Sick Movies

I don’t like feeling sick, but I do like the sense of comfort that comes with being sick — the guiltless ease in which one can relax, for your body forces you to do so. It’s as if there is nothing else between you and the comfort of your bed.

The week I was sick recently was honestly, strangely, one of the nicest weeks I’ve had in quite some time. I rediscovered several movies and TV shows — and fell in love with them all over again. The best discovery was “The Abyss.” It was the perfect movie to watch, for when you’re sick, there is nothing better than snuggling up to a darkly lit suspense thriller. Something about “The Abyss” put me at ease. Maybe it was the majestic the underwater footage, maybe it was the film’s old-fashioned sense of excitement, maybe it was the tenderness of the love story. All I know is that I felt absolutely euphoric while I was watching it.

I followed “The Abyss” with “Vanilla Sky” — that somewhat forgotten Tom Cruise flick. It’s not a great film by any means, but an interesting commentary on beauty and superficiality.

Next came “21 Grams”— a film I actually hadn’t seen. It’s heartbreaking yet beautiful. It also made me a little lovesick for Naomi Watts. After that was another new film for me — the late Anthony Minghella’s “Breaking and Entering.” What an original film, it’s truly beyond categorization. Can you imagine the pitch? “Well, it’s about this Bosnian refugee who has an affair with this British architect and her son starts stealing equipment from his firm…”

Then, I just watched old episodes of “Home Improvement.” Sure, it’s not the most sophisticated humor, but it’s fun, feel-good entertainment and it made me nostalgic for my childhood.

So, that was my week of being sick. Thanks to being sick, I was able to enjoy these movies and TV shows and block out all worries. I watched them with ease, with comfort. What a nice week.

After that, I had what I call Post-Sick Sadness, where you long for that feeling of comfort that comes with being sick. I got over that, but I’ll always remember that nice week spent watching movies in the great comfort of my bed.

"William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe"

I just realized that I haven't posted one of my NUVO reviews on here in quite some time. Here's my latest review of the documentary, "William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe." This film is playing tonight — and tonight only — at the IMA (7:30 p.m.) A Q&A with civil rights attorneys, Richard Waples and JauNae Hanger, moderated by Fran Quigley, will follow the screening.





"William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe"

4 (out of 5) stars

Attorney William Kunstler stood up in a time of extreme prejudice and intolerance, otherwise known as the 1960’s. He defended minorities when they were treated like animals, and activists when they couldn’t express their beliefs. Poignantly directed by Kunstler’s daughters, Disturbing the Universe conveys — and makes you appreciate — how much our country has progressed because of people like Kunstler.

Fortunately, this documentary is not a mere tribute to the man. Directors Emily and Sarah Kunstler scrutinize their father and question his actions. They aren’t afraid to show their disapproval of his profession. Early on in the film, we see an interview with them in which Sarah says, with a judgmental tone, “Some people act and others just defend them. I’m a person of action.” But as the film goes on and these women get to the truth of who Kunstler was, that attitude changes. They become their father’s daughters — defending him with the same unconditional compassion with which he defended his clients.

We see that Kunstler didn’t believe in the legal system (like his daughters initially thought), but in absolute justice and equality. This explains why he rallied for the unpopular. The film shows that in his era, standing behind a black man or an activist like Abbie Hoffman was equivalent to defending a witch in the Salem Witch Trials. Judges were appalled by Kunstler’s unapologetically passionate support of these people.

Watching this film now, in a time of a black president and more open minds, is a surreal experience. You feel as though you’re seeing events of another planet — and many times, you wish you were. One of those times is during a sequence about the 1971 Attica State Prison riot. We see one of the convicts Kunstler defended looking through pictures of the bloody rebellion with dread. “If someone didn’t know this was Attica, I wonder if they would even know these pictures were from this country,” the man says, holding back tears. That moment is a punch in the gut for the audience too, as it reminds us how far our nation has had to come to rebuild its reputation.

In another of the film's many powerful scenes, Kunstler speaks of the loss of the innocent and how their unnecessary deaths “disturb the universe.” Unfortunately, the innocent still die, but this country is a more hopeful and open place for them to live thanks to people like Kunstler. He may have disturbed the universe too with his risky, eccentric behavior, but for the better.

Do not miss this film when it plays at the IMA on Thursday, Feb. 18 (7:30 p.m.). It is being shown as part of the museum’s Black History Month celebration. It is exactly the inspiring tale that would make black leaders — such as our nation's president — proud.

http://www.nuvo.net/entertainment/article/william-kunstler-disturbing-universe

WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO WRITE ABOUT?

I haven't updated this blog in a while and I've been debating whether I really need to. The funny thing about blogs is that you feel like you are mostly just talking to yourself when you write them. I know I have followers, but you can never be sure that those people are actually reading this stuff or that you are maintaining their interest with the subjects you tackle.

So, readers, I leave it up to you: What do you want me to write about?

CHILDHOOD MOVIEGOING MEMORIES cont.

1996- MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE

They weren't taking me to a dentist appointment. My parents were picking me up early from kindergarten to see..."Mission: Impossible." I was beyond excited. My parents were cool.

As soon as the theater darkened and the "Mission: Impossible" theme song blasted on the soundtrack, I was giggling with excitement. I was smiling so wide that I thought my face was going to break.

I'll always remember that warm summer day. After the movie, I felt like a super-spy. It may have only been a trip to the theater for a Tom Cruise action flick, but that day was a real thrill.

CHILDHOOD AT THE MOVIES

BEST MOVIEGOING MEMORIES

As clichéd as it sounds, my childhood really was a magical time. It’s almost beyond words. I don’t even think my parents fully understand how much it meant to me. It was the time in my life in which I felt most content with myself, most carefree, and overall most happy.

My favorite childhood memories were spent in movie theaters. In fact, I define my childhood by the movies I saw. The movies didn’t even have to be good. The experience itself was what I clung to.

WINTER, 1998, “A Simple Plan”
There’s something magical about walking out of a movie on a wintry night. The warmth of the movie going experience mixed with the brisk night air is simply invigorating. I’m still nostalgic for that feeling and I try to recreate it every time I see a movie during this season. However, that feeling seems to be trapped in childhood. When I walk out of a movie now, more often than not, I simply snap back into reality and am flooded once again with my everyday worries. When I was a kid, I got completely lost in the world of whatever movie I saw. I didn’t have responsibilities to go home to, but simply more dreams to play out. Sometimes, I miss those days terribly.

In the case of this memory (Winter 1998), I didn’t even see a movie. It was the buildup to seeing a movie that I remember. My mom and dad and I were going to see the action-adventure gorilla flick, “Mighty Joe Young,” but alas, it was sold out. We stood in the parking lot of the Yorktown Theatre (an exciting, candy-colored movie palace equipped with an arcade and café) thinking of what else we could see. We just hung out, enjoying the warmth of each other’s company, talking about new film releases. We were in no hurry, we weren’t too cold, it was perfect.

Dad had some good recommendations: the snow-bound crime thriller, “A Simple Plan,” the John Travolta legal thriller, “A Civil Action.” Looking back on it, I’m surprised he was willing to take a 7-year-old to those movies. I’m flattered actually. He knew I was passionate about film and I appreciate him encouraging me to see more complex films at a young age. I remember having a strange desire to see more mature movies when I was a kid. I was honestly more excited for dark thrillers like "A Simple Plan" and "A Civil Action" than lighthearted Hollywood spectacles like "Mighty Joe Young."

Oddly enough, we didn’t end up seeing any of those movies for whatever reason. We just went home and decided to see a movie on another day. But it was still a good movie going experience.

Stay tuned for more of my childhood movie going experiences…

11 BEST FILMS OF THE YEAR

A few months ago, I was ready to write off 2009 as one of film's leaner years. I was then swept away by a number of movies that hit me on an intense personal level. This year, more than anything else, film was a revealing reflection of ourselves. It tapped into our fears and desires, our current state of social and economic unrest. Films had real weight and context. "Where the Wild Things Are" wasn't a playful childhood fantasy, but a painfully real depiction of youth. "The Road" wasn't a simple popcorn spectacle, but a haunting vision of the future. These were just a few of the many great films this year.

Now, before some of you start bitching, I haven't seen "Avatar" yet. If it ends up cracking my Top 10, I will revise this list. I just couldn't wait any longer to post this.

Without further ado, I present the Top 10...

1. A Serious Man- Watching this movie was like staring into the abyss and being confronted by my deepest fears. Being a Coen Brothers film, it made me laugh at the same time. Its tale of Larry Gopnik, a man suddenly hit with marital, professional, and moral dilemmas, perfectly captures the frustrating absurdity of life. The film doesn't explain life's madness. It simply, refreshingly, forces you to watch it unfold.

This movie came along at an eerily perfect time in my life, a time in which I was experiencing much stress and hardship. Impending adulthood was beginning to weigh on me. At a time when I kept questioning what was happening to me and those around me, this film taught me to "accept the mystery." It's a difficult, scary lesson, but one well worth learning for all of us.

2. Where the Wild Things Are- If "A Serious Man" mirrors my adulthood, "Where the Wild Things Are" is a reflection of my childhood. I WAS the main character, Max, when I was little: always playing, content to be alone in my world of fantasy and wonder. This film gets everything right about that time in our lives: the desperate longing for play time after school, the magical creatures that are real in your heart, but not in the real world, the loneliness inflicted by the increasingly adult world around you. It's at once beautiful, hopeful, and heartbreaking. This film presents a world you will want to get lost in--a dreamy forest not unlike the forts and tree houses you built in your backyard. It's organic, it's familiar. This is not a cold, lifeless spectacle. It will hit you close to home. Months after seeing it, I'm still floating in its melancholy wonder.

3. The Road- Why did people not talk more about this film when it is such a starkly beautiful, suspenseful, near-masterpiece? Why did no one send crazy fan letters to Viggo Mortensen, praising his deeply-felt performance as a father protecting his son through the apocalypse? Why did no one mention how surprisingly fun this film is, how it is sometimes reminscent of "The Road Warrior" and vintage John Carpenter? For me, this film was the biggest surprise of the year. In lesser hands, it could've been a Michael Bay-esque spectacle. In other words, it could've been like its trailer. In John Hillcoat's hands, it's at once low-key and exciting, and altogether great.

4. Up in the Air

A rare specimen: a film that is at once relevant, timely and timeless. Timely in its depiction of current social and economic unrest, timeless in its portrayal of one man's quest for romance and more importantly, redemption. George Clooney's performance and Jason Reitman's sharp writing and direction make corporate downsizer Ryan Bingham a new classic film character. This movie, like so many others this year, shows how film can be a revealing reflection of the times and ourselves.

5. Funny People- This film is profound in revealing the pain that is masked by the humor of our everyday lives. Most indelible is the scene in which dying comedian, George Burns (Adam Sandler) sees his new doctor. Instead of engulfing George in dread, director Judd Apatow and Sandler have him disregard his doom and poke fun at his doctor's thick German accent. That is a moment of great truth because that is what any of us would do. Like George, we would use humor as a refuge. This film is full of moments like this. It's a comedy that is far more than funny.

6. The Hurt Locker- One of the most brazenly realistic depictions of war in recent memory. In this Iraq War tale, you can feel the heat, taste the desert air. The most interesting part of this film, though, is Jeremy Renner's character, bomb defusal unit leader, Will James. He is the antithesis of a typical screen soldier. Instead of dreading conflict and longing for home, he throws himself into harm's way with almost giddy exuberance.

7. Bruno- To label this movie a biting satire on American intolerance is to shortchange it. Aside from sociopoltical commentary, it's about movie magic, specifically the visceral thrill of watching filmmakers take enormous risks for their art. When Sacha Baron Cohen as Bruno exposes politician Ron Paul's aggressive homophobia by stripping naked in front of him, you will be strangely inspired. It is one of the most punk, inspiringly provocative acts I have ever seen--right up there with the Vietnam protests. Much more so than Michael Moore or Oliver Stone, satirist Sacha Baron Cohen forces us to look at the darkest parts of ourselves. "Bruno" is a dizzying and cathartic comedic spectacle. The humor cuts deep, striking the mind as well as the heart.

8. Fantastic Mr. Fox- Fun, quirky, poignant, otherworldly and human at the same time. In other words, a Wes Anderson film. This movie left me with a smile on my face and a song in my heart. The animation took me back to my glorious childhood days of watching "Wallace & Gromit." What I liked most, though, was the way Mr. Fox fits so perfectly with Wes Anderson's other characters. Like "Bottle Rocket's" Dignan, "Rushmore's" Max Fischer, Royal Tenenbaum, he is a mischievous innocent. Like those characters, he has a childlike sense of wonder of which he cannot let go. Don't we all?

9. Star Trek- Audiences have become so accustomed to CGI wizardry that the magic of movies has been lost on them. "Star Trek" resensitizes audiences to the magic by infusing its spectacles with visceral excitement. The deeply felt performances from Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto elevate the material, turning what could be cheap thrills into harrowing moments. The visceral excitement also comes from the look of the film. J.J. Abrams, in filming outer space, takes on the point of view of an unsuspecting and excited outsider. There is clumsiness to the camerawork that mirrors the same natural, distracted quality any normal person would have when filming something so foreign and awe-inspiring. Like a child, the camera's eye is always wide and glistening.

10. The Informant- It's not the acts of espionage in "The Informant!" that are funny, but the bland, unromantic places in which they occur. When you see "Springfield, IL" pop up urgently in bold, demanding letters across the screen, your first instinct is to laugh. In that sense, director Steven Soderbergh has succeeded. His goal is to deromanticize the corporate thriller genre with a comic spirit, revealing how bureaucratic and "uncool" (for lack of a better term) the business of spying can be. He aims to show you that corporate corruption and espionage are very real and occuring all around you, not only in the exotic locales of James Bond films, but in shabby offices across your city. On top of that, Matt Damon, as real-life corporate whistleblower Mark Whitacre, gives possibly the best and most entertaining performance of his career here.

11. Inglourious Basterds- This might not be Quentin Tarantino's masterpiece, but it is certainly his most tense and suspenseful film. The first scene alone is one of Hitchcockian power. This World War II revenge story is counterprogramming to gritty, harrowing war films like "Saving Private Ryan" and "The Thin Red Line." It plays with history, it pokes fun at the absurdity of war, it pays homage to other films. There is a sometimes off-putting, cold, experimental quality to it, but this film's strengths outweigh its weaknesses.

Honorable Mentions: Moon, An Education, Pirate Radio, Taking Woodstock, Shrink

A Serious Mongolian

With its skyscraping mountains reaching up from dry, cracked desert, Mongolia is inherently cinematic. Surprisingly, its films are not. From what I have seen, they are small, intimate stories--not the sweeping epics I was expecting given Mongolia’s breathtaking landscape. The landscape plays a large part in underscoring the characters’ feelings of hopelessness and isolation. In this big world, their spirits can soar or become completely lost.

In the case of "Tuya’s Marriage," the main character’s spirits have difficulty taking flight…as they should. Tuya, a woman struggling to provide for her family as a sheep herder, is in quite the dilemma. Her husband is disabled and she has to find another one to help her take care of him. Her suitors, of course, want nothing to do with him. These circumstances are sympathetic despite being bizarre. Kudos to director Quanan Wang for challenging the audience in the end. The ending of "Tuya's Marriage" reminded me of the conclusion of the Coen Brothers' "A Serious Man" in its refreshing refusal to give easy answers or provide a tidy resolution. Like "A Serious Man"'s Larry Gopnik, life never seems to go right for Tuya and by the end, there is very little hope that it ever will.

I must admit that I was not nearly as affected by the ending of "Tuya’s Marriage" as I was by "A Serious Man" however. Maybe that’s because when I saw this bleak Mongolian film, I was snug at home, allowing pleasant thoughts to easily dance through my head. When the lights in the theater came up after "A Serious Man," no one spoke or moved. They were too shaken from staring into the abyss; being confronted with ambiguity and their worst fears. The movie theater allows for that kind of powerful illusion, aesthetic distance as it is called.

Therefore, I recommend that you see "Tuya’s Marriage" at the IMA’s Toby Theater Friday, Dec. 10 at 7 p.m. Don’t get the DVD. Spend the $9 on a more hypnotic, powerful experience.