MOVIES:
Steven Spielberg once said “the only thing better than seeing movies is
reading about them.”
We agree. This month:
Bruno,
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
and Public Enemies.
DVD'S:
"Grey Gardens, " "Mad Men: Season 2," and "The State: The
Complete Series." Plus, a look at the 20th Anniversary
Edition of Do the Right Thing.
MUSIC:
Incubus - Greatest Hits and Anna Ternheim's Anna
Ternheim & Halfway to Five Points.
BOOKS:
Rick Sayre takes a trip through Paris and Spain with his
reviews of Julien Green's Paris and Carlos Ruiz
Zafón's The Angel's Game.
FOCUS:
"The Top Directors Every Filmmaker and Cinema Enthusiast
Should Know" by David Sayre.
SPOTLIGHT: "It
is hard to talk about an attraction to an actor without
sounding like a teenage girl, to talk about their “sex”
appeal without somehow diminishing their talent as actors.
Having said all that please don’t judge me too harshly when
I say the following cliché and trite remark: Joseph
Gordon-Levitt has a smile that lights up every scene of
every single movie that he’s in... or at least the ones that
feature him smiling of course."
Written by
Michael Mann, Ronan Bennett and Ann Biderman; based on the novel “Public
Enemies: America’s Greatest Crime Wave and the Birth of the FBI,
1933-34” by Bryan Burrough
Cast: Johnny Depp,
Christian Bale, Marion Cotillard, Billy Crudup, Rory Cochrane, Stephen
Graham, Shawn Hatosy
Michael Mann’s film about
the FBI’s pursuit of John Dillinger is, at best, a watchable movie. But
more accurately it is a tedious film that never really seems to come
together. Mann is a director whose films I generally appreciate but this
time out the storyline never seemed to mesh. It’s part Johnny Depp as
Dillinger in a charm-fest, part lawman tracking down bank robber, part
love story between Depp and Marion Cotillard. The problem is that not
enough effort seems to have been made to get each of the storylines to a
point where you feel anything for them. The mistake I think the film
makes is in assuming Depp’s charm will take care of most of the interest
the audience has in Dillinger’s story. For me, it just fell a bit flat.
It’s certainly a nice film
to look at, as Mann’s visual presentation of the material is as
extraordinary as his previous work. Depp and Christian Bale play their
parts well, but don’t really stand out too much; both are such wonderful
actors that I think when they give performances that are good, but not
great, it’s a little disappointing. Marion Cotillard gives a wonderful
performance and seems to do the most with the material given her, among
the leads. The standout performances are from the supporting roles
however, most notably Billy Crudup as a stiff, nervous young J. Edgar
Hoover, Peter Gerety as a defense attorney who performs nearly
evangelical speeches, and a powerful turn by Stephen Graham as George
“Babyface” Nelson.
Ultimately, I think the
filmmakers try to tell too broad a story in one movie, and in an effort
to make it two hours and twenty minutes, too much storyline and too
little character are stuffed into a poorly paced picture.
It seems like an impossible feat but somehow Sacha Baron-Cohen managed
to make Brüno a funnier, and more shocking, film than
Borat. Even though his audience has been split down the middle—most
Baron-Cohen fans either love it or hate it—the one thing that everyone
can agree on about Brüno is how provocative it is. All of
the full-frontal nudity, blow-job jokes and penetrating sex toys aside,
Brüno is a satire that reveals just how homophobic most people (I
don’t want to just single out Americans here although we are the ones
depicted in the film) tend to be.
Yes, I recognize that being flaming gay is the big butt of Brüno’s joke,
no pun intended, but thanks to several incredibly uncomfortable set-ups
in the film, including one very violent cage fight, his gayness also
becomes a trigger for venomous hatred. Some of the funniest scenes in
the movie occur when Brüno decides to go “straight” in an attempt to
become a big star like Tom Cruise, John Travolta and Kevin Spacey, the
“straight” stars of Hollywood, and seeks the help of an ex-gay ministry,
a group of Evangelical Christians who help men become straight again.
The scenes are hysterical because of how silly the concept is but they
are also especially poignant. When one of their leaders, a Pastor and
ex-gay, unintentionally espouses all of the things he hates about women
in an attempt to relate to Brüno, it is both hilarious and incredibly
sad. The fact that this man believes that he has to deny who he is in
order to be loved by God and society is the realization at the end of
the scene…and it is, oddly enough, what makes Brüno, in all of his
ridiculous glory, a rare hero.
Speaking of heroes, has there ever been a greater one than our very own
Harry Potter? It is certainly hard to think of another protagonist who
has captured our hearts and minds as powerfully as the young wizard has.
The sixth film, the second directed by British director David Yates, is
fast-paced and thrilling, incredibly entertaining and enjoyable
throughout. The film is not without it’s flaws but they are the usual
complaints—such and such character didn’t get this due screen time, they
didn’t talk about this particular plot point, and my personal gripe,
there’s not enough Neville in this one—but Yates has once again managed
to make 2 ½ hours seem like half the time by capturing all of the things
that we love about Harry Potter and his world. Harry Potter and
the Half-Blood Prince is by far the funniest of the films thus
far, a fact that may be surprising to most readers as my recollection of
the source material is that it was rather gloomy, and it feels fantastic
to be laughing along with these beloved characters for a change. Things
only get hairier from here for Harry, Ron, Ginny and Hermione so it is a
real comfort to know that, with David Yates at the helm, the fact that
they are all in fact teenage wizards won’t be lost in the shadow
of He Who Shall Not Be Named’s dark magic.
Fans of Mad Men are in for a treat now that the second
season is out on DVD. The show was fantastic in its first season, but
this time around it is downright hypnotic. The second season starts off
audaciously with a jump to Valentine’s Day 1962. The mystery of the man
we know as Don Draper expands, even as his marriage to Betty begins to
show its cracks. Peggy is back to work without a word about why she
disappeared for a month. Pete’s wife is obsessed with having a baby and
Joan is still regally gliding through the office, in charge and capable.
What’s great is that the things you were left wondering about at the end
of season one aren’t all answered immediately. Even though the series is
at face value about an office of ad execs in the 60s, it’s really more
like a mystery: Secrets lie behind every face, pain is hiding behind the
smiles, even the most confident characters have weaknesses.
The revelation this season is January Jones as Betty Draper,
who has one of the strongest story arcs and will keep you completely
rapt, eyes on the screen for all thirteen glorious episodes. Just as
they did with the first DVD the cast and crew of Mad Men give you
a feast of interesting features, including commentaries (in some cases
more than one!) for every episode. Catch up now, because the show
returns for a third season on August 16!
Any fan of the cult classic 1976 documentary Grey Gardens
had to feel somewhat skeptical when the news came around about a film
based on the story of two eccentric and secluded former society ladies
living in a decomposing Long Island mansion. What ended up changing my
mind about the project was discovering that Drew Barrymore and Jessica
Lange had been cast and that the film would actually be telling the
story of “Big” and “Little” Edith Bouvier Beale from the beginning. One
of the questions the original documentary leaves viewers asking is “How
did these women end up like this?” Despite living in a grand house in
the wealthy East Hampton section of Long Island, mother and daughter
ended up spending most of their time in one room as the house fell into
ruin and squalor around them. However, in the past, they were part of
the cream of society. Big Edie sang and entertained, while Little Edie
longed for romance and the lights of Broadway. In this “Grey Gardens,”
we get to see how the women ended up trapped with one another, with
broken hearts and abandoned dreams.
If you are familiar with the documentary, you will immediately
be struck by how both Barrymore and Lange have captured the Edies so
magically. Lange’s voice sounds exactly like Big Edie’s and almost every
gesture in the scenes recreating those in the documentary are
breathtakingly similar. Barrymore, who I have loved since E.T.
(not to mention Irreconcilable Differences) is someone I have
always found so inspiring, someone who I shall forever adore. As a star,
she really works almost exclusively in romantic comedies now and
although I don’t have anything against rom-coms, I haven’t seen her in
anything since 50 First Dates, five years ago. Which is why it’s
so exciting that with this film, Drew gives her best performance since
Guncrazy and Mad Love, two dramas she shot in the
mid-nineties as she fought her way back into Hollywood after becoming an
outcast, a teenage junkie who had lost everything she’d achieved before
she was even an adult.
There’s no way that Barrymore wasn’t able to empathize with
Little Edie, who seemed to have her whole life ahead of her before
things fell apart completely and she lost every golden chance that she
had. Luckily for us, Barrymore was able to pick herself up and prove
herself as a talented comedienne, becoming one of our biggest stars. But
with “Grey Gardens,” she has proven herself again, reminding us that
with the right part, she can do more than just romantic comedy. It makes
me even more excited to see her directorial debut, the roller derby
themed Whip It, in October. The DVD includes an interesting
commentary by the director and producers, as well as a behind-the-scenes
featurette that includes a few choice clips from the original Grey
Gardens.
Do the Right Thing is
still a groundbreaking film that holds up as much as ever, and now it’s
gotten a new release on home video with the 20th anniversary
edition. The story of racial tensions in Brooklyn on the hottest day of
the summer is poignant, funny, touching and honest. Spike Lee’s unique
vision is at its best and a great ensemble cast help make the film a
true classic.
The picture has previously
received the Criterion Collection treatment and one of the great things
about this version is that all the features and commentary from the
previous edition are included in this one. Adding to the supplements are
a new commentary by director Spike Lee and a documentary shot by Lee
himself on the films 20th anniversary. Do the Right Thing:
Twenty Years Later is the highlight of the new release, featuring
interviews with Spike Lee, John Turturro, Rosie Perez, cinematographer
Ernest Dickerson and others. For those like me that are particularly
passionate fans of this great film this edition is worth it for
additional footage and information about the making of the movie. For
those unfamiliar with the features previously on Criterion’s release of
the movie, they include “The making of Do the Right Thing,” a 60-minute
documentary, Spike Lee’s home video recordings of the behind-the-scenes
activity, including cast rehearsals and interviews, and the 1989 Cannes
film festival panel discussion.
“Awww yeah!” After years and years (and years) of fans
begging, no, clamoring, for it, MTV’s brilliant sketch
comedy show from the 90s is finally available on DVD. Granted, some of
the original music from the series isn’t there due to rights issues, but
honestly, who cares?? What was good about “The State,” which in my
opinion is the best and most consistently funny sketch comedy show ever,
was… THE STATE! The ten guys and sole gal who wrote and performed the
show need no stinkin’ pop songs to be funny.
Even if you don’t remember the show, you’ll be familiar with
some of the people involved as they’ve gone on to be part of television
shows like “Stella,” “Reno 911” and most recently, “Michael & Michael
Have Issues.” Ken “I wanna dip my BALLS in it!” Marino is a familiar
face to fans of “Veronica Mars,” while Michael Patrick Jann directed
Drop Dead Gorgeous and David Wain went on to direct Wet Hot
American Summer, which features a lot of “The State’s” cast members.
Thomas Lennon and Robert Ben Garant went on to write Balls of Fury
and both Night at the Museum movies. The DVD consists of 4 discs
that include 5-7 episodes apiece, commentaries on every episode,
outtakes and interviews. There’s a fifth disc of bonus features,
including the original unaired pilot, several special appearances and
tons of unaired sketches.
As someone who watched the show when it first aired on MTV
from 1993-1995, but hadn’t seen any of the episodes since, it was
amazing to me how with every episode I remembered every brilliant sketch
so well. Although I was 20 when the show began and it can’t really be
credited for being the basis of my sense of humor, I can definitely see
how it may have fine-tuned it. (Especially the way I tend to point out
to others, usually a certain Pictures and Frames editor, the
obvious reason why certain things are funny.) Blame it on “The State.”
What’s interesting to notice when you watch the show all at once is how
by the final disc, the comedy has completely gone off the rails in the
most ridiculously hysterical way. So whether you were raised in a barn,
like to go to the zoo to watch the monkeys do it or are a Jew, an
Italian or a redhead gay, you’ll find something funny in “The State.”
I’m outta heeeeeeere…
The latest
release from the band Incubus is a 2-disc greatest hits collection that
will turn even the newest listener into a fan. The first disc includes
13 previously released singles from their top grossing albums Make
Yourself, Morning View, A Crow Left of the Murder… and
Light Grenades. Also included in this disc are two new tracks
"Black Heart Inertia" and "Midnight Swim.” The second disc is a
collection of rarities, imports, B-sides, soundtrack cuts, alternate
versions, three previously unreleased songs, and a cover of Prince's
"Let's Go Crazy.”
As far as
greatest hits go this one is not bad, mostly because of the second disc
of rarities. But in order to truly do their career justice I would have
instead released a three-album set: One with the rarities and the other
two would be a collection of songs covering their entire seven album
catalog rather than just their best selling albums. For whatever reason
their first three albums Fungus Amongus (1995), Enjoy Incubus
(1996) and S.C.I.E.N.C.E. (1997) were completely ignored.
Regardless of the songs they decided not to include, the selection of
hit singles they did choose will keep you rocking until the early hours.
So if this is your introduction to Incubus make sure to buckle up, crank
the volume to ten and go crazy with the air guitar.
Anna Ternheim & Halfway to Five Points
- Anna Ternheim
After listening to all things Regina Spektor for about an entire month,
I was just about to give a chance to all the other music on my iPod.
Then, one Tuesday morning, I get a newsletter from Verve Records in my
mailbox. One of the things they want to sell me is a single by a singer
called Anna Ternheim. Something about the artwork makes me click her
name and leads me to a video of her performing a song called “What have
I done.” The song manages to give me the chills, because it does exactly
what I love about pop music: It puts into words and music the very
things I was thinking about the night before, mooning over a stupid and
impossible crush and wondering why I always seem to be in the same
no-win situation. I instantly travel to iTunes and purchase the 3-track
single for “What Have I Done,” which includes the video, the studio
version and a mostly instrumental remix. The actual song itself is quite
different from the stripped down, piano based version in the video. The
music is widescreen cinematic, full of strings and drama. I love it and
after a week it is at the top of my 100 Most Played Songs playlist on
iTunes. But by then I have already discovered that there are two albums
by Anna (who is a Swedish artist writing and performing in English)
available in the US and have picked up the full-length disc, Halfway
to Fivepoints. A week later I find the earlier EP Anna Ternheim.
In reality, both of these albums are compilations of songs from her two
proper albums, Somebody Outside (2004) and Separation Road
(2006), neither of which has been released here in the US. Once again,
the first thing you think of when the opening notes of “Girl laying
down” play on Halfway is how thrilling and sort of epic it
sounds. In fact, I’d compare some of the songs, musically, to the most
recent Coldplay album, Viva La Vida. And yet, after feeling so
sensational from one of the more sweeping, symphonic songs like “Girl
laying down” or “Today is a good day,” you may then find yourself in
hushed awe with a quiet and stripped down song like “No subtle men” or
her lovely acoustic covers of Fleetwood Mac’s “Little lies” and “China
girl” by David Bowie.
Vocally, Ternheim reminds me at times of Björk circa Vespertine
or possibly even Dido. Lyrically, these songs range from being
mysterious and elusive to, like “What have I done,” being
straightforward and heartfelt. One of my favorite songs (literally, now
and forever) is the gorgeous “To be gone” from Halfway, which was
an early single originally from Somebody Outside. Another amazing
track is “Lovers dream” which you can hear in its fragile and beautiful
“naked” version on Anna Ternheim or as a chill-inducing, haunting
duet with Fyfe Dangerfield of the Guillemots on Halfway. Although
the two US albums were released through Decca, her most recent disc,
Leaving on a Mayday, will be out on Verve Records on August 11 and
includes all 10 songs from the original version, which is already
available in Europe, including the one that hooked me so very much,
“What have I done.” I can’t even tell you how much I am already counting
down the days to hear more of Anna Ternheim’s music, but I get the
feeling that I’m going to be listening to her for the rest of my life.
Maxwell burst
onto the scene in 1996. He had an alluring presence, a unique sense of
style, the soul of an old school icon, and the artistry of a legend in
the making. He was one of the frontrunners of (dare I say it) the
Neo-Soul Movement. He released three platinum-plus selling studio
albums and one gold-selling live EP, 1996’s Urban Hang Suite,
1998’s Embrya, 2001’s Now and 1997’s MTV Unplugged.
But after a successful tour in support of his last studio album, Now,
Maxwell disappeared. Ever since that time, fans have been yearning for
his music. In the summer of 2008, Maxwell made a rousing, surprise
appearance at the BET Awards singing “Simply Beautiful” in tribute to Al
Green. Shortly thereafter, he went on a national sold-out tour that
fall/winter with talented newcomer Jazmine Sullivan and talks abounded
of an album being in the works. Well, much to fans delight, the rumors
were true. July of 2009 brought about the release of Maxwell’s fourth
studio album BLACKsummers’night, the first of a trilogy of albums
to be released over the next two years. BLACKsummers’night is a
masterpiece that made the 8 year long wait that much sweeter.
Maxwell, along
with co-producer Hod David, has created a funky, bluesy, sensual 9-track
set with simply beautiful arrangements, stellar production, and live
instrumentation (how often does this happen in contemporary music?).
Taking the time off to live and experience has obviously influenced the
sound and feel of Maxwell’s music. It has an even greater
sophistication and maturity when compared to his previous releases.
Everything from the lyrics to the vocals to the style of the music
exemplifies that this is truly a grown up album. Every track is a gem.
Vocally, he sounds as assured, soulful, passionate, and sexy as ever.
Maxwell has one of the best falsettos in the business hands down. Vocal
standouts include “Help Somebody,” “Playing Possum,” and “Stop The
World.”
Lyrically,
Maxwell has always been able to showcase his creativity while expressing
honesty, candor, and sensitivity (the lyrics on this album are no
exception). On the album’s first single “Pretty Wings,” he sings about
a love that had to be set free and his feelings post-breakup (“I
should’ve shown you/Better nights better times better days/As I miss you
more and more”). Maxwell is on verge of an out-of-body experience from
love on “Bad Habits” (“I can’t control the feeling, girl ‘cause I know
you’re here/I feel you from the floor to the ceiling; girl I feel you
when you comb your hair”). On “Cold,” Maxwell sings about a woman who
seems too good to be true (“Tell me baby why can’t I believe,
yeah/Something as good as you could ever love me”). And on “Fistful of
Tears,” he encourages his woman to not give up on all that’s in front of
her, to embrace it, and stay the course (“All things will heal we’ll
feel it lifted and kissed from this curse/ Don’t you let it go, don’t
you let it go”).
There’s a passion
that exists in Maxwell’s music, like Sade, Anita Baker, and some others
before him, that you don’t find often today. It’s undeniable. You can
feel it. Artists like Maxwell love what they do and it comes through
the music. The process they go through to create it is a labor of
love. They take their time and the end result is always quality. They
can leave the scene for 5, 8, 10 years or more, return with new music
and it’ll be like they never left. And that’s because it’s real, not
contrived music. Artists like Maxwell don’t need to be in our faces
every five minutes with new music. That’s not how they operate. If
they aren’t moved by it, if it’s doesn’t feel right in the studio – then
they’re not putting out. And that’s commendable. How can you not
respect that? Yet another reason why Maxwell can sell out an arena
without new music while some of his peers have back-to-back
(underwhelming) hits and have to cancel dates. It says a lot about his
appeal and his fan base, which gets stronger with every release. The
first week sales of BLACKsummers’night are evidence of that.
Maxwell has grown
tremendously and his music embodies it. BLACKsummers’night is a
triumphant return by one of music’s most promising and influential
artists. It’s set a wonderful tone for the release of SUMMERS’
and NIGHT. Fans old and new will be waiting happily and
patiently because Maxwell is back – and better than ever!
This is a strange, dreamlike ode to Paris. But not the Paris you see in
postcards and romantic comedies. Green writes about the Paris he has
grown up in, lived in and been away from and missed dearly. Yes, the
book is probably better if you're familiar with or have at least been to
the city. I haven't and probably never will, but in spite of that (or
because of it) I found the book to be sort of magical. As Green writes
about his Paris, the city that lives in his mind, he manages to create
an idea of Paris in the imagination of the reader that is mysteriously
thrilling, yet familiarly romantic—something like having nostalgia for
somewhere you have never been. In the end you feel a longing for this
city of Green's, but I don't think that even as a visitor you could ever
experience Paris the way that he does.
A few years back I was told by pretty much every bookseller I know that
I ought to read a novel called The Shadow of the Wind by Spanish
author Carlos Ruiz Zafón. One friend in particular told me that she
couldn’t read anything else after she finished it because nothing else
would have been half as good. I read it during a gorgeous road trip
through New England and almost missed the scenery because I was so
unable to put the book down. I read non-fiction for two months
afterwards, because, yeah, after The Shadow of the Wind it’s
pretty hard to be impressed by any other novel. It’s important to keep
this in mind when reading Zafón’s new book, The Angel’s Game, and
I wish I had thought of it before deciding to re-read the first novel
before reading the new one, which is not strictly speaking a sequel (or
as it would be, prequel), despite also featuring some familiar
booksellers and Zafón’s wonderful invention, The Cemetery of Lost Books.
not at all necessary to have read The Shadow of the Wind to be
able to enjoy The Angel’s Game. In fact, it may be better, if you
haven’t read either of them, to read The Angel’s Game first. In
Barcelona, a young writer, David, earns his living by writing pulp
novels, about one every other month. He uses a pseudonym, makes a lot of
money and buys the mysterious house that he has felt calling to him ever
since he was a young boy. A devoted fan, a stranger, sends him letters
and eventually meets David, commissioning him to write a very unusual
book.
Zafón’s Barcelona is shrouded in intrigue, filled with compelling
characters, each of whom has their own shadowy past. Every time he
introduces a new character and a new history, you relish it because when
it comes right down to it, he is a master storyteller and The Angel’s
Game really is a wonderful book. But buyer beware: Don’t make the
same mistake that I did by re-reading Zafón’s previous book first. The
new one will pale in comparison. But only because any other novel would.
The Top Directors Every Filmmaker and
Cinema Enthusiast Should Know
By
David Sayre
This is a list of
directors that I feel have had an incredibly profound impact on the
history of film and filmmaking. It is not necessarily a list of my
personal favorite directors, nor should it be thought of as a singularly
exclusive list of who I think the “Ten greatest” directors are. Rather
it should be thought of as a collection of ten cinema artists whose work
other filmmakers and movie enthusiasts should explore to get a good
taste of great work throughout several areas of motion picture history.
I did my best to
keep the list reasonable, at an even ten, so as to not have you miss
next month’s issue of Pictures and Frames by still sitting at your
screen, reading my thoughts on an endless list of qualified directors.
Making it a list of ten was no easy task for someone like me who has
admiration for a large collection of filmmakers. Hence you will notice
plenty of names missing that, by all rights, could be there, and yet are
not. And of course there will be those that have differing feelings on
something as subjective as film and those who create it. So I leave you
with this as nothing more than my opinion.
Note that the years listed
refer, not to the years the director was alive, but the years they were
credited as a director of theatrical motion pictures. The film titles
are selected highlights.
Charles Chaplin (1914 –
1967)
Modern Times,
City Lights, The Great Dictator, The Gold Rush, The Kid
The first major,
international superstar of the motion picture industry. He had his own
studio and co-created United Artists. I chose Chaplin because I feel he
best represents the silent era. Like his contemporaries Harold Lloyd and
Buster Keaton, he was a brilliant comedian. But he was also a brilliant
director. Anyone who says there is nothing to be learned from Chaplin 82
years after movies went to sound needs only look at the closing moments
of City Lights, which is as moving and heartfelt an expression of
love as anything to come since.
Alfred Hitchcock (1925 –
1976)
Psycho,
Vertigo, Rope, Rear Window, Rebecca
“Hitch”, as he is known, is
a director I’ve always had a sort of distant admiration for. I like much
of his work, but it has never affected me as deeply as the films of
other directors and I have never truly counted him as a major influence
on me personally. That being said, he is one of the greatest directors
ever. His work represents an unbelievable span over five decades and two
continents. From brilliance in his early work in the British cinema to
complex works in Hollywood of the 1940s and 50s, and genre-defining
efforts in the 1960s. The master of suspense was so gifted at his craft
that the word “Hitchcockian” is part of the movie thriller lexicon.
Whether it is as simple as the character study Rope or grand as
the psychologically epic Vertigo, Hitchcock will never have an
equal at being universally synonymous with telling a particular kind of
story and telling it extraordinarily well.
Orson Welles (1941 – 1974)
Citizen Kane,
Touch of Evil, Lady from Shanghai, The Magnificent Ambersons, Othello
(1951)
Groundbreaking is a word
that could easily be used to describe Orson Welles. The fact of the
matter is that there is not a single film being made today that does not
use some sort of technological advancement made during Welles’ debut
film Citizen Kane. I would think that alone grants him the right
to be included in this discussion. But looking beyond that initial film,
much can be learned from both Welles’ films and his career. He largely
self-financed his adaptation of William Shakespeare’s adaptation of
Othello in 1952. He subsidized his directing career with his acting
jobs. He made great artistic triumphs with films like Touch of Evil
and Chimes at Midnight. He also spent the last twenty-five years
of his career struggling to get money to create his work and avoid being
manipulated by the studio system. Whether you’re looking at his pictures
or using his career as a cautionary tale, Welles gives you more than
enough to learn from.
Akira Kurosawa (1943 – 1993)
Seven Samurai,
Rashômon, Yojimbo, Ran, Throne of Blood
There are a few truisms that
I often refer to in regards to film and one of them is that there is
nothing you need to learn as a filmmaker and a storyteller that can’t be
learned by watching Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai. There are
very few films that are as near to perfect as humanly possible (maybe
less than a dozen), but Seven Samurai is one of them. Like
Welles, Kurosawa has this one film that stands out and is his instantly
recognized masterpiece. Once you discover Kurosawa’s work, it is
impossible to turn away. He’s the kind of director that makes you want
to see more. Watching Seven Samurai will lead you to watching
Rashômon and Yojimbo and on and on until you are always
seeking another Kurosawa film to watch. He is a visual genius and not
just in the cinematographic sense of the word; his stories are truly
visual, using full extent of the motion aspect of the term motion
picture.
Stanley Kubrick (1953 –
1999)
2001: A Space
Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange, The Shining, Doctor Strangelove: or, How I
Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, Full Metal Jacket
Much like Hitchcock, Kubrick
is a director I’ve never counted as a strong influence on me personally.
But I find his films incredible and fascinating. Something about his
work makes it difficult to look away. The screen is filled with a
startling and powerful image, artistic, stunning and beautiful. His
collection of works is equally fascinating, ranging from Paths of
Glory and Lolita to A Clockwork Orange and The
Shining. It is also worth mentioning that Kubrick seems to be one of
the few names that constantly come up when established directors are
talking about the great filmmakers they have seen.
John Cassavetes (1959 –
1986)
A Woman Under
the Influence, Husbands, Shadows, Faces, Gloria
Often credited as the father
of the independent cinema. Whether that’s 100% true or simply that
Cassavetes is the closest individual proximity to the creation of
independent film, he is arguably the most independent filmmaker
in cinema history. Cassavetes is a great filmmaker who probably could
have had a “bigger” career had he consciously made more marketable
films, but he couldn’t do that. Cassavetes only knew he wanted to tell
certain kinds of stories and he knew how he wanted to do it. Going
beyond that to play within the rules would have been a betrayal of his
integrity. He is, by far, the most uniquely artistic American filmmaker
I know of, simply because his films were his own and commercial
viability didn’t influence him to make movies more towards popular
sensibilities. Making films by having the sheer will to pick up a camera
and go make a movie paved the way for generations of independent auteurs
like Spike Lee, Jim Jarmusch, Kevin Smith and Richard Linklater.
Martin Scorsese (1967 –
Present)
GoodFellas,
Gangs of New York, Mean Streets, Raging Bull, The Last Temptation of
Christ
The ultimate film enthusiast
turned filmmaker. Scorsese’s films are instantly recognizable. He has
such unique vision that the words “A Martin Scorsese film” are hardly
necessary in the title sequence. Nobody thinks like Scorsese. Nobody
uses shots and cuts and music like Scorsese. The term visionary should
be reserved for him alone. But for filmmakers who want to learn as much
as they can, it’s not just in watching his incredible list of great
pictures, it’s also learning about the films and filmmakers that taught
him. Greatly influenced by the Italian Neo-realist cinema and the French
and Italian new wave films, as well as 1940s and 50s Hollywood, Scorsese
has bridged the gap from film student to an invaluable teacher and
historian.
Steven Spielberg (1974 –
Present)
Saving Private
Ryan, Schindler’s List, JAWS, Raiders of the Lost Ark, E.T.: The Extra
Terrestrial
Spielberg is one of those
directors whose greatness is evident in the fact that it’s nearly
impossible to point out his strong suit. His films look great, he tells
great stories and the performances are wonderful. He’s terrific with
historical dramas (Schindler’s List, Empire of the Sun, Munich,
Saving Private Ryan), he’s wonderful at science-fiction (E.T.,
Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Minority Report) and he’s the
master at entertaining adventures (JAWS, Raiders of the Lost Ark,
Jurassic Park). But perhaps the greatest testament to his greatness
is his name. If you mention something about other great filmmakers like
Coppola, Soderbergh… even Scorsese, the average film-goer who knows
absolutely nothing about the making of movies will probably say “Who?”
But say Steven Spielberg and they know who you’re talking about. That’s
got to count for something.
Pedro Almodovar (1980 –
Present)
All About My
Mother, Talk to Her, Volver, Bad Education, Live Flesh
Like Scorsese, I feel that
Almodovar’s films are uniquely his own. As a filmmaker and an artist I
think that leaving your personal thumbprint on your work is the key to
being among the greatest in your craft. Almodovar does that with each
and every production. He tells incredible stories and does it with a
touching and revealing honesty. I find Almodovar to be absolutely
fearless in his work, another admirable quality that great storytellers
must have. He is also extraordinary in the fact that he often has a
female protagonist in his pictures (such as Volver and All
About My Mother), something that doesn’t happen frequently enough in
movies. In addition to all those individual attributes as a director, he
also makes this list because of the importance of international films.
There would be no way to discuss the history of movies without
discussing the world cinema. I feel Pedro Almodovar is, quite frankly,
the most accomplished filmmaker outside the American movie industry.
Spike Lee (1986 – Present)
Do the Right
Thing, Malcolm X, 25th Hour, Mo’ Better Blues, School Daze
Brutal truth, artistic
courage and unflinching honesty are the words I would use to describe
Spike Lee. When you talk about film that goes un-influenced by the
audience you have to talk about Spike Lee. Spike tells the audience a
story and shows them a situation where the characters react with honest
humanity. And then he leaves the audience alone. He poses the questions
and gives the audience something to think about but doesn’t presume to
give any answers because it’s up to the viewer to think for themselves.
I find that extraordinary, especially in an ever-increasingly simplistic
movie industry more concerned with finding the least common denominator
than making a genuinely good film. Like Cassavetes, Lee made his debut
film on his own, outside Hollywood, as the most prolific of the
independent filmmakers to come out of the 1980s and 90s. Lee also led
the resurgence of African-American cinema with groundbreaking films like
Do the Right Thing, Malcolm X and Get on the Bus.
Five Honorable Mentions:
Sidney Lumet (Network,
Dog Day Afternoon, Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead)
John Ford (The Searchers,
The Grapes of Wrath, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance)
Kasi Lemons (Eve’s Bayou,
Talk to Me, The Caveman’s Valentine)
Billy Wilder (The
Apartment, Sunset Boulevard, Some Like It Hot)
François Truffaut (The
400 Blows, Day for Night, Jules and Jim)
There are many
reasons as to why an actor or actress first captures your
attention—their ability to convey emotion effortlessly, to inhabit a
particular character or in some cases, even the characters that they
consistently choose to portray—but more often than not, there is also an
attraction to said actor at play. It is usually instant, and comes from
the, um, loins, but it can also develop over time, thanks in part to a
particular role you see them in or as they age. It is hard to talk about
an attraction to an actor without sounding like a teenage girl, to talk
about their “sex” appeal without somehow diminishing their talent as
actors. Having said all that please don’t judge me too harshly when I
say the following cliché and trite remark: Joseph Gordon-Levitt has a
smile that lights up every scene of every single movie that he’s in...
or at least the ones that feature him smiling of course.
That smile was
what first drew me to Gordon-Levitt in his hit TV show “3rd
Rock from the Sun” but it wasn’t what kept me watching, that was all
thanks to his sharp wit and snappy, sarcastic comebacks. He was
incredibly smart as Tommy, the hormonal teenage alien, but his comic
timing was the real showstopper. Many actors say that if you can conquer
the world of comedy, you can conquer drama, and Gordon-Levitt showed he
could definitely do the latter with his turn as Neil in Gregg Araki’s
Mysterious Skin. Gordon-Levitt is mesmerizing in the film, equal
parts sexy teenage hustler, and vulnerable and fragile man-child. The
role is like no other that Gordon-Levitt had ever played and at the time
it was a risky move in an otherwise mainstream career. It heralded
Gordon-Levitt’s arrival as a leading man (not to mention sex symbol),
but more importantly, as a leading man in creative and remarkable
independent films, such as his next project, Brick.
Brick is writer-director Rian Johnson’s feature film
debut and it is an auspicious debut in the same vein of importance as
Kevin Smith’s Clerks, Spike Lee’s She’s Gotta Have It and
Richard Linklater’s Slacker. The film is set in high school, but
high school as seen through the eyes of Dashiell Hammett. Gordon-Levitt
is fantastic as Brendan, Bogart-esque anti-hero who is trying his best
to unravel the details behind the disappearance of his ex-girlfriend.
Once again Gordon-Levitt takes command onscreen, filling every line of
dialogue with an intensity and precision that is riveting to watch. You
never know where Brick is going to take you and Joseph
Gordon-Levitt is right at the helm of the intrigue and mystery.
Gordon-Levitt’s
next film was also a feature film debut, this time for veteran
screenwriter Scott Frank (Out of Sight, Little Man Tate).
The Lookout marked Frank’s turn as a director but it also
featured a role that Gordon-Levitt regarded as the most difficult of his
career. Chris Pratt was the star of his high school—athletic, popular,
good looking—but that all changed with one fatal accident. After the
accident, Chris’ future looks pretty bleak thanks to major head trauma,
and he is resigned to work as a local bank’s janitor. The role is
complex and intricate; Chris Pratt has many layers and it would have
been very easy for Joseph Gordon-Levitt to play him as a less challenged
Sling Blade/Rain Man parody. Instead he ingests Pratt with a sadness
that is haunting; his performance in The Lookout rings so true
that what would have been an otherwise middle-of-the-road drama becomes
and intensely engaging crime thriller.
In the years that
have followed The Lookout Joseph Gordon-Levitt has continued to
surprise in small roles in indies such as Stop Loss and
Killshot, and in big blockbusters such as this month’s G.I. Joe:
The Rise of Cobra. But it is his turn as Tom Hansen in (500) Days
of Summer, also released this summer that really stands out. The
movie itself is sweet and adorable in all the right ways, but it lacks
the hard-to-find oomph to really make it a classic. The same
cannot be said for Gordon-Levitt however. He seems to have been made to
be a big romantic leading man, cut from the same jib as Mr. Cary Grant,
something that I never before would have even guessed at. The film
proves, once again, that there really is nothing that Joseph
Gordon-Levitt cannot do—gay man, straight man, leading man, G.I. Joe,
Gordon-Levitt is primed to be the next great actor of our generation.
