lights down low
Movies are my favorite, and I’ve seen a few good ones in the past two weeks. I’ve made a cut for each entry because my comments contain a small spoiler or two… therefore, I recommend seeing the film yourself first (cause a clean slate’s the best way to experience art) and then read my yammering.
Inside Man
Derik and I saw this new Spike Lee joint on Sunday in Brooklyn, and it was one of my most satisfying movie-going experiences in a long time (with the exception of the ridiculous delays at the box office… who would guess that using one of those kiosks could cause so much trouble? The printer jammed, and it took a solid, er, 10 minutes for the staff to get my tickets. It would have been better for me to wait in line at the window. However, my antsyness was my own fault for running late. Luckily we didn’t miss a minute of the movie). The film was shot within blocks of my office, and to my delight I recognized several outdoor spots from my morning walk down Williams Street (I pass Delmonico’s and the Hanover Deli (where Jodi Foster is seen sitting in the window) every morning and evening, and I recognized the Killarney Rose pub which is around the corner). Moving on from my “it was filmed in my neighborhood!” shtick…
Spike Lee’s latest film deserves praise for being disciplined yet gripping, and well-crafted without falling into formulaic plotting. Suffice it to say that though the plot evolves around a bank heist, the arc of the story is by no means that of a typical thriller: no roaring finale brings the film to a close, and at no point does the action elicit gasps from the audience. Rather, Lee delivers plot turns with calculated nuance and allows the actors’ performances to engage the audience. Those who criticize Inside Man for being “anything but a thriller” miss the point: Spike Lee didn’t set out to make a typical thriller, and I most definitely respect and admire the result.
Etc.:
Thank You For Smoking
First of all, yes, this movie is a witty gem that’s fun to watch and a welcome distraction from the mundane workweek. That being said, somewhere between the trip to California and the appearance before Congress, I started to wonder just how much the message of Thank You For Smoking would satisfy me. Recently I’ve been worked up quite a bit when it comes to public perception of smoking (smoking rant forthcoming in a future post), so I started to cringe when the overtones of morality and judgment started to ring a little too seriously (i.e. when Nick Naylor is asked how he would feel if his son started smoking.) I’m not sure what I was expecting, but the denouement left me in an all-too familiar and uncomfortable rosy state.
Capote
I read In Cold Blood, one of my favorite novels, five years ago while living in Florence. It’s the only Capote work that I’ve read, and I clearly remember two of my responses to his writing:
1.While reading the first chapters I felt an increased nostalgia for the Midwest. I found this reaction both surprising (this story is a murder mystery, right?) and reassuring (I was miles away from familiar people and places, and Capote’s descriptions helped me remember the sights and smells of a landscape I love.) These lengthy descriptions are beautifully reflected in the cinematography of Capote, whether by accident or intention (I understand that the film is not based on In Cold Blood but rather a biography of Capote.) Sustained, quite, wide-angle shots underscore the remote peacefulness of Holcomb, Kansas and provide context with a subtle hint of rhythm to the story.
2. My other lasting impression from In Cold Blood is the humanity with which Capote describes Smith and Hickock, the convicted murders. I cried while reading the description of their executions because Capote characterized the men as human beings. He chose to withhold detailing the murder scene until late in the novel, exploring each man’s personal history before their crime is relived. Capote operates in a similar fashion, and though I can’t speak to the characterization of Truman Capote himself, his sympathy for Smith is demonstrated in the director’s treatment of the convict.
Inside Man
Derik and I saw this new Spike Lee joint on Sunday in Brooklyn, and it was one of my most satisfying movie-going experiences in a long time (with the exception of the ridiculous delays at the box office… who would guess that using one of those kiosks could cause so much trouble? The printer jammed, and it took a solid, er, 10 minutes for the staff to get my tickets. It would have been better for me to wait in line at the window. However, my antsyness was my own fault for running late. Luckily we didn’t miss a minute of the movie). The film was shot within blocks of my office, and to my delight I recognized several outdoor spots from my morning walk down Williams Street (I pass Delmonico’s and the Hanover Deli (where Jodi Foster is seen sitting in the window) every morning and evening, and I recognized the Killarney Rose pub which is around the corner). Moving on from my “it was filmed in my neighborhood!” shtick…
Spike Lee’s latest film deserves praise for being disciplined yet gripping, and well-crafted without falling into formulaic plotting. Suffice it to say that though the plot evolves around a bank heist, the arc of the story is by no means that of a typical thriller: no roaring finale brings the film to a close, and at no point does the action elicit gasps from the audience. Rather, Lee delivers plot turns with calculated nuance and allows the actors’ performances to engage the audience. Those who criticize Inside Man for being “anything but a thriller” miss the point: Spike Lee didn’t set out to make a typical thriller, and I most definitely respect and admire the result.
Etc.:
- The song used in the opening title sequence had us bobbing our heads to the beat; what a great opener. It sounds like Indian rap, sorta (sorry for my linguistic and cultural ignorance), and I’m definitely looking up the artist.
- Spike Lee understands characterization of New Yorkers, no doubt (great to watch the movie in a packed theater in downtown Brooklyn).
- I love the dialogue between Clive Owen and the young boy, especially for the authenticity of the boy’s vocabulary.
- Jodie Foster’s legs are hot.
Thank You For Smoking
First of all, yes, this movie is a witty gem that’s fun to watch and a welcome distraction from the mundane workweek. That being said, somewhere between the trip to California and the appearance before Congress, I started to wonder just how much the message of Thank You For Smoking would satisfy me. Recently I’ve been worked up quite a bit when it comes to public perception of smoking (smoking rant forthcoming in a future post), so I started to cringe when the overtones of morality and judgment started to ring a little too seriously (i.e. when Nick Naylor is asked how he would feel if his son started smoking.) I’m not sure what I was expecting, but the denouement left me in an all-too familiar and uncomfortable rosy state.
Capote
I read In Cold Blood, one of my favorite novels, five years ago while living in Florence. It’s the only Capote work that I’ve read, and I clearly remember two of my responses to his writing:
1.While reading the first chapters I felt an increased nostalgia for the Midwest. I found this reaction both surprising (this story is a murder mystery, right?) and reassuring (I was miles away from familiar people and places, and Capote’s descriptions helped me remember the sights and smells of a landscape I love.) These lengthy descriptions are beautifully reflected in the cinematography of Capote, whether by accident or intention (I understand that the film is not based on In Cold Blood but rather a biography of Capote.) Sustained, quite, wide-angle shots underscore the remote peacefulness of Holcomb, Kansas and provide context with a subtle hint of rhythm to the story.
2. My other lasting impression from In Cold Blood is the humanity with which Capote describes Smith and Hickock, the convicted murders. I cried while reading the description of their executions because Capote characterized the men as human beings. He chose to withhold detailing the murder scene until late in the novel, exploring each man’s personal history before their crime is relived. Capote operates in a similar fashion, and though I can’t speak to the characterization of Truman Capote himself, his sympathy for Smith is demonstrated in the director’s treatment of the convict.