Tag: film reviews

Film: “Spiderman 3”

I went to watch Spiderman 3 at the South Common theatres last night. It was quite a festive atmosphere for the younger set, with an inflatable jump house set up just outside the theatre, comic books and Spiderman-balloon animals offered inside, and even a costumed Spiderman available for photographs in the lobby.

We bypassed the peripheral fun in favor of lining up early to secure good seats. Though I tend to build up unwarranted expectations when waiting is involved, the movie didn’t disappoint. I failed in my attempt to avoid all reviews before the screening, but I do agree with Mack’s opinion that the critics were unnecessarily harsh on the third installment. I didn’t have a problem with what they deemed to be an abundance of villiains, and if anything, my favorite scene in the movie was the eleventh hour partnership between Spiderman and New Goblin (admittedly, I have a soft spot for redemption storylines).

As expected from the Spiderman franchise, there were stunning visual effects, and the requisite Sam Raimi everyman hero humor (but who else thought Parker’s bang-tastic street dance went on a tad long?). As for the new cast additions, Topher Grace did surprisingly well in his turn to the dark side, and James Cromwell’s bit appearance was a waste for someone of his acting caliber. And oh, the crying – the movie might as well have been subtitled S3: Waterworks Edition.

All in all, it was a good night at the cinema. Spiderman 3 definitely deserves its place as the first blockbuster of a sequel-filled summer movie season.

Edmonton Film Society: “Marnie”

On Monday night, I attended an Edmonton Film Society screening of Alfred Hitchcock’s Marnie with Dickson at the Royal Museum of Alberta (the movie passed through his precious litmus test of quality – the user-voted IMDB rating).

Dickson likes to poke fun at the average age of the audience by calling them the “sea of grey,” but personally, I think part of the fun of EFS events (as opposed to renting the classic films) is watching these movies with this particular generation. There is not a drop of pretentiousness in the room; every reaction is absolutely genuine. As demonstrated during a screening of To Catch a Thief last summer, from the laughs to the gasps to the applause at the end, I sometimes feel that this kind of collective viewing experience is what all theatres should offer. That said, the numbers were low yesterday (likely due to the chilly weather), so the room didn’t quite have the critical mass necessary for the desired aural effect.

The plot of Marnie is described perfectly on the EFS website: “a perverse romance between a beautiful, elegant thief [Tippi Hedren as Marnie] who’s blackmailed into marriage by one of her victims [Sean Connery as Mark Rutland].” Perverse indeed – I took offense with Mark’s machismo as he prayed on Marnie’s vulnerability, even to the point of rape. Connery played cocky well, but even Bond didn’t come off as anything but a controlling, manipulative terror.

Hedren was a great casting choice – not classically beautiful but attractive nonetheless, she had an unsettling aura about her that was perfect for the character. Edith Head’s signature gowns draped beautifully on her as well, though even the everyday clothes were lovely to look at – bold colors, high button collars and trapeze silhouettes.

As for the special effects and the score – they were both decidedly over-the-top. Marnie’s pulsating curtain of red visions became redundant over the course of the movie, reaching near-campy levels. The music was shrill, unnecessarily prominent, and by the end, unnervingly grating (the violins!). Perhaps that was the sound designer’s intent, but it took the focus away from the acting.

The ending was welcome, but probably not for the reason Hitchcock originally intended. Still, it was a fun night out, and beat watching a conventional movie at the local multiplex.

Film: “Because I Said So”

Despite reading several overly negative reviews, I was dying to watch Because I Said So. It seems the combined star power of Diane Keaton and Lauren Graham, coupled with my need to watch a saccharine romantic comedy, were too much to overcome.

About an overbearing, controlling mother (Keaton) trying to set up her youngest daughter Milly (played by Mandy Moore) with a “life partner,” the movie wasn’t as bad as I had expected. I didn’t mind the cake gags as much as critics seemed to. Also, the women had an intriguing family dynamic, though were suffocating-ly close to one another. Lastly, there were some good lines (e.g. regarding why Keaton’s Daphne never had an orgasm, “Your father said he didn’t have all day, and he worked nights”). Still, the movie had its obvious weaknesses.

Even worse than last weekend’s Sexy Laundry, I wanted Daphne to just SHUT. UP. So shrill and annoying was her character that I wondered if her bout with laryngitis mid-way through was an eleventh-hour script change (but that would be giving the writers a little too much credit). In addition, the lack of character development was jarring. The only details provided were those that helped the romantic arc along (what happened to Lauren Graham’s baby? Did Piper Perabo’s character have a job?). There was, for example, incredible irony in Daphne’s statement that labeled jazz musicians as heartbreakers, as later on in the movie, the audience is led to believe that Daphne’s sudden love is true on the merit that her new beau is a good grandfather. There was also the usual overt visual symbolism to differentiate between Mr. Right and Mr. Wrong. In this case, it involved Milly’s wavy versus stick-straight hair.

On two shallow notes – Mr. Right, played by Gabriel Macht, was very well cast, and had the perfect amount of earnestness needed for the role. Secondly, I loved Keaton’s entire wardrobe – full skirts, wide belts, and the eclectic-but-put-together outfits suited her beautifully (and I now have a strong affinity for polka dots).

While I wouldn’t highly recommend the movie, it is the only cinematic romance available this Valentine’s Day.

Film: “Their Brothers’ Keeper”

Until March, the University of Alberta International Centre will be holding weekly film screenings to increase awareness about global issues that affect the worldwide community, including human trading, conflict, and disease.

Tonight, I went to watch a film entitled Their Brothers’ Keeper: Orphaned by AIDS:

“Filmed over a seven-month period, Their Brothers’ Keepers goes inside Chazanga Compound, a shantytown in Lusaka, Zambia. The crew focuses on two families headed by children, and their ongoing struggle for food, water, schooling and health care. Local community and aid workers offer support but lack any real resources. Throughout the film, excerpts from speeches by Stephen Lewis, UN Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa, fill in the broader social context.”

In Zambia alone, there are an estimated 850,000 orphans. Those children without any remaining adult relatives, or adult relatives nearby, are forced to support themselves. So mature, strong, and brave these young heads of family are that it was easy to forget that they are still children, robbed of the opportunity to play, to laugh, to go to school and to grow up naturally and away from death. The children filmed showed many signs of resilience, most notably, continuing the tradition of storytelling. While the elder sister of one family was away, her brother of eight years made sure his six and three year old siblings didn’t miss their nightly ritual.

Following the screening, a medical practitioner who has worked in Africa, Dr. Stan Houston, led a question and answer session. He noted that the movie was decidedly optimistic, whereas the general tone at which he spoke betrayed his more realistic viewpoint – that tens of millions more people will die before the global community will act aggressively enough to stop the pandemic.

One of the most interesting audience members was a Registered Nurse who had volunteered in Zambia for a number of years, working with an NGO to assist with ARV (Anti-Retroviral) delivery in rural areas. In her experience, while the drugs may be available for distribution, without the infrastructure and support of public health services, the pills would be rendered ineffective.

Something that came out of the discussion that I wasn’t aware of was the effectiveness of male circumcision to decrease HIV infection. In two separate random trials, the transmission rate was 50% less in circumcised men. Though a few pointed out that encouraging condom use would be easier than mass procedures, it’s still a measure worth knowing about.

I was thoroughly engaged, and look forward to similar events in lieu of International Week, that runs next week from January 29-February 2. I encourage you to attend a session or two.