The Filmcake

August 16th – August 22nd

Greenberg — While I haven’t even seen Noah Baumbach’s first three films, I have really liked his last three (The Squid and the Whale, Margot at the Wedding, Greenberg). Sure, they are populated with nasty characters. But to me nastiness isn’t the same as unsympathetic. I think we’re all nasty. Maybe we’re nasty in the privacy of our own homes, or amidst failed relationships, but it is a common human trait nevertheless. To see these caustic characters on screen is to remind us of our own short-comings. I’ve heard the complaint about Baumbach films that nobody would want to spend time with Bernard, Margot, or Roger in real life so why would they want to spend time with them at the theater (or at home). I think movies (or all of art, really) are supposed to make us feel, not simply to make us feel good (or happy). Roger Greenberg (Ben Stiller) is a pain in the ass. But his life is kind of heartbreaking. And, because we are given minimal information as to the full extent of his nervous breakdown, we’re unsure of the seriousness of his emotional problems. It certainly makes judgment of Roger more difficult.

And I’ll go ahead and take this opportunity to jump on the Greta Gerwig bandwagon. She is delightful to look at without being movie star gorgeous. And she delivers a strong performance as the assistant to Roger Greenberg’s brother. I look forward to looking at some of those small movies she’s already done and what she’ll do in the future (she’ll be Russell Brand’s love interest in the upcoming Arthur remake).

American Movie — Finally got around to seeing this documentary classic from Chris Smith. The first question I had upon seeing this was to ask whether this was real. For a decent portion of the film, I was convinced that this was a mockumentary. Like with Anvil! The Story of Anvil, the subjects of the documentary don’t simply appear to be idiosyncratic characters so much as seemingly comically-crafted inventions that serve some broader satirical purpose. But alas these are apparently real people (though they still may act to serve a broader satirical purpose). And Smith, the film’s director, does treat them like real people. Sure we see the film’s central character, Mark Borchardt, almost seeming to take advantage of his frail grandfather. But at the same time, we see him in tender moments with him, as when he is helping him to bathe. Taking advantage of people AND having tender moments are what human relationships are all about, right?

The second question I had was to ask myself if I would ever be able to make a movie better than Coven (which could be seen in its entirety as a special feature on the DVD). I’ve seen worse short films than Coven. It’s something that wouldn’t be entirely out of place in the Midnight Shorts section at deadCENTER. And if it were cut down, it actually might be kind of good. It also proves that passion may drive a movie more than money or talent. Unless you’re particularly rich or well-placed, passion seems to be the essential force in actually getting a movie made. All the other stuff falls in place thereafter. Sure, budget and talent may affect quality…but they’re not the necessary component.

Sarah rejoins The Filmcake with a guest post pondering sexism at the multiplex:

Anyone who knows me at all knows that I’m a card-carrying, not-ashamed-to-admit-it Feminist. I also love movies. While I could likely go on for hours about how women are portrayed in film, the relative dearth of female filmmakers, etc., this particular Filmcake takeover is going to focus specifically on the idea of the “date movie.”

A couple of weeks ago, I read this Forbes.com post pointing at a double standard that seems to exist between movies aimed at men and movies aimed at women:

The two big movies opening this weekend are The Expendables (a testosterone laden action flick) and Eat Pray Love (its hormonal opposite). According to a survey of 1200 Fandango ticket buyers, 95% of the people who say they want to see Eat Pray Love are women. Only 5% are men.

But 42% of the people who say they want to see The Expendables are women (58% are men). And therein lies the problem. Women are fine going to see male-oriented movies. Women go to the movies all the time. It’s men who are the problem because they refuse to go see chick flicks.

Ignoring for a moment the actual quality of both of the above-referenced movies (I’m pretty sure neither are likely to be on anyone’s end-of-year Top 10 lists), this captures a sentiment I’ve heard countless times. Assuming that many of the people going to see one of these films are going with a date or significant other, it seems to be much more acceptable for a woman to go to a “dude movie” than it is for a man to go to a “chick flick.” For example, one of the biggest problems I have with my otherwise beloved Filmspotting hosts Adam and Matty is that in the few times they even acknowledge that women watch movies, it’s usually in the context of poor, single Matty being dragged to some dreadful romcom on a first date. In fact, “date movie” really almost becomes synonymous with “chick flick.”

The implication is that the man has to begrudgingly put aside his masculinity and suffer through a (probably legitimately bad) romcom in the hopes of maybe getting a little ass later. However, consider the reverse: a woman goes to the latest guns-and-explosions extravaganza, and is in all likelihood, going to be considered a “cool chick.” If she genuinely likes traditionally male genres (war movies, Westerns, comic book movies, etc.) she’s probably going to be someone’s Ultimate Dream Woman. Whereas, if a man sincerely loves romantic comedies, I’d be willing to wager that his sexual orientation is probably going to be called into question sooner or later. Sad, but true.

My first thought about all this is that, well, “women’s movies” generally suck. While it’s true that yes, most certainly do – so do most “men’s movies.” Both types are pretty dependent on familiar tropes and formulas, and don’t always boast the best writing, editing, acting, cinematography, etc. That’s not to say that there aren’t some wonderful romantic comedies and really great action flicks, because there absolutely are, but face it – most tend to be crap that plays to the lowest common denominator.

I think the real problem is that, blind to the actual quality of the movie in question, one genre seems to be considered  automatically better than the other. Once again, the implication is the “masculine” is acceptable, whereas the “feminine” is inferior, and something to be avoided. It’s okay, even desirable, for the woman to embrace the masculine, but that doesn’t always extend in the other direction. Or, as Molly Haskell puts it in the introduction to Holding My Own in No Man’s Land, perhaps “the fact is, we are all, in some measure, more comfortable with maleness than with femaleness.”

August 9th – August 15th

The Wire (Season 2) — I love this show. After following the Barksdale crew, the Baltimore detail moves on to the docks. Such a wonderfully written show with fabulous characters. My favorite character this season would have to be Ziggy. I could never quite figure him out. He made me angry, he made me laugh, he made me sad. Also, I now know what a stevedore is.

Romance — Another one from Catherine Breillat. While she makes great films, I’m getting a little tired of the formula. Still, this one is shocking not only for its explicit and unsimulated sex (featuring porn star Rocco Siffredi), but for the fact that the film concerns itself with the sexual life of a woman. If these Breillat films have taught me anything, it’s how one-sided film and social norms (and pop culture) are in their portrayal of the sexual life. The bias assumes an active role for the male and a passive one for the female, even if only implicitly. Breillat seems to turn that idea on its head.

Jackie Brown — My least favorite Tarantino film. It’s a solid film, no doubt. Pam Grier and Robert Forster really anchor the film, in that career resurrection Tarantino way. Whereas I think I can say I love Tarantino’s other movies, I can only say that I quite like this one.

The White Ribbon — Michael Haneke’s beautifully photographed take on what went wrong in pre-war Germany. One could say the movie is simply about how Nazis became Nazis. But it is more than that for sure. Simply its about the dangers of authoritarianism of any sort, political, religious, or familial. The film shows how authoritarianism destroys people, how it reproduces itself, and how it manages to survive. In this movie, the perpetrators of evil are never clearly identified. And the one person who has the gall to investigate and make an identification (the teacher, possibly Jewish) is essentially forced out of the village. Better to keep quiet–and let the authoritarian power structures roll over you–than to stand up and fight against it. Same as it ever was.

The Big Lebowski — The Dude. Because after watching Haneke’s film, one must go for lighter fare or else risk falling into a dark depression. And for some reason, this movie was much more hilarious that I had remembered.

August 2nd – August 8th

reasons to be pretty (stage play as produced by Ghostlight Theatre Club) – Neil LaBute’s Beauty Trilogy comes to an end with this play following up on The Shape of Things and Fat Pig (presented in Ghostlight’s previous two seasons). I didn’t get to catch The Shape of Things at Ghostlight, but I did see the film version. I did, however, catch the excellent Fat Pig there last season. Out of the three, I think reasons to be pretty is my favorite. It’s the most subtle of the three. And compared to some of LaBute’s early films–In The Company of Men and Your Friends and Neighbors–it is a much gentler examination of the human condition.

Some of LaBute’s stuff plays like a horror film, populated with monsters (in most cases, men). Think Aaron Eckhart’s Chad or Jason Patric’s Cary. In this one, the most monsterish character is Kent (Jeff Burleson, just as excellent here as he was in Fat Pig). And Kent isn’t so much a monster as he is just kind of a dick. And, yes, I think there is a difference. But the rest of the characters play like complicated human beings who have moments of cruelty which are altogether human and familiar.

This play, perhaps more so than the other two, is less about beauty and more about relationships. It’s about growing up and learning to love yourself as well as how to make yourself happy (without destroying everything in your wake).

I applaud Ghostlight for putting on another wonderful performance. The musical interludes, while sometimes on the nose, were excellent choices. The minimal stage setting was effective once again. And the acting was superb. It was nice to see Burleson, who had a co-starring role in Fat Pig, shine in a more supporting role this time (just as it was nice to see him eventually get his come-uppance at the ballfield). Scott Hynes was wonderful as Greg. And after the first scene, which seemed perhaps a bit too much like acting, Victoria Stahl cruised along quite comfortably in the role of Steph. But, Rachel Bouton impressed me the most in the smaller role of Carly. All around wonderful casting.

I absolutely love the Ghostlight. I can’t wait to see more stuff there. I can’t wait to see these actors again. My knowledge of stage plays, and the craft therein is sadly lacking. Ghostlight, and other local theatres/companies, should aide in rectifying that deficiency.

July 25th – August 1st

The Runaways – I like Kristen Stewart. She seems to be improving. And if that brooding, biting her lip thing is the only thing she can do, then I truly like that thing she does. And whereas Dakota Fanning has been wonderful since she started this whole acting thing (at age 7 with 2001′s I Am Sam), it has taken me a while to come around to seeing her as a genuine actor rather than some precocious brat. And, of course, Michael Shannon impresses as always. But performances aside, the movie was just too musical biopic meets after-school special cliche. Even with some tame drug use and too obvious bisexual curiosity, the story seemed sanitized. I wanted gritty. I wanted something crafted with handmade stencils, black spray paint, ripped t-shirts, and safety pins (or a chainsaw, at the very least). This movie is too pretty and neat. It was like some faux-vintage The Runaways t-shirt for sale at Hot Topic passed off for authentic. Getting at the right idea while kind of completely missing the point.

The Wire (Season 1) — Oh. My. God. This show is wonderful. I gave up on it too soon when it first aired. It just wasn’t doing it for me. But all the critical praise and love for it made me reconsider it. And boy am I impressed. I can bet that I dismissed it too early the first time through for being another police procedural. Whereas I was into the character drama of something like Six Feet Under, this didn’t do it for me. But now…after making it thru the first season…I am in love. It’s so beautifully dense and feels terribly authentic. And the performances–from the leads to the street soldiers–are amazing. I can’t wait to start up on season 2.

A couple of weeks ago my wife and I made our first movie, a four-and-a-half minute short film called Sleep. I’m almost hesitant to even describe what we created as a movie. It’s more like a sketch or an exercise. It’s a movie that should’ve been made with an old, unwieldy camcorder when we were young teenagers. So while I’ll never have the precious filmmaker story about making all sorts of movies as a child, I can positively say that my first “movie” is done. Now that the first is completed, many can follow in succession with (hopefully) improving quality.

I learned quite a bit in the 12 hours I worked on the movie. Those lessons can then be applied to future endeavors, where more mistakes can be made and more lessons learned. And now that Number One is done, the process of making a movie doesn’t seem nearly as scary and insurmountable as it once did. I can’t wait until I can start on the next one.

If you get better at your art through repetition (and certainly repetition isn’t the only requirement), then this movie was simply the first iteration. That’s why I see it more as a sketch. It is not Citizen Kane. And knowing that makes everything else all the easier to handle.

I’ve been thinking a lot about how I judge movies. In this particular instance–how I judge some of the smaller movies from local filmmakers that played at this year’s deadCENTER Film Festival. I have this nagging feeling that I may have been a bit too negative. Perhaps I was expecting too much. But, that begs the question–what should you expect, if anything, out of a low-budget, local film? Which imperfections can be easily excused and which cannot? And is it possible that negative criticism should be refrained when it comes to local and/or amateur filmmakers? Do films submitted to a regional film festival deserve a critical pass?

If I have negative criticism for a big, Hollywood movie, it is rarely tinged with any regret. But when I say something negative about a lower-budget movie made by local filmmakers, then regret becomes a very real possibility. As I’ve been mulling all this over, I came to the feeling that I may have been too negative in my recaps of a pair of Oklahoma films that screened at this year’s deadCENTER. The two films in question were Adam Davis Beatty’s The Rounder Comes to Town and Singletree Productions’ Simmons on Vinyl. Here’s what I wrote:

The Rounder Comes to Town was highly anticipated. It was perhaps a little too indulgently Tarantino-ish and lacked an assured tone. I wasn’t quite sure how funny or campy it was genuinely going for. Perhaps I was taken aback knowing the actor who spouted the oddest lines (something like: I like kitty cats. Kitties in the morning, day and night. Kitties for brunch. Mimosas and kitties. Except he wasn’t talking about kittens.) Still, it showed a bunch of promise. A few changes here and there and it could’ve easily been my favorite of the festival.

and…

Then onto Simmons on Vinyl, by Mark Potts and his Singletree crew. I really liked their short film (Hit Boys II Men) and their festival promos (Hard Justice) from last year. So, I was excited about seeing this one. I have to say that I didn’t care all that much for it. It was just too scattered. These guys look like three good friends having fun making a movie. But I’m afraid that in this one, three good friends having fun making a movie doesn’t also provide somebody who can or will rein them in when necessary. That being said, the filmmakers admitted their budget was only like $300 and that they spent very little time writing. So, there’s no real loss here. I’ve spent that much and had much less to show for it after a half-dozen trips to McNellies. And, I can’t say whether or not it deserved its festival award. I say if the filmmakers had fun then it was worth it. For me as a viewer, I would have preferred something that had been developed some more. Of course, I may have just not been in the right “frame of mind” for it. I still want to check out their previous feature, The Stanton Family Grave Robbery, to see if a little more development time led to a better product.

I can see now that I was somewhat cautious when I wrote both items. In the first instance, I tried to mitigate the negative criticism with the statement that “a few changes here and there and it could’ve easily been my favorite of the festival.” In the second, I praised previous work and then suggested that I might’ve “not been in the right ‘frame of mind’” for it. Now, I wasn’t brutal with either movie. And neither case could fairly be called film criticism; they’re just a few sentences among a longer recap post. Nevertheless, something of what I wrote has affected me and led me here.

I stand behind what I wrote about The Rounder Comes to Town, aside from the “too indulgently Tarantino-ish” comment. I’m not even sure what that means. All art is indulgent to some degree, and this movie was not overly so. And I haven’t seen enough of those films that influenced Tarantino to be able to say with much confidence that which is derivative of him and that which is derivative of his influences. Otherwise, I liked the film. A very impressive first feature. The uncertainty of the tone was really the only thing that kept this impressive deadCENTER entry from being a favorite deadCENTER entry.

About Simmons on Vinyl, I wrote that it looked like “three good friends having fun making a movie…[without] somebody who can or will rein them in when necessary” and that I would have “preferred something that had been developed some more.” On one hand, you can excuse a lot when you know that the budget for this was $300. On the other hand, that doesn’t make every no-budget movie worthwhile.

If I have any genuine criticism regarding Simmons on Vinyl it isn’t with the movie, it’s with the festival’s awarding of the Grand Jury prize. If I were handing out that award, I would’ve likely given it to another film. But that’s one man’s opinion. The Grand Jury Narrative Feature award has its own criteria for selecting a winner, just like every other contest that takes place on this fine Earth. And that’s perfectly fine. Not liking a movie isn’t the same as the movie being bad.

That being said, the movie is way better than any movie I’ve ever made. And with just about every movie, saying that it could have been “developed some more” is simply stating the obvious. It’s like saying that I really wish they’d spent $375 on this movie. Also, I don’t really remember the movie too much at this point. Too much Stella, I think.

Also having made my first movie, albeit a 4-minute piece of crap, I can now better appreciate both the hunger and struggle of making movies. There is something very lovely and admirable about it. Along with Rounder, I genuinely look forward to seeing Simmons again. I also look forward to whatever Beatty and Singletree Productions create in the future. Sometimes early iterations can show the promise of great things to come in the future.

I do think local filmmakers do deserve all the praise and support that they can get. As for myself, I plan on being both more positive and more open-minded when it comes to the output of local filmmakers. It’s not that I don’t care about being genuine, I just think that emerging filmmakers need all the help they can get. Without it, the fight to make an even better movie down the road will be even more difficult.

I also think that these types of films need to be judged with the knowledge that they’re created outside of “the industry” with very little money by filmmakers who must create their own opportunities. These aren’t full-time, studio-financed filmmakers. These are scrappy Okie artists. To some degree, you must judge their films based on their promise. A great artist, I believe, can push through the limitations of budget and access. I look forward to seeing what they can do. I also can’t wait to throw my own hat into the ring.

July 19th – July 25th

The Crazies — I was disappointed with this remake of the 1973 Romero flick. I’ve not seen the original, so that wasn’t my problem. And this one wasn’t terrible. It just wasn’t very good. There were some good moments. A couple of good set pieces. But the rest was just too convoluted and boring to make the whole all that worthwhile.

Mad Men (Season 3) — In anticipation of last night’s season four premiere, I went back and watched the entirety of the third season. This is a Great Show. Great actors behind interesting and imperfect characters. Great stories to move everything along. And, perhaps my favorite aspect of the show, a great world they inhabit–a NYC ad agency in the 1960′s. It informs not only the locations, set decoration, costumes, and music, but also the commentary on how much and/or little things have changed since that time period. It’s a world that I love getting lost within.

July 12th – July 18th

Inception – Christopher Nolan’s latest is one in which you can’t really be brief in talking about it. A proper post would run on and on. That being said, I really loved this movie. A truly great summer blockbuster. And a true relief from all the remakes, reimaginings, and reboots. After watching it the first time without knowing too much about it, I then consumed all the reviews (both positive and negative) and interpretations that I could get a hold of before seeing it a second time. Somewhat surprisingly, I found myself liking the movie even more the second time around.

A Real Young Girl and Perfect Love — Two from Catherine Breillat. The first is a rare coming-of-age story. It’s rare in the fact that it deals with an emerging sexuality in a truly visceral way, full of fears, confusion, kink, and exploration. It’s also rare because it’s a girl’s coming-of-age story. This uniqueness makes for a sometimes shocking little film. The other tells the story of a young man’s inadequacy (which are several) in making his relationship with an older woman work. There are some really good performances in this one, and Isabelle Renauld is stunning as Frederique. After a half-dozen or so Breillat films, I can say that I’m certainly a fan. Sure, they can be disturbing at times, but those feelings are not without their purpose.

Bukowski: Born Into This — A documentary about the seedy American poet. I really like Bukowski’s work, or rather the little I’ve read of it. But the man himself…I’d just like to punch in the face. He comes off–for me anyway–as too insufferable. He seems like a cliche of the tortured artist, except one who might throw his empty beer bottle at you if you ever made such a claim in his presence. That being said, the perceived behavior of a man is not necessarily his art. I’m still curious to check out more of his stuff, particularly some of his novels.

2012 — A much, much, much stupider summer blockbuster (than Inception). But one that I still have a lot of fun with. Along with The Day After Tomorrow, Roland Emmerich delivers fun popcorn movies. They’re like high-budgeted SyFy Originals. They may not engage the brain all that much (okay, not at all), but they’re an entertaining amusement park ride.

June 28th – July 5th

District 9 — Wanted to see this one again. And it was on Netflix Instant Viewing. Unfortunately it wasn’t in HD. Still a good, fun movie. The movie is a little schizophrenic. It feels like it’s trying to be several different movies all at once. Thus it never seems to fully play out its various intentions. But for the most part, it manages to hold things together adequately.

Five Easy Pieces — I came to this movie mostly just with the awareness of the diner scene. I became interested in seeing it after reading Peter Biskind’s book about New Hollywood, Easy Riders, Raging Bulls. And I also go into this movie almost a little sick of Jack Nicholson. Maybe it’s his more recent acting choices, but I was beginning to think of him as highly overrated.

But with this one, Nicholson delivers a great performance as Robert Eroica Dupea. At the beginning of the film, Dupea appears as a roustabout on the oil fields. He is thoroughly blue collar. He survives in motels and bowling alleys with a dimwit waitress. He seems every bit a redneck jerk.

But then he must return to the family home on news that his father is ill. Once he arrives, we realize that he comes from a decidedly sophisticated family. He was classically trained on the piano. His family mixes with artists and intellectuals. Dupea isn’t working the oil fields because he’s blue collar. He’s just trying to avoid his family and this other part of his life.

The movie pits sophistication against provincialism. Dilettante against redneck. The soundtrack to the movie even pits Chopin, Bach, and Mozart against Tammy Wynette. Dupea struggles against both sides of his past. Eventually, he rejects them both in favor of Alaska.

Thirst and Let The Right One In — A couple of really good vampire movies from the last couple of years. These certainly aren’t your daughter’s vampire movies. And neither is American either. Thirst was a real surprise. It was not at all what I had expected. I think I was waiting to see an ultra-violent picture that was trying too hard to be badass. But what I got was a well paced, beautifully shot story that took me to some unexpected places. It explores religious guilt, morality, and the absurdity of eternal life through a vampiric perspective. I kind of can’t wait to see it again. I also really want to check out director’s Park Chan-wook’s Vengeance Trilogy.

Let the Right One I had seen at the theater. After Thirst, it made the perfect double-feature. Thankfully, the Netflix Instant Viewing version featured the theatrical subtitles. After watching them both, I’m convinced that a vampire’s life (much like a religious afterlife) would be tedious struggle of monotony.

Jaws — It’s been a long time since I’ve seen this one. And I’m not sure if I’ve ever seen it in an uninterrupted and unedited format (I may have only ever seen it on TV). I was honestly surprised with how serious the movie is. Seeing as it pretty much launched the Summer Blockbuster, I expected something a little more goofy. Big summer movies seem to be primarily about escapism. This was downright horror. The shark was impressively scary to me. Except for one particular scene, I thought the horror of the beast was quite believable.

Toy Story and Toy Story 2 — With the third installment at the theaters, it was about time that I actually saw the first two. While the toys make for delightful characters to follow around, I was left a little empty. They were okay. But I certainly prefer Ratatouille, Wall-E, and Up to either of these. I wanted to love them…but I just didn’t.

June 21st – June 27th

Bluebeard — I really like this movie a lot, so much so that I ended up watching it twice. Based on the Charles Perrault story, the movie recounts the original folktale as a pair of more modern sisters rediscover it while playing in the attic. Sisterly rivalry, a common theme in Catherine Breillat’s films, is certainly present all over this one. Certainly, this film is less sexually explicit than some of her other films which ought to make it more accessible.

This was a folktale “period piece” done on the cheap. But very effective. Because of that, it seemed like something Herzog might have done. The story was compelling enough to make costume and location seem adequately authentic. And Breillat captures the story with very painterly compositions. The eclipse scene is especially striking. At first, it just seems too artsy and conscious. But as we pull back and figure out what is going on, its effectiveness is apparent.

Lola Creton, Dominique Thomas, Credit: Strand Releasing

This is an art film. So it’s not all that accessible. Thank god. It means there can be nuance and complexity. Lots of swirling grays on Breillat’s canvas. I love that about this movie. It’s feminist in an unexpected way. Marie-Catherine (Lola Créton, wonderful) is no saint. She is most certainly flawed. She’s a gold-digger, for starters. But Bluebeard (Dominique Thomas) is a godlike figure with quasi-religious power over her. He may value honesty and trust. “If you tell me the truth, you’ll never anger me.” But no mortals can obey the rules of his game. It’s a rigged game he sets up. So of course she must disobey him. For that, she pays with her life.

Of course, this movie makes me not only want to see more of Breillat’s films but also to explore more un-Disneyfied folktales from Perrault and others.

The Maid — Another really good one. This one a Chilean film from Sebastian Silva. It features a remarkable lead performance by Catalina Saavedra as Raquel. The movie itself tackles what is meant by family and the power of inertia.

Family isn’t simply blood relatives. Family are those who you care about and who care about you. New friends, fleeting friends, even a pet are sometimes more genuinely family than blood relatives.

Personal inertia seems to be popping up in more and more films these days. Or else I’m just aware of it more. Certainly my mental well-being is dependent on overcoming inertia. For Raquel, inertia is literally killing her. Her life is a repetitive cycle of house-cleaning and caring for kids who are not her own. Not until she is nudged out of her numbing stasis by a rival maid does she overcome her inertia. At that point, happiness becomes a possibility once again.