Summer Blockbusters

This weekend, the action fantasy “Wrath of the Titans” will battle “The Hunger Games” for the top spot at the American box-office. Both films are big-budget spectacles that provide a prelude to the upcoming season. On May 4th, Hollywood’s summer officially kicks off with the release of “The Avengers”, the highly-anticipated adaption of the popular Marvel Comic. It is a film that will certainly break box-office records and enter the pantheon of pop culture entertainment. The summer blockbuster movie has been an annual event for more than three decades now. Their inception began with the arrival of Steven Spielberg’s “Jaws” back in 1975, and a few have provided me with some of the most cherished memories of my childhood.     



"The Avenger" kicks off the Hollywood summer season on May 4th.

I was raised in the 1980’s and I remember the “decade of excess” to be a much a simpler time. Rotary phones were the dominant form of communication. Tacky clothes were the style of the day and big hair was extremely popular. But I also remember the Hollywood blockbusters of the era. Steven Spielberg and George Lucas were the top pioneers of the genre thanks to the “Indiana Jones” and “Star Wars” movies. I’d even skip school to see the first showing (with parent approval) , but boy, was it worth it! The films delivered on a level previously unseen before. Today, special-effects movies are as common as dirt. But in the 80’s, Hollywood’s big-budget films were mainly restricted to the summer season. So at the end of every school semester, the highlight of school vacation (at least for me) were the movies.



The theatrical poster of "Return of the Jedi". It was released on May 25, 1983.

 

Today, I still get excited at the prospect of the latest blockbuster. Last summer, I watched a total of 13 “first-run” movies; five were presented in 3-D. And if all goes well, I'll be attending the Hollywood premiere of “The Dark Knight Rises” in July. This summer also sees the arrival of “The Amazing Spider-Man”, “Prometheus”, “The Bourne Legacy” and “Snow White and the Huntsmen”. It's an exciting lineup of summer films and soon multiplexes across the country will be packed with movie fans of all ages. Some will be seeing a Hollywood summer film for the very first time. And others (like me) will be getting autographs and pictures of Christian Bale and company at the Batman premiere. Well, at least I hope so. I can't wait.




"The Dark Knight Rises" is the most anticipated movie of the year. It opens on July 20th.

 

                         

Nicolas Winding Refn

The name of Nicolas Winding Refn is unknown to many casual movie fans. But that's about to change very soon. Refn is a Danish director who just recently made the transition to American films. He was awarded the best director prize at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival for his gritty action flick "Drive". And presently, he's filming a low-budget revenge thriller entitled "Only God Forgives". "Drive" is undoubtedly a personal favorite of mine. It is a very stylish film that certainly placed Refn on the road to stardom. The movie stars Ryan Gosling as a quiet stunt driver/mechanic who moonlights as a getaway driver in L.A. He falls in love with a single mother and risks everything to protect her from the local mob. Despite its conventional plotline, the film is quite unique and equally compelling due to Refn's unusual choices. It plays almost like a modern day fairy tale with sudden bursts of ultra-violence and a thriving 80'-s inspired soundtrack.

The American poster ad for Nicolas Winding Refn's "Drive".

Refn had previously made independent films in his native country. He also directed "Bronson", a critically-acclaimed stylized drama based on the life of a real-life British prisoner. The movie not only showcased the immeasurable talent of actor Tom Hardy, but proved to be a spiritual successor to Stanley Kubrick's "A Clockwork Orange". I saw the film after I watched "Drive" and immediately recognized a re-occuring theme in Refn's work: transformation. Both films deal with men who slowly change into a diffrerent kind of character. For "Drive", it is about a psychotic man who becomes a hero, and "Bronson" tells the story of a normal person who mentally disintegrates. Of the two, "Bronson" is certainly the darker tale; at times it has the feel of an "underground" movie. While "Drive" combines the asthetics of a 70's road rage flick with the artistic sensibility of a 1980's Michael Mann film. It goes without saying that Refn is a visionary director that pushes the boundaries of the genre.



The critically-acclaimed "Bronson" was based on the life of "Charlie Bronson", a notorious British criminal.


Although I've only seen two of the director's films, I'm already a major fan. Refn is an extremely talented and profilic director. He has made films about the Danish criminal underworld (the "Pusher" trilogy) as well as "Valhalla Rising", a tale about a Nordic warrior who escapes from his Viking captors in the year 1000 A.D. His next film, "Only God Forgives", re-teams him with Ryan Gosling and is set in the world of Thai-boxing. But their third film project will undoubtedly launch Refn into the Hollywood stratosphere. It will be a remake of the 1976 sci-fi cult film "Logan's Run". The movie will be financed by Warner Bros. and Refn has said it will have a budget of around $200 million. If he can be allowed to flex his artistic muscles with the film, Refn will most likely be compared to his contemporary Christopher Nolan (director of "Inception"). I, for one, cannot wait for his next film.


The first photo image from "Only God Forgives" features a very intense Ryan Gosling.



Independent Films

It’s no secret that Hollywood films often lack the depth of independent motion pictures. While there are exceptions to the rule, movies made within the Hollywood scene generally resemble products off an assembly line: they are undistinguished material made for the masses. Unfortunately, these films (while extremely popular) are stripped of any sort of artistic merit or creative risk. On the other hand, independent movies are the flip side of the coin. Known as “art films” in certain circles, these pictures relish in their own uniqueness.

"The Artist" won the Oscar for Best Picture of 2011. It is a throwback to the silent era of movies.

Unbound by conventional Hollywood “guidelines”; independent filmmakers make up their own rules and focus on the “art” side of the movie business. As a result, indie films feel profoundly personal. One of the most powerful films I've ever seen was Darren Aronofsky’s “The Wrestler”, a film which earned Mickey Rourke an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. The movie is about an aging professional wrestler whose glory days are long gone. Suffering from old age and loneliness, Randy (Rourke) makes a last ditch effort to salvage relationships and find some peace in this world. The film is gritty and unflinching, and feels very true to life.

Mickey Rourke and director Darren Aronofsky on the set of "The Wrestler".

What I love most about independent films is their intimacy that big-budget movies lack. Some are character studies that feel authentic in their depiction of the real world. “The Wrestler” doesn’t have a happy ending. In fact, it is a very sad film that almost brought me to tears. Where dramatic Hollywood films can seem manufactured; independents feel almost organic in comparison. They feel “alive” because of their emphasis on character, time and place. Another great indie, “Crazy Heart”, is about a down-and-out country singer set in the American Southwest. It is a film that accurately captures the look and feel of the region by being shot on-location.   



Jeff Bridges won the Academy Award for his portrayal of a down-and-out country singer in "Crazy Heart".

Just a few weeks ago, I watched "Shame" at the Bijou theater located inside Crossroads Mall. It's a powerful, harrowing film about sexual addiction that earned an NC-17 for explicit sexuality. The movie stars Michael Fassbender as a successful New Yorker who suffers from the sickness. The picture is uncompromising and bleak in its depiction of the subject matter. I found it to be sad and true, if not very enjoyable (how could it be?!). Independent films are projects of passion that revel in creativity and artitisic expression. And since I am a movie nut, I'm always interested in seeing one.



Michael Fassbender portrays a man who suffers from sexual addiction in "Shame".



                      

  

Act of Valor

This past weekend, the number # 1 movie in America was the military action-thriller “Act of Valor”. A patriotic portrayal of U.S. Navy SEALs, the film managed to pull in $24.7 million at the box-office. That’s a pretty impressive haul considering the movie doesn’t feature any major stars. Instead, the cast is comprised of active duty Navy Seals in the leading roles. The ads state as much, but I was surprised they were the stars of the show and not the supporting players. On Tuesday evening, I saw “Act of Valor” and it was pretty much what I expected; a big-budget, non-stop action flick with plenty of “flag waving”. In terms of story and tone, it’s no different than “The Expendables” or “Rambo”, but the film unabashedly honors the true life heroics of our nation’s soldiers.

The thing I find interesting about “Act of Valor” is that it was originally intended as a recruiting film. Eventually, it was embraced by the Navy and evolved into a full-length motion picture. As I watched it, I was well aware of the flat acting; the line readings are bland and the emotional scenes are in a word, laughable. Of course, the performances aren’t meant to be the highlight of the film (the same can be said of action movies in general). But regardless of the lack of any real drama, I thought “Act of Valor” featured some impressive action scenes. They certainly felt authentic, if not entirely accurate. The film was directed by Mike McCoy and Scott Waugh and their intent was to depict a realistic portrayal of the SEAL’s work.

In a sense, I think the directors only got it half right. On one hand, there hasn’t been a film like this since 1993’s “Sniper” which starred Tom Berenger as a U.S. military operative living in Panama. It (I thought) accurately captured the details of a real life military sniper. On the other hand, this movie’s action scenes play out like a non-interactive “Call of Duty”. At times, I almost felt like my controller was missing. The action is too slick when it should be harrowing. This, in effect, defeats the purpose of such a movie. If a film wants to accurately portray the lives of active duty military personnel, it should do without resorting to romanticism. I highly doubt that real-life combat is fun. After watching “Act of Valor”, I didn’t think the filmmakers felt the same way.