When I was in high school, I was pretty easily identifiable as a nerd.
Happily, however, I never had a nemesis striving to make my school days
miserable. This can’t be said of Marni (Kristen Bell), the main
character in the 2010 comedy You Again, written by Moe Jelline
and directed by Andy Fickman. She most definitely had a tormenter, and
she is horrified to learn, after a few years away from home making it
big at a PR firm, that her beloved older brother Will (James Wolk) is
about to marry Joanna (Odette Annable), the woman who bullied her so
relentlessly in high school. Even more galling, Joanna claims not to
remember her.
Marni is furious and determined to break up the
impending nuptials. She doesn’t buy Joanna‘s nice-girl act one bit.
Meanwhile, as she plots sabotage, her mother (Jamie Lee Curtis)
discovers that Joanna‘s aunt (Sigourney Weaver) is her very own high
school chum, with whom her relationship went sour. While the middle-aged
women try to keep their hostility for one another veiled, Marni
scarcely disguises her contempt for her sister-in-law-to-be. Caught in
the crossfire of all these negative vibes is good-natured Will. Is there
any hope for his marriage?
This movie boasts a cast full of
A-listers, which I’m guessing is the main reason that the first time my
friend and I tried to rent it, all 20-odd copies were out. In addition
to Bell, Weaver and Curtis, there’s Victor Garber as Marni‘s father, who
is gently befuddled by all the drama unfolding around him; Kristin
Chenoweth as a vivacious dance instructor helping the family prepare for
the big reception; and Betty White as Bunny, Marni‘s zesty grandmother.
Though less of a big name, I also recognized Wolk from the short-lived
drama Lone Star, and he fares well in providing much of the
movie’s heart. All of the actresses turn in primarily comedic
performances, with slapstick particularly prevailing toward the end.
I
found each of the main quartet to be fairly likable, though all of them
stoop at some point to ludicrous behavior. Although I sympathized with
her, I found Marni the most abrasive of the characters, and I was a
little turned off by the extent of her grudge against Joanna. Granted,
she suffered great abuse in high school, and certainly an apology is
warranted, but some of her actions are still inexcusable. But then the
movie’s premise wouldn’t really work if everybody took the high road.
This is a movie that requires a massive catfight followed by
reconciliation.
White is hilarious as always here, stealing
whatever short scenes she has. Annable is the only major cast member I
didn’t recognize, and she does a good job of making her character
likable despite what we know about her past. Some of the humor is pretty
absurd, but I laughed several times, and I enjoyed the heartwarming
bits as well. I’m glad we didn’t give up after our first rental attempt
because You Again is plenty of fun.
Showing posts with label Sigourney Weaver. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sigourney Weaver. Show all posts
Monday, March 28, 2011
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Visually Dazzling Avatar Is Ferngully for the 21st Century And So Much More
A few weeks ago, when my brother Nathan came home for Christmas break,
we compared our list of movies we were hoping to see before they left
the theater. I mentioned Avatar, about which I’d heard nothing
prior to seeing a trailer the week of Thanksgiving, and he balked,
finding the over-promotion and spectacle distasteful. I held out in my
suspicion that it would turn out to be a pretty good movie. He ended up
going to see it with friends before Christmas, and when he returned
home, upon being asked how he liked it, he told me, “Erin, I owe you two
things: a heartfelt apology and a ticket to see Avatar.”
I’m not sure how a movie buff like me managed to miss the fact that James Cameron, director of the record-shatteringly popular Titanic, was releasing a new movie that was years and millions of dollars in the making, but when I finally did see the trailer, it looked to me like a cross between Ferngully and V, with humans the aliens this time, donning indigenous disguises, gaining trust and then, presumably, wreaking devastation upon the natives. (Mild spoilers ahead...)
Ferngully remained the stronger point of reference as I watched, with the main character, Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), an oblivious outsider who, like Zak in that movie, becomes immersed in a world of tree-hugging harmony courtesy of a strong-willed, beautiful woman. In this case, that’s Neytiri (Zoe Saldana), the fiery but compassionate daughter of a chieftain. Like Zak, Sam owes his life to Neytiri, who rescues him from a local carnivore (though not without a lecture on his stupidity for putting himself into such a situation). And like Zak, he is initially part of the team coming to destroy this community that will come to feel like home, and there are nearly identical scenes of these men attempting to disable the equipment sent to ravage the land.
Along with Ferngully, there’s a strong hint of Dances With Wolves, not to mention all sorts of other movies in which technologically advanced humans pose a threat to native societies and their habitat. Meanwhile, the film’s final battle scene reminded me of the attack on Endor in Return of the Jedi, with a hint of Tolkien-style Deus Ex Machina thrown in, and the bonding of the Na’vi with their flying reptilian steeds seemed like a page out of Anne McCaffrey’s book.
I’m always on the lookout for LOST parallels, and there were plenty to be found here. Most obviously, LOST alum Michelle Rodriguez is among the cast members, though her tough-talking, conscientious pilot is more like season-four addition Frank Lapidus than her own much-hated season-two addition, Ana-Lucia Cortez. There’s a strong hint of John Locke in Jake, who at one point utters a line strikingly similar to John’s “Don’t tell me what I can’t do!” Like John, Jake comes to Pandora, the planet where the Na’vi live, a broken man, but among the natives he is whole and strong, developing a powerful a connection to their world and even stepping into the role of a long-prophesied leader. Colonel Miles Quaritch (Steven Lang), like season four’s Martin Keamy, initially seems like a reasonable enough fellow but is soon revealed as a merciless mercenary. Finally, one of LOST‘s most iconic images has been the opening of eyes. That was the first shot of the series, and we’ve seen it many times since. In Avatar, due to the nature of the human-avatar connection, there are more opening eyes throughout the movie than I could count.
But enough of the comparisons, for these are not meant to indicate that Avatar is a mere jumble of previously used ideas, but rather that it fits into a particular storytelling tradition. Avatar is a tale of imperialism, of strangers from a devastated world seeking out new life forms and new civilizations - to exploit. The sense we get here is that the men behind this mission are not so much interested in settling this Edenic planet as they are in mining it for the rather laughably named unobtanium. These hunks of rock are worth millions, but the planet’s biggest deposit is situated underneath the Na’vi’s most sacred tree. Leading the operation is Parker Selfridge (Giovanna Ribisi), a businessman who disdains the natives but would rather avoid the mess of an invasion. (Rather encouragingly, he also fears a public outcry over exterminating the Na‘vi, which seems to indicate that not all of humanity is as self-centered as he is.) While he’d like to find a diplomatic solution to their problem, it’s clear that impatience could prompt rash action, especially with the trigger-happy colonel looking over his shoulder.
Colonel Quaritch is overjoyed when he discovers that Jake, who has been brought into the Avatar program to replace his late brother, a brilliant scientist, is a Marine. He figures he can use him to get valuable intel on the natives, and as he‘s promised the disabled soldier new legs upon the completion of his mission, Jake is eager to comply. The Avatar program allows his consciousness to occupy a custom-made Na’vi body while his own body rests in a special chamber.
This body was built for his brother, but because their DNA is so similar, he is still able to use it, much to the annoyance of Sigourney Weaver’s Dr. Grace Augustine (a heavy-handed name if ever I heard one), the biologist in charge of the program. Fascinated by the Na’vi, she has studied their culture for years and taught several of them to speak English, but she is no longer a welcome guest in their village since Quaritch’s men have opened fire one too many times. Like Grace, geeky Norm Spellman (Joel Moore), who underwent intensive Avatar training alongside Jake’s brother, has his doubts about Jake initially and is visibly jealous that the Na’vi allow him into their inner sanctum. But he is a valuable ally for Jake as he tries to immerse himself into the culture as quickly and seamlessly as possible, with his promise to his commander becoming more distasteful by the day.
While the basic story is a fairly familiar one, it remains compelling, particularly when coupled with the stunning visuals, which are every bit as eye-popping as every description I’ve heard about them. Nathan, who’d seen the movie in the traditional format the first time out, suggested we spring for 3D this time around. As someone who has never been able to see the hidden image in a Magic Eye picture, I wasn’t sure how much of the impact I would get with my off-kilter eyes, but then I wasn’t expecting such heavy-duty glasses either. It was certainly a help to have real glasses that stayed on my face instead of flimsy cardboard things that kept falling off every couple of minutes. I put my glasses on and from the previews on, I was mesmerized (though I really could have done without the 3D preview for Pirahna).
Avatar in 3D is a wholly immersive experience. The lush jungle surrounds you. The delicate leaves caress you; the flowers’ vibrant colors enfold you until you nearly feel as though you’re wrapped in a rainbow. Tiny objects such as droplets of water are thrown into sharp focus, while sweeping shots of towering waterfalls become even more epic. And after you’ve joined Jake in a magnificent dragon-back flight, you’ll long for a 3D touch to the final Harry Potter movies. Everything about Pandora is startlingly gorgeous, from the luminescent plant life to the tall, sinewy, cat-eyed Na’vi, whose blue skin seems to emphasize their connection with the nature that surrounds them. Spend enough time among these arboreal people and you’ll likely cringe at Parker’s abrasive laughter when Grace tries to explain the trees’ networked structure. When the tree-clearing begins, it’s a horrific sight akin to the destruction Saruman wreaks upon Fangorn Forest in The Two Towers.
The hauntingly beautiful score has James Horner written all over it. Reminding me more of Braveheart than Titanic - as well it should, I suppose, given the subject matter - it is rousing at times, serene at others, with the choral offerings of the Na’vi particularly affecting. A Celtic influence is less apparent here than in those scores but still evident. Following the movie is a pop song inspired by the Na’vi greeting “I see you”. Repeated many times in the film and song alike, I suspect that this will be a catchphrase for 2010, and I wouldn’t be surprised to hear Leona Lewis overtaking the airwaves a la Celine Dion, though I’m hoping they’ll leave out the spoilery dialogue clips this time.
Avatar is the most expensive movie ever made, and it looks like it. The visuals speak for themselves, making it so much easier to fall in love with the Na’vi and their way of life. But James Cameron provides not just dizzying spectacle but also a grip-the-edge-of-your-seat story, making Avatar easily one of my favorite movies of 2009 and of the decade at large.
I’m not sure how a movie buff like me managed to miss the fact that James Cameron, director of the record-shatteringly popular Titanic, was releasing a new movie that was years and millions of dollars in the making, but when I finally did see the trailer, it looked to me like a cross between Ferngully and V, with humans the aliens this time, donning indigenous disguises, gaining trust and then, presumably, wreaking devastation upon the natives. (Mild spoilers ahead...)
Ferngully remained the stronger point of reference as I watched, with the main character, Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), an oblivious outsider who, like Zak in that movie, becomes immersed in a world of tree-hugging harmony courtesy of a strong-willed, beautiful woman. In this case, that’s Neytiri (Zoe Saldana), the fiery but compassionate daughter of a chieftain. Like Zak, Sam owes his life to Neytiri, who rescues him from a local carnivore (though not without a lecture on his stupidity for putting himself into such a situation). And like Zak, he is initially part of the team coming to destroy this community that will come to feel like home, and there are nearly identical scenes of these men attempting to disable the equipment sent to ravage the land.
Along with Ferngully, there’s a strong hint of Dances With Wolves, not to mention all sorts of other movies in which technologically advanced humans pose a threat to native societies and their habitat. Meanwhile, the film’s final battle scene reminded me of the attack on Endor in Return of the Jedi, with a hint of Tolkien-style Deus Ex Machina thrown in, and the bonding of the Na’vi with their flying reptilian steeds seemed like a page out of Anne McCaffrey’s book.
I’m always on the lookout for LOST parallels, and there were plenty to be found here. Most obviously, LOST alum Michelle Rodriguez is among the cast members, though her tough-talking, conscientious pilot is more like season-four addition Frank Lapidus than her own much-hated season-two addition, Ana-Lucia Cortez. There’s a strong hint of John Locke in Jake, who at one point utters a line strikingly similar to John’s “Don’t tell me what I can’t do!” Like John, Jake comes to Pandora, the planet where the Na’vi live, a broken man, but among the natives he is whole and strong, developing a powerful a connection to their world and even stepping into the role of a long-prophesied leader. Colonel Miles Quaritch (Steven Lang), like season four’s Martin Keamy, initially seems like a reasonable enough fellow but is soon revealed as a merciless mercenary. Finally, one of LOST‘s most iconic images has been the opening of eyes. That was the first shot of the series, and we’ve seen it many times since. In Avatar, due to the nature of the human-avatar connection, there are more opening eyes throughout the movie than I could count.
But enough of the comparisons, for these are not meant to indicate that Avatar is a mere jumble of previously used ideas, but rather that it fits into a particular storytelling tradition. Avatar is a tale of imperialism, of strangers from a devastated world seeking out new life forms and new civilizations - to exploit. The sense we get here is that the men behind this mission are not so much interested in settling this Edenic planet as they are in mining it for the rather laughably named unobtanium. These hunks of rock are worth millions, but the planet’s biggest deposit is situated underneath the Na’vi’s most sacred tree. Leading the operation is Parker Selfridge (Giovanna Ribisi), a businessman who disdains the natives but would rather avoid the mess of an invasion. (Rather encouragingly, he also fears a public outcry over exterminating the Na‘vi, which seems to indicate that not all of humanity is as self-centered as he is.) While he’d like to find a diplomatic solution to their problem, it’s clear that impatience could prompt rash action, especially with the trigger-happy colonel looking over his shoulder.
Colonel Quaritch is overjoyed when he discovers that Jake, who has been brought into the Avatar program to replace his late brother, a brilliant scientist, is a Marine. He figures he can use him to get valuable intel on the natives, and as he‘s promised the disabled soldier new legs upon the completion of his mission, Jake is eager to comply. The Avatar program allows his consciousness to occupy a custom-made Na’vi body while his own body rests in a special chamber.
This body was built for his brother, but because their DNA is so similar, he is still able to use it, much to the annoyance of Sigourney Weaver’s Dr. Grace Augustine (a heavy-handed name if ever I heard one), the biologist in charge of the program. Fascinated by the Na’vi, she has studied their culture for years and taught several of them to speak English, but she is no longer a welcome guest in their village since Quaritch’s men have opened fire one too many times. Like Grace, geeky Norm Spellman (Joel Moore), who underwent intensive Avatar training alongside Jake’s brother, has his doubts about Jake initially and is visibly jealous that the Na’vi allow him into their inner sanctum. But he is a valuable ally for Jake as he tries to immerse himself into the culture as quickly and seamlessly as possible, with his promise to his commander becoming more distasteful by the day.
While the basic story is a fairly familiar one, it remains compelling, particularly when coupled with the stunning visuals, which are every bit as eye-popping as every description I’ve heard about them. Nathan, who’d seen the movie in the traditional format the first time out, suggested we spring for 3D this time around. As someone who has never been able to see the hidden image in a Magic Eye picture, I wasn’t sure how much of the impact I would get with my off-kilter eyes, but then I wasn’t expecting such heavy-duty glasses either. It was certainly a help to have real glasses that stayed on my face instead of flimsy cardboard things that kept falling off every couple of minutes. I put my glasses on and from the previews on, I was mesmerized (though I really could have done without the 3D preview for Pirahna).
Avatar in 3D is a wholly immersive experience. The lush jungle surrounds you. The delicate leaves caress you; the flowers’ vibrant colors enfold you until you nearly feel as though you’re wrapped in a rainbow. Tiny objects such as droplets of water are thrown into sharp focus, while sweeping shots of towering waterfalls become even more epic. And after you’ve joined Jake in a magnificent dragon-back flight, you’ll long for a 3D touch to the final Harry Potter movies. Everything about Pandora is startlingly gorgeous, from the luminescent plant life to the tall, sinewy, cat-eyed Na’vi, whose blue skin seems to emphasize their connection with the nature that surrounds them. Spend enough time among these arboreal people and you’ll likely cringe at Parker’s abrasive laughter when Grace tries to explain the trees’ networked structure. When the tree-clearing begins, it’s a horrific sight akin to the destruction Saruman wreaks upon Fangorn Forest in The Two Towers.
The hauntingly beautiful score has James Horner written all over it. Reminding me more of Braveheart than Titanic - as well it should, I suppose, given the subject matter - it is rousing at times, serene at others, with the choral offerings of the Na’vi particularly affecting. A Celtic influence is less apparent here than in those scores but still evident. Following the movie is a pop song inspired by the Na’vi greeting “I see you”. Repeated many times in the film and song alike, I suspect that this will be a catchphrase for 2010, and I wouldn’t be surprised to hear Leona Lewis overtaking the airwaves a la Celine Dion, though I’m hoping they’ll leave out the spoilery dialogue clips this time.
Avatar is the most expensive movie ever made, and it looks like it. The visuals speak for themselves, making it so much easier to fall in love with the Na’vi and their way of life. But James Cameron provides not just dizzying spectacle but also a grip-the-edge-of-your-seat story, making Avatar easily one of my favorite movies of 2009 and of the decade at large.
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Am I the Only Movie Buff Who Didn't Like Annie Hall?
I write this review with trepidation because I am about to confess that I was not impressed with Annie Hall.
I've heard the movie is iconic, and a post-viewing investigation
revealed that it has an average rating of five stars here and an
astonishing 98 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. So I know I'm in the minority
here. But I watched it with my parents the other night, and while I
laughed a few times, mostly I wondered what all the fuss was about.
Maybe I just don't like Woody Allen all that much. Maybe I find it annoying that Alvy, the neurotic, pessimistic, rambling nerd he portrays, is constantly addressing the audience directly. I didn't like it when David Spade did it in The Emperor's New Groove, and I don't like it here. Maybe I'm concerned that I see myself in the nervous little boy in the flashback who can't do his homework because he's worried about the universe imploding. I hate to give the guy a hard time since he already seems to have the weight of the world on his shoulders, but I sure hope I haven't grown up to be like him.
Maybe I just don't find the romance between him and Annie (Diane Keaton) particularly touching or hilarious. Maybe it strikes me as tedious that a majority of his conversations seem to be about sex. Maybe I don't like the way the film jumps around between flashbacks, real-time and imaginary scenarios, sometimes without any clear indication of what is happening. Maybe the whole thing feels dated. Maybe I feel stupid because I just don't get it. Maybe it's all of those things. Maybe it's more.
That's not to say that I didn't get any enjoyment out of the movie. I did laugh aloud sometimes at Alvy's dry observations, and I thought some of the film devices were clever, such as the brief interlude with him as a cartoon character interacting with the queen from Snow White and the scene in which he daydreams about conjuring up Marshall McLuhan to silence an obnoxious faux-intellectual fellow filmgoer.
And it's fun to pick out not-yet-famous folks in minor roles: Jeff Goldblum as a guest at a party, Sigourney Weaver as one of Alvy's dates, John Glover as one of Annie's former flames, Christopher Walken as her intense, probably psychotic brother. And of course, I was keeping my eyes peeled for Paul Simon. It took him a long time to show up, but he finally did, and it was a treat to see him exercise his acting chops, which I've previously seen him do on Saturday Night Live with hilarious results.
While the film doesn't feel terribly edgy considering the sort of stuff that shows up on prime time television every night, I was nonetheless a bit surprised that it was only rated PG. Of course, the significance of ratings seems to have shifted somewhat since then. When I see "PG," I automatically think "family movie". This isn't. It's inappropriate for kids, and frankly, I think most would be bored stiff. However, there's really not much profanity or nudity or any of the other criteria to push it up to the next level, since "PG-13" didn't exist back then.
I'm not sorry I rented Annie Hall, but I would never buy it and have no desire to watch it again. I suspect I'm missing the point. Maybe I don't care.
Maybe I just don't like Woody Allen all that much. Maybe I find it annoying that Alvy, the neurotic, pessimistic, rambling nerd he portrays, is constantly addressing the audience directly. I didn't like it when David Spade did it in The Emperor's New Groove, and I don't like it here. Maybe I'm concerned that I see myself in the nervous little boy in the flashback who can't do his homework because he's worried about the universe imploding. I hate to give the guy a hard time since he already seems to have the weight of the world on his shoulders, but I sure hope I haven't grown up to be like him.
Maybe I just don't find the romance between him and Annie (Diane Keaton) particularly touching or hilarious. Maybe it strikes me as tedious that a majority of his conversations seem to be about sex. Maybe I don't like the way the film jumps around between flashbacks, real-time and imaginary scenarios, sometimes without any clear indication of what is happening. Maybe the whole thing feels dated. Maybe I feel stupid because I just don't get it. Maybe it's all of those things. Maybe it's more.
That's not to say that I didn't get any enjoyment out of the movie. I did laugh aloud sometimes at Alvy's dry observations, and I thought some of the film devices were clever, such as the brief interlude with him as a cartoon character interacting with the queen from Snow White and the scene in which he daydreams about conjuring up Marshall McLuhan to silence an obnoxious faux-intellectual fellow filmgoer.
And it's fun to pick out not-yet-famous folks in minor roles: Jeff Goldblum as a guest at a party, Sigourney Weaver as one of Alvy's dates, John Glover as one of Annie's former flames, Christopher Walken as her intense, probably psychotic brother. And of course, I was keeping my eyes peeled for Paul Simon. It took him a long time to show up, but he finally did, and it was a treat to see him exercise his acting chops, which I've previously seen him do on Saturday Night Live with hilarious results.
While the film doesn't feel terribly edgy considering the sort of stuff that shows up on prime time television every night, I was nonetheless a bit surprised that it was only rated PG. Of course, the significance of ratings seems to have shifted somewhat since then. When I see "PG," I automatically think "family movie". This isn't. It's inappropriate for kids, and frankly, I think most would be bored stiff. However, there's really not much profanity or nudity or any of the other criteria to push it up to the next level, since "PG-13" didn't exist back then.
I'm not sorry I rented Annie Hall, but I would never buy it and have no desire to watch it again. I suspect I'm missing the point. Maybe I don't care.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)