Whiplash: Another musical movie from the director of "Grand Piano"

Today, I look at the universally acclaimed adaptation of his own short film.

Whiplash:
Andrew Neiman is an aspiring young jazz drummer at a prestigious music school. Striving to be one of the "greats", like Buddy Rich, Neiman is accepted into the studio jazz band program, run by the highly respected conductor Terence Fletcher. Unfortunately for Neiman, Fletcher is a lot more intense and abusive than he expected, and pushes Andrew to the limit of his physical, emotional, and psychological capabilities for the sake of music. The two eventually enter a gut-wrenching battle of wits as Andrew tries to gain the approval of this hardened instructor.
    While sounding fairly cliche, this movie is actually a really great drama that is almost a deconstruction of the "asshole coach/mentor" character you see in many sports and music-based movies.
  Before I dive into that, I must commend the acting. Miles Teller is already a matured and competent actor at just 27 years old, and his youthful appearance is able to sell the idea that he's only 19. Teller's performance included him having to improve on his drumming skills by learning the jazz style, which he was unfamiliar with. Many of the gashes and blisters that appear on his hands during his grueling practice scenes are real, and Teller's commitment to the role was something sorely missing from a lot of young actors today. Because the director, Damien Chazelle, never yelled "Cut!" at the end of the drumming scenes, Teller was forced to play until he physically exhausted himself, making the drumming sequences fell uncomfortably real.
   J.K. Simmons is a terrific character actor, playing memorable supporting roles such as J. Jonah Jameson in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy, Dr. Skoda in Law & Order, and neo-Nazi Schillinger in Oz, but I think this is the one that will gain him more starring roles. His threatening and intense on-screen presence is unquestionable, and every scene with him had me on edge, wondering what was going to set him off next. His incessant nitpicking and emotional and physical battery of his students made him a thoroughly unlikable villain, but as the film peeled back the layers of his character and revealed why he is motivated to do such things, I found myself feeling some empathy for him. I was glad Chazelle made the choice not to make Fletcher such a one-dimensional villain, but more of a misunderstood one.
   The supporting cast aren't given much to do, but Paul Reiser, Melissa Benoist, and Austin Stowell all serve their purpose and are the most memorable of the supporting characters.
    The music in the film is very enjoyable and I was happy to see a movie that really explores the idea of how the general public perceives musical careers as opposed to sports careers, and also the way music can bring people together or tear them apart.
   I was also intrigued with how the movie, up until maybe the ending, served as a deconstruction of the "intense teacher/coach" trope. In other films, the hero would push himself hard, but ultimately win the day. In this film, Neiman pushes himself to the limit, but in doing so is wrecking other facets of his life: he is detached from his family, he is always stressed and neurotic, he alienates his girlfriend and classmates, etc. It shows that by trying to win the approval and respect of this one asshole teacher, Neiman is destroying the relationships with people who actually care about him.
   Speaking of the ending, without giving anything away, the second act and third act of this movie have to include some of the most tense, investing, and satisfying scenes of 2014. I will say this is one of my favorite climaxes of a movie this year.
    Whiplash is emotionally gripping, provocative, and electrifying, with two of the best performances of the year. The last 15 minute should be seen on the biggest screen possible with the best sound possible, so I would recommend seeing the film in theaters, if only for that last act. Damien Chazelle has definitely marked himself as one to watch out for in the coming years, and I can't wait to see what he does next. 5/5 stars.

          (Image: Wikipedia)



Another (short) review I enjoyed that explores the music in the movie a bit more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgH3e-S9aHA 

Inherent Vice: Paul Thomas Anderson meets Thomas Pynchon? This could go very good or very, very bad... Or neither.

Today, I look at PTA's latest film, the first adaptation of a work by Thomas Pynchon.

Inherent Vice:
It's 1970, and the paranoia that circulated the country at the time was in full swing in Los Angeles (this was after the Manson murders, after all). Larry "Doc" Sportello is a hippie dopehead and private investigator whose ex-old lady Shasta Fay Hepworth comes seeking Doc's help. Shasta claims she is having an affair with real estate mogul Mickey Wolfmann, whose wife Sloane, and her lover, plan to have Mickey kidnapped and thrown into an insane asylum. Doc reluctantly agrees, and in true noir fashion, the plot quickly thickens and Doc realizes he has unraveled a complex conspiracy and is way in over his head. It also doesn't help that Doc's heavy drug use and general paranoia have made having hallucinations in the middle of all this a possibility.
    This is so different than any other of Anderson's works that I can't really recommend it to fans of his per se, but I will say this is a very entertaining and fun movie. It's almost Pulp Fiction-esque, though I wouldn't recommend it to people looking for the next Tarantino film, either. It falls into this strange middle ground, and judging by the reactions of my fellow theater goers after the film, it appears this is going to be a movie that divides people into a "kind of liked it" or "kind of didn't like it" category. I think saying "love it" or "hate it" is a bit too strong for this movie, because it has certain aspects I think everyone can appreciate on some level. Such as the acting.
   The casting for this movie was spot-on. Joaquin Phoenix is the perfect fit for the role of Doc. He's able to be very likable and funny, but also just weird and detached from reality. Not as dark or as powerful as his role in The Master, but still something I think could be potentially Oscar-worthy. Katherine Waterson is terrific as Shasta. Though she isn't given all that much to do, she is able to have some good romantic chemistry with Phoenix. Josh Brolin shows up as Lieutenant Christian "Bigfoot" Bjornsen, Doc's main rival and police contact in the film. They have some excellent comedic chemistry and Brolin definitely plays the gruff, overworked cop role well. Owen Wilson is perfectly cast as a former sax player/drug addict drifter named Coy Harlingen, who can be pretty funny, but also is able to deliver some good dramatic moments. The supporting cast, packed with actors like Benicio del Toro, Jena Malone, Michael K. Williams (The Wire, Boardwalk Empire), Reese Witherspoon, Maya Rudolph, Michelle Sinclair (a porn actress), Eric Roberts, Jeannie Berlin, Martin Short, Hong Chau, Serena Scott Thomas, and Martin Donovan, are pretty great, although some bigger names, like del Toro, Malone, Williams, Rudolph, Witherspoon, and Short have roles so minor they border on cameo status.
    The writing for the film is funny and off-beat, but never feels like it over-indulges in its' quirkiness, and never relies too heavily on pop culture references from the 1960's and 70's (though the Manson murders are mentioned frequently). The overall plot is very much like a classic noir film, and although it can get too complicated at times, I feel it'll be more rewarding from multiple viewings. What I can say about this film that will make it appealing to a more general audience is that it's not as slow as PTA's other recent works. It's not exactly "fast paced", but it doesn't drag its' feet as much as There Will Be Blood or The Master.
   The trailer for this movie captures the overall tone pretty well, but I felt the way it described the plot was very misleading. At first I was confused about this, but then I realized they didn't want to go too deep into the plot, as it would spoil a lot of the reveals.
   The soundtrack for this movie was a pretty excellent selection of late 60's/early 70's songs such as "Wonderful World" by Sam Cooke, "Vitamin C" by Can, "I Want to Take You Higher" by Sly & The Family Stone, "Any Day Now" by Chuck Jackson, and "Journey Through the Past" by Neil Young. The original score by Johnny Greenwood of Radiohead (who composed the music for PTA's previous two films as well as We Need to Talk About Kevin) is fair enough, and not as subdued as The Master's, and not as intriguing as There Will Be Blood's. Much like the Guardians of the Galaxy score, the original music takes a backseat to the pre-recorded tunes.
    The cinematography didn't exactly wow me the way it had in PTA's other films. It doesn't have nearly as many long takes, although when they show up it is appreciated, and is shot in more standard close-up shots and profile shots. Not to detract from the movie's style, however. This definitely feels like a crazy 70's crime film, but made with the resources filmmakers have at their disposal today, and I see this playing at late-night screenings at cinemas and on college campuses in the years to come.
   Inherent Vice may not be for everyone, but it's definitely an interesting film that I want to watch again right after seeing it, much like other PTA films. The neon-tinted look of the movie and killer soundtrack, coupled with the superb performances and oddball characters and humor make this a unique movie that does justice to the source material. It has the potential to develop a cult following, which I'll be glad to be a part of if it holds up on my second viewing. I can certainly say I liked it the first time around, and it makes for an interesting conversational piece, as it seems everyone has a starkly different reaction to it. 4/5 stars.

          (Image: Wikipedia)

Foxcatcher: The latest effort from director Bennett Miller

This is my first post of 2015, so I wish a Happy New Year to everyone reading this.

Foxcatcher:
Mark Schultz is a freelance wrestler who is down on his luck. Despite winning Olympic Gold, he is living in a rut, and in the shadow of his brother Dave, who is also an Olympic Gold winner. That is, until one evening Mark is contacted by associates of John du Pont, a mysterious and eccentric billionaire, who is organizing a private team of wrestlers called Team Foxcatcher, after his family's estate Foxcatcher Farms. Mark is enticed by du Pont's extravagant offers and decides to join the team, although he doesn't realize what he's gotten himself into until it's far too late.
     Channing Tatum is exceptional here as Mark Schultz; definitely the best performance of his career. He's able to bring forward an emotional intensity I've never seen from him, and his role was also very physically demanding, which he is able to pull off while never having it overshadow his emotional side. Mark Ruffalo is terrific as his supportive and skilled brother Dave. He is an actor who I always expect great things from, and he certainly delivers here. I respect Miller's attention to detail on the two, having the stars bulk up with similar physiques and wear prosthetic ears to really sell the idea that they are brothers. Their on-screen chemistry is undeniable, and I'd say they are the best duo of thee film, if not for one other character. Steve Carrell is really surprising as du Pont. He is able to be eccentric, inadvertently funny, creepy, intimidating, vulnerable, and pathetic, often back-to-back. Really a powerhouse performance, and I'd be glad to see Carrell pursue more dramatic work in the future after seeing him here. He and Tatum play off each other extremely well, and they are the best duo of thee film, if you could even call them that. The film is really a character study about their relationship, which is at times similar to a father-son/mentor-student archetype, then shifts to a creepy symbiotic relationship with shades of homoeroticism (which the real Schultz has criticized). Even if the last part isn't entirely accurate to real-life events, it still makes for a fascinating character relationship. Vanessa Redgrave, Sienna Miller, and Anthony Michael Hall (The Breakfast Club, Tales from the Crypt, Weird Science) also have supporting roles, and all do satisfactory jobs, with Redgrave playing du Pont's emotionally detached mother, with whom he has an extremely dysfunctional and sad relationship.
     Despite the main cast being superb and with nearly no flaws in their performances, the pacing of the film is a bit off. While there's no scenes that could have been cut without ruining the plot structure, the film definitely feels like it drags it's feet a little too often, and this can make it feel bloated at times.
     The cinematography by Greig Fraser was crisp and precise, and gave the film this cold, clinical tone that fit it perfectly. The music by Rob Simonsen and West Dylan Thordson wasn't anything spectacular, but it was well done and matched the mood of the movie.
      This isn't Bennett Miller's best work, but I think it is still a film that everyone should see once, and it is emotionally gripping from start to finish. Don't read much about it before you see it, as it is based on a true story and there will probably be spoilers online about it if you look it up, so just go see the film. Foxcatcher is one of the better movies of 2014, that explores ideas about how competitive sports affect people's lives and relationships and minds, how dysfunctional family relationships affect people, and even how being rich and powerful doesn't necessarily lead to a good or fulfilling life. 4/5 stars.

                 (Image: Wikipedia)