November 21, 2005

Harry Potter & The Barrel Of Cash - Somehow, as we reach the fourth Harry Potter film, it finally feels like a true franchise to me. We have an established relationship with the characters, even more so than with the stories. You want a little more Hagrid or you pine for Professor Sybil Trelawney or have no interest in Warwick Davis' prop of a professor.

For me, perhaps the finest achievement of this film is when Hermione Granger dresses up for the ball, and while lovely, looks exactly like the 14 year old she is supposed to be… no Lolita, no beauty hidden in dumpy boy clothes, no youthful sexuality waiting for someone to pluck it… a kid who looks like a 14 year old looks when dressed to the nines.

I liked the last film best of the series. But this one felt more familiar. It is easily the darkest of the films, literally and figuratively. Doesn't anyone own a damned key light? I didn't see an eyeball for the first 20 minutes.

There were too many effects for me in the first two acts, to the point where the film seemed to be more about them than the characters. But then, the film turned with the arrival of Ralph Fiennes, who begs a new Oscar category in which he could compete with Johnny Depp: Best Performance Without A Nose. (Maybe Michael Jackson could also compete, along with a special appearance by Leatherface.)

But really, the last 15 minutes or so of the film are really quite good and make me want to see the next film more than any of the films in the series. The showdown here isn't all that incredible, but the idea of facing pure evil… the lack of bullshit in combination with the frustrations of puberty finally ripen into something real. When Hermione yells at Ron and Harry, it doesn't feel like a kids game anymore. I know that girl and those boys.

The Boondocks - This is easily the best addition to animation since South Park. It is the closest that American animation has come to Japanese anime', serving adults in a smart way. It also serves Aaron McGruder better than the strip does. Any one exchange is a little too glib. But 22 minutes at a time gives the comedy context and a rich humanity. Greatness.

Syriana - There isn't anything outstandingly wrong about Syriana. It is smart. It is challenging. It is well acted. It is well shot.

So why don't I care?

I think the answer is that Syriana feels like a 2 hour 20 minute dramatized episode of Nightline. There are four or five storylines and each of them is compelling. Any one or two of them would make a good film. But all of them just feel like an overreach.

Also creating a sense of "so what" is a distinct lack of emotionalism in the film. In the first 20 minutes or so, there is one major explosion and the death of an innocent. Yet, these moments of emotion sit flatly.

It is interesting that the film really takes no sides, except that power corrupts absolutely. In many ways, it is more reminiscent of the dark cynicism of Network than of the similarly multi-storied Traffic, which it does look a lot like. But Network was very dry satire with spurts of emotional humanity. Syriana isn't satirical at all… it takes itself very seriously. And, as a result, it feels completely real without sticking with your heart or even brain.

One hates to say "no" to a movie that is this smart and well intended. But after seeing it and seeing it again… it just never flies. Sorry.

The Best One-Sheet Of The Year…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Potted Trailers - It was easy to see the teaser for Superman Returns and even animated penguin outing Happy Feet on Warner Bros' Harry Potter & The Goblet of Fire. But as you wandered around the kitchen with Paul Giamatti, who turns out to be named Cleveland Heep, for a seemingly interminable time, until he goes out to the pool and then finally has a conversation reminiscent of Cocoon with an unseen woman, you wonder what the hell this is doing in front of a family movie. And they you see M. Night Shyamalan's Lady In the Water and it all makes sense… well, not really. Getting that slot makes more sense, even though Potter seems all wrong for the demo. And then you think, "What freakin' arrogance!" Shyamalan really thinks he is Spielberg. Guess he related to Always.

Happy Feet was kind of fascinating. It was charming, but not as charming as it wanted to be. And as far as I could tell, there were five voices in the trailer and at least four of them were Robin Williams with different accents. A look at IMBd tells us that there are other actors involved, though the idea that every penguin is so indistinguishable that one person should voice them all was cool for a moment. Turns out this is a George Miller film, so I am really looking forward to it now. A "Babe" tag would have gotten the audience even more excited.

Superman Returns is also a silly, arrogant, flop of a trailer. I know the voice of Dead Brando, but I suspect I was one of six people in the room. The notion that Superman is still so iconic that all you have to do is to show a curl, in the spirit of Darth Vader breathing, is wrong, wrong, wrong.

Worse, the trailer looks like the movie was a photo-shopped version of the 1977 film. "You will not care that you believe a man can fly." A hop in the cornfield looks exactly like the one in the original. The flying looks exactly the same. Only the intensity of the sunrise and some marbled colors seems to have changed. And frankly, who cares?

I hope it's a terrific movie. I really do. But right now, it looks very, very dangerous to the WB bottom line. Bryan Singer really hasn't made a bad film. So I will trust. But he best have something to say here. And it better not be about Superman feeling closeted.

Jimmy Olsen or Lois Lane… you make the call.

E-ME.