Marvel Melodrama not for the Uninitiated
May 10, 2016
Captain America: Civil War (2016).
D: Anthony Russo & Joe Russo. DP: Trent Opaloch. W: Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely. Starring: Chris Evans/Robert Downey Jr./Anthony Mackie/Scarlett Johansson/Sebastian Stan/Don Cheadle/Paul Bettany/Elizabeth Olsen/Chadwick Boseman/Emily VanCamp/Tom Holland/Daniel Bruhl/William Hurt/Martin Freeman/Marisa Tomei.
I know you probably feel like you just sat down to watch a Marvel movie only a month ago because, well, you did. Deadpool can still be heard laughing at the X-Men who incidentally have another theatrical installment of their tale in theaters this weekend. Yet this month we return to the world of Captain America in Chris Evan’s third stand alone film as the flashiest boy scout there ever was.
2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger laid most of the groundwork of who Steve Rogers was before and after the creation of his war-time costumed hero. Moving the timeline forward 2014’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier sees the return of Steve’s friend Bucky (Sebastian Stan) whose ampted assassin status has him become a fugitive from justice. Now in Captain America: Civil War we find Steve and his Avengers friends grappling with consequences of their well meaning interventions in world catastrophes. Given the chance to sign over their duties to the government, Steve’s stance on this becomes more complicated when Bucky resurfaces. Will vigilante behavior ensue?
Is that a lot to follow? Maybe. At this point if you have not seen an Avengers or Captain America film I would not start with this one. However, if you are not into Marvel then you probably will not bother, right? In essence though Civil War is more like Avengers 2.5 and less like a Captain America stand alone film, which actually makes it stronger. Steve’s goody-two-shoe quality is best when balanced with other characters, especially the complexity of Bucky. Addressing the same issues Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice attempted to discuss, as a group Steve and more Avengers cope with the personal and public fallout of violence. Who can make the call to step in and whose agenda does this powerful group adhere to. Rather than be clunky about it the film splits the group keeping the internal threat to friendship and loyalty the focus of the drama and action.
Bucky’s reappearance luckily means more Stan onscreen. His Winter Soldier is greasy and sullen, the thankful opposite of clean-cut Evans. The distaste he has for Falcon (Anthony Mackie) injects humor into their not so bromance friendship triangle. Mackie takes on a larger role as does Scarlett Johannson as Black Widow. Clearly the Marvel heads heard the shouts about her needing her own film as one of the few female Avengers. Here she has some great fight sequences–twisting the necks of most of the men she fights. Other Avengers do appear, but I have left them out to not spoil the make up of the competing parties. Civil War does its diligence in introducing not one, but two additions to the Avengers world. Tom Holland is a rightfully youthful Peter Parker aka Spider-Man. He brings new energy and has a nice dynamic with Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.). But don’t forget that Columbia Pictures owns the rights to Spider-Man, hence why there will be another set of films so they can retain those rights. Chadwick Boseman also appears for the first time as Black Panther. Boseman’s own Black Panther film will not hit theaters until 2018 and has Creed director Ryan Coogler on board.
Civil War is directed and shot by the same team behind Winter Soldier and it clearly shows. Lightness and humor are not lost amidst a plot that grapples with serious ideas. The Avengers team essentially works as an extended family for its characters whose abilities isolate them from the general population. It is the perfect recipe for melodrama and the familial showdown and closer hand-to-hand fights are woven well into the personal conflicts. There are surely weaknesses like Emily VanCamp’s silly appearance or Elizabeth Olsen’s inconsistent accent as Wanda aka Scarlett Witch. Yet, ultimately the film is a solid addition to the Marvel world for those already indoctrinated.
Leave the Bare Necessities Alone
May 9, 2016
The Jungle Book (2016).
D: Jon Favreau. DP: Bill Pope. W: John Marks. Starring: Neel Sethi. Voice talents of: Idris Elba/Ben Kingsley/Bill Murray/Scarlett Johansson/Giancarlo Esposito/Lupita Nyong’o/Christopher Walken. (Based on Rudyard Kipling’s novel)
It is simply hard to forget the 1967 Disney animated version of The Jungle Book. ‘The Bare Necessities’ tune has become synonymous with our favorite lackadaisical bear Baloo who helps shepherd man cub Mowgli through the forest. Phil Harris who voiced Baloo would go on to work with Disney on The Aristocats (1970) and Robin Hood (1973). His jovial bellow was only matched by George Saunders’ velvety Shere Khan. When I saw his Oscar winning performance in All About Eve (1950) all I kept thinking was, he’s the tiger. Safe to say much of my generation grew up on Disney animation, even films as old as this one.
This live adaptation of The Jungle Book also follows a forgettable 1994 live action with Mowgli as an adult man, which was released by Buena Vista Pictures. Taking on the mantle is director Jon Favreau (Chef, Cowboys & Aliens, Iron Man 2) who tends to produce and direct on a large scale. Executive producing for Marvel, Favreau also continues to act and dip his fingers in many pools. In his version he blends Kipling’s novel and the animated feature with film influences that give the The Jungle Book a fantastic look if nothing else.
Mowgli (played by newcomer Neel Sethi) finds himself once again rescued by Bagheera (Ben Kingsley) and adopted by the jungle’s wolf pack. With the rains gone the jungle animals create a peace treaty that allows them to all co-habit a certain watering hole without threat. However, this cannot last for long with the return of Shere Khan (Idris Elba) whose hatred of man threatens the pack and forces Mowgli to be chaperoned by Bagheera to the man village. Thus begins Mowgli’s journey to find his new home and meet new friends along the way.
Regrettably Sethi is not much to watch. He lacks charm and wonder, instead his Mowgli is petulant without tenderness which does not allow you to invest in the emotions of such a familiar tale. Kingsley’s Bagheera is rightfully regal, but is not a voice to match Elba’s Shere Khan. The tiger’s mangled appearance gives him a ruthlessness that is new. Along the road movie timeline Mowgli also meets famous Baloo voiced by Bill Murray. The pair’s friendship gets the most laughs and eventually the shtick of Murray wears away to create a palpable connection between the two. The ‘Bare Necessities’ tune comes up organically, unlike King Louie’s (Christopher Walken) song ‘I Wanna Be Like You.’ Much too much like a musical number, the segment seems part of a different movie and merely acts as a gimmick to get Walken’s signature delivery set to music.
Like the animated feature Favreau uses Disney’s traditional image of an open and closing book to illustrate the story book quality of the film. The ending credits are gorgeous as the book opens to 3D pop-ups of certain scenes. Cinematographer Bill Pope creates a mystical and lush jungle and The Jungle Book at least moves at a good pace. Even with certain changes like making the snake Kaa into a female character, voiced by Scarlett Johansson, I do not that think the film brings anything staggeringly new or different to the tale. Disney and Favreau were perhaps too conflicted in wanting to include the musical songs while also lending a more realistic sheen to the sort material. Details like the fact that the monkeys seem to have no language when they are the closest animal to man get lost in the action sequences that create the beats of the film. Better than the literal Cinderella, the movie cannot compete with its original.
After seeing this version I am intrigued and excited for The Imaginarium’s (Andy Serkis’ motion capture company) take on the Kipling classic that will not release until October 2018. With another all star cast that includes Christian Bale, Benedict Cumberbatch, Cate Blanchett, Naomie Harris and Andy Serkis, the film is being released by Warner Bros. Serkis has already claimed in interviews it will be darker than this version. Even with the Disney owned songs safe to say this The Jungle Book is certainly not light so we shall see where how far this one takes us into the shadows.
A Villian’s Movie
April 12, 2014
Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014).
D: Anthony & Joe Russo. DP: Trent Opaloch. W: Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely. (Based on the Marvel comic books by Joe Simon & Jack Kirby.) Starring: Chris Evans/Samuel L. Jackson/ Scarlett Johansson/Robert Redford/Anthony Mackie/Sebastian Stan/Cobie Smulders/Emily VanCamp/Hayley Atwell/Toby Jones/Frank Grillo.
This will be a season of sequels, now to be expected from American movie studios. As comic book movies get bigger and louder and more expensive, is there really anything left to see?
Like with most sequels, comparisons to the first movie are inevitable. So when my younger brother got super pumped about watching a double feature of Captain America I went along. So not only would I compare the two movies, but was encouraged to do so. The verdict? I liked the second more.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier picks up where The Avengers left off, sort of. Chris Evans’ Steve Rogers is acclimating to his life in Washington DC, working for Shield, and building a tense rapport with Natasha (aka Black Widow) played and pouted by Scarlett Johansson. Evans’ moral compass continues to wreck havoc on his relationship with Shield and his boss, Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson). Which ultimately becomes the driving question behind this movie, who is good and who is bad and the company you think is good may in fact be bad. Total snoozefest.
However, what saves this boring basic plot line is the silent, conflicted, and menacing presence of Sebastian Stan as the winter soldier. Without giving anything away that the promos haven’t, his relationship with Evans’ Captain America brings this action movie into a more personal space. What is boring about Steve Rogers is his lack of any sort of inner conflict or darkness. Even if something is morally grey, everything is processed externally for him and quantified. This makes him feel outdated and forces the script to fall back on silly fish out of water jokes to build his personality. Rather Stan’s performance is everything non existent in Evans and is not only the perfect foil for the hero, but much more fun to watch. Not nearly as creative or as fleshed out, the winter soldier is akin to Heath Ledger’s Joker in The Dark Knight in plot functionality and narrative dimension.
What is also very successful here is the hand to hand combat. Although there is far too much excessive violence, much like last summer’s Man of Steel, the non CGI fighting between Evans and Stan is tense, intricate, and masterful. Clearly the Russos knew that this story would have to be fought differently than its predecessor. There is one sequence in an elevator that is action movie fighting at its best and most fun. Thankfully Anthony Mackie’s Falcon was also there to bring some color and freshness to the world along with a impeccably wardrobed Robert Redford as a Shield big wig. I consider this an improvement over the first film and not a waste of time, so a win?
The Academy Presents…
November 21, 2012
Hitchcock (2012).
D: Sacha Gervasi. W: John J. McLaughlin. DP: Jeff Cronenweth. Starring: Anthony Hopkins/Helen Mirren/Scarlett Johansson/Danny Huston/Toni Collette/Michael Stulbarg/Jessica Biel/Michael Wincott/James D’Arcy/Kurtwood Smith. (NOTE: Based on Stephen Rebello’s book “Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho.”)
Hitchcock. One name, one man. Alfred Hitchcock is a cinematic pyramid. Built tirelessly for years and visualizing extensively manicured ideas, the Hitchcock canon is as marvelous as it is enjoyable. It is safe to say that anyone worth their popcorn has a favorite. But can a dual biopic and ‘making of’ film be as memorable? Sadly not.
Earlier this month, HBO premiered a television movie, The Girl, that dealt with Hitchcock’s discovery and destruction of actress Tippi Hedren’s career. The star of Hitchcock’s The Birds and Marnie, Hedren admirably and notoriously rejected Hitchcock’s sexual advantages and paid the price with her career. HBO’s attempt was gallant, but its execution pretty poor. The Girl lacked complexity or balance. The story is essentially one of transgression and shame, yet audiences don’t get to know either character. I mention this project as it somewhat works in tandem to Hitchcock as it picks up where this film ends and portrays an entirely more menacing side of the cinematic master.
That being said, Hitchcock is an improvement, but not a knock-out. Anthony Hopkins fills Hitchcock’s weighty shoes and trousers with a tremendous sense of play. He never allows his performance to become a caricature and is aided by the narrative. Screenwriter John McLaughlin seems to have a penchant for characters with weird dreams. Having written one of the incarnations of 2010’s Black Swan, it is clear he took some cues from that for his Hitchcock story. But rather than spiral into obsession like Natalie Portman’s ballerina, Hopkins’ Hitchcock observes and casually converses with his imaginary Ed Gein. As the basis for his Psycho film (and also the book), Ed Gein clearly represents Hitchcock’s creative obsession, although painfully literal at times.
Hopkins has skillful Helen Mirren in his corner as Hitchcock’s devoted wife and creative support, Alma. Ultimately, the film merely uses the behind the scenes tropes as a platform for a relationship story. This works to the films advantage as it allows Mirren and Hopkins to be center-stage, with the reincarnations of Psycho filming kept in the background. Much like last year’s My Week With Marilyn, Hitchcock thankfully centers on a certain period in someone’s life rather than a grand scope. This forces the supporting actors, Scarlett Johansson as Janet Leigh, James D’Arcy as Anthony Perkins, and Jessica Biel as Eva Miles to have a bit more presence and importance. Frankly though, all the supporting roles are pretty thankless.
With music by Danny Elfman and gorgeous location shooting, Hitchcock is one of those films you want to love, but can’t. It is at times way too delighted with its own cleverness, while at others only skimming the surface of true and fascinating neurosis. As always when dealing with recreating someone’s own life there are pitfalls. Regrettably, Hitchcock deftly steers around them so carefully that it becomes predictable. Sure to become an Academy contender, I at least hope the film reminds people to watch Hitchcock’s films and to take their own pledge to never, ever remake any of his work.