OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies

After foiling a treacherous Nazi plot midair in 1945, our story begins 10 years later as our hero, Hubert Bonisseur de La Bath aka OSS 117, is sent to Cairo to investigate the mysterious circumstances surrounding the death of a fellow agent, who had been fronting as a the owner of a chicken farm. While on assignment, 117 manages to skirt danger at every turn, bed a few birds, and even nearly cause a holy war before wrapping things up tidily in typical spy movie fashion. Like his recent Oscar whirlwind "The Artist", Michel Hazanavicius's Bondlike spy spoof is an ornate and loving replication of a genre picture. Jean Dujardin, whose Conneryesque looks were often referred to during awards season, is excellent as the inept, insensitive, and charming lead, and Berenice Bejo, the director's wife and Artist costar, is stunning as the Bond girl. While the look of the film, particularly an underwater skeleton graveyard scene, is exquisite and the stars are engaging, the film is overlong and overly silly without garnering the laughs of an "Austin Powers."

The Spencer Tracy Legacy: A Tribute by Katharine Hepburn

Spencer Tracy embodied the qualities of an everyman and his folksy characteristics made him more immediate than a starry eyed idealist like Jimmy Stewart and Henry Fonda. In a career spanning nearly 40 years and garnishing two Academy Awards, Tracy contributed a number of wide ranging and powerful performances in films such as "Captains Courageous", "Bad Day at Black Rock", "Inherit the Wind", and "Judgement at Nuremberg." In this loving retrospective of his work, kindred spirit and longtime collaborator Katharine Hepburn takes us through his remarkable career with the likes of Frank Sinatra, Elizabeth Taylor, Angela Lansbury, Lee Marvin, and Sidney Poitier making appearances to pay tribute to the screen legend.

Pat and Mike

A female phys-ed instructor (Katharine Hepburn) and all around athlete sporadically enters a golf tournament which she seems surprisingly poised to win. Bribed by an unethical sports manager (Spencer Tracy) to lose, she refuses but loses anyway thanks to her flustered state due to the presence of her unnerving fiance (William Ching). Soon, she is signed by the manager and embarks on a whirlwind multisport national tour while quickly falling in love with him. "Pat and Mike" is another excellent entry from Tracy and Hepburn, which reunites them with director George Cukor and wedded writing team Ruth Gordon and Garson Kanin. Hepburn's spunk is quite infectious and plays very nicely to Tracy's hard nosed New York City type, especially in a riotous scene where she muscles some imposing thugs (one of whom is played by a young Charles Bronson) trying to collect a debt from her manager. "Pat and Mike" is a light but exceedingly entertaining picture that once more demonstrates the remarkable chemistry between its two stars and their longtime collaborators.

Adam's Rib

When a woman tries and fails at killing her cheating husband, it provides the perfect opportunity for a defense attorney to push her feminist agenda, until the case also lands on the desk of her district attorney husband. Now, tensions mount in their once happy home as the wife amps the case up to a circus-like atmosphere and is seemingly seduced by the dainty ex-flame who lives across the hall. "Adam's Rib" is an excellent Spencer Tracy/Katharine Hepburn vehicle from iconic director George Cukor and the husband and wife writing team of Garson Kanin and Ruth Gordon. While Tracy and Hepburn are in top form, it is supporting players Judy Holliday as the flaky defendant and David Wayne as the obnoxious and effeminate neighbor who steal the show. "Adam's Rib" is a wholly entertaining battle of the sexes farce, peaking in a ludicrous carnival strongwoman courtroom scene, that features the beloved couple in one of their most cherished pairings.

Three Short Films from Errol Morris

I came across a short film from Errol Morris recently entitled "El Wingador" and was once again taken by the idiosyncratic documentarian that I decided to watch two of his other shorts I hadn't seen and create a posting about them. Morris, and the immediacy provided by his self created Interrotron camera, is one of the most hypnotic and engaging of filmmakers, having crafted such intriguing works such as "Gates of Heaven", "The Thin Blue Line", and "The Fog of War." With the three I've included here, "El Wingador", "The Umbrella", and "Survivors" we are given brief must immensely entertaining pieces on a food eating champion, a Kennedy assassination chronicler, and cancer survivors. As with all his films, Morris looks deep into the heart of his subjects and elicits deep, personal, and often profound responses. You can watch all three of these shorts at the following links or YouTube posts:

El Wingador (2012)

The Umbrella Man (2011)

Survivors (2008)

2012 Oscar Results, Afterthoughts, and Contest Results

Tonight's Oscar telecast represented a return to form for the esteemed award show after last year's Hathaway/Franco debacle with Billy Crystal proving why he's a top emcee in a highly entertaining turn as host. In addition to Crystal's humorous opening skit and song-and-dance, the show also took some surprising chances which paid off nicely including a funny sketch by Christopher Guest and his gang and a breathtaking showcase by Cirque du Soleil. For a show which offered virtually no great surprises, the entire fare moved swiftly and was largely beguiling. Here are some notations of a few of my thoughts on the affair followed by my annual contest results which I unfortunately did not win again:

• "Hugo" succeeded beyond expectations and took many of the "lesser" awards many expected "The Artist" to take, and it was nice to see Marty looked so pleased in the audience as his collaborators took home several golden statues.
• While I thought "The Artist" was an excellent films, I felt its winners and their unfamiliarity with English hurt the show. Also Jean Dujardin's speech was disappointing which was also maybe the reason many voted for him in anticipation of. Also, for the record, it is not the first silent BP winner since 1929 because it contains brief talking, muffled speech, sound effects, and a soundtrack.
• As has been the trend, in my opinion, the Supporting Actor/Actress proved to be the highlight of the speeches. I loved overwhelmed Octavia Spencer's sincerity and Christopher Plummer was eloquent and funny as he became the eldest acting recipient.
• The Christopher Guest sketch was both unexpected and funny as the troupe imagined what a focus group screening the "Wizard of Oz" would have been like.
• I was also pleasantly surprised with the stunning Cirque du Soleil number which was a nice substitute for the dull and pointless interpretive dance or nominated song acts.
• Although she's nominated every year, it was nice to see Meryl Streep win for what is essentially a makeup award (she hasn't won since '82). She seemed surprised and her speech was humble and gracious.
• I wish Woody would have showed up.
• Many of the presenters were amusing as well: a perky Emma Stone and an annoyed Ben Stiller. Robert Downey Jr. documenting his presenting duties. Will Ferrell, Zach Galifianakis, and their symbols.
• All and all, I can't think of any real complaints and was immensely happy with the show overall.

This year's Oscar contest was won by a Mr. Michael Johnson, with yours truly finishing a little ahead of midstream with 50% of the vote. Here are the results, out of 24 categories:

18        Michael Johnson

17        Danny Porcaro

17        gordon

16        Brian Bedard

15        Paul Jarnagin

15        Eleanor Morse

12        Me

12        dae'quan da dabbla

11        Katie C

11        Tom Gooderson-A'Court

9          Chris K

9          Feowyn Mackinnon

9          Maureen Kaiser

8          Luba

7          Billy

7          Greg M

7          joe vaccaro

7          Tom K

7          Tommy Kaiser

6          Andrea Altman

5          Shiv Issar

3          Robin

Chronicle

A bullied teen with a dying mother and an abusive father begins documenting his life with a camcorder when he, his cousin, and a friend discover a mysterious hole in the earth and attain supernatural kinetic powers. As the three begin to hone and enjoy their new found gifts, which includes the power of flight, the disaffected loner begins to give in to the darker side of his nature. "Chronicle" is an entertaining and unique take on the superhero genre, and is just the right film to give the tired genre a kick. I also found myself surprised to be enjoying so thoroughly what is essentially a high school movie and its three lead actors, Dane DeHaan, Alex Russell, and Michael B. Jordan are all very engaging. My only complaint here is the distracting "Blair Witch"/"Cloverfield" found footage gimmick which is completely unnecessary and could have been easily worked around. In the film, one character asks the other if he thinks filming everything will create a barrier. I can answer that in the affirmative.

Batman: Year One

As Bruce Wayne returns to Gotham City to don his vigilante, crime fighting alter ego, police lieutenant Jim Gordon takes a job on the force and finds graft and corruption at every turn. Soon, both men become outcasts and targets of the police force in their struggle to uphold sanctity and virtue. "Batman: Year One" is the latest entry in the DC Universe Animated Series. While the dark animation services the story nicely, the film is vacuous and off-putting and the voice work leaves a little to be desired. Ben Mackenzie is unmemorable as Batman and is actually a supporting player to Bryan Cranston's Gordon, who is in all out, one-note Walter White mode as the righteous commissioner to be in an uninspired "Serpico" plot. Batman works best with darker treatments, but there is no need or point in it being this bleak. "Batman: Year One" has some merits in its animation but nothing more beyond that.

note: The DVD includes the short "DC Showcase: Catwoman", which is a likewise uninteresting tale of the feisty feline outlaw taking on a diamond smuggler and crossing paths with Wayne.

Starman

An alien life form, sent to Earth with a message of peace, enters a woman's rural Wisconsin home, and takes on the likeness of her recently deceased husband. Now with aggressive agents in hot pursuit, he forces her to transport him to Arizona where he will meet his alien compadres who will return him home to his native land. "Starman" is recycled science fiction from director John Carpenter who opts for an amiable approach and skirts more intriguing methods in telling his story. Also, although Jeff Bridges' Oscar nominated and much praised performance is serviceable, his robotic alien character remains too odd and unable to generate the necessary emotions required of it. The great, overlooked performance is that of Karen Allen who does an excellent job of conveying the complex and confusing emotions a grieving woman in that outlandish position would be experiencing. I also enjoyed the over the top performance of Charles Martin Smith as a gung ho governmental contractor. "Starman" is enjoyable fodder that I wish had gone deeper both with its plot and its characters.

Woman of the Year

When a sports reporter hears that his internationally respected female colleague has denounced America's obsession with sports, especially in the trying times of war, he goes on the offensive attacking the journalist by praising the usefulness of sports in the time of crisis. As their feud continues, the editor of their newspaper brings the rivals in to make nice and, wouldn't you know it, the two immediately fall in love. Now the two must adjust to the other's wildly different schedules in the hopes of creating a loving marriage. "Woman of the Year" was the first teaming of off screen partners Spencer Tracey and Katharine Hepburn, and the result is a highly entertaining screwball comedy with the two stars in top form. Director George Stevens lends his master hand in several very humorous comedy situations including one where Kate adopts a Greek refugee without informing her husband and a concluding one where she attempts to make breakfast for the first time in her life as a form of amends. Although "Woman of the Year" is terribly funny, I wonder how it stood then and stands now for feminists. The film, like many of the other Tracey/Hepburn vehicles (although it is occasionally reversed), results in Hepburn getting too far up on her high horse and Tracey putting her back in her place. Despite these dated mores, "Woman of the Year" is an entertaining picture and a fine start to a cherished partnership.

A Better Life

An illegal immigrant spends his days landscaping in the hopes of buying his own truck to start his own business and steer his son away from the local gangs that plague their L.A. neighborhood. After his dreams are realized and immediately crushed when his newly purchased truck is stolen, the gardener and his son transverse the city in search of it, while bonding in the process. Chris Weitz's "A Better Life" is an excellent look at both a father/son relationship as well as the current immigrant situation in our country. Weitz and screenwriter Eric Eason, from a story by Roger L. Simon, create a sympathetic portrait of a proud and good natured man, trying to do nothing more than provide the promise of the title to his son. In the lead role, Demian Bechir provides an excellent, fully fleshed performance and Jose Julian is quite good as well as his teenaged son. In addition to its excellent message and performances, "A Better Life" is a great looking film also and a reminder that not all urban films need to be gritty and bleak.

The Shakers: Hands to Work, Hearts to God

In the 19th Century, the Shakers sought to create a Utopian religious community, devoid of sex and founded on hard work and devotion to God. Although their communities eventually dissolved due to lack of procreation and conversions, the members did seek what they sought to achieve, and their legacy in architecture and furniture design lives on to this very day. "The Shakers: Hands to Work, Hearts to God" seems like an odd choice for a sophomore film from master documentarian Ken Burns but as expected, he handles his subject with great reverence and craft and tells their story with superior skill. Made in 1984, Burns interviews the few remaining Shakers in a New England community, all telling of the hardships that came with territory but none regretting their decision. And although the story of the religious sect does wear slightly thin, even at an hour's running length, there are still many historical morsels to be found in this story.

We Shall Remain

"We Shall Remain" takes over 450 years of Native American history, from the notion that Indians were complacent peace lovers or vicious savages, and turns it on its head. In a five part series, the main focal points include the arrival of the Puritans and the uneasy pact between them and the natives, King Philip's War, Indian relocation and Tecumseh's resistance, the Trail of Tears, Geronimo's campaign of terror, and the occupation of Wounded Knee. "We Shall Remain" is an excellent historical retrospective. Made by Native American filmmakers and featuring interviews with many current tribe members, the series has an authentic feel and tells its often harrowing story excellently, for once successfully using historical recreations to enhance the feature. "We Shall Remain" uncovers a shameful often watered down and sometimes even glorified part of our history and handles it with dignity and a quite superior craft.

Here's a synopsis of each of the five parts in the series:

The Grey

A group of heedless oil riggers are flying home from the drill site when their plane crashes in the middle of the Alaskan wilderness, and within killing range of a wolf's den. Now led by the depressive ex-con who had been charged with securing the site from wolves, the group must now keep moving in a desperate bid to survive the foreboding wilderness and the attacking, ravenous creatures. Joe Carnahan's "The Grey" is an appropriately harsh look at survival in the wilderness but I question the use of the same gritty filming techniques used in his urban films ("Narc", "Smokin' Aces) to capture the essence of this story. The film also contains a standard and uninspired script, with an apparition gimmick which distracts from the story. Once more, and oddly to my way of thinking, being employed as an action star, Liam Neeson is adequate as the lead survivalist but it is getting to a point where these roles are becoming standard and he is not providing the dimensional performance he is capable of. The film does contain several rousing sequences as well, including an improbable one where a member of the group jumps from a cliff to a thicket of trees and secures a line by which for the others to scale. "The Grey" does succeed in providing the necessary thrills one expects from this kind of movie, but provides very little in the way of anything else.

The 2012 Oscar Nominated Shorts

One of things I appreciate most each year about the Academy Awards are the Shorts Programs and the opportunity to see this seldom seen and very exciting medium. For the last several years, these nominated films have been made available to the general public and with the addition of the documentary category to my local area of Cleveland, we are now able to view all of the films up for an Oscar. This year I found the programming mostly excellent and an improvement over last year's lot, with the exception of the Animation program which again was disappointing. Except for the excellent "Wild Life" which I would have liked to have seen a full length treatment of, the shorts in this category represent style over substance containing fine animation but little in way of story. I thoroughly enjoyed the Live Action films with Terry George's "The Shore being a particular stand out and a perfect example of a short film. The Documentary category, with the exception of the earnest but scattershot "The Barber of Birmingham", offers a tremendous and harrowing selection with "Saving Face" and "The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossoms" offering moving tales of people recovering from different kinds of horror. I often complain about the unworthiness of many documentary films, and this year's shorts nominees demonstrate wonderful uses of the medium. Here are each of the nominated films by category followed by a brief synopsis and my trivial star rating:

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

12/19/12 I watched this film again and while it does require patience and is not immediately accessible,  it is a beautiful and poetic film about longing, which contains exciting action pieces as well as wonderful character development. Ang Lee's direction is marvelous and stunning and the three leads, Yun-Fat Chow, Michelle Yeoh, and Ziyi Zhang are truly excellent in their roles. *** 1/2

6/30/10 Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is an Academy Award winning film from a versatile director that contains beautiful scenery and wonderful choreography, and it is a movie that I can never seem to get into. It is basically the story of two women, one arranged to be married into nobility but who strives for a life of crime, and one who has settled for a warrior's life, lived by its code, and regrets not expressing her love to her warrior partner. As the former steals an all powerful sword from the latter a deadly battle ensues where both will have to make unforeseeable choices. Director Ang Lee, who seems at home in any genre, strives to make a classic martial arts movie while blending in Matrix like choreographed fight scenes. Although I said this is a hard film to get into, I am recommending it because its scenery is too beautiful and its weightless fight scenes are too awesome not too. ***

Dinner at Eight

A fading NYC tycoon and his socially conscious wife throw a posh dinner party with the hope of reviving the family shipping business. As the guest list is assembled, we learn the various backgrounds of each individual guest, all intertangled and carrying their own motives and baggage. "Dinner at Eight" is a glowing production from directing great George Cukor from a screenplay by Francis Marion and Herman J. Mankiewicz drawn from the beloved stage play by George S. Kaufman and Edna Ferber. The film has a tendency to be stagy, but draws strength in characterization and from its excellent cast. In a cast that is uniformly excellent, the ones who stick out the greatest are Marie Dressler as an aging actress, Wallace Beery and Jean Harlow as a brutish titan of industry and his insolent wife, and brothers Lionel and John Barrymore as the host and a suicidal hack actor. "Dinner at Eight" is a excellent example of 1930s New York high society types, replete with a fine cast of characters.

Albert Nobbs

In turn of the 20th century Dublin, a butler goes so unnoticed in a luxurious hotel that he is almost nonexistent. Soon it is revealed that the servant is actually a woman who has perpetuating this ruse for over 30 years, but now her secret is threatened to be exposed when it is discovered by a boarding painter. Instead, the painter also turns out to be a woman, inspiring the butler to fulfill her dream of opening to cigar shop and romancing the young and flighty maid! "Albert Nobbs" is an incredulous film from Rodrigo Garcia, a director who masters in soppy material. Not one moment of the film bears any semblance of authenticity and even worse the whole thing is played with a grave solemnity. Glen Close, who was unfortunately nominated for an Oscar after an egregious add campaign, doesn't succeed as a woman playing a man but rather as a woman playing an amorphous creature with no discernible features or characteristics. The likewise unfathomably nominated Janet McTeer also does not succeed as a woman playing a man but rather as a woman playing a screen gnashing lumbering man with breasts whom we are also supposed to take as genuine. Add this to the fact that we are supposed to believe that these two creatures met in 1900 Ireland and that no one around them even questioned them adds even more to the film's massing absurdity. "Albert Nobbs" isn't just a bad movie. It is also an insulting one and even more so in how its makers and stars have passed it off as good.

A Dangerous Method

In 1904 Switzerland, a beautiful medical student (Keira Knightley) who has just had a psychotic break is sent to be treated by Carl Jung (Michael Fassbender). Using methods developed by his mentor Sigmund Freud (Viggo Mortensen), Jung makes great progress but finds himself drawn to the masochistic woman and begins an intense physical relationship with her. As Jung continues his tempestuous affair with his patient while laying the groundwork for psychotherapy with his hero, both relationships threaten to boil over and explode. "A Dangerous Method" is a sumptuous and incredibly well staged period piece from David Cronenberg, which is somewhat different from what we've come to expect from the cult Canadian director, altough there are still a few bizarre moments sprinkled here and there. Fassbender, who has emerged as a major film presence within the past year or so, gives an indelible, restrained performance as the famous Swiss psychiatrist. Knightley has a difficult task, and while her performance has been criticized by some, her contribution to the film is considerable in my opinion. Mortensen, reuniting with Cronenberg for the third time, gives a fantastic supporting turn as the father of psychiatry and Vincent Cassel also makes a brief but welcomed appearance as a polygamist doctor forced into Jung's help. "A Dangerous Mind" is a refined and stimulating film that offers a great showcase for its stars.

Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives

Uncle Boonmee, suffering from kidney failure, retreats to his country home with his family members in the final preparations for death. During dinner at the outdoor picnic table, he is greeted by a vision of his dead wife who is there to ease his suffering, followed by the arrival of his son who has taken an animal form. These events cause Boonmee to go on a spiritual quest and examine the origins of his existence. "Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives" is the acclaimed and certainly atypical film from Thai director Apichatpong Weerasethakul which won the Palme d'Or at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival. "UBWCRHPL" is incredibly strange and unfolds at a deliberate snail's pace. At the same time, though, it is an incredibly beautiful and original work that is not at all trapped by convention. It is not to every taste (admittedly not to mine) but it is certainly worth the effort if you are in a patient and receptive mindset.

Gunga Din

In colonial India, a trio of British soldiers (Victor McLaglen, Cary Grant, and Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.) constantly carouse and create headaches for their superior officers. When Fairbanks decides to leave the army when his term is up and marry his sweetheart, Grant and McLaglen scheme to keep him in service. Soon though, the men stumble upon the temple of a religious cult who seeks world ruin and are captured by the evil dogs. Now their only hope lies with the courageous native water boy Gunga Din who is barred from military service but makes the ultimate sacrifice for God and country. "Gun Din" is grand old entertainment from RKO studios, legendary director George Stevens, and the classic but scant poem by Rudyard Kipling. It is the finest form of entertainment in that it succeeds in more than one arena. For example, the first half of the picture features riotous gags and pratfalls with the stars mucking about and the second half features rousing actions sequences, those of which must have surely inspired the Indiana Jones films. "Gunga Din" is a classic feature that offers wide ranging entertainment surely to please those all across the spectrum.

The Leopard

As the Italian Revolution reaches Sicily in the 1860s, the proud Prince of Salina (Burt Lancaster) weighs his options in deciding how to maintain his noble lifestyle while realizing that this new wave will most certainly add unwanted alterations. When his opportunistic nephew (Alan Delon) joins Gibraldi's army and then takes up with the daughter (Claudia Cardinale) of a newly rich mayor he despises, the prince realizes the benefit of the alliance and aids the courtship. "The Leopard" is a gorgeous, exuberant, celebratory yet sorrowful adaptation of Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa by master director Luchino Visconti. Featuring a glowing international cast, Burt Lancaster towers over all in a wonderful, commanding performance. Although his dubbed Italian voice is jarring at first (I've read the English dubbed version is an abomination), Lancaster's range is so wide and passion so deeply felt so that in a career of hallmark performances, this is one of his finest. Also, not enough can be said of Visconti's directions, the visuals, and the costumes. The concluding ballroom scene, which runs near an hour in length, is one of the most opulent and impressive of its kind. "The Leopard" captures many of the elements and sentiments of a transitory era and presents them with grace, extravagance, and style.

How I Ended This Summer

In a deserted and isolated station in the Russian arctic, two meteorologists, one a bearish ill tempered veteran, the other a flaky young intern, take samples of their radioactive surroundings. When the older man goes on a brief fishing excursion, the intern receives word through the wire that his partner's wife and son have been killed in an accident. Finding himself unable to relay the bad news, the young man soon finds himself not only the enemy of his colleague but also of the foreboding wilderness. "How I Ended This Summer" is a film with an excellent concept which opts for the slow draw approach, one which I usually admire, and isn't quite successful. In a two man show, stars Grigoriy Dobrygin and Sergey Puskepalis are ideally cast, respectively as the new age ipod sporting teenager and the grisled stereotypical Ruskie. The problems with the film lie in how drawn out everything is. The filmmakers wanted to achieve the conveyance of the tedium of life at a deserted meteorological station and unfortunately they succeeded. Still, there is much to enjoy here and the ultimate cat-and-mouse game between the stars is handled smartly and with tension.

Billy the Kid

When I think of Billy the Kid I conjure up an image of a murderous young punk, robbing at will and murdering at the drop of hat. The new American Experience documentary on the infamous outlaw paints an entirely different picture, a murderous thieving one yes, but also one of a lonely teen alone in the unwelcoming west who fights the evil tyrants of his day and, although becoming a scourge of the national media, becoming a hero of the local people and a legend after his time. "Billy the Kid" is an exceedingly good profile of the notorious outlaw, combining wonderful artifacts, scholars, and historians to tell William Bonney's surprisingly little known story.

I Remember Mama

A recently published author remembers with fondness her upbringing in early 20th century San Francisco, and especially her magnanimous mother and the assembly of her immigrant Swedish family. "I Remember Mama" is a loving family tale from master director George Stevens who recounts the era of his childhood with insight, warmness, directorial tact, and humor. From the Kathryn Forbes novel Mama's Bank Account, the film is a series of vignettes centered on the wonderful portrayal by Irene Dunne and a series of supporting performances, most notably from Oskar Homolka playing the bullying and boisterous Uncle Chris. Though certainly there are several excellent modern family films, the sheer mention of the genre is often met with eye rolling and shudders. A  picture like "I Remember Mama" is a reminder that family oriented movies can be earnest and funny, and if not exacting to our own childhoods, then at least capturing the essence of our own upbringing.