rollo tomasi & the nite owls

Why I Just Bought The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo DVD…

I am a fan of the Swedish movie rendition of Stieg Larsson’s first novel in the Millenium Trilogy. However, when David Fincher decided to take the helm for the U.S. version, I was ecstatic. A man that primarily works in dark, seedy, and gothic scenery and story*, I felt him perfect. And last December, he proved me right.

Yet, releasing such a depressing movie ‘round Christmastime doesn’t always bode well. It has made $230k worldwide, but studio heads are still counting it as a financial loss. They still have to see how much it will make on the just-released DVD—and I’m especially concerned because this financial talk could mean the loss of Fincher working on the sequels.

The studio still wants to go ahead with the sequels, with “better economics,”—which means the pricey Academy Award-nominated director could be out. It doesn’t help that he seemed to butt heads with the studio several times during filming of the first movie.

Fincher’s favorite book of the three is the sequel The Girl Who Played with Fire, and he’s already signed on in a capacity that if the studio doesn’t decide to go with him they’d have to pay him out $5M. To think of anyone else—well, anybody the studio can afford—could potentially ruin a solid franchise. My biggest fear? What happened to theX-Men franchise: Brett Ratner.

And that, my friends, is why I just purchased my own copy of the movie.

*Let’s dismiss The Curious Case of Benjamin Button from our collective minds, shall we? Utter dreck that it is.

Sad Frames 006

Seven: “Oh…he didn’t know.”

In Which I Agree and Then Don’t Agree with Roger Ebert

“What it all comes down to is a funnier and sweeter movie than I had any way of expecting, and the debut of Channing Tatum as an actor who can play comedy. He deadpans so well here he might start looking at Cary Grant movies for remake ideas.” - from his review of 21 Jump Street

I completely agree. I never thought Tatum’s unintentionally funny turns in dramas, action, and, uh, dance movies would actually translate into bonefied hilarity in a comedy. He should stick to comedies; he had subtleties in his body language that made me laugh more than anything Jonah Hill did in the film. But, they were both good. I can’t believe it, but I give this film a solid B+.

“John Carter feels an immediate affinity for the Tharks and also gets recruited into the war of the cities — choosing the side with a fiery beauty named Dejah Thoris (Lynn Collins, who is the movie’s best character).” - from his review of John Carter

While I generally agree with Ebert’s opinion on the movie (“meh?”), I cannot believe he thought Collins was the movie’s best character. In my opinion, the worst. I do believe her character could have been great, but under Collins’ insipid attempts at acting, I found myself rolling my eyes at her constantly. Her tragically fake (British?) accent (she’s from Texas, y’all), and the complete lack of chemistry between Taylor Kitsch and herself led me to be mostly bored during this movie. And while Kitsch I found great, the visuals interesting, and the story lacking—nothing was worse than Collins. I give this movie a D.

OSCAR NOMINATIONS ON TUESDAY! Here are Rollo’s predictions - based on popular opinion, other award winners this season, and a bit of my own bias. They are listed in order of probability…

Best Supporting Actor

Christopher Plummer, Beginners
Kenneth Branagh, My Week with Marilyn
Albert Brooks, Drive
Patton Oswalt, Young Adult
Andy Serkis, Rise of the Planet of the Apes

A note: This is literally the most apeshit (pun intended!) category acting-wise this year - I could barely think of supporting acting roles that were meaty enough for this. (I stand by Viggo Mortensen in A Dangerous Method, but there’s no traction there when I look at the critic awards.) I haven’t seen Moneyball yet, but the probability of Jonah Hill being nominated? Hard to believe. So I threw in two crazies, Oswalt and Serkis - two crazy, but deserved. If you ask me. (O would that I could nominate Corey Stoll for Midnight!)

Best Supporting Actress

Jessica Chastain, The Help
Octavia Spencer, The Help
Berenice Bejo, The Artist
Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids
Shailene Woodley, The Descendants

A note: compared to their male supporting roles, this category has been pretty locked nomination-wise - but not winner-wise. All of these ladies have won critics awards across the board.

Best Actor

George Clooney, The Descendants
Jean Dujardin, The Artist
Brad Pitt, Moneyball
Michael Fassbender, Shame
Leonardo DiCaprio, J. Edgar

A note: it’s true, Clooney’s never been so good (but seriously, rewatch Out of Sight for the only other contender), and I’m kind of miffed DiCaprio is in contention for an overall lame movie. If it was me? Owen Wilson, Midnight in Paris would take that last slot. He’s the biggest long shot in the history of long shots, but when you play a role that makes me like you? Just sayin’.

Best Actress

Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
Viola Davis, The Help
Michelle Williams, My Week with Marilyn
Tilda Swinton, We Need to Talk About Kevin
Rooney Mara, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

A note: this was the hardest. I wish Meryl was out of contention, to be honest. Because it would leave room for Kirsten Dunst (and/or Charlize Theron? More exciting). I know it’s weird to put Rooney Mara in there, but I think she was great, and I would be okay if she wasn’t nominated and Kirsten was instead. I want Kirsten, more than anybody I think, to be nominated. But I can’t deny Davis or Williams - they fully deserve their nominations. (And while I love Swinton forever, I was not as taken by We Need to Talk About Kevin as others may have been; she’s had better roles, but she’s always Great.)

Best Director

Martin Scorcese, Hugo
Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris
Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
David Fincher, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Terrence Malick, The Tree of Life

A note: I’ll be mad if Fincher doesn’t get nominated. While I didn’t like Tree of Life, I can’t deny the filmic genius of Malick. But I have to deny Alexander Payne for The Descendants. I would deny him on the same grounds as Allen usually - that his writing is much more captivating than his directing - but Midnight in Paris is leaps and bounds more visually arresting than The Descendants. Who should probably be more deserving than both of them for a nomination? Lars von Trier for Melancholia.

Best Film

The Descendants
The Artist
The Help
Hugo
Midnight in Paris
The Tree of Life
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Bridesmaids

A note: The film category is so hard since no one knows how many will actually get nominated, but here are my best predictions. Shrug. Who knows. I’m really hoping for a Melancholia surge, but it probably won’t happen.

HASTA TUESDAY!!! Because the best thing about the nominations? There’s ALWAYS a surprise.

It’s Friday the 13th, so what better day than today to post my Best Films of 2011? This list has changed several times and I’ve not seen everything that was released in 2011, but this is how it exists today. What are your top 10 of last year, dear readers? Rollo wants to know, and comments are enabled, as always.

Rollo’s Top 10 Films of 2011

01 Beginners  It’s rare a film feels so genuine and looks it, too. McGregor and Plummer astound. Quite intimate to watch, and I can’t wait to see more from director Mills.

02 Midnight in Paris  Was not expecting to like it so much; haven’t liked Allen so much in years. Wilson seems to embody the neuroses of Allen’s usual characters with a charm I’d never seen before. Wonderful.

03 A Separation  Iranian movie blew me away. Nothing is black and white; everything is the gray area and the back-and-forth of this movie about divorce, family, customs, and morality becomes universal. Could not stop thinking about film for days after - powerful stuff here.

04 Martha Marcy May Marlene  Fantastically shot; newcomer Olsen impresses to the maximum and the last shot left me with a chill that did not leave soon after.

05 The Artist  Went to theater fearing a gimmick, came a way completely endeared to the story, actors, and black and white cinematic beauty. Dujardin boldly captivates.

06 Bridesmaids  The gross-out comedy I’ve always wanted, but Apatow never supplied. Wiig and Mumolo write great script; all the actors superb in hilarity.

07 The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo  Fincher in familiar territory but take a mediocre book to extraodinary dark drama. Rooney, perfect. Love a stylized, complicated nail-biter.

08 Shame  Believe there was no better performance this year than Fassbender in this film. Bests Dujardin, Clooney easily. Just look at his face. Director McQueen makes you often consider it. Mulligan also shines in this desparate (and disturbingly realistic) account of sex addiction.

09 Melancholia  The first ten minutes of the film are better than the whole of Tree of Life. This apocalyptic tale told through two sisters felt depressing, but in a way that was also beautiful.

10 Hanna  Didn’t care for Atonement much but Wright’s directing here made me take notice again. Enjoyed the elements come together for a smart, heavily referential, and fun film. That Ronan is something, too.

Also considered, and honorably: Insidious, Cedar Rapids, My Week with Marilyn, Super 8, Jane Eyre, Mission Impossible 4: Ghost Protocol, The Future, A Dangerous Method and The Skin I Live In.

And yours?

I suppose I should catch up this blog with all the movies I’ve been seeing recently - seeing so much, I have no time to write up their reviews! Plus, I’m thinking hard about my Top Ten of 2011 list. It’s inevitable for movie fans, right? So let’s begin some Rollo Reviews…

• Melancholia With a movie directed by Lars von Trier, I fully expected a bizarre, depressing take on the end of the world. And while yes, it was bizarre and depressing, it was also quite beautiful. Kirsten Dunst and Charlotte Gainsbourg play sisters, and the film is broken in two between their stories. There are characters in the periphery, but though they play comic relief or something else, they are one-note for the most part. The first few minutes of the film are gorgeous, and worth seeing in a theater. The movies plods slowly, but it didn’t both me, and I was wrapped up in these two sisters who were dealing with the fact that the world was going to end. Lingered on my mind for quite a while afterwards. Rating: A-

• The Muppets A really cute revival of the muppets franchise, with Jason Segel being his charming self in the acting and writing role. There may be too many songs for me to smile through, but the movie did the job. I truly enjoyed all the meta jokes and “traveling by map.” Rating: B

• The Artist When I went into this film, knowing that it was silent and black-and-white, I was sure that this would just be all a gimmick - would there be a viable film in there, too? However, I was pleasantly and wonderfully surprised to find out that indeed there was a story here, and boy, are the actors good at what they do. One of my favorite elements of the film was the experience of watching it - something funny would happen on screen, the music would cut out, and the entire audience would be laughing, which was the only sound in the room: pure laughter. With so many comedy films these days, there must be cues for the audience to understand when to laugh (I understand this happens more in television, but it does in film, too) - the music gets louder, the effect is drawn out, there is noise. Taking in The Artist was peaceful and purely joyful (though it was dramatic at parts) - and I walked out of that film with a smile on my face. Rating: A

• A Dangerous Method I went into this film excited for a new Cronenberg and also for Viggo and Fassbender’s performances. However, Keira Knightley impressed me most by the time the film ended. Her performance stole the show from Fassbender’s repressed Jung and Viggo’s fatherly Freud. It was a well-made film, especially if one is interested in psychoanalysis; but something fell short for me in the story. But Keira fully embodied Sabina Speilrein, a figure in her own right in history; apparently in the early stages of the script, it was supposed to be about her - I think the film would have been remarkably more interesting if it had been. Rating: B

• We Need to Talk About Kevin It’s true: Tilda Swinton will mesmerize and act the crap out of any role given to her. She’s brilliant, as always. This movie chills…it could make anyone rethink impending parenthood. Honestly, the biggest qualm I had with the film was that the titular Kevin could not be the son of Tilda and John C. Reilly - this is him. Ezra MIller is a chilling actor, but this fact really distracted me from the story. Even John C. Reilly seemed miscast, and I usually enjoy him whether it’s drama or comedy. Besides Tilda? Terrifying story with odd casting choices. Rating: C

• Young Adult Jason Reitman films: the ones where characters never really learn anything. Which, truthfully is interesting as a concept, but leaves everyone watching by the end feel kind of ‘meh,’ right? I loved seeing Charlize Theron in this kind of role, as well as finding Patton Oswalt continue to impress me. However, this story of a slightly deranged woman going back to her hometown to win back her married with a family high-school ex lands with a thud. There was a moment of climax that intrigued me, that I wanted to learn more about - but Reitman wouldn’t give anything to the viewer, much like he didn’t in Up in the Air. Rating: B-

• My Week with Marilyn I went into this film prepared to be rolling my eyes - anyone attempting a biopic of Marilyn Monroe, who was always more of an essence and presence than someone known personally - is bound to fail. But! I was charmed by Michelle Williams performance, as well as Judi Dench, Eddie Redmayne, and Kenneth Branagh. The story was interesting and well-filmed; I enjoyed it and the way the story unfolded. I liked it a lot more than I thought I would. Rating: B+

• The Descendants The movie was good, but it felt a little unfair. I can’t really go into it without spoilers, but I’ll say it was an enjoyable film that makes the viewer consider the morality within the decisions going on on screen. It was thoughtful and insightful; Clooney gives one of the best performances of his career - far better than his role in Up in the Air. He deserves all accolades heading his way. Rating: B

• The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Pretty blown away by Fincher’s rendition of the famous Swedish book. Enjoyed the intricacies of the story and really enjoyed Rooney Mara’s performance - as well as Daniel Craig’s. I expected the actor to go full James Bond, all confidence in the role, but the role calls for an intelligent but somewhat bumbling journalist, and he played it wonderfully. I already enjoy the story, but this may be the best version I’ve seen so far. I really hope Fincher does the two sequels. Rating: A-

There are still lots of movies I didn’t see this year, but…well, I suppose this will have to do heading into awards season and top ten list season. I think Moneyball and The Help are the two major contenders I missed this year, but hopefully will see before Oscars time. Stay tuned for my Top Ten next week!

Rollo Reviews: Shame

The upcoming film Shame is about a man’s sex addiction. The MPAA ratings board deemed it NC-17 material, and I got the chance to attend a screening a couple of weeks ago. Michael Fassbender plays (and displays, if you catch my drift) the main character in the film — and if GQ’s recently announcement that he is one of their Men of the Year isn’t enough to sway you to his attention — this movie surely will. He’s mesmerizing, and so is Shame. 

First, let me tell you about the plot. Fassbender plays Brandon, a New Yorker who spends most of his time outside of his desk job watching porn, masturbating and having sex with women. From the onset of the film, Brandon is obviously a sex addict. The viewer watches his routine as it seems second nature and not even like pleasure; he moves almost involuntarily but precisely from one action to the next — repetition is key. That is, until his mess of a sister, Sissy (Carey Mulligan), decides to drop by and stay on his couch. His routine must now accommodate this intrusion, and the viewer soon learns it’s not just his routine that is devastated by her presence. There is something amiss.

The film follows Brandon’s unraveling pysche, and all the graphicness of the sex and nude scenes is actually quite overshadowed by Brandon’s distracting facial expressions and all the questions about his intentions. It doesn’t seem like he does it out of enjoyment — much like the portrayals of other addictions like alcohol and drugs — it’s a disease. And something caused it. These sexual scenes are not titillating or exploitative — they are uncomfortable to watch. I would liken it to how uncomfortable I felt watching the characters in Requiem for a Dream take drugs.

That said, Fassbender and Mulligan give incredible performances. Fassbender is one of the best new lead actors on the screen, and he’s nearly Daniel Day-Lewis-ing in this movie (can I say that? Well, I just did). Mulligan proves once again that she’s to be watched, but even I was surprised by how far she went in this film — her sweetheart adorableness is scrubbed away and replaced with the shell of a screwed-up girl. The director, Steve McQueen, seems to have this kind of power over his actors; his first and only other film Hunger had similarly strong performances.

Almost every frame in Shame holds the viewer no matter how lurid the material. It’s interesting to note that the film was co-written by the female playwright Abi Morgan, who’s television movie Sex Traffic won awards. Her written material seems to lend itself to the fact that the sex in Shame serves the purpose to the story, and not for nudity’s sake. It certainly deserves an NC-17 rating, in my opinion, but that shouldn’t make anyone older than 17 shy away from seeing a powerfully told and filmed story about addiction.

Rating: A