59 - Mission: Impossible III

Super-spy Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) is shackled to a chair. Battered, bruised, and desperate, he looks at his wife Julia (Michelle Monaghan) seated across from him. Owen Davian (Phillip Seymour Hoffman), their captor, points a gun at Julia’s head. "I’m going to count to ten. If you don’t tell me where the Rabbit’s Foot is, I’m going to kill her," he says. Ethan tries to smooth talk Davian, who won’t hear any of it. Ethan’s confidence quickly turns to frantic pleading as Davian’s count approaches ten.

Mission: Impossible III opens with this taunt scene, an unexpected moment of complete vulnerability for the hero. For a minute, I’m hopeful that the film will be a gritty, intense, wildly entertaining blockbuster with a post-modern action hero. What comes next proves to get the ‘entertaining’ part right, but leaves out everything else.

Oh sure, the film has its fair share of violent and spectacular scenes. Ethan’s spy team finds itself spinning from a German steam and sparks factory to the Vatican to Langley, never bothering to explain why things are happening where they are, other than that the locations look cool. A threadbare plot exists concerning a super-weapon and an arms dealer, as well as the kind of inter-agency back stabbing that 24 does much better(then again, 24 does everything better and is a TV show, so the comparison may not be fair).

Speaking of TV shows, Tom Cruise picked J.J. Abrams, creator of Alias and Lost, to direct Mission: Impossible III. He may be a first time director, but his skills may be a moot point, as the film clearly belongs to Cruise. I’m reminded of how Stanley Kubrick supposedly referred to himself as hired help for Kirk Douglas when talking about Spartacus. Cruise features in virtually every scene, the camera never forgetting to frame him in macho, heroic close-up. He looks good, despite age creeping in, though the formula gets tiresome quickly. I’d like to see more of Phillip Seymour Hoffman’s gruff, sadistic villain, but unfortunately his screen time doesn’t surpass twenty minutes.

In Roger Ebert’s review, Ebert makes a great case against the MacGuffin used by the film, a super-weapon called the Rabbit’s Foot which never receives an explanation. I take a different point of view; the film’s Macguffin isn’t the Rabbit’s Foot, but Julia, Ethan’s wife. The film quickly establishes Julia as a hopelessly cute but bland love interest, her primary purpose being to smile when safe and sob fearfully when threatened.

Why not expand on their relationship? When they marry, Julia believes Ethan to be a traffic executive, which says little for both of them. She doesn’t pay enough attention to her fiancée, and he has no problem concealing crucial details of his life from her, details that eventually get her kidnapped and tortured. Instead of portraying their relationship as childishly affectionate, why not be provocative and seriously explore the pitfalls of Ethan’s double life? In a brief scene, Ethan’s partners insist that normal relationships are impossible for men such as them, and briefly discuss how it affects their edgy existence. I’d gladly trade a $30 million action sequences for a couple more scenes like that discussion.

3 out of 5

58 - Top 10 of 2005 (and other awards)

You might ask yourself why I am posting my top 10 list for 2005 now, five months into 2006. There are several reasons, but it mostly comes down to the fact that Cedar Falls/Waterloo doesn't get many of the important films, so I had to wait until I could see most of them before making a list I could be satisfied with. I still haven't seen everything, but I'll make updates to the list as necessary.

It should also be noted that I am not addressing every single film I saw in this list.

Top 10 Films

1. King Kong – A fabulous, awe-inspiring blockbuster about a the most taboo of topics, love between a beautiful woman and a gigantic gorilla. Three hours long but not a second wasted, the intense spectacle only heightens the surprisingly heart breaking story. If a better remake exists, I’d like to hear about it.

2. Capote – A low-key drama about the notorious author and gossip machine, Phillip Seymour Hoffman won a well-deserved Oscar for his performance. Truman Capote’s tortured relationship with a ruthless killer is the core of this haunting film.

3. Munich – Spielberg’s much hyped dissection of Israeli-Palestinian violence failed to score any Oscar wins, but will be remembered long after Crash. Alternating between thrilling and horrifying, Munich successfully raises questions about the nature of revenge.

4. Match Point – Woody Allen’s melancholy thriller methodically follows a sociopath’s ascension into a wealthy family and his near fall due to a torrid affair. Well acted and criminally interesting.

5. The Squid and the Whale – The film covers the divorce between two vain, intellectual novelists and the impact on their family. Very funny, with a sad core.

6. Grizzly Man – Werner Herzog’s documentary about a former addict turned compulsive bear hugger. Herzog coolly shows the folly of treating animals as if they are people.

7. The Constant Gardener – A British diplomat struggles to uncover the reasons behind the murder of his wife. Along the way, the film skillfully peels away the layers of their marriage, culminating with some surprising answers.

8. Brokeback Mountain – The year’s most controversial film needed not to be, as the amount of explicit gay acts was approximately zero. What the film should be remembered for was an extremely moving story of desire unfulfilled. If you could watch the ending and not feel touched, then you might as well stop watching movies.

9. The Great Raid – Inexplicably ignored by theatergoers and critics, this old-fashioned war film concerns a bold mission to rescue American POWs behind Japanese lines. The film’s attention to historical details (including portraying the Japanese as they really were, vicious and cruel beyond comprehension) and positive message are a welcome change from the gloomy nature of the year’s other good films.

10. Serenity – The year’s best space opera (sorry Star Wars) is also one of the most fun films. Sharp writing and plenty of action make it an easy watch you don’t have to feel guilty about liking.

Special Mention

- Broken Flowers – Bill Murrary turns in another performance as a depressed middle aged man. Vastly superior to Lost in Translation, but we’ve seen it before.

- Cinderella Man – Some of the best boxing scenes ever filmed, great performances, and a good message aren’t enough to save the film from the historical liberties it takes with its story.

- Crash – The year’s best picture winner is far too manipulative and transparent at times to truly deserve a spot at the top.

- A History of Violence – While the film does a fine job of exploring the darkness that lurks within all of us, director David Cronenberg has the directorial skills of a twelve year old, and Mario Bello couldn’t act her way out of a wet paper bag.

Nine Lives – Beautifully directed and acted film, though the lack of screen time for each character curses the film with a crucial lack of emotional resonance.

Shopgirl – Good examination of love with conditions suffers from an extremely slow start and meandering finish.

Walk the Line – A good biopic of Johnny Cash, but nothing too special. The film is creepy in its willingness to portray Cash’s first wife as a bitch in order to justify the scandalous nature of his romance with June Carter.

Recommended

Fever Pitch – Jimmy Fallon can go to work at a Burger King now, because his one good role has been used up.

Four Brothers – Quick 70’s style action movie contains good mix of humor, drama, and violence.

Hustle and Flow – Surprisingly good, but suffers from ultimately unsympathetic protagonist.

The Island – It may be a typical overblown Michael Bay mess, but this box office disaster was entertaining, with the kind of moral you don’t see often in Hollywood films.

Mindhunters – Surprisingly fun and twisted action/horror film. The main character is the first in the film to die, setting a really tense atmosphere throughout.

Red Eye- Swift thriller does what it needs to do and gets out the door. Nice lack of 180 twists.

Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith – Not the complete train wreck it could have been. Contains a brilliant fight sequence at the end, but still vastly inferior to originals.

Unleashed – Great martial arts flick, but nothing to make a top 10 list.


Disappointing

Assault on Precinct 13 – Remake that doesn’t even come close to the original. Some decent shootouts but worthless characters.

Batman Begins – Needlessly ponderous, repetitive, and convoluted. Non-action sequences consist of quick cuts of Batman running towards someone and his target screaming. At least the previous films had heart; this one is as sterile as a surgeon’s knife.

Hostage – Thriller stupid enough for my little cousin to be able to dissect its flaws. Seems like a lot more was shot but cut for running time, as it only makes half sense.

The Upside of Anger – Kevin Costner’s ego is dwarfed only by George Clooney’s. Film tries to be quirky but only succeeds at stupid.

Worst Films of the Year

Wedding Crashers – This film is to American culture as an exploding nuclear warhead is to an ocean. Witless and vile, it relies completely on the audience being willing to forego every fiber of intelligence and taste they possess to enjoy it. Never before has a film inspired me to feel such vitriolic feelings, and I’ve seen The Contender twice. Easily the worst film of the year.

Good Night, and Good Luck – Here the staggeringly smarmy college dropout that is George Clooney tells us how stupid we are. Clooney portrays Senator Joe McCarthy as worse than Hitler, and gleefully extols the concept that journalists are the bravest, smartest human begins to ever grace the earth. Laughable at best if my fellow film critics weren’t 99.9% liberal Democrats.

Doom – This boring waste of time might be at the top of my list if it wasn’t the cinematic equivalent of a rice cake.


Best Action Sequence: King Kong versus three T-Rex’s while juggling Naomi Watts.

Runners Up:
- Serenity’s hero versus villain ending confrontation, where a lack of nerve plays a key role (that’s a pun).

Star Wars' vivid final lightsaber battle, with the fate of the entire galaxy resting in the swords of four beings.

Best Line of the Year :

"There is not a word or a sentence or a concept that you can illuminate for me." – Phillip Seymour Hoffman as Truman Capote, re a convict’s attempt to impress him with a difficult word.

"I made burgers that time you had pneumonia. " – Jeff Daniels in The Squid and the Whale, re his wife’s accusation that he never cooked dinner during their marriage.

"Now we know his weakness: bullets." – LL Cool J in Mindhunters, re the bad guy who kills based on the personal weakness of his victims. The bad guy himself proved not to be bulletproof.


In all honesty, I have yet to see: 2046, Cache, Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang, Oldboy, and Syriana.

57 - Match Point review

"The man who said "I'd rather be lucky than good" saw deeply into life. People are often afraid to realize how much of an impact luck plays. There are moments in a tennis match where the ball hits the top of the net, and for a split second, remains in mid-air. With a little luck, the ball goes over, and you win. Or maybe it doesn't, and you lose."

So says Chris Wilton (Jonathan Rhys Meyers), speaking to the audience at the beginning of Woody Allen’s Match Point. His words reflect a very cynical way to interpret the world, but then again, Woody Allen is one of film’s premier cynics. By the end of the film, Chris’ philosophy will be proven correct.

Match Point is a beautifully plotted thriller that relishes in the slow burn of its plot. Unlike most contemporary thrillers, it bothers to be engaging and rewardingly meticulous. Written and directed with great calm, the plot carefully builds itself like a stack of Legos, the proper pieces fitting dutifully on top of one another until we have the finished product.

Chris’ begins the film as the new tennis pro at a swanky British country club. He played in the big leagues, but never got too far; he may not have been good enough, though his eagerness to take shortcuts implies he just wasn’t willing to go the extra mile to be a champion.

Nary an hour goes by before Chris befriends Tom(Matthew Goode), the spoiled son of a wealthy businessman(Brian Cox). Tom’s sister Chloe(Emily Mortimer) zeroes in on Chris, enamored with his sly charm and good looks. Chris takes advantage, deftly milking the family for what he can. He knows that he essentially serves as a trophy husband/son-in-law for the father, but he doesn’t mind, because riding around in a limo beats teaching pampered brats tennis any day of the week. Chris’ problems begin when he meets and becomes smitten with Nola (Scarlett Johansson), Tom’s American fiancée.

Smitten may be the wrong word; fascinated works better. Chris, being a sociopath, can never really fall in love, but he can develop an interest in gorgeous, forbidden fruit. Nola quickly succumbs to Chris’ charm, causing him to eagerly dismiss himself from Chole at any available opportunity. Of course, when having a clandestine affair, most of the fun doesn’t come from the sex, but the thrill of doing something you aren’t supposed to. Eventually, Chris winds up with potential repercussions he might not be willing to handle. The same goes for everyone else, because little is more dangerous than a cornered sociopath.

Allen wisely skips the usual quasi-quirky New York dialogue found in his films and substitutes it with stuffy, effective banter that works fabulously and sounds very realistic. Some British critics chided the absence of the British dialect’s color, but overlook the functionality and cold sterility of the dialogue, which reminds us of who we are watching. The characters are naïve at best, evil at worst, and the use of language reflects it. We’re not dealing with happy people, but with individuals who take what they can when they can get it.

The film’s ending is both appropriate and satisfying, obeying Chris’ philosophy in a fiendishly unexpected way. Every day our lives are affected by millions of events that we have no control over, and that blind luck can play a bizarre role in. Unlike most thrillers, which aim primarily to entertain and then end, Match Point gives us something to seriously think about. Audiences will greatly appreciate being able to intelligently discuss the characters and their actions instead of being forced to pick apart the holes of the plot. Critics have said Match Point represents a return to form for Woody Allen, but with a film this good, it’s hard to believe he ever lost it in the first place.

4.5 out of 5