W.E. (2011)

Written by Madonna & Alex Keshishian


Directed by Madonna


Where & When: Mann Chinese 6, Hollywood, CA. February 20, 2012  7:30PM


Madonna may not be the best singer out there but that certainly didn't stop her from becoming one of the biggest pop stars in music history. And while she is far from being a great actor, that didn't prevent her from winning a Golden Globe for Best Actress for her performance in the film adaption of the Broadway musical, "Evita".

Now Madonna is looking for a new challenge, so why not directing a film? It doesn't appear to be that hard, right?

I didn't see her 2008 first feature film, "Filth and Wisdom", mainly because I didn't hear a lot of positive things about it, but I did venture out to see the follow-up, "W.E." for which Madonna has, once again, directed, produced and co-written. A glossy but vacuous fiction about a modern young woman's obsession about the controversial romance of The Duke and Duchess of Windsor in the 1930's which should have given the pop star director an opportunity to create a riveting, dramatic love story but instead the emphasis seemed to be placed more on the fabulous jewelry the Duchess was wearing.

This story involves Wally Winthrop (Abbie Cornish), a beautiful and stylish New Yorker, who appears to have gotten everything she wanted. Married to a handsome, successful doctor (Richard Coyle) and trying to start a family, it all seems perfect, however, her husband's work consumes all of his time, but Wally suspects he is actually having an affair and the couple is having difficulty trying to conceive which brings additional stress to their relationship.

Lonely and depressed, Wally spends hours looking at the exhibition of the estate of Wallis Simpson shortly before going to auction. As she daydreams about the seemingly ideal love affair of Simpson (Andrea Riseborough) and the future King of England, Edward (James D'Arcy), we learn that the couple's relationship was actually quite perplexing and impractical.

Wallis was happily married to her second husband, Ernest Simpson (David Harbour) before she was introduced to Edward through a friend who just happened to be dating the prince. The unlikely pair quietly spend as much time together as possible before it blossomed into an intense and passionate affair. After King Edward VIII passes away, Prince Edward is next in line for the crown. Edward insists on making Wallis his Queen, but the British government will never allow a divorced American to take a place by his side. Not being able to bear the thought of a life without the woman he loves, Edward abdicates the throne.

A Russian security guard (Oscar Isaac) at the auction house notices Wally and how often she appears at the exhibit. They soon become friendly as he becomes a kind and handsome shoulder for her to lean on during a difficult time in her marriage and much like the story she's obsessed with, Wally soon finds herself in a complicated situation.

 "W.E." plays like a really long music video, full of glittering, highly stylized images and magnificent camerawork but the use of different film stock in the same scenes and the choppy editing seems arbitrary and adds nothing beyond simply looking cool. The film is completely devoid of any real emotion or believable characters (most especially the non-fictional) as the screenplay (co-written with Alex Keshishian who was the director of the documentary, "Truth or Dare" that peeked behind the crazy life of Madonna during the height of her fame) which clumsily attempts to merge the two stories; one based on fact while the other is trite fiction. There is an amazing lack of subtlety or depth to be found as we witness exact moments recreated by Wally and Wallis, sixty years apart, such as both writing on a mirror in lipstick which becomes an unimaginative way to express some sort of deep connection between the two women. Perhaps Wally is supposed to be Simpson reincarnated? That might have been more interesting idea than the stale story that was created. While "W.E." is not exactly dull, it's all so serious and heavy-handed that even a little light humor would have helped considerably.

Ms Cornish, the Australian actress who first captured attention with her turn in Jane Campion's 2009 film, "Bright Star", does the best she can with her underdeveloped character but manages to breathe a little life in to Wally. Riseborough, who is actually British, is the best thing in the film as she brings grace and charm in her portrayal as the American Simpson.

All of the heavy lifting in "W.E." was done by Arianne Phillips, Madonna's long-time personal costume designer, who received a well-deserved Oscar nomination for her extensively detailed work on this film as well as Huw Arthur who was overlooked for a nomination for the exquisite art direction.

The director spent a considerable amount of time focusing on the impeccable look for "W.E." but not nearly enough creating a competent or engaging narrative. Why a British king would give up his crown for the love of a plain-featured, twice-divorced, American socialite is certainly an intriguing romance that deserves to be told but "W.E." does not even come close to doing justice to their fascinating but complicated story.

THE SKIN I LIVE IN (LA PIAL QUE HABITO) (2011)

Written & Directed by Pedro Almodvar


Where & When: Arclight Cinemas, Hollywood, CA.  October 16, 2011 7:00PM


Pedro Almodovar, the Spanish writer/director best known for his stylish, technicolor melodramas laced with a kinky sexuality, has returned with his latest, "The Skin I Live In" and while all of these components are still very much in place but this time he has added a new twist, or rather, twisted, dark and disturbing element to his new feature that comes across as very extreme, even for Almodovar.

Based on the novel, "Tarantula" by Thierry Jonquet, Antonio Banderas plays Dr. Robert Ledgard, a plastic surgeon who has announced to his colleagues that he has just developed in the lab human flesh that cannot burn. However, what the doctor neglected to tell them is that he wasn't testing the skin on lab animals but on an actual human, a young woman he is holding captive in his home.

Imprisoned for the last six years while still looking quite healthy, sexy and vibrant, Vera (Elena Anaya) has remained in a room in Ledgard's tastefully decorated mansion wearing only a flesh-colored bodysuit as she reads, practices yoga and tries to hang on to her sanity. Vera is constantly watched by cameras installed in the room to survey her every move while she is cared for by Marilia (Marisa Paredes), Ledgard's long-time housekeeper who never questions the idea of housing a prisoner.

An unexpected visitor arrives at the house, a man in a tiger costume. Zeca (Roberto Alamo) is Marilia's estranged son who is dressed this way because he is wanted for an armed robbery and since it is carnival, this is the only chance he can move around undetected. He sees Vera on the camera and thinking that she is someone that he knows, demands that his mother take him to her. After Marilia refuses, Zeca ties her up, then searching each room until he finds Vera where he proceeds to ravish her. The doctor arrives home finding Zeca on top of Vera and shoots him to death.

It's impossible to describe the film much further without giving away too much but I can say that there is a mysterious connection between Zeca, the doctor and his deceased wife who perished in a fiery car crash as well as with Vera who is imprisoned because of her tragic relationship with the doctor's mentally, unbalanced daughter and none of this is in any way you could ever possibly imagine.

Mr. Almodovar is in full control as his take on a horror film is done in the only way he knows; "The Skin I Live In" is boldly perverse, opulently creepy, and extravagantly disturbing but the final results end up being too grave to be much fun and a touch too frivolous to be taken seriously.

The screenplay is both overheated and undercooked for it is complicated, wildly over-the-top but still feels slight..While there are drops of  tiny clues throughout, the characters still have go through lengthy, detailed explanations to help figure it all out. There are hints of Almodovar's trademark quirky humor throughout but there isn't nearly enough to offset some of the absurdities of the plot..

Banderas, who hadn't appeared in an Almodovar film since 1990's, "Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!", gives one of his best performances in a long time. He manages to appear somewhat reasonable yet wildly deranged at the same time. Ms Anaya, a stunning beauty, is a magnetic presence who doesn't say much but her expressive face displays her steely determination to survive her ordeal.

While "The Skin I Live In" is far from my favorite from Mr. Almodovar but let's face it--it's still Almodovar. Cinema is in desperate need right now for a film maker who offers his delightful style of wit, charm, and camp and (like how I feel about Woody Allen) even the lesser works by Pedro Almodovar are still more fascinating, watchable and enjoyable than many films out there.

THE IDES OF MARCH (2011)

Written by George Clooney & Grant Heslov and Beau Willimon


Directed by George Clooney


Where & When: Arclight Cinemas,  Hollywood, CA, October 10, 2011 7:00PM


George Clooney has returned behind the camera to co-write and direct his fourth film, "The Ides of March" based on the play by Beau Willimon (who co-wrote the screenplay), "Farragut North", which is the name of a Washington D.C. Metro station. that is located near the district's center for lobbyists.There are certainly some intriguing moments and strong performances but despite that, it still ends up being superficial.and unsatisfying.

We first meet Stephen Meyers (Ryan Gosling) as he helps prep the stage for a Democratic Presidential debate in Ohio between the Arkansas Senator, Ted Pullman and the Governor of the state of Pennsylvania, Mike Morris (Clooney). Stephen, who works for the Governor as his junior campaign manager, is young, talented and believes with all his heart that Morris is the best candidate for president.

After the debate, Senator Pullman's Campaign Manager, Tom Duffy (Paul Giamatti) contacts Stephen, wanting to meet with him privately. Stephen attempts to call his Campaign Manager, Paul Zara (Philip Seymour Hoffman) but is unable to reach him so, against better judgement, he goes to the meeting. Duffy offers Stephen a job to work for the Senator. He is flattered and obviously declines but Stephen decides not to tell Zara about this encounter.

Molly (Evan Rachel Wood), an alluring intern for the Governor's campaign and who just happens to be the daughter of the head of the DNC, comes on aggressively to Stephen and he, being a typical male, easily gives in to her charms.

It's not long before Stephen's hero falls down to Earth as he discovers that Governor Morris is involved in a potential sex scandal that could unravel his candidacy. Stephen also has to deal with disastrous complications arising with the intern and with his secret meeting with the rival's team. With all of his beliefs having been shattered and the realities of a political campaign becoming crystal clear, Stephen must decide where his loyalties truly lie and what is he willing to do to survive this merciless, cut-throat environment.

Mr. Clooney's greatest strength as a director, although it's far from surprising, is his ability to elicit terrific performance from all of his actors, which includes Marisa Tomei as a New York Times reporter fishing for a scoop and Jeffery Wright as an Ohio Senator looking for a political favor in exchange for his endorsement. He did make it much easier on himself by hiring respected character actors such as Mr.Giamatti and Mr. Hoffman who both elevate this material with their unusual skill as well as the bright, young talent of Mr.Gosling and Ms Wood who are both excellent and certainly hold their own in this cast of heavy hitters.

It's fun to see all of these great actors in action but once you take that out of the equation, "The Ides of March" is a fairly routine and predictable story which is too bad because a political race is ripe with compelling, dramatic possibilities. The film touches on how corruption, deception and greed has an even firmer grip on our current political landscape but that's nothing we didn't have extensive knowledge of long before we sat down in the theater.While it does offer a seemingly accurate depiction of all of the endless hours, lack of any kind of real social life and the complete dedication that is required to actually run for office, (which is probably what attracted Mr. Clooney to this project), but "The Ides of March" just doesn't dig nearly deep enough as it's littered with stock types and not any actual flesh and blood characters, flat cinematography and a murky, implausible final act which leads to a limp and unbelievable conclusion.

"The Ides of March" is classy and ambitious with an actual message but the film is never able to come together well enough to reach it's full potential.

2011 FALL MOVIE PREVIEW

The sun has finally set on this year's crop of summer flicks so that means it's time to focus on the fall which tends to bring us darker and more dramatic fare. I tend to prefer this time of the year because the films tends to be more bold, challenging and certainly less predictable.

I'm going to share a few of the upcoming films that look particularly interesting to me.

All of the U.S. release dates are subject to change:

"THE IDES OF MARCH"

Release Date: October 7, 2011

George Clooney has returned to the director's chair and has made a political drama, based on the stage play, "Farragut North", about a young and ambitious media strategist (Ryan Gosling) working for a Democratic Governor (Clooney) running for President. After the young man discovers a troubling secret about the candidate that could unravel his campaign, he must decide whether to adhere to his values or do whatever it takes to help the Governor win. The film has a great cast that includes Paul Giamatti, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Marisa Tomei, Jeffrey Wright and Evan Rachel Wood.



"DIRTY GIRL"

Release Date: October 7, 2011

Set in the 1980's, this quirky comedy stars Juno Temple as Danielle, a promiscuous Southern teenager who fights with her deeply religious mother (Milla Jovovich) and wants to find her birth father. After she befriends a fellow outcast, a gay classmate (Jeremy Dozier), they take off on a road trip to Los Angeles to find Danielle's father. William H. Macy, Mary Steenburgen, and country singers, Dwight Yoakam and Tim McGraw make appearances in the film.



"THE SKIN I LIVE IN"

Release Date: October 14, 2011

After twenty-one years, Antonio Banderas has re-teamed with writer/director Pedro Almodovar in a dark and disturbing horror story about a deranged doctor who holds a young woman (Elena Araya from "Talk To Her") captive so he can use her for an experiment that will not cause human flesh to burn. This twisted tale has plenty of sex and high drama that is done in a way that only Almodovar can deliver. Marisa Parades ("All About My Mother") also stars.



"MY WEEK WITH MARILYN"

Release Date: November 4, 2011

This drama is based on the memoir by Colin Clark, (played by Eddie Redmayne) who was a production assistant on the British set of the 1956 film, "The Prince and the Showgirl" which starred Laurence Olivier (Kenneth Branagh) and Marilyn Monroe (Michelle Williams). After Monroe's new husband, Arthur Miller (Dougay Scott) has to return to America, Clark is assigned to keep her company for a week. The film also features Emma Watson ("Harry Potter"), Julia Ormond, Dominic Cooper and Judi Dench.



"WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN"

Release Date: December 2, 2011

Lynne Ramsay, the acclaimed Scottish director is releasing only her third feature film since her 1999 award-winning debut, "Ratcatcher". Tilda Swinton stars as a mother who struggles to understand the events that lead up to her son, Kevin's massacre of teachers and his fellow students at his high school. Based on the novel by Lionel Shriver, the film also features John C. Reilly as Kevin's father and Ezra Miller as Kevin.



"A DANGEROUS METHOD"

Release Date:  December 9, 2011

Director, David Cronenberg has teamed-up with Viggo Mortensen for the third consecutive time ("A History of Violence", "Eastern Promises") for a film about the relationship between psychiatrist, Carl Jung (Michael Fassbender) and his mentor, Sigmond Freud (Mortensen) and the troubled student (Keira Knightly) who comes between them.



"W.E."

Release Date: December 9, 2011

"W.E." is the story of two women; one, a lonely young woman (Abbie Cornish) in present-day New York who is obsessed about the love story of England's King Edward VII (James D'Arcy) who gave up the crown in 1936 to marry American divorcee, Wallis Simpson (Andrea Riseborough) with the other being Simpson herself from the early days of their romance to the difficult times later in the relationship. The film, co-written and directed by the "Queen of Pop", Madonna, has already premiered at this year's Venice Film Festival and will also screen at the Toronto Film Festival.



"'TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY"

Release Date: December 9, 2011

This 1974 novel by John le Carre was first made in to a seven part mini-series by the BBC in 1979 and now has been made in to a feature film. Gary Oldman plays a former British spy who is brought out of retirement to uncover a Russian agent. Mark Strong, Tom Hardy, Ciaran Hinds, John Hurt and Oscar winner, Colin Firth round out this impressive cast of British actors.


"THE IRON LADY"

Release Date: December 16, 2011

Meryl Streep could possibly earn her seventeenth Academy Award nomination for her portrayal of former British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher in a story about the days before leading up to the Falklands War in 1982. Fellow Oscar winner, Jim Broadbent co-stars as her husband.



"CARNAGE"

Release Date:  December 18, 2011

Based on the play, "God of Carnage" by Yasmina Reza,  this is the story of two sets of parents; one wealthy (Kate Winslet and Christoph Waltz) and the other middle-class, (Jodie Foster and John C. Reilly) who come together to discuss a fight their children had that day but as the evening progresses, they begin acting increasingly childish and unreasonable. The controversial, Roman Polanski directs this dark comedy.