May 28, 2003

Boy is there nothing to write about after the holiday weekend!

Bruce Almighty had an amazing opening.  Some people are using that massive surprise to piss all over Matrix Reloaded, which is among the most stupid efforts I’ve ever read.  It’s all lies, damned lies and statistics.  As I always say, if you don’t like the movie, don’t like the movie.  Fine.  But don’t try to convince me that America abandoned Reloaded for Bruce Almighty.  It is insulting to Jim Carrey, it is an inaccurate representation of the Matrix’s weekend and, of course, one film really has nothing to do with the other.  More to the point, Reloaded’s allegedly horrible $36.9 million 3-day alone would make it the 24^th highest grossing film of the year.  And while the number is $600,000 less than the film’s opening day… it’s $600,000 less than opening day!!!  Think about it.  How many films have had a $26.9 million weekend this year?  Three.  The only film to match or beat Reloaded’s second weekend was X2.  And the result?  At the same point in their box office histories, Reloaded is $61 million ahead of X2, domestic alone. 

I tire of this false fight.  Enough already.  You don’t like Zion.  Cool.  Your vote has been tallied.  Now stop trying to spin lies to make your case that you are not in the vast minority a stronger one.

Cannes sucked, big time.  I am very interested in seeing both Elephant and Dogville.  But I don’t expect to have life-changing experiences with either.  Thing is, there isn’t a whole lot of “they should have gotten this or that.”  Sundance was about a dozen films deep this year.  Who knows what will happen, beyond the massively commercial pre-Oscar launches, at Toronto?  But this is feeling more and more like a studio year, now the rest of the way and through the Oscars.

I’m going to pray that I will wake up today (Wed) and having something more to add… something positive… and update the site before noon PST.  Pray with me, to the gods of Vivendi, as you will…

READER OF THE DAY:  NOT ANITA writes:  “I kicked in for "Bruce Almighty," and the crowd I saw it with sure did laugh a lot.  There were a couple of derisive snorts during Morgan Freeman's little speech about brave single moms and drug-averse kiddies, but all in all it seemed to go over quite well.  I enjoyed it, despite its failure to achieve the depth of a Capra classic (to which it seemed to at least half-heartedly aspire).  I certainly didn't find it "God-awful."  Comedy is hard, and critics are hard on it.  I'd give anything if all mainstream comedies could rank with the best of Sturges, McCarey and Wilder.  But there's a respectable middle ground of amiable, formulaic fluff that extends all the way back to the silent era.  Today, maybe this definition applies more to the slapdash, likable "Malibu's Most Wanted" than a big ticket item like "Bruce."  But as everyone knows, comedy is about the most subjective thing going.  If you laugh, you laugh, and there's no point in hating yourself for laughing at the "wrong" thing.  "Bruce" is much funnier, in my estimation, than the shapeless "Anger Management" or any number of recent comedies, including the much-lauded "Down with Love."  It's certainly better than most Tom Shadyac efforts.  And compared to the clumsy, strained remake of the "The In-Laws," which I also saw this weekend, it's practically Oscar bait.”

THE FORMER MISS MILLER writes:  “I did shell out for Bruce Almighty this weekend. Thank you for your negative review, because I went in expecting an ''I saw everything I needed to see in the trailer'' movie, and I got more.

I'll give you horrible mattes. I'll even give you glaringly obvious prolific backlot footage for a movie that proclaims having been shot ''on location'' in Buffalo, Los Angeles, and two other places I can't recall ... when clearly, based on their outtakes which included the chortles of countless crew members and zero background noise ... it was shot principally on the tram-laced lot in the Valley.

I'll give you that Jennifer Aniston does more on Friends. Much like Marisa Tomei in Anger Management, she played this generic perfect girlfriend character. She was Rachel, but she was ''very special episode of Friends'' Rachel - new mother Rachel - Maid of Honor Rachel - but not funny Rachel, not vulnerable, ''hasn't been your day'' Rachel, not even slave-to-fashion Rachel. They could have given her a few selfish motivations.

That said, I thought the movie had a strong, well-paced narrative with a good, if simple, message. I found it very similar to films like Heaven Can Wait or Oh God in that it explored commonly held ideas about the Almighty in an abstract way, while steering clear of actual Judao-Christian doctrine. The degree of religiosity displayed by the characters is - I believe - typical of the majority of Americans. This is not a movie aimed at the religiously pious.

I thought the peeing dog gag was funny. In some ways, what makes it funny is that no one really would do it in real life, but here is this guy, running while carrying this whizzing dog. Most people wouldn't do anything Lucy Ricardo did either, but it's funny when she does it.

And finally, the movie proves that Jim Carrey's still got it. I remember when Me, Myself & Irene came out, the Farrelly Bros. said in an interview that there were lots of holes in the script that were filled with ''and then Jim does something funny''. I didn't sense such holes in Bruce Almighty, but there were definitely numerous times where Jim did something funny, where the same scene with another actor would simply be a transition, and not an opportunity for a belly laugh.

Bruce Almighty didn't necessarily change my life or even necessarily inspire me to ''be the miracle'' but it did entertain me.”

NOT A PUBLICIST writes:  “Last night I saw "Cowboy Bebop: The Movie" (or the correct title "Knocking on Heaven's Door") Dave, PLEASE GO SEE THIS FILM! Not only Beautiful animation, but amazing writing, narrative themes of life and spirituality. Great music and Direction. (Why can't live action movies frame fight scenes the way they do in this film? With a wide frame so you can see both parties moving in the fight instead of tight framing and quick cuts)

This is my favorite film so far this summer, albeit I love the anime series it's based on dearly.  Great performances by the English voice cast. They are the same as the ones from the show. If you want to see a prime example of why anime is an influence of the Matrix. See this film. As I was watching it last night, I was thinking, "Poland has to see this. A critic/journalist

with some class and an open mind, might appreciate the quality and beauty of this film. Please see it Dave, on a big screen where you can see the beauty of the animation and music. This movie has wonderful narrative layers that remind me why I love movies. It gave me what I and am sure what many go to good movies for: Emotional fulfillment.  Hopefully you won't miss this gem, and maybe it will move you to write about it, the way it moved me.”

E ME:  You have inspired me to make another effort to see the film.  Thanks.