Tuesday, October 6, 2015

The Painting (Le Tableau) (2013) - 8 stars out of 10

The Painting (Le Tableau) (2013) - 8 stars out of 10

"The Painting" is, for lack of a better term, a work of art.  It is clearly a cartoon for adults and not just because of the nude painting.  The story is a parable about unfairly judging others and would likely be of little interest to younger children.  While some might scoff at this story for lacking "maturity," the simplicity of its plot allows us to full absorb the visual beauty without distraction.  This is especially helpful if you are watching with English subtitles while trying to enjoy the artistry on this canvas... and the artistry off of the canvas as these characters venture out of the paintings and into the real world.  The animators faced a tough challenge as the world inside of each painting took on a different style from Picasso to Matisse, but the end result is an enormous success.  The surrealist colors of the Allduns are stunning and effectively contrasted by the simple black and white appearance of the charcoal Sketchies.  The backdrops come to life and the conversations between paintings are very clever.  I wouldn’t give this film Disney ratings when it comes to storytelling abilities, but “The Painting” is a feast for the eyes that should not be overlooked.

[Pictured: This film is so beautiful that it makes me want to cry.]

Monday, October 5, 2015

Inside Man (2006) - 9 stars out of 10

Inside Man (2006) - 9 stars out of 10

“Inside Man” is not a story that I would expect to be told by Spike Lee.  He steps away from his typical racial themes to give us a lesson in deception.  This unique crime thriller intersperses police interviews with flashbacks of the bank robbery in question.  At first, the out of context interviews do not make much sense.  As the story progresses, the flashbacks give meaning to the interviews until the end reveals that… all of our assumptions were wrong!  The film alludes to (and even directly shows) how these criminals will pull off this heist, but you will still be completely shocked in the end.  You have to love a story that successfully turns the bank robbers into heroes and the cops into bad guys.  The intentionally convoluted story is supported by big-name actors who all live up to their reputations.  Clive Owen is truly terrifying as the criminal mastermind, Denzel Washington balances his heroic moments and his situational failures, Jodie Foster successfully contrasts Washington’s straight-laced character with her shifty, sly role, Christopher Plummer provides the intrigue that makes us wonder what could be in his safe deposit box, and Willem Dafoe does exactly what you’d expect him to do in a gruff cop role.  The film makes for a great rewatch.  It has “The Sixth Sense” syndrome, where the twist blows your mind the first time but the film becomes a new experience with each subsequent watch as you catch more clues that you never realized were there.  “Inside Man” has some violence and swearing, but it is pretty tame for an R-rated film and worth watching for its complex story and rewarding twist.

[Pictured: The characters never do what you expect]

Sunday, October 4, 2015

The Longest Ride - 5 stars out of 10

The Longest Ride - 5 stars out of 10

Nicholas Sparks serves up another tear-jerker, but it falls short of our expectation that all Sparks stories will be as good as “The Notebook.”  The concept is similar – a love story is told through letters and flashbacks, but there are enough unique pieces to this puzzle (the love stories involve two different sets of characters, there is some action, one character is in physical danger) that it doesn’t feel like an uncreative repeat.  Britt Robertson was decent but her performance in “Tomorrowland” far outshines this one.  I felt the same way about Scott Eastwood – he’s decent but not very memorable.  Alan Alda is the real reason to watch this film.  From the moment that you first hear his unique voice, you won’t be able to turn your attention away.  Oona Chaplin was the unexpected surprise of the film.  She has excellence in her blood (granddaughter of Charlie Chaplin, great-granddaughter of Eugene O’Neill), and her performance was mesmerizing.  Perhaps I connected with her because I am a teacher, but I found her character to be one of the best-written characters I have encountered in a while.  I can see this role being a launching point for her career.  The film has some unnecessary sexual content that easily could have been implied but, in our “50 Shades of Grey” society, I suppose that directors feel the pressure to compete.  It is sad that a nice love story has to be tarnished by films of the same ilk as the aforementioned grotesquely sexual trash that make it seem like every love story has to be about sex.  I much prefer Ira’s story, which revolves around traditional love and values.  All of that aside, “The Longest Ride” is an enjoyable story with a heartwarming twist ending, but don’t walk into this film expecting “The Notebook.”

[Pictured: This is definitely the more memorable portion of the story]