In Her Shoes is Underrated

It's my sister's 21st birthday today so I've been thinking a lot about movies about sisterhood. In Her Shoes was the first that came to mind. There's a wonderful moment in the movie when Toni Collette talks about *spoiler alert* shoes.

Bear with me.

Her closet is full of shoes that have never been worn. In any other movie about women this obsession would justified because she's a *shudder* shopaholic or some kind of superficial Sex and the City girl. In this movie however, the shoe obsession is explained with some rather insightful writing by Susannah Grant.

Shoes. OMG. Shoes.

Toni Collette's character buys lots and lots of shoes because as a woman who has lost weight and put on weight all her life, naturally, she finds clothes shopping to be a terrible strain but "shoes always fit." It is a line delivered by Collette with such sincerity and honesty and like she is speaking to my own experience.

It's one of those moments in a movie that stays with you because you totally relate. I often find clothes shopping to be a soul-destroying experience. There's usually nothing in my size or nothing to flatter my shape. Shoes is that one thing you can depend on. Your shoe size never fluctuates.

It's fitting, pardon the pun, that a movie about two sisters who learn to relate and emphasize with each other would use shoes as a metaphor. "Never judge a man until you have walked a mile in their shoes."

Sorry, guys, I am being so corny and sappy. It must be Xmas. I honestly do love that moment though. Maybe it's because I have got so much enjoyment from shoe shopping recently. Those of you have seen my red kicks know. *chuckles.

The Muppets, Review

It's so frustrating when a movie, that you desperately want to love, comes so close to great but is merely good. Unfortunately, The Muppets is one of the movies.

In the movie, Walter, the world's biggest Muppet fan, and his friends Gary (Jason Segel) and Mary (Amy Adams) from Smalltown, USA, discover the nefarious plan of oilman Tex Richman (Chris Cooper) to bulldoze the Muppet Theater and drill for oil. Together, Walter, Mary and Gary help Kermit the Frog reunite the Muppets, who have all gone their separate ways, to stage The Greatest Muppet Telethon Ever and raise the $10 million needed to save the theatre.

What's frustrating about the film is that the jokes often fall flat. The rap number by the venerable Chris Cooper is especially cringe worthy. Other jokes involving a Muppet tribute band called The Moopets, Carmila and the Chickens bocking Forget You and a longlist of celebrity cameos don't work. In fact, the entire middle section of the film smacks of a deleted scene lacking the kind of energy needed to build up to a satisfying finale. The most criminal of its story problems though is that feminist icon Miss Piggy gives up her job as plus size editor of Vogue all too easily for a chance to get back with her frog. If I was a parent taking girls, it would require a discussion about making sensible choices after the film was over.

The decision of whether to take children to this new movie is controversial. My own 9-year-old brother was restless throughout, being too young to remember The Muppets, he didn't hate the movie but the humour went over his head. If he was given the option, I'm sure he would have chosen to see Alvin and the Chipmunks or The Smurfs, for their cheap tricks, squeaky voices and silly catchphrases, but unlike those remakes of classic TV shows, The Muppets has been made with a genuine warmth and affection as opposed to cynicism and studio fodder. It's the difference between choosing to eat a home cooked meal over a fast food fad.

While I'm unconvinced that this movie will create new fans, there's still plenty for adults to enjoy. New Zealand's own Bret MacKenzie (Flight of the Conchords) wrote two songs for the movie. His songs Life's a Happy Song and Man Or a Muppet has been playing on repeat since I saw the movie, but it was the songs Pictures in My Head and of course The Rainbow Connection that moved me to tears. What the music does is remind you how The Muppets could go from songs of deep melancholy to exuberant joy. The film is worth seeing, perhaps not with children, but with Gen X-types who want to take a pleasurable stroll down memory lane.

Cinematica: New Homegrown Movie-Discussion Podcast

Have been enjoying the Cinematica podcast recently. Cinematica is a locally produced podcast about the world of cinema and its latest releases.

In episode eleven, hosts Dan Slevin, Kailey Carruthers and Simon Werry talk about their favourite films of the year. Their picks were great! Not the same, typical titles you see on critic's top ten lists but some underseen gems like Tomboy, Sarah's Key, A Cat in Paris and Le quattro volte.

What I love about it is that the episodes are synchronized with New Zealand release dates. I do love American film podcasts but when their release dates are sometimes wildly different from ours, you often feel left out of the discussion, simply because the film hasn't been released here yet.

Keep up the good work, guys.

Poor Glenn Close

This time last year Oscar forecasters had predicted that Glenn Close would be in the awards conversation for her performance in Albert Nobbs. They were right. Close has been nominated lots already and looks like a deadlock Oscar nomination.

I would argue that it's hers to lose though.

In the movie Albert Nobbs, Glenn Close plays the titular character, a woman living in 19th century Ireland, who has disguised herself as a man so she can work and survive and one day open her own small business. The role requires her to put up a wall, to remain closed and cut off emotionally, so she doesn't give herself away. As a result, we are too detached from the character and quickly lose interest in her plight. This is a hard performance to master.

You may have trouble finding Close convincing at all as a man. I believe that if you suspend your disbelief, there is still a lot to be admired about her performance. There is one scene where Albert recounts an episode of abuse that is heartbreaking. It's at least one moment where Close allows the character to open up emotionally. My friends certainly found it hard to believe any of it, and I worry that audiences may not accept the facade either.

On paper, Glenn Close has all the makings of a Best Actor winner. Her career spans 4 decades, this is 'her time', she has been nominated for 5 Oscars but never won, her last nomination was in 1989 for Dangerous Liasons, she not only takes on the challenge of Albert Nobbs but she had a hand in writing the script and raising funds. This is her passion project.

Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like Oscar voters are at all passionate about her performance probably because they don't particularly like the character.

Poor Glenn Close.

This is not going to be her year.

Janet McTeer's Boobs

That ridiculous moment in Albert Nobbs when Janet McTeer reveals that she too is disguised as a man by flashing her boobs. It made the audience titter. PUN.

Also, I love that she's wearing a scarf.

Also, McTeer has great boobs.

The Iron Lady, A Wikipedia Page With a Budget

I wouldn't recommend The Iron Lady.

The majority of the film is Margaret Thatcher, played by Meryl Streep, rattling around her London home, suffering from dementia and hallucinating conversations with her husband.

All the major political moments that happened during her reign are presented in flashback and montage with absolutely no drama or insight. To the point where it all becomes repetitive and predictable.

Everything is presented in montage. Seriously.

When Margaret Thatcher looks at an ornament of two soldiers in her home , I turned to my friend and said 'Are your ready for the Fawklands War montage?' Sure enough, that's what followed. It's like the screenwriter abandoned all research that would have made scenes dramatic and insightful, and instead printed her Wikipedia page, went off and filmed it. It's lazy.

When I saw the trailer for The Iron Lady, I thought it looked so campy and quotable and ridiculous. There's one scene where Margaret Thatcher totally emasculates her right hand man, which reaches the level of camp I was expecting. I wanted this movie to recall Mommie, Dearest. You know that one scene where Joan Crawford says 'Don't fuck with me fellas! This ain't my first time in the rodeo!'

(And that one ridiculous line at the end of trailer, 'Gentleman, shall we join the ladies?' Was cut out from the movie altogether.)

Alas.

Tintin, Nothing More than Shallow Spectacle

After I watched Tintin for the first time, I snarkily said on Twitter something along the lines of "The film is a disappointment and nothing more than a showreel for WETA Digital." I still maintain what I said. Now that we are being pumped with the film's marketing leading up to its Boxing Day release, I am reminded by what a shallow spectacle it is.

Not criticizing here but kiwis will turn out in droves to see it. No doubt. There's a sense of national associated with seeing a film when both Peter Jackson and WETA are attached. In a week when our Peter released The Hobbit trailer, when we all collectively flashbacked to Lord of the Rings, we remember that he can deliver both spectacle and story. *sigh.

While Tintin maybe a step forward for motion-capture technology, unfortunately, it's a massive step backward for storytelling. Without any depth of plot, theme or character, it's hard to like or even love Tintin. I could see it performing well financially in New Zealand though as a fun way of passing the time but I challenge anyone to hold it long in their memory.

Letterboxd: New Social Site for Sharing Your Taste in Film

Letterboxd is a great social site that lets movie buffs share their tastes in movies with friends and peers. It was made right here in Auckland by the guys at Cactus Lab who made both the 48 Hours and Incredibly Strange websites.

I have looked for a website like Letterboxd for a long time but there's nothing quite like it out there on the web and certainly not as gorgeously designed. Over the last month, since I started using the service, I have loved using it to make lists.

I have made a Top Ten list every year since 2000. These lists just used to sit there on my hard drive but when Letterboxd goes public I can use them to pressure friends to watch all the movies I have loved over the last decade.

According to Letterboxd's official Twitter feed, the Letterboxd team are in a festive mood and will be giving out more invitations to people who have been waiting patiently on the beta list, just in time for Xmas. Awesome.

The team will also be giving out more invitations to current users so we can get our friends to start using the service. If you want an invitation, let me know so if more become available I will send one to you -- all wrapped up beautifully with a bow delivered to your inbox with a festive chuckle.

Request an invitation to Letterboxd here.

The New Zealander of the Year Has Only Seen Four Movies

In what must have been an attempt at humour or irony or whatever, TV3 Nightline's Ali Ikram bestowed upon John Banks a truly meaningless accolade.

ACT politician John Banks is the New Zealander of the Year.

What Ikram's light and frothy news story revealed though was that John Banks has seen a grand total of 4 movies in his lifetime. (And then came some weird joke about Banksie watching The Iron Lady -- 15 minutes at a time. It was all very cringeworthy.)

John Banks has only seen 4 movies in his lifetime.

While it didn't stop Epsom voters from returning such a grotesque, national embarrassment to our parliament, I like to think that voters could be swayed next time depending on the 4 films.

I could imagine 3/4 are your typical blokey choices like The Shawshank Redemption, The Godfather and 12 Angry Men, but the 4th movie is something his wife made him watch or something super gay, like Shortbus.

Imagine if John Banks had only seen four movies in his lifetime and Shortbus was one of them!

I relish at that thought.

Such fun.

A Song About Woody Allen Jesus

Watch Tim Minchin sing a humorous Xmas song from The Jonathan Ross Show after it was brutally cut from fear of offending stupid viewers.

It starts with a funny verse comparing Woody Allen to Jesus and then expands on this absurd comparison with other pop culture references.

I thought it was in keeping with the show's Xmas spirit and didn't mock Jesus but was rather a song about how awesome Jesus is.

According to Minchin on his blog, the show's producer was happy with the song but it was ITV's director of television Peter Fincham who demanded that Minchin be cut from the show.

What's awesome though is that when Minchin got his hands on the footage, he uploaded the song to YouTube himself and asked tech geeks to copy and mirror the video in case ITV tell YouTube to take it down.

The Hobbit Trailer, Here At Last

This week the trailer for the famously troubled Hobbit movie finally appeared. The sheer amount of shares of the trailer on my Facebook feed alone I think is a good indication of the anticipation for this movie.

The trailer succeeds as a callback to what we all loved about The Lord of the Rings Trilogy but exciting (although it reveals very little) to see what will make this movie different. Martin Freeman. It looks like he will bring a tremendous amount of verve and his impeccable comic timing.

It retains the same sense of danger and adventure that was consistent in The Lord of the Rings Trilogy but with a more lovable character at its centre.

This is more Pip and Merry, and less Frodo, if you know what I mean.

My favourite moment is when Gandalf and Galadriel look at each other serenely and she brushes aside a long strand of his grey hair. I can't wait to see that scene played out in its entirety. It's so wonderful to see Ian McKellen in the cloak and floppy hat again. His is a truly wonderful portrayal that we so easily take for granted just because he's one of our great actors.

I Love You, Tom Cruise

You know what pisses me off? The public has forgotten what an incredible actor Tom Cruise is. All they see is his Scientology loving and couch jumping insanity. This is an actor who was once the most bankable actor in Hollywood who delivered some of the most committed performances of his generation.

Tom Cruise does his own stunts.

Tom Cruise is insane.

In a disposable action movie, like his latest, Mission Impossible 4, Tom Cruise is seen climbing up the tallest building in the world. For realz.

This is a scene that has been used to sell the film repeatedly and yet people are still repulsed by his mere presence. Resigned; they are willing to overlook him because they heard the IMAX sequences are awesome?

Something went wrong in his career. Knight & Day seemed to be the point when people went out of their way to avoid him because he never looked more out of a place in a genre that he used to dominate.

Mission Impossible 4 did earn millions at the box office but I feel like the draw card is the franchise NOT the talent of its star.

Find me another who can move brilliantly from romantic lead (Jerry Maguire) to action hero (Minority Report) from character actor (Magnolia) to funny cameo (Tropic Thunder) from a complex character study (Born on the Fourth of July) to good guy (A Few Good Men) and bad guy (Collateral).

I challenge you.

The State of the Oscar Race

The Oscar race strikes me as painfully weak so far without the makings of a The King’s Speech vs. The Social Network fight to the death.

It has become clear that The Artist is the Oscar frontrunner.

A darling among critics, The Artist appears often on the critic’s top ten lists and scooped up a crucial prize from The New York Film Critics early. Its momentum began at Cannes where audiences applauded its director for mastering silent film techniques.

The fact that this film looks fondly at Hollywood’s silent past in a digital era will go over well with The Academy, like it went over well at Cannes.

In an effort to stop its momentum, the blogs have called the film too lightweight, pointless and shallow to win. This backlash however didn’t stop it from leading both the Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild nominations as it continues a steadfast march toward victory.

Come Oscar time it may run the risk of overexposure where Oscar voters get sick of the frontrunner and switch last minute ala Crash over Brokeback Mountain and Million Dollar Baby over The Aviator. This is where The Descendants (or Hugo?) could steal it.

Let’s not forget that the film is backed by one of the most powerful marketers in Hollywood, Harvey Weinstein, who has a history of boosting an unlikely but popular contender. He has done it before with The English Patient, Shakespeare in Love and Chicago. He can do it again.

Shame, Review

Shame is a film that seeks to be a confronting film about sex and sexuality BUT it reflects the same old, negative attitude we have toward sex, and doesn't do anything to challenge that attitude.

In the movie Shame, up and comer, Michael Fassbender, star of X-Men: First Class, plays a man suffering from sex addiction. Carey Mulligan, plays his troubled sister, whose unannounced arrival at his New York City apartment is the cause of much disruption and stress in his deviant life.

It is a burden for this character to deal with people who depend on him. He has a complete lack of interest in human connection, rather than reach out, he looks for the next orgasm, and doesn't care where he gets it, rather than give his sister the emotional support she needs, he craves anonymous sex and internet porn.

The film received an NC-17 rating in the States, which means young adults under the age of 17 cannot see the film. This is financial suicide for some films. Rather than edit the film to gain an R rating so it can reach a wider audience, the filmmakers embraced the rating as a way of signaling to its target audience what exactly the film is about. 

When your film stars a magnetic, handsome actor AND promises explicit sex AND full frontal male nudity, I expect many will rush to the cinema. And so they should, if only for the performances of Michael Fassbender and Carey Mulligan, who should be in contention for all the top awards Hollywood has to offer.

Shame Dir. Michael Fassbender 2011

While they are brilliant in some of the best individual scenes of the year, where director Steve McQueen's long takes allow us to watch people behave in a way that is fascinating, and unusual, Shame is nowhere near as intelligent as it ought to be, in fact, I would go as far to say that it upholds the status quo.

The status quo, run by an ignorant media, religious elites and a lack of real sex education has brought up adults who treat sex as shameful and even dangerous. The filmmakers uphold this with its deeply depressing tone. We all, to some extent, keep our sexuality in the closet but after seeing Shame, it will probably stay locked inside.

In one scene of the film, Michael Fassbender's character, after being turned away from a straight nightclub, enters a gay cruise club and accepts oral sex. The suggestion here is that, 'Wow. He has sunk pretty low, if he's looking for sex here.' He's crossed a line and now all sorts of scary sex can come wondering across. It's discrimination.

A more provocative film, like Shortbus, is one that shows us that sex is a positive and benevolent force in people's lives. In its depiction of explicit sex, we should come to realize that sex can strengthen relationships rather than destroy them. Or, is one, that suggests good sex is not simply in marriage, in private and for procreation only.

The problem with Shame is that it's warning of 'See! Look at this guy! You will become him, isolated from your loved ones, if you have too much sex' is not unlike so many news stories this year. From Tiger Woods to Charlie Sheen, and now with the release of Shame, we continue to tell the same story over and over again.

It's overkill.