A Cash Money Payoff
January 17, 2016
The Big Short (2016).
D: Adam McKay. DP: Barry Ackroyd. W: Charles Randolph & Adam McKay (Based on the book by Michael Lewis.) Starring: Christian Bale/Steve Carrell/Ryan Gosling/Brad Pitt/Marissa Tomei/Jeremy Strong/Hamish Linklater/Rafe Spall/Finn Wittrock/John Magaro/Max Greenfield/Billy Magnusson/Melissa Leo/Tracy Letts/Adepero Oduye.
Sandwiched between costume dramas and survival epics are a few films this award season based on large intricate real events. The Big Short is one of those and chronicles three different stories of the discovering of the housing market bubble that would lead to the financial crisis in America in 2008. A complicated system to even explain, The Big Short manages to be cynical, satirical, and directly engage its audience in understanding the bedrock of Wall Street.
Director Adam McKay, who wrote and directed both Anchorman films, received a gift from the Gods that his movie follows Martin Scorsese’s 2013 film, The Wolf of Wall Street. With the clear picture of a turned out Leonard DiCaprio in our minds as decrepit banker #85723 (number hypothetical), The Big Short can be self-aware that it is destabilizing a world just put on screen. In a delightfully silly, but helpful nod to Scorsese’s film Margot Robbie appears in a bathtub drinking champagne to explain to the audience some Wall Street jargon. These appearances of direct address to the audience are coupled with Ryan Gosling as banker Jared Vennett whose voice-over is sprinkled throughout the film. With dyed brown hair Gosling has a sickly orange glow to him and acts as a guide for the audience, a conceit that thankfully never gets overplayed.
In these ways McKay is in command of his material and plays with audience’s knowledge of the lifestyles of the rich and the famous. This includes music ques and the use of music videos to reiterate the complicity of media in the farce. Affirmations must also go to veteran female (!) editor Thelma Schoonmaker for a punchy style that isn’t overdone. In a fun twist she also edited The Wolf of Wall Street as the long standing editor for Scorsese. McKay’s vision was clearly deftly planned from the start.
McKay assembled a fine group of veterans to handle a wordy complicated script that does not ask for a tremendous emotional range. Rather Christian Bale’s Dr. Michael Burry is a subtle representation of a man whose brilliance does not necessarily compute to social skills. It is nice to see Bale in a produced down role, lacking capes and bellies galore. The center of the film however is Steve Carrell as hedge fund manger Mark Baum whose is the most emotionally conflicted character. This works because nearly everyone is so distracted with making money off of the destruction of American lives that his exhaustion and disgust plays true. Produced by Brad Pitt’s Plan B he does his duty by showing up for a part in it, making sure to remind his young protege’s of where their profits come from.
The Big Short is based on Michael Lewis’ novel inspired by these events. His books also became 2011’s Moneyball and 2009’s The Blind Side so his track record is certainly enviable. In the impending Oscar race this film is hard to compare to treacherously emotional journeys of other entries, but ultimately is a clever and investigative piece of filmmaking. The use of flickering images and cash money rap songs around sequences of characters walking through empty homes abandoned by their broke families sends chills. As I left the theater it was heard not to hear Polonius saying “neither a borrower nor a lender be” and not rush home to put my money under my mattress.
Where The Money Is
September 22, 2015
Just announced as the closing film of AFI Fest 2015, The Big Short is an adaptation of the Michael Lewis novel. Lewis also penned the novels of The Blind Side and Moneyball, both films which made money and received critical attention. The film stars Christian Bale, Ryan Gosling, Steve Carell, and Brad Pitt among a slew of other names. Following the bank crash in the US a few years ago, the film will be released at the end of the year. Will it be a contender?
The Big Short
Unsettling the Olympic Dream
January 19, 2015
Foxcatcher (2014).
D: Bennett Miller. W: E. Max Frye & Dan Futterman. DP: Greig Fraser. Starring: Steve Carell/Channing Tatum/Mark Ruffalo/Sienna Miller/Vanessa Redgrave/Anthony Michael Hall.
Slated to be released in 2013, Foxcatcher was delayed for more editing time then did a festival circuit this past year. The film follows the American Schultz brothers, 1984 Olympic wrestling gold medalists looking to continue their success. Specifically, Mark Schultz (Channing Tatum) who wants to break out from his big brother’s Dave (Mark Ruffalo) shadow. He is offered sponsorship and a training facility by rich patriot John du Pont (Steve Carell) in preparation for the 1988 games.
Bennett Miller (Moneyball, Capote) delves into true story space again as he investigates a sensational headline that ends his film. Without delving anymore into the plot, the film’s culmination will certainly depend on the audience’s knowledge of these events. However, Foxcatcher is ultimately a study of performance. Without music or a score introduced until around thirty minutes in, Miller’s world is stark and tense.
Ruthlessly physical and sporting a wrestler’s gait, Tatum is great here. His constraint of energy and chemistry with Ruffalo are a wonderful core anchoring for the film. Their physicality with each other is full of emotional expressions, with Ruffalo’s tenderness nearly heart breaking. Amidst this brotherhood lurks Carell who is unsettling in every frame. Not only due to his facial transformation, but his stillness and sly sickness that oozes from his scenes. These three men create such a layered environment, no one knows who is thinking what anymore. Sadly the women are relegated to the sidelines, specifically Sienna Miller is a waste here.
In the end what is memorable about Foxcatcher is it’s ambiguity. Not a single element of the film alludes to a conclusion or provides answers for the character’s choices. Compared to other biopics or tragedies this feels refreshing, unsettling, and discomforting. In a way the filmmaking generates a sensory experience that mimics the baffling events, or what they might have been like to see unfold. Miller’s refusal to take the film down other tangential plot lines saves Foxcatcher and allows the performances to burn.
Not Exactly a Romantic Comedy
August 15, 2012
Hope Springs (2012).
D: David Frankel. DP: Florian Ballaus. W: Vanessa Taylor. Starring: Meryl Streep/Tommy Lee Jones/Steve Carell/Jean Smart/Elizabeth Shue/Becky Ann Baker.
As the summer big releases reach their final push month some smaller movies start to trickle in. One of those is Hope Springs. A remarkable little movie about bridging the gap in a relationship and taking that necessary plunge with your partner to reach a place of renewal.
First time feature writer, Vanessa Taylor, who also spends her time writing for the HBO series Game of Thrones, delivers in this first endeavor. Her script maintains a nice pace with a focus on character rather than gimmicks and silly montages. Her core elements are Meryl Streep’s Kay, her husband Arnold (Tommy Lee Jones), and their expensive marriage counselor Dr. Feld (Steve Carell). Taylor never pulls the focus from the couple and thankfully never wasted time building a back-story to Carell’s Dr. Feld. Rather he is present in their sessions and that is it.
Taylor’s script is given life and legs by its leads. Streep embraces Kay and allows her body to do a lot of the talking. Her Kay is fully fleshed out from her middle aged matching nightgowns to her painfully restrained laugh that breaks your heart. But let’s face it, we all knew Streep would be great here. It’s hard to ignore her onscreen, even when she’s playing someone who feels they’re ignored. You will even forgive her for the stupider moments in the film because she handles them with such grace and sparkle it seems silly not to.
Streep’s partner in pain is Jones’ Arnold whose briefcase and routine could easily be read as stately stereotypical. Thankfully Jones is as subtle as Streep here. His twitches and fits in sessions will have coupes and singles everywhere squirming in their seats. His Arnold does not want to be in counseling and makes it known. Yet the story, gracefully, remains balanced enough that it never seems to tell the audience whose side to be on. Rather Hope Springs roots its faith in the relaxed performance of Carell who attempts to shepherd his couple through the rockiest of conversations.
What ultimately irked me the most was the use of music in the film. For some reason the producing team thought that despite a great script and superb acting almost every scene in the first two acts of the film needed a Sara Barielles’ song blasting through the speakers. Not only is it jarring, but completely trivializes some wonderful subtle moments these two acting greats create. What might have been a marketing ploy to lighten the mood and make the film come across more as a romantic comedy actually nearly ruins the first half of Hope Springs. But go, tread lightly, though not as bleak as 2010’s Blue Valentine, Hope Springs still drags you through the jungle of sexual and emotional hiccups in a marriage.
This is Funny…
August 5, 2011
Crazy Stupid Love (2011).
D: Glenn Ficarra & John Requa. DP: Andrew Dunn. W: Dan Fogelman. Starring: Steve Carell/Ryan Gosling/Julianne Moore/Emma Stone/Marisa Tomei/Analeigh Tipton/Jonah Bobo/Joey King/Kevin Bacon/Josh Groban.
Although considered another entry in the rom-com category for the year, Crazy Stupid Love actually holds its own and gives audiences an engaging, balanced, relationship driven comedy.
The film opens with Steve Carell’s Cal being told by his wife, Emily (Julianne Moore) that she wants her dessert a la a divorce. Visibly distraught and in shock, Carell later pitches himself out of their moving car and gives into Moore’s request. The rest of the film chronicles Carell’s messy journey to discover what went wrong in this relationship and build an identity that allows him to fight for what he wants. Carell ultimately grounds the film and provides the thread through which audiences experience the ups and downs of relationships. Currently the king of likable comedy, Carell is the perfect blend of apathy, normalcy, and humor all in one. Moore is a good screen partner for him, but the laughs are with her screen husband.
Yet what really works to the film’s benefit is its structure. Carell maybe be the main storyline, but the film also follows his son Robbie (Bobo), whose crush on his babysitter (Analeigh Tipton) is not only complicated, but charming. The film also spends sometime with Moore and young lawyer-to-be Hannah, played by Emma Stone. Stone’s scenes are some of the best, and although rail thin now her husky voice and delivery marks her as a great real young comedic talent. Her best scenes are with slick dynamo Jacob (Ryan Gosling). Gosling’s main relationship in Crazy Stupid Love though is with Carell. He “humbly” takes Carell under his wing and teaches him the ins and outs of picking up women (and getting laid). What is memorable about Gosling’s take on Jacob is that he never takes himself too seriously and allows the slick bravado to come from a real place that never feels pastiche or forced. And ladies, he’s not too bad to look at either.
The success of the film is ultimately due to Dan Fogelman’s script. Having enjoyed last years, Tangled, it is only surprising that a heavily Disney/animated screenwriter can give us something so strong and enjoyable. My only critique is that it does lose a bit of steam, but is able to end well and everyone leaves happy. Fogelman clearly represents talent that can cross genres and I only hope he does not get locked in anywhere, especially in the rom-com category.