Saturday, February 13, 2016

Side by Side (2012) - 8 stars out of 10

Side by Side (2012) - 8 stars out of 10

In the documentary "Side by Side," Keanu Reeves sets out to chronicle the history of film production and gather opinions from Hollywood’s greatest directors regarding film's conversion to digital production.  I have no clue why Reeves was the one to do this but the final product is very compelling.  The documentary combines a historic look at the evolution of filmmaking technology with strong (and contrasting) opinions on each phase of that evolution.  Reeves used all of his Hollywood connections to assemble a wide array of famous directors, cinematographers, and film editors including Martin Scorsese, George Lucas, David Fincher, Richard Linklater, Danny Boyle, David Lynch, and The Wachowski Brothers.  One of my favorite segments of the documentary explores the optical printer and the old school way of creating visual effects in films like "The Empire Strikes Back" and "Close Encounters of the Third Kind."  I don’t know how anybody ever figured out how to create film.  It is remarkable.  I have such an appreciation for the complexity of photochemical color timing and the new possibilities that came with digital color manipulation.  You would think that every director would be in favor of the potential created by new technology but it is actual rather polarizing.  Each time a director offers insight into a technical aspect of filmmaking, their comments are supported with a clip from one of their movies that demonstrates the topic.  In addition to learning so much about film production, we get to revisit many amazing movies.  It even digs in to the rise of 3D films.  I love Joel Schumacher's commentary on the 3D fad and why it is can enhance a film but isn’t always appropriate:  "With Avatar, there's a reason that film is in 3D.  Because it is taking you on an experience.  It isn't something that was added on for money or a joke or a gimmick.  It's there because it was created that way."  James Cameron also has an interesting response to the criticism that movies aren't "real" anymore because of digital backgrounds and effects.  Even though they are are adding things that aren’t physically filmed, is it any less real than filming an evening outdoor scene in the middle of the day inside of a Hollywood soundstage with fake rain and boom mics out of the view of the camera?  So much of this film is about comparison, whether it is comparing the opinions of the directors or the physical appearance of the films.  It talks about the different cameras available today and shows examples of films shot with each camera.  It also shows examples of recent movies that were shot on film.  The content may be a little dry for those who aren’t interested in film or digital technology but it creates an interesting story.  It's a shame that the few swear words (including four f-words) were included in the final cut.  They don't add anything to the commentary but prevent this documentary from being appropriate for all ages.  “Side by Side” is worth a watch due to the amount of information that it reveals through the opinions of the people who make the movies.

[Pictured: It is sad to see the use of film fading away but exciting to see the new possibilities created with digital technologies]

Thursday, February 11, 2016

Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom - 8 stars out of 10

Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom - 8 stars out of 10

“Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom” is a chilling recounting of the 2014 Euromaidan protests in Ukraine that lasted for 93 days.  This quarrel developed after Ukraine’s president decided to strengthen ties with the Russian Federation instead of completing its agreement with the European Union.  The perspective of the film is very one-sided but it is hard to feel anything but sympathy for these peaceful, unarmed protesters.  Before you watch this, prepare to see brutal footage of police beatings, people being gunned down on screen, and a complete disregard for human life.  I almost had to look away as stun grenades and tear gas filled the streets around these innocent people, and it just gets worse from there.  The interviews tell the story but the real impact of this film comes from its bold imagery.  I applaud the bravery of this film crew as they walked into the line of fire to capture these shots.  If the police were shooting Red Cross workers, they certainly would not have hesitated to take out a few film crew members.  It is no wonder that this film was nominated for an Oscar and I hope that the publicity will help to bring peoples’ attention to the ongoing conflict in the Ukraine.  “Winter on Fire” reveals the destruction of a city and the citizens who stood up to hold on to their freedom.

[Pictured: Vivid imagery brings this shocking conflict to life]

Wednesday, February 10, 2016

The Wild Thornberrys Movie - 6 stars out of 10

The Wild Thornberrys Movie - 6 stars out of 10

“The Wild Thornberrys Movie” was surprisingly good.  It works well as a standalone film and you won’t miss much if you’ve never watched the TV show.  This series arrived toward the end of my middle school years so it was never of much interest to me, but I was impressed with the amount of heart in this story.  I find Eliza Thornberry to be a particularly heartwarming character.  Maybe it’s because I can see a lot of my animal-loving wife in her, or maybe it is because she embodies a spirit of hope without too strong of a conservationist message.  Whatever it is, Eliza makes it easy to become emotionally invested in the story.  I appreciate that Nickelodeon brought in the likes of Lacey Chabert and Tim Curry to voice its characters.  The only thing that I don’t care for is the animation style.  I understand that these are caricatures but I find a disparity between the likable character personalities and their goofy-looking appearances.  The story could have been a tired piece of anti-poaching propaganda but the message is subtle as the film focuses on the themes of friendship, selflessness, and doing the right thing.  “The Wild Thornberrys Movie” is mostly toward kids but can easily be enjoyed by families.  There are great lessons weaved throughout the story, but hopefully it will not inspire your children to start doing the Wedgie Dance!

[Pictured: The movie doesn’t shy away from sad and serious thematic moments]

Sunday, February 7, 2016

The Hateful Eight - 8 stars out of 10

The Hateful Eight - 8 stars out of 10

“The Hateful Eight” screams “Quentin Tarantino.”  Everything that we expect from his films can be found here, including non-linear storytelling, graphic blood splatter, extreme violence, and excessive profane language (especially the n-word).  I was surprised that Tarantino followed up his popular “Django Unchained” with another Western, but this story remains unique while maintaining his signature style.  Anachronism abounds as the soundtrack and dialogue vary between old-fashioned Western and modern times.  One of the biggest contrasts from “Django” is that this story does not involve slavery.  It does portray a ton of racism to set the tone of its post-Civil War setting, but the non-slavery content makes the number of n-words seem far too excessive, as if Tarantino is just seeing how far he can push the boundaries and still have an audience.  One of the least audience-friendly aspects of this film is its nearly 3-hour runtime.  It is a cumbersome story but it feels like this amount of time is necessary to allow the events to properly unfold and then reveal additional details through a flashback.  The story is driven by dialogue (until the signature bloodbath takes place) and I was surprised at how much it drew me in.  The film offers great performances by Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, and Bruce Dern, but Jennifer Jason Leigh has been generating all of the buzz.  Her gritty performance is memorable but I’m still not sure that it was good enough for an Oscar nomination.  Interestingly, a miscommunication led to Russell accidentally destroying an antique 1870s guitar (instead of the intended prop guitar that was to be swapped in), resulting in an authentic reaction from Leigh in the final cut.  The movie is beautifully filmed and Ennio Morricone’s first Western score in 34 years continually sets the tone for each scene.  With such a prolific career (and no Oscar wins), it seems inevitable that he will receive an Oscar for this film even though the actual score is not my favorite of 2015.  The unpredictable nature of the film makes its ending a real treat.  Especially when you are left to ponder what someone will think when they stumble upon Minnie's Haberdashery following these events.  Unfortunately, I think that “The Hateful Eight” could have been just as impressive without shock-value language and its brief (but disturbing) sexual content.  I wouldn’t recommend this film to anybody who doesn’t want to see a person’s head get blown off  or deal with three hours of swearing, but it might just be worth meandering through all of the smut to experience such an interesting story.

[Pictured: This is a long film but the ensemble cast (Russell, Leigh, and Dern seen here) make it worth watching]