comedy..it is a reflex, or genuine confusion, or some kind of a statement..I saw the movie twice, and heard laughs throughout, but not at the ending. It's good, I think, to prepare people for it, so that it doesn' t take away from this amazing movie. But I'm glad it's not just my town..seems to me to be youngish males who are laughing, but I could be wrong.
jonkatz@slashdot.org
Isn't this sort of the point of the movie?
jonkatz@slashdot.org
Yes, it wasn't Matrix inspired, but Yuen Wo ping has said the decision to take off on the Matrix stuff in this movie was definitely inspired by the success of the Matrix and his work there.. That might be a clearer way to put it.
jonkatz@slashdot.org
I've heard mixed things about this movie, so it's good to hear this..I think Shadows has definitely overshadowed it..We ought to have a Dracula discussion in a week or two..Nosferatu, Shadows of the Vampire and Dracula 2000 would make a memorable topic..
jonkatz@slashdot.org
Noted and fixed...and you should know. Why would the audience laugh at those parts, though? I left the movie wondering about the ending..I don't want to discuss it here, but did she really make the right choice..
jonkatz@slashdot.org
I don't have box office stats but I know the movie was successful in China and praised there. I'd also be interesting in knowing anybody's thoughts about this question, but I'm not sure I get how it would be pandering to women, who are portrayed in very different ways. I would be amazed of there were women warriors like this in Confucius's time, but one thing about Slashdot, somebody will know.
jonkatz@slashdot.org
I don't know of any certain absolute criteria for a good film, as it happens, nor do I consider that this is great art. I wouldn't know, for sure. Just talking movies. But you are completely right. There is no right way to interpret art, just conversations about what we like and what we don't. Did I say otherwise?
jonkatz@slashdot.org
I think Hanks is over-hyped, and the Hopkins performance is a good one to summon up..There was a grand-slam. Hanks is great to me at playing one kind of probably non-existent character, the everyday American hero that we want to believe exists but have a hard time running across. I think Hopkins is the greatest actor alive, though I'd be curious about other people's nominees...
jonkatz@slashdot.org
I've heard a lot about the great films coming out of India, but don't know of any and haven't seen any. Could AC or anybody else name some? I'd be interested. And where in Eastern Europe? This would be helpful. Can't say all Hollywood films stink, but can't disagree with the schmaltzy notion either.
jonkatz@slashdot.org
if it's brilliant and original, but without giving the story away, it's more than inspired by Nosferatu..but to say more would be spoiling, I think, assuming you're struggling to be witty and sarcastic..
jonkatz@slashdot.org
I don't know this, but I assume they popped it out this week to qualify for the Oscars for the past year, like a bunch of others..anybody know?
jonkatz@slashdot.org
Naww..the real reason is to get rich..
jonkatz@slashdot.org
But a sheep, not a goat...or was it a cow?
jonkatz@slashdot.org
You're right. The whole film wasn't inspired by the Matrix, but Yuen Woo Ping's involvement was, or so he says. It's quite great, though I'm not sure I'd compare it to Drunken Master..
jonkatz@slashdot.org
. I do go to the megaplex many days of the year, silly. Specially in December. That should be obvious..and a great job it is. You can't get rich from it, but it sure beats commuting
jonkatz@slashdot.org
This is a great opportunity, and thanks for posting. A question..I wondered why Fedex would cooperate in a movie which shows one of their planes crashing..though I did note that in the movie the crash was specifically attributed to mislabeled cargo..customer error.
Do you think the movie did well by Fedex? The company is sure portrayed as if it cares deeply about its ontime performance...They are also shown as being compassionate re: the accident.
jonkatz@slashdot.org
I guess I'd have to respectfully disagree with this. I'd say the movie is definitely out of the martial arts tradition -- apparently a throwback to the original cinematic style. Fight scenes take up an enormous part of the movie, vastly more than romance, I'd guess. The Legend of Drunken Master was great..funny and great fight scenes, but I'm not sure the comparison holds up..Completely different kinds of movies..I can't quite see Yo-Yo Ma doing the score of Drunken Master.
jonkatz@slashdot.org
Thanks, Alkali for adding this to the list. I did see it a month or so ago, and it is terrific. And I completely agree with you..it's not a chick flick at all but a great movie about family. I also thought Matthew Broderick was terrific and unheralded as the dorky bank manager. I'm figuring on seeing the Family Man this weekend.
I hear many mixed things about it. Family values porn is a great term...
jonkatz@slashdot.org
Thanks for the Miss Congeniality reference. The trailers were a turn-off, but I'll put it on the list..It really got whacked. Other people like Vertical Limit?
jonkatz@slashdot.org
Every movie is subjective, natch. Can you say a bit more about what you didnt' like?
jonkatz@slashdot.org
It's a damn shame there isn't some filter that lets us filter out all the whiners who don't like Katz posts.
7 November 2006: The day Americans realized corruption and incompetence weren't addressing 11 September 2001
Well, here are some comments from an ABC (American Born Chinese) who saw the English subtitled film with his parents.
The film was well received by Chinese everywhere. However, according to my father, one unintentionally funny feature was the mishmash of accents in the film. Only the actress who played the young girl, Jen, was able to properly speak the classical Mandarin required for the time period. The remaining actors, being from places like Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Malaysia, had accents from their respective origins. Imagine if you were watching a Western in which the cowboys had a mix of New York, California, and Southern accents. Still, he said most viewers were forgiving about it.
Another feature was that the subtitles were not an exact translation of the dialogue. My Chinese isn't all that great, but I could tell that in some places, the dialogue was simplified, or rendered into (IMHO) overly-colloquial English. Not a big deal, and anyone who watches Anime will probably be familiar with the transliteration vs. translation arguement.
"Does it pander overly to a western audience and the strong potrayal of women - Is it activism gone crazy or was it true of ancient China?"
There have been strong women in Chinese literature from time to time -- for instance, Mulan (A quasi-historical figure who may or may not have actually existed). Anyway, in this case the film was based on a series of books written sometime in the 1930's or 1940's (?), although I can't say whether or not it was influenced by the mores of that time. One interesting note--the martial arts genre of novels and films was banned in mainland China during the 60's, and its authors persecuted.
BTW, there is more to the novel both before and after the events in the film, and director Ang Lee has suggested he will be making a prequel and sequel to the film.
If I were TH's character, I would have driven off with Helen Hunt and not looked back. This guy was driven to survive and get off the island. Are we to believe that saving the FedEx package for the wings woman was what really saved him? It was the HH character that he obsessed over fro most of the time. The wings were a minor feature but perhaps one that gave him hope for the sail he improvised.
She said he was "The love of my life." But she waited something like a year before she got married and had a kid? I'm sorry, but it seems that she gave up on him too easily and then regretted it. It could take a lifetime to get over the loss of the love of your life, but this culture dosn't want to recognize that. This movie wasn't about to buck that piece of cultural "wisdom".
I saw a bit on HBO on the making of Cast Away. TH was 40-50 lbs lighter for the last bit on the island. Moscow and the first year span on the island were filmed in April 1999. The second bit on the island was filmed in April 2000.
I have discovered a truly marvelous sig, unfortunately the sig limit is too small to contain i
I referred to them as the creative team because it seems not improbable that Lee as director and co-producer and Schamus as co-screenwriter and co-executive producer might have had some influence on the way the movie turned out.
could you slahdot guys PLEASE let us humble readers not just filter by topic, but also filter by poster.
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... the more you may be rewarded :-)
enough of jon katz for me
something on the topic: unbreakable is worse than you might imagine, don't expect a second 6th sense! (it's interesting though, but expect nothing
Also, the only people giggling in the packed theatre we saw it in were the three of us. I don't think the people were lauging because they were newbies or oldies like us, but because they found humor in flying people.
IANAL, but I play one on
I'm glad to hear that. I was a bit uncomfortable paying $7.50 to watch what I perceived to be an extended Fed Ex commercial....
---- I made the Kessel Run in under 11 parsecs.
I've yet to see any mention of the above two films.
"Dancer in the Dark," the most recent film released under the Dogma95 banner, was directed by Lars Von Trier (Breaking the Waves, The Idiots). In my mind, one of the only "must see" movies of 2000. But then, in my mind Bjork can do no wrong, so take my opinion with a teensie weensie grain of salt.
"Requiem for a Dream," directed by Darren Aronofsky, is a crushingly depressing film about drug abuse. Aronofsky's last effort, "Pi" was enjoyable, but not brilliant. Requiem is. Without question the best film I've seen all year.
I urge you, if you love films, you owe it to yourself to see these two masterpieces. They're not without their flaws, but I can't think of one movie release this year that compares.
Gimme a break! To assert that folks in the South have a monopoly on "religious high mindedness", is a bit of a stretch, even for a movie review. I can understand how shocking it may be for those of you from big metropolitan areas to see that in much of rural America (Southern or Northern), religion is a huge influence for many people.
And OH MY GOODNESS religion could influence their politics! We're doomed! But why is it so alarming to some of you that religion MAY color someone's worldview??? It is fine to disagree politically with these people, but please restrain yourself from ATTACKING them. When you attack them, it is like shooting fish in a barrel.
BTW {OT}, from the Mamet review, for the record there are no hicks in Vermont (hicks are indeed from the South, which includes anyplace beyond Massachusetts), natives are known as "woodchucks".
This is another view of the world.
I've seen plenty of worse movies, myself.
Episode One, for example, if you need a movie with glimpses of the metaphysical, about good and evil, of being balanced and true...
The fight scenes among the Bamboo were a little too much for me.
Uninspired dialogue? Give an example of inspired dialogue, please. This is very traditional, classic, and even a little cliched; but it was never expected to be anything else.
Acting? I got the very strong impression that Michelle Yeoh and Chow Yun Fat had a very restrained, repressed attraction that neither would allow to emerge. I also found that Ang Lee's exuberant recklessness very real. A teenager with her first car, almost.
Plot was random? I guess that's what you saw.
We saw the story of an Empress Palpatine man hater, and her young disciple. The young disciple wants to push herself and her world, being greater than the master. She sees an opportunity to escape her destiny when she meets Michelle Yeoh and Chow Yun Fat, but in doing so destroys the lives of everyone she loves.
Her lover is the one that gives her the first inkling of what living outside the system may be like. Perhaps you were put off by the extra long flashback sequence around her comb?
Oh well. I'm glad I saw it, at least.
Geek dating!
GPL Deconstructed
The Critic is back (kinda).
end communication
Crouching Tiger -- Probably the best movie of the year. No, not influenced by The Matrix! The Hong Kong influence came first, and this is Ang Lee's exploration and celebration of this school of film. It is a great mix of epic tales, romance, eastern philosophy, and the most lyrically beautiful fight scenes I've ever seen. I'll never forget the fight on the tree tops for sheer elegance and beauty.
Finding Forrester -- I seem to disagree with Katz on this one, for I enjoyed it very much. I especially enjoyed the way they didn't dwell on the usual racial stereotypes, so evidently either I missed something, or Katz saw something that wasn't there. Good acting by all. And probably one of the better movies about writing I've seen (although the ending cops out a bit on that score).
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Private Essayist
I think the rest of the world has a choice of whether to buy American films and TV shows or not. Its not their fault that foreign countries are always avid audiences for American films. Also, AFAIK, these days when Hollywood makes films it does so with the rest of the world in mind. So they are not 'Imperialists' at all! You have a choice, and they cater to your needs.
And to say that they are backward is terrible rubbish (I'm really sorry, but it is). They are actually quite advanced.
American films are the best that sre made in the world, IMO. The same isn't true for their TV programs perhaps, but it certainly is for their films. Otherwise, why would everyone all over the whole wide world choose to watch them? Because they like them, thats why!
--Anticipation of a New Lover's Arrival, The
I just wanted to mention that _Proof of Life_ was shot in Ecuador, not Honduras.
I should know, the movie was based on the kidnapping of Thomas Hargrove, my Uncle, outside Cali, Colombia.
You can read my Uncle's testimony to Congress at
http://www.g21.net/narco.html
But yes, the negotiation scenes were extremely realistic -- they were based on video that my cousin (who has a film degree) shot of the actual kidnapping negotiations.
The rest of the movie was, shall we say, heavily influenced by the needs of Hollywood.
Interestingly, they had originally planned a much fuller romance between Ryan and Crowe (and had shot love scenes, etc) but in test runs the audiences laughed at these parts!
Ken McKinney
kenmckinney@email.com
I went to go see Cast Away with my boyfriend and some friends a few days ago. Having been at college and away from TV and magazines, and myself not much of an entertainment buff, I didn't even know what the film was ABOUT when I walked into it.
In fact, my boyfriend and Ihad gotten tix for Cast Away a few days before that, and seeing a whole bunch of FedEx stuff and Tom Hanks yelling at people, we were like, "What the heck?" and theatre-hopped over to How the Grinch Stole Christmas, which was what I'd REALLY wanted to see anyway. (BTW, that was cute. Real cute.)
*Caution: This post contains SCADS and HORDES of SPOILERS! Don't read this if you've not seen the movie. It'll ruin it for you.*
Anyway, Cast Away. Immediately I saw that the romantic aspect of Helen Hunt was going to be a huge factor. The whole time Hanks was on the island, I kept thinking, "But what of his girlfriend? What about her?" Big letdown for the audience to see her already married with a daughter when Hanks gets off the island and back into Memphis, but I think the tragedy of that was an excellent theatrical device--the audience wanted to see more. More, what would Mr. Everyday American Hero Hanks do? "Just wait for what the tide brings in", and then some rather vague ending as a redhead in an old pickup in Texas flirtatiously gives Hanks some directions. Okay. That was the ultimate "WHAT the HECK!?" for all of us. The movie ends with a shot of Hanks squinting slightly under the sun, looking into the camera, presumably into the direction that the redhead's truck, bearing the cryptic tri-ringed gold wings of some sort, as she heads back to her ranch. What the HECK? Can anyone give me some sort of analysis on that?
Next off, I missed it, and I'm sure I could come up with answers somewhere but where was this movie filmed?
Last of all...I'd really like to know what they did to Mr. Hanks' diet. I realize actors have to gain and lose weight often at the whims of their directors, but Hanks started off as a pink, slightly pudgy FedEx worker, and by the time the ship picked him up he was lean and tanned. Quite a dramatic change, if you ask me. Anyone know what kind of diet they put the man on? I want it.
I LIKED this movie. Not having any hype beforehand helped a bit, I suppose--I came away from it mostly satisfied. The scene I'll likely be having nightmares over for the rest of my life will be the plane crash--watching the ocean rushing up at you from the cockpit, huge and black and menacing, at a horrifically WRONG angle--that was outright terrifying. I have to FLY to get back to college. *shiver*
Angry IT woman in big clompy boots. And talking lint!.
The mis-spelling took place in the original articles I saw.
All Those duly offended rightly deserve the most profound apologies.
An artist of merit of course deserves to have their name spelled correctly, and I certainly apologise for any anguish, agony, or dishonor felt by his expert, knowledgable, and caring fans because of the mis-spelling.
As a final note, I shared the material because I felt it was worthwhile. The karma points are not that important.
Really.
"It is a greater offense to steal men's labor, than their clothes"
As a Chinese myself, I can testify that Crouching Tiger was definitely not inspired by Matrix - the fighting style and storyline is typical of Hong Kong TV shows probably since TV programs were produced there. I grew up in Hong Kong in the 70's but as a kid I've seen re-runs with people flying around and where the heros/heroines were idoits when it comes to expressing feelings!. While I do think that the fighting sequence was cool, I found it over done and the film was really lacking in story. I think the movie can be summed up in six words: "it's all about an unpredictable teenager". As far as movies with teenagers possessing destructive powers, I think the X-Men was way better! One last anal observation: I found the historical timing in the film all wrong. The story was supposed to be around 200AD (according to the movie, Green Dynasty sword was supposed to be crafted around the Han Dynasty and then lost for 400 years). But Beijing was nothing more than a village (if even that) until the Mogolian controlled China and made it the capital city(1300 AD). And then the clothing and hair style in the movie was of Quing Dynasty (1700 AD). I know this is a mood point, but I was still rather expecting more from a famed director such as Ang Lee. As a side note, I saw Chocolat the day right after I saw Crouching Tiger. I had a much, much more enjoyable time with Chocolat than with Crouching Tiger, and I am surprised it is not mentioned by Jon at all. It has a great story and the filming was done beautifully. Maybe I'm getting old, but I find myself looking for a story in a movie rather than cool fighting sequence. Just my .02
I don't think Crouching Tiger was inspired by the Matrix; both films had the action choreographed by Yuen Woo Ping. You might remember him from such films as Drunken Master, Snake in the Eagle's Shadow and oodles since. It's not available yet over here, but I'm really, really, really looking forward to it.
On the subject of O Brother Where Art Thou (the only film mentioned to have been released thus far in Ireland), I've got to echo the opinion of millions; the Coen brothers (like Ang Lee) can do no wrong. The only question is whether I'll see all these films in the cinema, or whether the US DVDs will be available first.
"true to the superhero comic- book genre which inspired it." Do you actually read comics, let alone superhero [a which is co-copyrighted by both Timewarner and Marvel Enterprise] comics. Take the popular, and by popular I mean it had a movie and it sells well by comic standards [around 20,000 issues a month]. In UNCANNY X-MEN, X-MEN, and the many biproducts of Marvel trying to oversaturate and waterdown the market with by increasing number one issues for speculator frenzy, the main characters spend half their time explaining their super-powers and their mysterious past and the other half is spent explaining how they defend a world that fears and hates them. Imagine reading a copy of X-MEN, where every 10 panels we hear Storm explain how she was a thief in Cairo when she was a teen working for the devious Shadow King, and how she lived in Africa and was thought to be a god by the local tribes. Storm can be substituted for Wolverine and his mysterious past with Project Weapon X and Captain America, or Rogue's past with Mystique and how she cannot touch anyone. At the end of every battle, Cyclops or Jean Grey will say, "they hate us, yet we defend them!"
Does this sound like a good comic to you? It's called an art driven comic, where they let the artists take the headlines and hire some hack writer to do the job, or sometimes great writers who really aren't that great [See Scott Lobdell and Chris Claremont]. How does a movie get inspired by shit like this? It doesn't. UNBREAKABLE was a slow paced movie with a 'surprise' ending [from the maker of SIXTH SENSE, how could we not expect this]. And Jackson's character tries to tell me those superhero comics are highbrow literature? Fucking christ, those comics he showed me are the FULL HOUSE of comic books. Serious comics aren't about superheroes [few exceptions such as Miracle Man or any of Alex Ross's future stories]. If you want to read the only good superhero comic on the market, pick up AUTHORITY. Don't get me wrong, there are great comics. TRANSMETROPOLITAN and PLANETARY by Warren Ellis are great. POWERS and JINX by Brian Bendis are excellent too. There is also Grant Morrison's INVISIBLES [the comic that really inspired MATRIX [ie. the MATRIX was a blatant ripoff and gave absolutely no credit with the parallel plot], but with better dialogue.
But I don't know, I could be wrong about all this. But I think I am of some authority since I used to buy over 50 comics and month and see about 60 movies a year in theatre.
Gaelen
If you look at my profile you might figure out that I work for the airline prominently featured in castaway. ;-)
Just before the movie was released we got this lengthy memo with detailed annswers to common questions about the movie. Apparantly FedEx did not pay to be in the film but the marketing folks did work closely wth the writers and such. They also pointed out all of the "errors" in the film (such as Tom Hanks's Character drinking wine while jumpseating- you can't get anywhere near a FedEx plane with booze). Many of the extras in the scenes filmed in Memphis were "real" FedEx employees. Fred Smith, the CEO had a brief cameo also.. I gues sit was when Hanks's character returnned home or something. They also auctioned off the clothes that Hanks wore during the FedEx shots to raise money for the United Way.
Anyway, I have not seen the movie yet. I'm just sitting here bored on a Sunday morning and felt like blabbing.
Happy New Year
Here are some links to some reviews and interviews on NPR (in RealAudio format) that might be interesting to follow up on:
"It is a greater offense to steal men's labor, than their clothes"